The festivities have come and gone, but the memory of good times still lingers (well, that and the food and wine hangover – just kidding, this being our third year, we have learned the difficult task of pacing ourselves). The 2009 San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival held Nov. 18 - 22 at the Embarcadero in downtown San Diego was once again, one of our favorite days of the year. Even though the weather had been suspect all week, the Grand Tasting Event on Saturday, Nov. 21 was all sunshine and smiles, along with copious amounts of food and, ahhh, the endless flow of wine.

There is more to the Festival than just the Grand Tasting, and to fully experience all it has to offer, remember these tips for next year’s extravaganza: cooking classes and parties! For any foodie with the smallest food bug bite, cooking classes are a sheer delight. It’s like the Food Network has come alive – except that the classes were held at the Macy’s School of Cooking in Mission Valley and the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center downtown. Classes are offered for almost any culinary taste, from sushi to truffles to seafood. Celebrity chefs, Sam the Cooking Guy and Brian Malarkey of Top Chef fame are amongst those who instruct, make you laugh and dazzle your taste buds … with wine always ever-present. And those are just the locals.

We were mesmerized at the “Making Fresh Pasta” class presented by Chef Alex Stratta, the award-winning chef of the French restaurant ALEX and the Italian-American restaurant Stratta, located at the Wynn Las Vegas. The room was small and very intimate, which is what you want for a cooking class. Our tip: Get there early so you can snag a seat upfront since this further enhances your interaction with the chef. Chef Stratta was whimsical, engaging, very knowledgeable and, just like watching a cooking show, made it all look so easy. Three dishes were prepared and sampled by the entire class, each with a selected wine pairing. The various flavors of every dish amazed our palettes, exceeding our expectations.

Parties are available nightly; we enjoyed the Reserve & New Wine tasting event at the ultra-cool Wonderhaus Building downtown. Who wouldn’t delight in three hours of sampling wines from 160 wineries and cuisine from 10 gourmet food companies? The room was lively, the selection diverse and well represented, which elevated the occasion.

On top of all the cool, unique events that the entire five-day festival brings, it is indeed the Grand Tasting that tops off the entire experience. Upon entering, you’re given a wine glass and plastic dish (with wine glass holder, thank the stars!) to hold the bountiful offerings. Let the games begin!

Booth after booth, 170 vineyards and 70 local restaurants with chefs front and center cater to the devotees wishing to indulge in the exquisite wine and cuisine. There was so much great food and delectable wine that the day becomes a wonderful blur of taste and talent. Another tip: Splurge on the V.I.P. tickets, which allow you access to the tented area with Tommy Bahama rum pours, Mckellen 80-year whiskey (as if the wine and beer wasn’t enough) and fun gift bags for all.

Sunday featured the Celebrity Chef Luncheon and the announcement of the “Chef of the Fest” winner, with first place going to Chef Anthony Sinsay of Harney Sushi. Forty chefs competed down to 10 finalists, with Chef Sinsay taking the honors for his “Textures of Kabocha” – Sou Vide Kabocha with Kabocha Puff, Kabocha Panna Cotta, Carbonated Citrus and “malty” truffle air.

Overall, the 2009 San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival dazzled on all levels – a great way to meet with friends and try new and familiar dishes and wines from your favorite vineyards and restaurants. Mark your calendar for the 2010 event, and be prepared for amazing food, wine and an unforgettable time. Bon Appetite!

The Good – The Prado floored us with its succulent short rib with blue cheese foam. How did that not win?

The Bad – There should be beds for naps so you can start all over again. Get a room or take a cab! We went to a dinner party later that night and barely could look at the salad.