The San Diego Wine + Food Festival, aka San Diego Wine Classic , is an annual multi-day event held every November. This year it takes place November 9th-13th, 2022, with the Grand Tasting Event on November 12th. Let me cut to the chase - The Grand Tasting is the key event, the giant wine and food festival held on the giant grassy area behind Seaport Village sometimes called The Embarcadero. If you googlemap Malibu Farms (previously The Harbor House restaurant) you will be at the right place.

The Grand Tasting event features hundreds of booths (OK, I never counted them, but a lot!) all handing out samples of gourmet bites, glasses of wine, or sips of spirits. It lasts from noon until 3, though you can get in an hour early if you want to beat the crowds, and there’s an extra cost VIP tent that kicks it all up a notch.

For serious foodies there are events in the week prior to the Grand Tasting but when people talk about the San Diego Wine and Food Fest they usually mean this event.

Is The San Diego Wine + Food Fest Worth It?

The standard 4 hour ticket is $150. The early entry ticket is $200. The VIP ticket is $300. And a special four-pack of standard tickets is discounted to $550. The event always sells out. Look, that’s a lot of money, right, and my job isn’t to convince you to part with your cash but $150 doesn’t seem nearly as outrageous as it once did. I mean, I just went to to the movies and spent $26 for a ticket, $20 for a lousy glass of wine, and $17 for a chicken sandwich. Oh yeah, and the popcorn was another $10. So after tip I spent $90 to see Tom Cruise fly a jet while smiling. OK, this was at Cineopolis but that’s the movie theater near my house so don’t judge.

To compare, I could have gone to the San Diego Wine + Food Fest and done this:

Let’s compare again - Top Gun was about $90 for two hours of mind numbing distraction and average food. If my math is correct that’s $45 an hour. The San Diego Wine + Food Festival is $150 for three hours of non-stop foodie adventure with unlimited bites and sips from dozens and dozens of booths, hanging out in the San Diego sunshine surrounded by tons of fun people, dancing to the live music (too much wine, OK), and having one of those “best times of my life” experiences. More math - that’s $50 an hour. Compared with $45 for a movie that’s going to be on HBO by next month??? Is this even a debate?

So I guess I’m saying, YES, it’s worth it and YES, you should get tickets and go. I’ve gone every year for over 10 years in a row and it’s become one of my favorite things to do in San Diego. Oh sure, there are other “food fests” though out the year but none come close to the San Diego Food and Wine Festival. You have to trust me on this, get tickets and you won’t regret it. This is the ultimate San Diego experience.