Under new leadership, the Pacific Wine & Food Classic—one of the most anticipated culinary festivals in Orange County—returns this weekend to the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort in Newport Beach.

And the eighth edition of the event promises to be bigger and more creative than ever, according to Tricia Cook, a long-term member of the event’s organizing team who took the reins from veteran event organizer Pam Waite.

Waite, founder and president of the OC Restaurant Association and the creator of OC Restaurant Week, is focusing efforts on the upcoming Burger Week, held Sept. 20-26.
Cook, who has helped shape the Pacific Wine festival since its inception, said organizing the event on her own presented “a good opportunity and a good challenge for me.”

“I’m a very creative person, but I also have to concentrate on so many of the detail-oriented things. This is a challenge for me to kind of put a little more of my creative spin on it,” she told the Business Journal.

This year’s event will bring together three dozen top local restaurants, 30 wine purveyors pouring more than 100 wines, premium craft cocktails, a live DJ and silent disco experience, and immersive culinary activations.

“It’s not just sparkling wine,” said Cook. “It’s going to be anything with bubbles. I also have restaurants in there, plus really fun decor and lounge seating, so it’s going to be a great area.”

Ashley Johnson, chief marketing officer of Visit Newport Beach, called the annual food event a celebration that “captures everything that makes Newport Beach unforgettable.”

“Events like this play a meaningful role in driving tourism to our destination,” Johnson told the Business Journal. “We’re excited for guests to experience the new offerings at this year’s event and make a full weekend of their stay to experience the rest that Newport Beach has to offer as we wrap up summer and welcome fall.”

Tapping Costa Mesa Design Firm
Cook is bringing in new sponsors and décor, including new lounges and other themed areas, such as a Tiki World section and a Bubble Garden.

“From The Bubble Garden to Tiki World, every corner of the festival has been designed with intention, and that’s exactly the kind of experience we want people to remember long after the last glass is poured,” Cook said in a statement.

The Tiki World space is designed by Davis Ink, the Costa Mesa-based interior design firm known for its feel-good alternative spaces with a “WTF Twist” such as Wolfie’s Carousel Bar and Parq Nightclub, both in San Diego.

Tiki World’s tropical escape design pulls inspiration from Tiki Kai in Hermosa Beach, another Davis Ink client. The space will feature island-inspired bites from Tiki Kai and handcrafted tiki cocktails made with Papa’s Pilar rum.

“Partnering with Davis Ink gives us the chance to offer festival-goers something new and fresh this year,” Cook said in a statement. “The entire Davis Ink team brings a level of creativity and craft that turns a beautiful waterfront setting into a place guests want to explore.”

This year, Cook is working with the Paso Robles Alliance to bring a handful of wineries down to Newport Beach, as well as wines from Napa and other wine regions.

And then there are the restaurants.

“I’m really excited about the restaurants this year,” she told the Business Journal. “We have some amazing new ones as well as some of the wonderful, great ones that are coming back.”

The list of restaurants is indeed impressive, and includes such names as Bosscat Kitchen & Libations, Descanso, Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens, Five Crowns, Il Girasole, Miss Mini Donuts, Puesto, Red O, Sol Cocina, Strong Water Anaheim, Sushi Roku, Trevor’s at the Tracks, Wahoo’s Fish Taco, and many others.

Pacific Wine & Food Classic takes place on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort, 1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach.

Tickets are $199 per person and include entry at 2 p.m. VIP early entrance tickets are $269 per person.

All guests must be 21 years of age or older with valid government-issued identification.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Pacificwineandfood.com.