Wine & Roses Charity Wine Tasting
The 24th annual Wine and Roses Charity Wine Tasting and sale will take place this year on June 10th from 3-6:30 PM. This is a great wine and food tasting event that features domestic and imported wines from over 70 wineries and delectable food items from twenty-five of San Diego's best restaurants. The event will take place downtown in the gaslamp district at the Westgate Hotel on the outdoor terrace.
Last year, I had the privilege of attending this worthwhile event for the first time. I spent a beautiful sunny afternoon meandering my way from one vendor to the next sampling various pours of red wine (my personal favorite) and then snatching up such delicacies as mango ahi and stuffed mushrooms. There was such a wide array of food offerings from sushi to gourmet hamburgers that I hardly knew where to begin. Oh and the desserts! There was chocolate cake, chocolate dipped strawberries, even chunks of chocolate. Did I mention that there was chocolate?
One of the few lines at the event was at the crème brulee table. It was quite a show as the chef displayed his culinary talents with a torch and caramelized the sugar coating on the tops of each individual serving of the decadent custard. I have to admit that I made two trips past that table as I think many people did that day.
The wines that are poured as samples and featured for sale at the event are all medal winners from the San Diego International Wine Competition (SDIWC). They are sorted by their winning category and sold by the case.
This event draws a large crowd each year and raises money for a worthwhile charity, Camp Oliver, a youth summer camp program. Tickets are $65.00 in advance on the Wine and Roses website and $75.00 at the door. It is an event that is well worth the money.
