I recently came back from a girl’s weekend in Nashville, TN. The atmosphere was full of energy, the food was spectacular and the music was out of this world. Getting to and from Nashville is a quick Southwest flight from the Panama City Beach Airport. We get a lot of people that traveling from Tennessee to stay with Your Friend at the Beach. As I’m sure many people do, we planned our next girls’ trip while on our girls’ trip. This year we are planning to attend one of the wine festivals in the Destin and South Walton Beach area. We have two amazing Wine Festivals to choose from in April.
One of my favorites (which also happens to fall on my birthday this year) is the Sandestin Wine Festival – April 20th – 23rd. Grab your girlfriends, put on a big floppy hat and taste hundreds of wines from across the globe. The Sandestin Wine Festival, held at the Village of Baytowne Wharf (or Baytowne is what we locals call it) is the perfect place to hold a wine festival. The streets of Baytowne are made of cobblestone you will find beads’ hanging in the trees it is very New Orleans, so it is really fun. Wine novices can learn more about wines, and sample from a comprehensive selection in all varieties, styles, and price ranges. Wine aficionados enjoy meeting winemakers, asking detailed questions, and acquiring hard-to-get selections. An added bonus is the opportunity to immediately purchase your favorite selections at the ABC Fine Wine and Spirits Retail Tent at a discounted rate. Everyone gets to enjoy the live music, interactive experiences at the Culinary tents, and shops and dining of the Village of Baytowne Wharf.
Can’t make it the weekend of the 20th? That’s okay because South Walton Beaches wine & Food Festival is April 28th – 30th. Throughout the Town Center of Grand Boulevard, attendees get to experience Spirits Row, Champagne Lane Tastings, Savor South Walton Culinary Village, Nosh Pavilions, Tasting Seminars, Craft Beer & Spirits Jam, live entertainment and more than 800 wines poured by knowledgeable wine industry insiders.
In addition to the incredible selection of more than 800 wines, South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival offers the world’s finest foods, including cheeses, olives, sushi, charcuterie and, of course, confections. The Savor South Walton Culinary Village offers a multitude of food tastings, food and wine pairings and exclusive educational and entertaining tasting seminars from noted industry experts and renowned chefs. The beautifully landscaped grounds of Grand Boulevard at Sandestin, allow you to stroll freely throughout the entire festival. What I really love about this festival is that there is great shopping at Grand Boulevard, and all the shops will be open during the festival!