Daily Olive: Sun WineFest at the Mohegan Sun Casino

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Sun WineFest at the Mohegan Sun Casino

June 13, 2006

Although the Mohegan Sun Casino and Hotel in Connecticut is not quite as big as the nearby Foxwood Casino, it is an impressive looking design, and expansive enough inside to spend a few days there and still get lost. A good time to go is mid-January for the Sun WineFest, a food and wine festival where chefs from the area and nearby Boston take center stage for a three day gourmet festival. Many of the chefs host their own restaurants in the casino including celebrity chef Todd English, whose latest venture is Tuscany, and Jasper White.

The annual Sun WineFest is the place to be if you are a foodie and want to see what is happening in food trends in that part of the world. Leading wine experts from around the world are on hand, along with a large selection of wines offered in the seminars and main event arena. The 2006 event featured Master Sommelier and famed collector Fred Dame, who lectured on 10 top Pinot Noir’s from around the world, focusing on the dramatic differences that soil and climate can make to the wine in the glass. Dame was the first Master Sommelier to successfully pass all three parts of the stiff exam in a single year, giving him the prestigious and coveted Cup of the British Guild of the Sommeliers in 1984.

Leonardo LoCascia of Winebow hosted a fascinating seminar on the wines of Southern Italy, and Michael Martini of Louis M. Martini Winery showed how certain Cabernet Sauvignon wines are a perfect match with chocolates. LoCascio is probably the leading expert on Italian wines in the USA, and his passion is to alert wine lovers about some of the hidden gems to be found in Southern Italy, not just the popular wines of the Tuscany region.

The seminars which cost extra, are held in separate rooms from the main arena, and are always well attended, with of course, lots of wine. The main events are the Grand Tasting which is held in the main ballroom on the Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm, where over 1,000 wines from all over the world can be sampled. Tickets for the Grand Tasting cost $55 per day or $85 for a weekend pass.

The 2007 Sun WineFest will take place on January 19-21, 2007. Visit the official Sun WineFest for details.

By Michael Hepworth | June 13, 2006 in Gourmet Travel | Permalink