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SoDel Wine, Food & Music Fest a great success

November 4, 2017

The Southern Delaware Wine, Food & Music Festival has come and gone for 2017 and any one of the 600 attendees can say, it was a resounding success. Sure to be one of the most buzzed events for 2018, the SoDel Fest brings outstanding food, delicious wines and sprits and entertaining music together for a blast of a day!

SoDel Fest is presented by Creative Coastal Connections Corp., a nonprofit event planning company, and hosted by SoDel Concepts. The grounds and clubhouse at Schell Brothers’ Independence Hall were fully utilized and space was not an issue. 

New this year, 0n the eve of SoDel Fest was the VIP private reserve wine dinner with six courses and seven wines at Baywood Clubhouse. Larry O'Brien, one of 230 master sommeliers in the world, educated and entertained the patrons who attended this exclusive perfectly paired wine dinner. Jackson Family Wines also bought ambassador Craig Elick, who shared his vast knowledge of the vines!

The vendor list for the SoDel Fest included 10 wine distributors, two wineries, Dogfish Head Brewery and Distillery, 17 top local restaurants all showcasing their culinary masterpieces. Attendees used their commemorative festival wine glass to sample over 50 hand-picked wines, many of which were paired with the chef tastes. Those who attended then had the opportunity to purchase their favorite wine products at a discounted price. Patrons enjoyed milling around the tasting areas sampling wines and special creations over the course of the day.

The most entertaining event of the SoDel Fest was the second annual Chef Throw Down competition, which pitted local Southern Delaware Chef Doug Ruley against Northern Delaware Chef Bryan Sikora. Talk about a stressful situation; using mystery ingredients the chefs had 30 minutes to prepare a beautifully presented and tasty dish for the three judges. Ruley, SoDel Concepts chef extraordinaire emerged victorious for the second year in a row.

The designated beneficiaries of the SoDel Fest, Children & Families First, Cape Henlopen Educational Foundation and The Delaware Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, will receive proceeds from the festival.

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