Ethica Wines Walk-Around Tasting at Ponte
A Tampa walk-around tasting at Ponte featuring eight Italian wines with Ethica Wines across Sicily, Piedmont, Campania, Tuscany, and Puglia.
Event
Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival 2026
An annual spring celebration of culinary talent throughout Tampa, St. Petersburg, and surrounding communities.
About the event
Annual spring celebration across Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival is an annual spring celebration of culinary talent throughout Tampa, St. Petersburg, and the surrounding communities. The 2026 festival runs April 7–11 and features a lineup of experiences with local chefs alongside nationally recognized food, wine, and spirits brands.
Program highlights by day and format
Experience St. Pete includes multi-course collaborative dinners on April 7 at venues such as Birch & Vine at The Birchwood, Pulpo Kitchen & Lounge, and Elliott Aster / The Vinoy. Experience Tampa follows on April 8 with multi-course pairing dinners at restaurants including Meat Market, Epicurean Theatre at the Epicurean Hotel, American Social, Timpano, and Ash, followed by the Chefs After Dark afterparty.
Other featured programs include Rock the Range at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, with live-fire cooking challenges, a tasting reception, and a live show. The VIP Chef Showdown features 20 chefs across 10 battle pavilions judged on the Publix Culinary Showcase Kitchen stage, and the Grand Tasting at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park includes 40-plus restaurants, 30-plus wine and cocktail pavilions, culinary demonstrations, live music, and the First Horizon Best of the Fest competition.
Hosts, chefs, and charitable support
Robert Irvine is listed as Festival Host, and Sean Brasel is listed as Honorary Chef Host. Named participants also include David Lazer Benstock, Bryan Jacobs, Beau MacMillan, and Kristina Lavallee of The Cake Girl.
The festival is produced by CI Foundation Inc. on behalf of Tampa Bay WFF Foundation Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Proceeds support CI Foundation Inc.’s EAT SMART program, which promotes nutrition education and healthy lifestyle habits for youth in the Tampa Bay area.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of experiences are part of the festival?
The festival features a lineup of experiences that showcase local chefs alongside nationally recognized food, wine, and spirits brands, including collaborative dinners, pairing dinners, live-fire cooking, the VIP Chef Showdown, and the Grand Tasting.
When is Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival 2026?
The 2026 festival takes place April 7–11, 2026.
Where does the festival happen?
The festival centers on Tampa, St. Petersburg, and surrounding communities, with named program venues including Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa and Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.
Who is featured in the 2026 program?
Named participants include Robert Irvine, Sean Brasel, David Lazer Benstock, Bryan Jacobs, Beau MacMillan, and Kristina Lavallee.
What does the festival support?
Proceeds support CI Foundation Inc.’s EAT SMART program, which promotes nutrition education and healthy lifestyle habits for youth in the Tampa Bay area.
Also consider in Tampa
Darioush Wine Dinner at Ponte
A Tampa wine pairing dinner at Ponte with six courses matched to six Napa Valley Darioush wines, ending with Darius II.
Paul Hobbs Wines Walk-Around Tasting
A Tampa walk-around tasting at Ponte featuring ten Paul Hobbs portfolio wines from Sonoma, Napa, Mendoza, Armenia, Spain, and the Finger Lakes.
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