Savoring Every Mouth-Watering Minute of SOBEWFF

Celebrating its 24th year in the Magic City, Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One (SOBEWFF) on Feb. 20-23 was quite the magical celebration, indeed! 

World-class chefs, award-winning winemakers, creative mixologists, discerning tastemakers, food trendsetters, lifestyle influencers and excited food lovers alike flocked to the jam-packed four-day 100+ culinary event festivities where larger-than-life culinary icons, famous celebrities, Grammy-winning artists, media personalities, brand ambassadors, industry insiders, leading food brands and global wine and spirit powerhouses brought their A-game to the world’s largest tasting table. 

SOBEWFF was quite the time! The best part? 100% of net proceeds benefit FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. The festival’s slogan says it all: EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE. About 1,500 FIU students (studying hospitality, mega event management, marketing, business and more) help run SOBEWFF - from planning to execution. In turn, these students experience real-world, hands-on learning spanning guest relations, team management, inventory control and more. And, as the second largest hospitality school in the U.S., FIU’s innovative Vidal-Duart Wine Studies Program prepares graduates for rewarding careers in wineries, retail, wine tourism and countless more professions. Talk about a win/win!

“The Festival not only celebrates the vibrant spirit of South Florida but also highlights the incredible food and beverage that has put Miami on the map as a premier culinary destination,” said SOBEWFF Founder and Director Lee Brian Schrager. “Miami’s unique setting makes it an ideal host for the annual Festival, attracting amazing local, national, and international talent, which keeps fans coming back every year. It’s incredible to see how far the Festival has come – from its beginnings on the FIU campus to now being a global event that supports the next generation of hospitality leaders.” To date, SOBEWFF has raised over $40 million dollars which goes toward $1.5 - $2 million in student scholarships yearly, facility improvements and endowed professorships. Cheers to that!

SOBEWFF’s kick-off event on Feb. 20, hosted by Schrager himself, was a VIP happy hour at The Setai Miami Beach. And happy it was! A scrumptious smorgasbord of all things grilled offered guests succulent peking duck rolls, prawns, filet mignon, lamb chops, scallops, chicken tikka and veggies galore. Be still my heart, and stomach! Plenty of lip-smacking hors d’oeuvres were passed around as guests indulged in caviar with gold flakes, chicken satay, vegetable samosas, burger sliders, tuna tartare and more. Unlimited bottles of Ruffino wines poured, tons of Murder Point Oysters were slurped, and liquid nitrogen ice cream and sweet petit fours were enjoyed by all.

We made our way to the invite-only Wine Spectator Trade Day on Feb. 21 in the Grand Tasting Village, which was hosted by Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits. The multi-generational, family-owned company has more certified wine experts than any other North American wine and spirits distributor.

“Besides being one of the premier food and wine festivals in the nation, the event has helped to enable the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at FIU to maintain its reputation as one of the top hospitality programs in the U.S.,” said Southern Glazer’s CEO, Wayne Chaplin. “We remain committed to the education of the hospitality industry’s future leaders and want to continue to do our part to provide them with an exceptional learning experience.”

The sky was blue, the sand was soft, the open-air tents were packed, and there was much world-class drinking to indulge in and premium savory food tastings to devour. Let the games begin!

The star power was in full effect. Actress Blake Lively’s Betty Booze sparkling gourmet Tequila and Bourbon-based cocktails were super fun. Artist Jon Bon Jovi’s popular Hampton Water Rosé was bursting with crisp fruit. Celebrity chef Katie Lee’s organic wine, Kind of Wild’s Syrah-Grenache Rosé was pure flavor.

Rapper Fat Joe’s recently launched smooth Sonrisa Rum was on hand while fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s Tequila Blanco and Reposado, appropriately named Chicas Divertidas, was sheer fabulousness. Hip-hop legends Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg presented their Still G.I.N. and exciting Gin & Juice varieties. 

And the pours just kept coming and coming! FIU’s carefully selected wine tasting menu included Barton & Guestier Legacy Blend and Vouvray Les Petites Parcelles, Listel Grain de Gris and an alcohol-free sparkling Veuve du Vernay Zero. Also - Whispering Angel, 7Cellars, Hampton Water Rosé, Just Enough, Oyster Bay Wines, Wilson Creek, Rapture Springs, David Bruce and many more wines were offered much to our delight.

Plenty of spirits were served as well - Truman Vodka, Tanteo Tequila, Ron Barceló, Pantalones Organic Tequila, Santa Teresa 1796 Rum, Crystal Head Vodka, Copalli Rum, Papa’s Pilar Rum & Hemingway Whiskey, Liquor Strega, Belvedere Vodka and on and on.

Another day, another spectacular SOBEWFF event! On Feb. 22, the place to be was FoodieCon presented by StarKist at the Mondrian South Beach. We’re talking beloved social media foodies, inventive content creators and visionary influencers up close and personal IRL with their very devoted fans! 

The crowd went wild over the Foodie’s Turf offerings. Kim Crawford wine dazzled: Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé and Sparkling. Starkist handed out Chef Nick DiGiovanni’s yummy recipes: smokey tuna melts, southwest buffalo chicken bites and Thai tuna cucumber boats. Sanpellegrino CIAO! sampled sparkling waters flavored with fruit juice - blood orange, lime, peach and cherry. Rummo delighted the crowd with creamy cacio e pepe straight from the oversized cheese wheel.

The HexClad main stage offered back-to-back learning sessions and interactive panels moderated by the likes of Katie Lee, Angela Yee, Salt Hank, Alex Guarnaschelli, Mika Leon, etc.: The Viral Factor discussed strategies for going viral, Couples Who Content showcased dynamic duos, The Creator Economy: Cashing In shared tips for partnering with brands, and more. The Creator’s Corner presented by Viral National featured lots of recipe demonstrations with Naughty Fork, Rapping Chef, Matt Peterson, Priyanka Naik, Tieghan Gerard and plenty of other top-notch online trailblazers.

The illustrious Chef Andrew Zimmern was the honorary guest of the hour, hosting a live burger building competition featuring Schweid & Sons. Well-known personalities The Rapping Chef, Alix Traeger and Chef Rush joined Zimmern onstage as admired digital content creators built their unique burger versions - complete with enticing toppings, savory ingredients and lots of expert grilling tips.

On Feb. 23, the last day of this culinary paradise, we headed to SOBEWFF’s massive 135,000 sq. ft. marquee event - Goya Foods’ Grand Tasting Village - eager for another indulgent adventure.

Lights, camera, action! The Publix Culinary Demonstrations sponsored by Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove offered two stages of back-to-back mega stars, and we had a front row seat to all the gastronomic excitement.

The North stage featured masterful cooking experts Robert Irvine, Andrew Zimmern, Duff Goldman and Michelle Bernstein. Michael Simon charmed the crowd while preparing his signature Greek street food - souvlaki with tzatziki. The great Rocco DiSpirito wowed us with an elevated seafood entree - black linguine with scallops. 

The South stage was also on fire! We’re talking big names: Maneet Chauhan, Tyler Florence, Jet Tila and Katie Lee. Hilarity ensued as hip-hop luminary Rev Run and his wife Justine Simmons showcased their cherished family favorite lasagna, and the rapper gave us a taste of his greatest hits. BFFs actress Eva Longoria and TV personality Ana Navarro created a traditional tortilla española - with plenty of humor on the side.

Miami’s favorite bookstore, Books & Books was a food lover's dream come true - a tent complete with an ocean view and book signings by Maneet Chauhan, Robert Irvine, Tyler Florence, Jet Tila and Katie Lee.

And the flavorsome food and exquisite drinks were simply limitless. Chef Revella served up a delish curry chicken salad. Novecento’s steak crostini with chimichurri sauce, Suviche’s salmon tiradito nikkei dripped with miso sauce, and Omakai’s seared bluefin tuna sashimi in a shiso sauce were all to die for! Chef Bigggz’s jerk chicken empanada was a sheer delight. St. Kitts highlighted beautiful johnny cakes with sailfish canapé.

Modelo’s spiked agua frescas in watermelon, pineapple, hibiscus and cucumber lime were divine. The American Airlines lounge dished out cool ceviche by Chef Timon Balloo, and FIU students showed off their bartending skills by serving up creative cocktails named Miami Vice, El Diablo and a refreshing zero-proof Viva Vibrante.

Finally, it’s time to dance! Groot Hospitality presented the “3 to 5 on Ocean Drive” David Grutman Experience, complete with high energy music by DJ Irie, a special performance by Flo Rida singing his chart-topping hits, talented dancers on stage, and the crowd went wild! The event included curated cocktails by Volcan de mi Tierra Tequila, Belvedere Vodka and Whispering Angel, and plenty (we mean PLENTY) of amazing bites.

Mark your calendars! The culinary playground, SOBEWFF returns Feb. 19-22, 2026. We’ll raise a glass to that!