Pacific Wine & Food Classic returns on Saturday, Sept. 12, to Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort in Newport Beach, and it’s bigger and better than ever.
This year’s event, the eighth edition, is being produced under the leadership of Tricia Cook, a longtime member of the event team who has helped shape the festival since its inception.
Cook is ushering in the next evolution of the Pacific Wine & Food Classic while preserving the elevated food, wine, and hospitality experience that has made it a signature celebration.
This year’s event will bring together more than 35 top restaurants, 30 wine purveyors pouring more than 100 wines, premium craft cocktails, a live DJ and silent disco experience, and immersive culinary activations.
New for 2026 is The Bubble Garden, featuring sparkling and bubbly beverages. Guests can also explore the Paso Robles Grand Wine Experience, showcasing selections from distinguished wineries and producers.
According to Cook, she and Pam Waite, President of the Orange County Restaurant Association, created the Pacific Wine & Food Classic together. Waite wanted to focus on other types of events, such as OC Restaurant and Burger Week, and creatively explore what she could do with the event.
“I thought it was a good opportunity and a good challenge for me to do it by myself,” Cook told the NB Indy. “I’m a very creative person, but I also have to concentrate on so many of the detail-oriented things. So this was a challenge for me to kind of put a little more of my creative spin on it.”
Pacific Wine & Food requires extensive planning and many volunteers to make the event come together. As Cook noted, this year there was a hiccup due to the transition, and she has brought in new sponsors and décor, including new lounges and other areas, such as a Tiki World section.
And then there is the Bubble Garden, which Cook said she and Waite had wanted to add to the event.
“It’s not just sparkling wine,” said Cook. “It’s going to be anything with bubbles. I also do have a lot of restaurants in there, and then we have some really fun decor and lounge seating that we’re putting in there, so it’s going to be a really fun area. “We have really fun plans to create more photo opportunities throughout the event.”
This year, Cook is working with the Paso Robles Alliance to bring a handful of wineries to Newport Beach, and she has wines from Napa and other wine regions.
“I’m really excited about the restaurants this year,” noted Cook. “We have some amazing new ones as well as some of the wonderful, great ones that are coming back.”
The list of restaurants is indeed impressive, and includes such names as Bosscat Kitchen & Libations, Descanso, Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens, Five Crowns, Il Girasole, Miss Mini Donuts, Puesto, RED O, Sol Cocina, Strong Water Anaheim, Sushi Roku, Trevor’s at the Tracks, Wahoo’s Fish Tacos, and many others.
Pacific Wine & Food Classic takes place on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort (1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660).
Early Bird VIP Tickets are $179+ per guest and include entry at 2 p.m. (the event concludes at 5 p.m. for all guests). Early Bird VIP Early Entrance Tickets are $259+ per guest and include exclusive early entry at 1 p.m., providing access to select premium wines and specialty tastings available exclusively during the first hour of the event. A limited number of Diamond VIP Private Lounge Tickets are also available for $500, offering private lounge access, express entry, exclusive wine tastings, premium culinary offerings, and dedicated waterfront seating.
All guests must be 21 years of age or older with valid government-issued identification. The Pacific Wine & Food Classic is an outdoor event and will take place rain or shine.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.pacificwineandfood.com.
