As I get invited to quite the array of events, many happen to catch my eye in one way or another. When the words “WineFest“, “Todd English” and “Mohegan Sun” are all used at the same time, I naturally became giddy with excitement and wanted to learn how these were all grouped together for one event. Cue the 12th Annual Sun WineFest, which took place this past Saturday and Sunday at the epic and majestic Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. This event really is the best of the best when it comes to the brightest selection in wine, spirits and beer as well as some of the tastiest foods put together by some of the top chefs in our country and beyond. Naturally, me and my best friend packed our bags, hopped on the Orient Ferry to New London on Friday and arrived in style to see what all the fuss was about.
Mohegan Sun is quite the sight especially for someone who has never been there before. It stretches miles upon miles and is chock full of everything the savvy traveler is looking for- from comfy hotel rooms, top of the line restaurants with big names attached (Jimmy Buffett, Bobby Flay, Michael Jordan) and of course shopping and gambling. Beyond that, the Sun WineFest activities took place mainly during the day on Saturday and Sunday, with thousands of people braving the first of many snowstorms the Northeast is experiencing all in the good taste of food & alcohol.
The event for the media started with a breakfast at the popular Season Buffet, which came jam packed with a ton of different tasty breakfast and brunch treats for the masses. After that we went to the Grand Tasting which featured brands that were recognizable immediately by name (Jameson, Aberlour- two of my favorites) as well as some great up and coming brands and household beers and wine coolers from Bud Light to Twisted Tea just to name a few. In the Uncas Ballroom on both days there were also culinary presentations from several top chefs from previously discussed Todd English, Brian Duffy, Jose Garces and my personal favorite cast member from Top Chef Season 2 Betty Fraser. All delighted the thousands of people in attendance with their great personalities and of course delicious cooking.
The event finished on Sunday afternoon with the 11th Annual Mohegan Sun Oyster Open Competition, where professional shuckers competed to become the reigning shucking champion! I have seen shucking several times on food competition shows and that is a feat I myself could never accomplish. Suffice to say, it seems as if everyone in attendance had a great time and got a lot out of what they came for.
For more information about Mohegan Sun’s WineFest and more, log on to its official site.