Your Guide to Del Mar Wine & Food Festival 2026
Play is underrated. Somewhere along the way, someone decided it was something we should outgrow. That you A good song comes on, and they dance. A game appears, and they’re in. Someone hands them a melting ice cream cone, and somehow it’s the best part of the day.
Adults tend to need a reason. Or maybe just the right setting.
That’s part of what makes the Del Mar Wine & Food Festival feel different. Yes, the week revolves around food and wine, with celebrated chefs, winemakers, and restaurants drawing crowds from across the region. But what lingers afterward is the conversations that stretch a little longer than expected, the strangers who become dinner companions, the live music that pulls people out of their seats, and the rare chance to spend a few hours simply enjoying yourself without much of an agenda.
The Grand Tasting is the festival’s centerpiece, bringing thousands of guests together over two days for hundreds of bites and pours. But some of the week’s most memorable experiences happen on a smaller scale. In the days leading up to the main event, intimate dinners, chef collaborations, and guided tastings create opportunities for guests to interact more closely with the people behind the food and wine and with each other.
Here’s your guide to the 2026 Del Mar Wine & Food Festival happening September 30–October 4.
Wednesday, September 30
Signature San Diego Opening Night Party at Monarch Ocean Pub
Start festival week the San Diego way: ocean views, Baja-inspired bites, and a drink in hand as the sun goes down. The Signature San Diego Opening Night Party at Monarch Ocean Pub sets the tone for the week ahead with a walk-around tasting experience celebrating the flavors that make this city impossible to replicate. It’s an evening of fresh coastal cuisine, bold Mexican flavors, Baja seafood, and plenty of local favorites—all served against one of Del Mar’s most iconic backdrops. Consider it your first official toast to the weekend ahead…
- Monarch Ocean Pub | 1555 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar
- 5–9 p.m.
- Get Tickets
Friday, October 2
Celebrity Pickleball Tournament Presented by Justin Vineyards & Winery
Wine and competition make an unexpectedly perfect pair. You can join Drew Brees and celebrity players at Barnes Tennis Center for a pickleball tournament benefiting Feeding San Diego, where the sidelines are just as exciting as the court. Grab a paddle, cheer from the sidelines, or simply enjoy a glass of wine while the action unfolds. The day blends friendly competition with an all-inclusive tasting experience.
Since year one, Del Mar Wine & Food Festival has partnered with Feeding San Diego to raise $100,000 in support of the organization’s mission to fight hunger across the region. Every serve, sip, and bite helps give back to the community that makes this festival possible.
Remember that pickleball paddle you swore you’d use? Time to put it to work.
- Barnes Tennis Center | 4490 W Point Loma Blvd, San Diego, CA 92107
- 11 a.m.—3 p.m.
- Get Tickets
Thursday, October 1
Rioja Uncorked at Rancho Valencia
This is essentially a passport to Spain with no airport required. Set among the lush grounds of Rancho Valencia, Rioja Uncorked celebrates one of Spain’s most iconic wine regions with an evening of exceptional pours and thoughtfully paired bites. Guests will sip their way through Rioja wines while enjoying a menu featuring everything from Hiramasa crudo and uni toast to duck rillette, birria mini tacos, Cardiff Crack tri-tip sandwiches, and a sweet finale from Karen Krasne of Extraordinary Desserts (date night plans, solved).
- Rancho Valencia | 5921 Valencia Cir, Rancho Santa Fe
- 6–9 p.m.
- Get Tickets
Friday, October 2
Justin Wine Dinner with Chefs Kaitlyn Weber, Buddha Lo & Jackson Kalb
Justin Wine Dinner sounds simple: three chefs, one unforgettable table. But chefs Kaitlyn Weber (Estancia La Jolla), Buddha Lo (Top Chef), and Jackson Kalb (Top Chef) are taking you on a one-night-only culinary ride where three styles collide over a multi-course menu paired with exceptional pours from Justin Vineyards & Winery. Set in Estancia’s coastal estate, the evening unfolds course by course with pairings from Justin wines as each chef brings their own style to a menu focused on craft, connection, and a bit of friendly culinary overlap. It’s the kind of culinary conversation that only happens when very, very talented people cook together.
- Estancia – Olive Lawn | 9700 N Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California
- 6–9:30 p.m
- Get Tickets
Saturday, October 3
Official After Party at Guesthouse La Valle
Because every great festival day deserves a nightcap! Del Mar Wine & Food keeps the party pouring at Guesthouse La Valle with innovative craft cocktails, premium spirits, and chef-crafted bites that turn smoky, citrusy, herbaceous, rich, and bittersweet flavors from the glass to the plate.
- Guesthouse Hotel At La Valle | 5690 Cancha De Golf, Rancho Santa Fe
- 5 – 9 p.m.
- Get Tickets
Saturday and Sunday, October 3–4
The Grand Tasting
The week’s smaller gatherings may set the stage, but the Grand Tasting is where everything converges. Over two days at Surf Sports Park, thousands of guests spread out across the lawn to sample hundreds of bites and pours, watch chef demonstrations, and discover something unexpected along the way. It’s the kind of event best experienced without much of a plan, leaving plenty of room to wander from one tasting to the next.
Attendees can choose between General Admission and VIP experiences. Both bring you into the heart of the festival, but each offers its own way to play.
GA is a surprisingly modest name for an experience that includes this much. Starting at $185 for a single-day ticket, it gives you access to the full festival grounds, where San Diego’s top chefs, Food Network favorites, and culinary tastemakers serve up everything from Wagyu burgers and beef tallow fries to yellowtail tuna tostadas and unforgettable bites from some of the region’s most exciting restaurants.
And yet, the food is only the beginning.
Throughout the festival, you’ll find wine, cocktails, and tastings from brands like Aperol Spritz, Hendrick’s Gin, Tequila Ocho, Mezcal Vago, Rioja wines, and Temecula producers woven throughout the experience. Beyond the bites and pours, guests can explore chef demonstrations, cooking collaborations, art installations, lawn games, sponsor activations, and plenty of unexpected moments along the way.
If your festival philosophy is less “explore every corner” and more “skip the line and get straight to the good stuff,” VIP might be your lane.
Starting before the gates officially open, VIP guests get an early look at the festival with exclusive experiences like Whispering Angel Rosé, welcome cocktails from Tap Truck, chef demonstrations, fresh bluefin tuna breakdowns, hand-rolled pasta, and maybe even steak and eggs topped with caviar. Because if there’s ever a time to justify caviar before noon, this is probably it.
Inside the VIP Tent, the experience continues with specialty tastings you won’t find anywhere else, including Brandt Beef bone marrow luges paired with Dos Hombres Mezcal, curated Daou wine pairings, Napa Valley Vintners pours, and dishes from some of San Diego’s standout restaurants, including Fort Oak, Kingfisher, Marisi, Jeune et Jolie, Valle, Mister A’s, Matsu, Wormwood, and more.
Think of VIP as the festival’s more intimate side: a little more exclusive and a little more relaxed. VIP tickets start at $425 and include pre-festival experiences, a dedicated VIP area, and a curated selection of specialty food and beverage offerings.
Wander the lawn with a tasting glass in hand or settle into the VIP experience. There’s no wrong way to do the Del Mar Wine & Food Festival. The best part of any playground is choosing how you want to play.
- Surf Sports Park | 14989 Via De La Valle, Del Mar
- GA: 1–4 p.m | Early Entry: 12–4 p.m. | VIP: 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
- Two Day Tickets | Day One Tickets | Day Two Tickets
The post Your Guide to Del Mar Wine & Food Festival 2026 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
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