Celebrity Cruises, which introduced the cruise industry’s first gourmet food truck in 2013, and on the heels of 10 of its restaurants receiving Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence,” has made yet another culinary footprint on land with the industry’s first-ever wine and food festival. The new and exciting Celebrity Cruises Great Wine Festival takes place May 31, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Great Park in Irvine, California.
Proceeds from the festival will benefit LegalAid of Orange County, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides free and low-cost legal services to individuals of Southern California who might otherwise be denied access to justice. Since its founding in 1958, LASOC has assisted over 500,000 people.
Early bird tickets are $75 per person if purchased by April 30, 2014, then go up to $100 per person. Celebrity Cruises’ Captain’s Club members are eligible for a 20% discount on tickets ($60) if purchased by April 30, 2014. Discounted tickets are also available for government and non-profit workers, as well as sitting judges. Tickets and can be purchased online at Celebrity Cruises Great Wine Festival
Key sponsors include Coast Magazine, Fiji Water, Air New Zealand, Tourism New Zealand featuring the wines of New Zealand as well as the Orange County Restaurant Association/Golden Foodie Awards. The event will feature more than 40 premium wineries, craft breweries, spirits companies, and award-winning restaurants.
Wineries/Breweries: Cakebread, Jordan, JUSTIN, Grgich Hills, Freemark Abbey, St. Francis, Louis-Jadot, Zaca Mesa, Kendall Jackson, Round Pond, Mazzocco, Wente, Benziger, Malibu Rocky Oaks, Alaskan Brewing Company, Pyramid Brewing, Samuel Adams, BJ’s Brewhouse, and more.
Restaurants: Slapfish, Zimzala, Clay Oven (recipient of the 2013 Golden Foodie Awards for Best Indian Restaurant in Orange County), Maro Wood Grill, Bluewater Grill, Riptide, James Republic (Chef Dean James Max) and more.
Celebrity’s Sommelier Chanelle Duarte and its VP of F&B operations / Executive Chef John Suley, will be in attendance at Celebrity Cruises’ booth, where tastes of Celebrity’s cuisine will be presented.
Scott Clifton, director of sales, states, “Celebrity’s love affair with the culinary arts continues to flourish. We saw this opportunity to introduce food and wine aficionados to culinary experiences they can enjoy while on a Celebrity ship, as well as restaurants and beverages they have yet to try.”
About Celebrity Cruises:
Celebrity Cruises’ iconic “X” is the mark of modern luxury, with its cool, contemporary design and warm spaces; dining experiences where the design of the venues is as important as the cuisine; and the amazing service that only Celebrity can provide, all created to provide an unmatched experience for vacationers’ precious time. Celebrity Cruises’ 11 ships offer modern luxury vacations visiting all seven continents. Celebrity also presents immersive cruise tour experiences in Alaska and Canada. Celebrity is one of five cruise brands operated by global cruise vacation company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE, OSE: RCL). For more information, dial 1-800-437-3111, visit Celebrity Cruises, or call your travel agent.