If you’re like me and you like good food, you’ve noticed a tide has changed in Savannah.
We have more places offering great food than ever before.
I know this because we’ve been celebrating all things food and wine this week at Savannah Food & Wine Festival. Today is the signature event, Taste of Savannah in Ellis and Johnson squares from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Six-thousand people are expected to come celebrate food and wine. Last year, half of the attendees were from Savannah, and the other half came from out of town.
In fact, the whole onset of the Savannah Food & Wine Festival came about because the food and wine culture in Savannah had risen.
We hope you can come join us today.
You’ll find a host of locally sourced products and ingredients from Georgia.
Farm-to-table movements are a big national trend right now, and that’s a great thing for all of us, especially when we live in such an agriculturally rich environment.
We’ve partnered with Sysco Fresh and Georgia Grown to provide the food that will feed the masses. And restaurants have sourced food locally.
Even the Oakridge Steak & Pub at The Landings Club had a sustainable seafood soirée on Tuesday. They served lionfish, a fish that has no natural predator and wreaks havoc with the local fish found in Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary off our coast.
Of course, Wild Georgia Shrimp has been served in a myriad of ways.
On the wine side, this week
has been all about education and appreciation.
Throughout this week, there have been classes to delve further into the types, tastes and textures of wine. We have had five master sommeliers spreading their knowledge at dozens of events this week. To be a Master Sommelier is to be an expert. In order to garner that title, you must pass a series of tests. Only a few hundred in the world have this distinction.
Several servers in Savannah have taken this week as an opportunity to increase their knowledge about food and wine by volunteering, participating and attending events.
After this week, my personal knowledge about wine has increased. I believe as you expand your knowledge, your palate will grow. As you learn more about varieties, you will increase your appreciation of one of the oldest crafts in the world.
With the ever-evolving world of wine and trends in food, it seems Savannah is in position to lead the way.
Michael Owens is president/CEO of the Tourism Leadership Council and co-founder of the Savannah Food & Wine Festival (www.SavannahFoodandWineFestival.com) Feel free to email him at michael@tourismleadershipcouncil.com or by calling 912-232-1223.
By Michael Owens