Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair 15th Anniversary Celebrates Gulf Coast to Global
More than 60 Chefs and 200+ Wines to Wow Attendees from April 4-8
The 15th Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair is just days away from kick-off on April 4-8. The season’s most popular food-a-palooza will take place at various Sugar Land locations.
Ticket sales are brisk for this mega event, expected to have the largest attendance in its 15-year history. Award-winning talent, master sommeliers, mixologists, themed events and expansive new venues will set the stage for a bacchanal of wine, food and cocktails.
This year’s Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair will feature more than 60 chefs with an out-of-town lineup that includes chefs from Texas, Kentucky and Maine, as well as a large contingent of chefs from Los Cabos and the Riviera Maya in Mexico.
Chefs from Los Cabos will star at Thursday night’s Bar Fight! Street Food Bites and Bartenders Challenge, presented by Visit Los Cabos and Don Julio. This battle of deliciousness will feature Don Julio Tequila, bites inspired by Mexican street food, prepared by visiting chefs. And a fun cocktail throw down of the best of the best area bartenders.
Tasting Tents and sponsor photography, Sugar Land, 2017
Always a crowd favorite, Brian and Shanna O’Hea from the Kennebunk Inn in Maine will be in attendance for the twelfth consecutive year. The popular duo is known as much for their lobster-rich food as for the long lines of eager patrons. This year, the two will serve their mini Lobster White Pizza at The Grand Tasting on Friday night and their Lobster Rolls at Saturday’s Sip & Stroll. The O’Heas have historically brought nearly 100 pounds of lobster to meet the crowd’s cravings. The well-known duo recently filmed a new program for the Food Network called “Best in Seafood,” which will air this fall. 
The event continues its metamorphosis with new attractions and more top-shelf wines and spirits while also celebrating its traditions such as the Grand Tasting and Sip & Stroll. The Sip & Stroll and Bistro Brunch have found a new home at the verdant Brazos River Park, a 67-acre park along the banks of the Brazos River.
The list of talent at The Grand Tasting includes:
Brian O’Hea, Academe at The Kennebunk Inn; Alfonso de la Dehesa, Saffron, Cello, Oriente, Sands; David Sanz, El Rincon Culinario; Elise Russ, Clementine; Ricky Cruz, Grotto Restaurant; Andrew Lobeck, Merlion Restaurant; Ben Runkle, Salt & Time; Tai Nguyen, SeaSide Poke; Ming Pu, The 502 Bar & Bistro; Kourtenie Tyson, The Burning Pear; Luis Felipe Barocio, Culinaria; Mike Irvin, The Palm; Nadine Moon, Who Made the Cake; Jett Hurapan, The Sugar Refinery Grub & Grogs. 
The list of restaurants participating at Sip & Stroll include:
Academe at The Kennebunk Inn; Avenida Brazil; Black Walnut Café; Bombay Pizza Express; Café Piquet; Capone’s Brick Oven Pizza & Bar; Corelli’s Italian Café; Eric’s Restaurant; Fluff Bake Bar; Grimaldi’s Pizzeria; Guerrilla Gourmet; Hopdoddy Burger Bar; Mala Sichuan Bistro; Otto’s BBQ; Ramble Creek Grill; Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery; The Sugar Refinery Grub & Grogs; The Swinging Door.
The list of restaurants participating at Bistro Brunch include:
AGU Ramen; Belle Station HTX; Bombay Pizza Express; Cicada Catering Co.; Cupcake and a Smile; Escalante’s Fine Tex-Mex; Fluff Bake Bar; Grimaldi’s Pizzeria; Guerrilla Gourmet; Mala Sichuan Bistro; Old Main Street Bakery; Ol’ Railroad Café; Ramble Creek Grill; Rockstar Bagels; Sambuca; The Sugar Refinery, Grub & Grogs.
Tasting Tents and sponsor photography, Sugar Land, 2017.
Events
Wednesday, April 4th
Dinner: One if by Land, Two if by Sea – $125 6:30 p.m.
Sugar Land Heritage Museum & Visitor Center • Sugar Land
Thursday, April 5th
Bar Fight! Street Food Bites & Bartenders Challenge – $40 7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
2110 Town Square Place (across from Perry’s Steakhouse) • Sugar Land
Friday, April 6th
The Grand Tasting – $125 7:30 – 10:00 p.m.
Sugar Land Marriott Town Square • Sugar Land
Saturday, April 7th
Sip & Stroll – $65
3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Brazos River Park • Sugar Land
Sunday, April 8th
Bistro Brunch – $65
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Brazos River Park • Sugar Land
FOR TICKETS, the complete line-up of events and more information, please visit https://sugarlandwineandfoodaffair.com/.
ABOUT SUGAR LAND WINE & FOOD AFFAIR
Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair (SLWAFA), founded in 2003 by the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce (FBCC), was designed to create a cultural food and beverage experience while showcasing the growing City of Sugar Land. Since inception, the annual spring event has been produced by the FBCC and has benefitted a permanent scholarship endowment at the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management.
In 2017, SLWAFA partnered with IWSC Group North America, a globally-recognized events company, to expand and enrich the Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair weekend. Through this partnership, the weekend will expand its focus on celebrating the local flavors and international influences of greater Fort Bend by bringing both regional and national talent to tell their stories through food and beverage.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUGAR LAND WINE & FOOD AFFAIR