The Sun Wine & Food Fest

I agree with the first two reviews i've read. " They tanked it " and " Down hill ". I've attended regularly on Sunday grand tasting each year but stopped last year when they did away with Sunday tasting. I won't go back unless this is reconsidered. Salute.

I've attended Winefest every year but 2017. In all but 2017, the Grand Tasting was held on two days, which helped to spread the crowd out a bit. Typically, the people who attend on Saturday only are more of a party crowd, looking to drink as much as possible. It's louder, the lines are considerably longer for samples, and the overall vibe is that of a club. The Sunday-only attendees tended to fall on the side of actually wanting to taste different wines, and while it was still crowded, it was a more mellow event. In the past I have attended either the entire weekend, or Sunday only. In 2017 Mohegan Sun eliminated the Sunday Grand Tasting entirely, leaving only a jam-packed Saturday drunkfest in its place. Over the years the crowds have steadily grown for this event, and cutting a day out of the festival is the last straw for me. Unless they bring back the second day, I will no longer be attending.

The first year Mohegan Sun held the SunWine Fest, (2011) my sister and I went to the Bourbon tasting. It was held in Leffingwells (I'm dating myself) and it was small, intimate and fun. We had time to leisurely taste ALL the bourbons, we met and talked with Fred Noe from Jim Beam, tasted all the food, smoked a cigar, sat and talked with the people around and it was a great time. Fast forward to this year 2015. The lines were INCREDIBLY LONG and moved so slowly that we didn't even get to all the stations. People were standing literally on top of each other and if you didn't catch as server as soon as they came out of the kitchen, the food tray was empty almost immediately. The cigar bar was stuck in a corner and so smokey that it wasn't even worth going near. We ended up staying less than 45 minutes and it was not worth the $90 admission fee. Combine that with the extreme room costs for the weekend and it becomes really horrible. We will not be attending this year.

I have been going to the Sun Wine Fest for the past 6 years. I began by attending the main tasting and for the past 4 years have attended the Celebrity Chef Dine Around. This event was and has been something I greatly looked forward to each year, this year being no different. Based on my previous race reviews, I was even able to convince 6 additional friends to purchase the very expansive tickets. Sadly, the event this year did not live up the my expectations. Compared to past years it seems that the food and beverage selections were less than what you would expect to get for a $160.00 ticket. It's also gotten more and more crowded with fewer chefs. Some of the lines were so long we didn't get a chance to see some of the chefs we came to see. Also, the dessert lines this year were out of control... I've always left this event feeling that it was worth the cost because of how much fun I had and the memorable food and drink. I can honestly say that I feel bad for convincing my friends to buy tickets and am not sure if I would spend the money again next year. Like I said it's too bad as I come every year to celebrate my birthday. I would hope that the event staff see this and maybe make some changes next year.

Unfortunately, I could not afford to attend the entire Winefest. I did however attend the Bubbles and Bon Bons and definitely would not attend again. First of all, I do not drink champagne, so I was hoping for water or coffee. There was none. The room was set up strange and all the interesting deserts were wedged in an odd corner of the room. There were no introductions of the chefs and they did not promote picking up a brochure. It was very expensive for desert.

This was the second time we went to this event. It was incredible. Excellent wine, food, and entertainment. The set-up this year was better in that there were plenty of tables and of different sizes.

It was our first time attending this event. I didn't expect to be as truly amazed at it all. The ambiance was perfectly played. The music very relaxing, the room and food exquisite. Everything was meticulously thought out. I felt in a dream before we even sampled the food. The most creative inventions, all a treat for the senses. I cannot wait to attend next year. We met some great people there, now I understand the seemingly endless line to get in, worth the wait!