The SOLARIS chefs showcased their culinary talents in style during the 27th annual Sandestin Wine Festival. As the area’s only dining & entertainment yacht, the SOLARIS was a no brainer to host wine and fine dining events throughout the highly anticipated weekend.
We started with an uncorking and unwinding dinner cruise on Thursday night in partnership with Alexander Valley Vineyards out of Napa. What started out as an overcast day turned into a picturesque moment on the open air sky deck as the sun rays peeked through the clouds and shone over the Baytowne Marina.
As the SOLARIS cruised into the setting sun, the chefs 
turned up the heat with a Destin fine dining experience like no other. Each of the five courses included delectable wine pairings from Alexander Valley Vineyards. First course was a surf and turf tartare paired with a pinot noir. Next was a Gewurztraminer wine with a marinated vegetable salad, followed by a pouched grouper and shrimp in a tomato broth, both paired with Chardonnays.
For the fourth course, the chefs served up seared beef tenderloin tips on polenta, paired with a Cyrus wine. Served with a zinfandel, the blackberry panna cotta dessert ended the night on a sweet note.
In between courses, our guests danced to live New Orleans Blues music by artist Tomato. They were cutting the rug to anything from Neil Diamond to the Righteous Brothers. View pictures on al.com.
On Saturday, the SOLARIS chefs hosted a VIP reception to kick off the main event of the day – the GRAND Wine Tasting. The VIP Connoisseur Experience gave wine aficionados the chance to experience a tasting menu lunch as well as rare and specialty wines and a specialty Reidel wine glass.
The SOLARIS chefs truly demonstrated why they take Destin fine dining to the next level. Their culinary skills combined with the SOLARIS cruise experience makes this Destin Florida dining at its best. Experience it for yourself on our weekly public dining cruises.