This February 19-22, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Let that sink in for a moment. For 25 years, the festival has celebrated food, wine, spirits, and chefs in one of the most beautiful places on earth - Miami Beach. The festival takes a village to become a reality. There are hundreds of chefs, cooks, engineers, workers, volunteers, and people working together to create a seamless experience for ticketholders. If one person is serving as ringmaster to this beautiful circus, it’s festival founder Lee Brian Schrager.
Schrager has been with the festival since its modest beginnings as the “Florida Extravaganza”, a one-day event to raise funds for Florida International University’s School of Hospitality and Travel Management. The festival still serves as a school fundraiser. To date, the festival has raised more than $45 million to benefit students at its Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management — a feat worth celebrating.
That philanthropy — coupled with the warm weather and good vibes of Miami — makes the festival one of the most loved and visited in the world. In 2024, SOBEWFF generated an estimated $31.2 million in economic impact in Miami-Dade and supported more than 6,200 jobs.
But, enough about numbers. People go to a festival for a good time. And this year promises to deliver, according to Lee Scrager.
“We’re bringing Diplo to the festival,” says Schrager. He’s referring to the 25th anniversary bash, featuring the DJ and Grammy-winning producer on Thursday, February 19. Tickets start at $229 and go up to $12,000 for South Beach ballers who want a VIP table for 12 of their closest friends.
Schrager is also enthusiastic about Foodiecon, the annual event for influencers and the people who follow them. Held on Saturday, February 21, the event promises guests the opportunity to mingle with @keith_lee125, @the_pastaqueen, @realchefrush, @brunchwithbabs, @maxthemeatguy, @owen.han, @healthygirlkitchen, @foodbymaria, @andyeastcoastkitchen_, @cookingwithshereen, @logansfewd, @okaycoolgigi, @succulentbite, @onestopchop_, and @thenaughtyfork.
For Schrager, the most anticipated event is this year’s tribute dinner, honoring venerable Miami chef Michelle Bernstein. The James Beard-winning chef has been pivotal in shaping Miami’s food scene. Bernstein opened her eponymous restaurant, Michy’s, with husband David Martinez in 2006, gambling on a spot on Biscayne Boulevard at a time when it wasn’t a hotbed of culinary activity. But Bernstein persisted, and her food put the neighborhood on the map. That led to other chefs and restaurateurs taking a chance on the area, which is now a thriving neighborhood. Schrager says that Bobby Flay gave him the idea to fete Bernstein. “I didn’t need to be sold, she was already on my mind,” says the SOBEWFF bigwig, adding, “It absolutely should have been Michelle, but with Bobby agreeing to endorse it, it was a home run.”
Schrager is also looking forward to having Sofia Vergara make an appearance at the Grand Tasting Village — always a highlight of the weekend.
I asked Schrager to share his fondest memories of festivals past. “I think when I look back, one of the things I’m most nostalgic about is having Anthony Bourdain here. We went to school together at CIA, and he was just so influential. Losing Tony was a big loss to the entire culinary community.”
And looking forward to another 25 years? Schrager and his team manage to keep the festival fresh and vibrant by incorporating classes, music, and more. The future is as bright and bubbly as the champagne that will be flowing in Miami this February.