SAN DIEGO–The San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival returns to America’s Finest City November 15 to 22 and is bigger and better than ever.

Ticket sales have officially launched for the 12th annual festival, and co-producer Michelle Metter says that food, wine, and local enthusiasts can expect to see exciting new additions throughout the week as well as the return of festival classics such as the iconic Grand Tasting and signature Taco TKO Fish Taco Competition.

“The city of San Diego is a hub for culinary tourism, and is home to a selection of the nation’s best restaurants, breweries, chefs, sommeliers and beyond,” continued Metter. “Each year, the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival showcases our city’s best talent, and allows over 10,000 guests from around the world to indulge in an epicurean experience of a lifetime.”

The festival is an international showcase of the world’s premier wines and spirits, chefs and culinary personalities, and gourmet foods. The weeklong experience celebrates San Diego’s vibrant culinary community with over 100 citywide events, wine and cooking classes, chef dinners, and multiple tasting events throughout the week.

The legendary Grand Tasting, presented by Lexus, transforms San Diego Bay into a food lover’s paradise, featuring over 200 wineries, breweries and sprits from around the world, 70 of San Diego’s best restaurants, and 10,000 wine and food aficionados from across the nation.

Additionally the festival attracts celebrated chefs from across the country, including Rick Bayless, host of the 1970s PBS television series Cooking Mexican; Antonin Careme medal holder, Suzette Gresham; Iron Chef America winner, Katsuya Fukushima; authors of Talk With Your Mouth Full, The Hearty Boys; Anna Bullet, executive chef for Cooking Light, and other notable chefs.

New this year, the San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival has partnered with SommCon – a four-day educational conference for wine, beer and spirit professionals as well as serious enthusiasts.

The new partnership gives festival attendees access to over 50 new tasting and educational experiences led by the brightest minds in the business. Committed to enhancing the “business of wine,” the educational content featured at SommCon was designed by a team of over 25 of the wine industry’s top professionals who have joined together to form “Team SommCon.”

To preview the schedule of events and featured celebrities, visit the San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival at www.sandiegowineclassic.com. Events, personalities and participating wineries and restaurants are updated daily.