The Return of Pebble Beach Food & Wine

Anticipation – what a sweet thing it can be. For some it’s the moments before they step onto the first tee at Pebble Beach Golf Links. For others, it’s the anticipation of their approach shot dangling in the air painted across the ocean backdrop on the par-3 third at Spyglass.  

For many over the past several months that anticipation centered around the return of Pebble Beach Food & Wine for the first time since 2019. Over the course of four days, more than 150 acclaimed wine and spirits producers and more than 125 distinguished chefs from across the nation made Pebble Beach Resorts their home.  

Earlier this year, Wyndham Clark feasted on Pebble Beach Golf Links in prime scoring conditions on his way to a new course record. Participants feasted in a more literal sense on Thursday, April 4 when the Pebble Beach Food & Wine Invitational, hosted by Geoffrey Zakarian brought together the finest in golf and cuisine. Just when you thought golf at Pebble couldn’t get any better, the PBFW Invitational added pizza, spirits, and wine along the iconic layout.

After the final putts dropped and scorecards were signed, Thursday night marked the official kickoff at the The Inn at Spanish Bay where Coast to Coast with The James Beard Foundation, Opening Night Reception Hosted by Nancy Silverton presented by HexClad was held. The place to be seen on the Peninsula, this event featured a star-studded cast of 25 chefs recognized by the James Beard Foundation including Tim Hollingsworth of Otium in Los Angeles and Stephanie Izard of Girl & The Goat in Chicago.

And of course, what party would be complete without rap legend E-40?  

Day two was simply put a food and wine enthusiast’s dream. A scintillating series of wine and spirits intertwined with lunches from chefs known the world over. Notables included a look back at 100 Years of Napa History with Tor Kenward of Kenward Family Vineyards, and Lison Blanchemanche, winemaker of Veuve Clicquot and the diSHEd Lunch: A Celebration and Conversation of Food, Wine & Women where Chefs Lindsay Autry, Maneet Chauhan, Valerie Chang, and Elizabeth Falkner served a multi-course luncheon accompanied by Robert Hall Winery Artisan Collection wines. 

By the time the weekend rolled around, the energy continued at the Tasting Pavilion which presented patrons an immersive experience spread across two tents connected by a sprawling grassy open-air courtyard that echoed with rave reviews of the dishes being served, none more so than Billy Ngo’s Hotate Nigiri dish that took home the Coke Zero Sugar People’s Choice Award.  

While the event has come and gone, rest assured there will be no repeat hiatus as 2025 event dates have already been announced. Between now and then a focal point of the Tasting Pavilion will be integrated into the golf course. PBFW organizers placed a cypress tree directly in the center of the Tasting Pavilion that will be planted on the first hole of Pebble Beach Golf Links.

The glasses may have emptied and the dishes cleared, but as guests digest the event’s grand return, the message is clear: Pebble Beach Food &Wine is back and better than ever.