With a winter storm approaching the following day, we headed to Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Saturday, January 24, 2026, to attend the Grand Tasting – Day Two, part of their annual 4-day gastronomy festival called The Sun Wine & Food Fest. A plethora of food, wine, beer, cider, and alcohol available to sample, along with 11 top Food Network celebrity chef demos by Shawn Osbey, Alessandra Ciuffo, Michele Ragussis, Robert Irvine, Chef Plum, Maneet Chauhan, Rocco DiSpirito, Marc Murphy, Antonia Lofaso, Michael Symon, and Scott Conant, held throughout the day, made the event so delicious, so memorable, and as always, so much fun! Cheers and Bon Appetit!
We always look forward to attending The Sun Wine & Food Fest at Mohegan Sun, held annually in late January, especially the Grand Tasting, part of the 4-day festival, as no matter what the weather is outside, it is always the perfect temperature indoors. Held in the Earth Expo & Convention Center at Mohegan Sun, The Sun Wine & Food Fest attracts visitors from across the United States who come to taste the food, to watch the chef demos, the wine and spirits, and partake of the camaraderie that occurs around food and beverage centric events. The Grand Tasting is so popular, that it is held over two days, Grand Tasting – Day One (held on Friday) and Grand Tasting – Day Two (held on Saturday).
Welcmme to The Sun Wine & Food Fest 2026!
We attended The Sun Wine & Food Fest 2026 Grand Tasting on Day Two, on Saturday, January 24, 2026, and with so much to experience from noon until 5:00 pm, we tried to balance our time between watching the Chef Demos on the Coca-Cola Stage, the Chef Demos Main Stage, and sampling the food, wine, beverages, and the many interesting products at the show.
We are pleased to share a few of the many highlights from The Sun Wine & Food Fest 2026 – Grand Tasting – Day Two.
The Chef Demo Line-up on the Coca-Cola Stage
Shawn Osbey
Instagram: @chefshawnosbey
Chef Alessandra Ciuffo
Alessandra Ciuffo
Instagram: @flavorsbyallessandra
Chef Michele Ragussis
Michele Ragussis
Instagram: @chefmichele
Chef Robert Irvine
Robert Irvine
Instagram: @chefirvine
Chef Plum
Chef Plum
Instagram: @chefplum
The Chef Demo Line-up on the Main Stage
Chef Maneet Chauhan
Maneet Chauhan
Instagram: @maneetchauhan
Chef Rocco DiSpirito
Rocco DiSpirito
Instagram: @roccodispirito
Chef Marc Murphy
Marc Murphy
Instagram: @chefmarcmurphy
Chef Antonia Lofaso
Antonia Lofaso
Instagram: @chefantonia
Chef Michael Symon
Michael Symon
Instagram: @chefsymon
Scott Conant
Instagram: @conantnyc
Food Sampling (alphabetical order)
There was plenty of choices of food to sample as well as food to purchase. Here are some of the sample highlights.
Archie Moore’s
Smoked Buffalo Chicken Mac-N-Cheese
Cast Iron Chef Chop House
Filet Mignon Steak Tartare with Bone Marrow over Homemade Focaccia
Chaska Modern Indian Cuisine
Vegetarian Samosa served with Mint Sauce and Tamarind Sauce
Doc Pickle & Grill My Dill!
Pickles and Olives
JA Patty RI
Beef Patties with Mango Chutney
Curry Veggie Patties with Mango Chutney (Plant Based)
La Stella
Penne Vodka
Chocolate Chip Cannoli Cup
Ming’s Asian Street Food
Crispy Marinated Korean Sticky Spicy Chicken Wings
NoRA Cupcake Co, LLC
Mini Fun Confetti Cupcakes
Omaha Steaks
Filet Mignons
All Beef Meatballs
Rita’s Italian Ice
Margarita (no alcohol)
Pina Colada (no alcohol)
Sol Toro
Sol Toro Chips, Salsa, and House-made Guacamole
The World’s Best Rum Cake (Goodway Bakery)
Rum Cake Selection: Caribbean, Coconut, Malibu, Black Raspberry, Banana, Gluten Free
Treat Yourself Jerk
Jerk Chicken Over Rice
Wicked Southern Coffee
A Sampling of Other Food Tastings
We also visited and sampled other food booths including the following:
Oui Charcuterie
Springdale Farm Creamery – Cheeses and Charcuterie
13 Stars Veteran Owner Premium Hot Sauces
A Sampling of Cocktails and Pairings Available (alphabetical Order)
Spirits brands created some very tasty cocktails to highlight their products, which we share below:
Bulleit Frontier Bourbon: Kentucky Mule
Bulleit Frontier Bourbon, Ginger Ale, Lime Juice
Don Julio Spicy Margarita
Don Julio: Spicy Margarita
Don Julio Reposado, Lime Juice, Triple Sec, Agave Nectar, Teijin Rim
Johnnie Walker: The Johnnie Frost
Johnnie Walker Red, Lemon, Honey, Serve Chilled
Johnnie Walker: The Hot Johnnie Toddy
Johnnie Walker Double Black, Lemon, Spiced Honey, Served Hot
Kavo Greek Island Rum: Smashing Punch
Kava Greek Island Rum, Lemon, Mint, and Pineapple
Ketel One: Espresso Martini
1 0unce Ketel One Family Made Vodka
1 Ounce Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur
1 Ounce Espresso or Cold Coffee
0.50 Ounce Simple Syrup (optional)
Garnish with 3 Coffee Beans or Orange Zest
Northeast Vinegar: Lo Spirito Viola – Italy In A Glass
1 Ounce Cavedoni Balsamic Vinegar
0.75 Ounce Amaretto
2 Ounces Lambrusco, chilled
2 Ounces Sparkling Water, chilled
1 Amarena Cherry
1 Rosemary Sprig
1 Lemon Peel
Combine balsamic, Amaretto and sparkling water in a mixing glass and stir. Pour mixture into a highball glass, add Lambrusco, and fill it with ice. Express the oils of the lemon peel over the drink. Garnish with lemon peel, cherry, and rosemary. Recipe courtesy of Ice.Edu.
Tito’s Signature Cocktail: Clementine Cheer
Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Natalie’s Orange Juice, Ginger Beer, Cinnamon Syrup
Tito’s Signature Cocktail: Bee’s Knees
Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Natalie’s Lemon Juice, Honey Syrup
Woodford Reserve – WR Chocolate Tasting
Woodford Reserve: WR Chocolate Tasting Experience developed by Elizabeth McCall
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked paired with 3 types of chocolate: White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate with Almonds, and Sea Salt Dark Chocolate. It was interesting to taste the varied nuances of Wood Reserve Double Oaked that each of the chocolates elicited. We cannot wait to try this again at home!
Woodford Reserve Espresso Manhattan
Woodford Reserve – Espresso Manhattan
1 Ounce Woodford Reserve
0.75 Ounce Borghetti Italian Espresso Liqueur
0.50 Ounce Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Mix ingredients and serve over ice in a rocks glass.
A Sampling of Some of the Beverages Available
Whatever your passion, there was something for every beverage lover.
Aperol
Angry Orchard
Bushmills
Coca-Cola
Fiddlehead Brewing Company
Hendrick’s Gin
Jim Beam Bourbon Family
Litchfield Distillery
Lucky Seven
Maestro Dobel Tequila
Ozama Ron Dominicano
Root Out Flavored Whiskey
Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery
Two Roads Brewing Company
Woodford Reserve
While The Sun Wine & Food Fest is held annually in late January, Mohegan Sun has many concerts, sports tournaments, comedy shows, and special events throughout the year so be sure to check out their website for all the latest information: www.mohegansun.com
See you next year at The Sun Wine & Food Fest 2027!
You might also like to read the Chefs’ Recipes feature on Chef Alessandra Ciuffo’s Cooking Demo where she demoed how to make Crispy Rice and Tuna Tartare. We sampled it at the end of the demo, and it was delicious!
Until next time, cheers and Bon Appetit!
Mohegan Sun
1 Mohegan Boulevard
Uncasville, Connecticut 06382
United States
General Information: +1-888-226-7711
Hotel Information: +1-888-777-7922
Website: www.mohegansun.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mohegansun
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mohegansun @mohegansun
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© January 2026. Luxury Experience www.LuxuryExperience.com. All rights reserved.
