Sofia Vergara and Her Son Tease Upcoming New York City Wine & Food Festival Event
Sofía Vergara and her son, Manolo Gonzalez Vergara, are spearheading a unique event at the premier fall festival.
Sofía, 53, and Manolo, 34, have teamed up to host the Grand Tasting: Daytime Edition during the 18th annual New York City Wine & Food Festival. This festival is scheduled from Wednesday, October 15, to Sunday, October 19, at the new Invesco QQQ Festival Campus Located in the historic Seaport of NYC’s Lower Manhattan. The mother-son duo’s event is set for Saturday, October 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“It’s such a delightful event because it also supports a charitable organization,” Sofía shared exclusively with Us Weekly about their shared anticipation for the event. “So it’s really exciting. I’m looking forward to being there with TOMA, but also to explore what other culinary delights are available.”
Manolo echoed his mother’s excitement.
“It’s a fantastic event, and I’m a huge admirer of the Food Network. So if it’s related to Food Network, I’m all in. I can’t wait to see Bobby Flay,” Manolo told Us. “TOMA doesn’t have a significant presence in New York, so it’s an excellent opportunity for locals to try our offerings for the first time. We’re handing out thousands of samples that day, so we encourage everyone to come by and check it out.”
TOMA, the Latin culinary brand established in June 2024 by Manolo and Sofía, features an array of empanadas, pandebono, and ham croquetas. Since its launch over a year ago, the brand has seen tremendous growth, now available in “a thousand Walmart locations,” alongside restaurants and various retailers.
“TOMA represents the finest of Latin America, showcasing the best of Latin cuisine,” Manolo shared. “We carefully selected our favorite dishes from across South America, creating our unique offerings, and we’re expanding rapidly right now.”
This year’s Wine & Food Festival supports the Event Zero Foundation and the James Beard Foundation. In its 18-year history, the festival has raised over $14.8 million for charitable causes.
“The Grand Tasting is the highlight of the New York City Wine & Food Festival, an all-encompassing food and drink celebration where the city’s best cuisines converge with its biggest culinary stars,” a press release stated.
With a ticket to the Grand Tasting: Daytime Edition, guests can:
– Sample hundreds of top wines and spirits from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits exclusive collection.
– Taste an endless variety of exquisite dishes from an amazing lineup of restaurants.
– Expect a delectable selection from all five boroughs, highlighting the best of NYC’s culinary landscape.
– Attend live Culinary Demonstrations featuring today’s prominent culinary figures and celebrity chefs, including Food Network stars.
– Meet beloved chefs and take home signed copies of their latest cookbooks.
– Enjoy giveaways from fantastic foodie brands.
Previous festival attendees include Blake Lively, Snoop Dogg, and Martha Stewart. This year’s festival will showcase over 500 chefs, culinary personalities, mixologists, winemakers, and creators throughout its five-day extravaganza, including: Brooklyn Beckham, Ja Rule, DJ Cassidy, Bobby Flay, Maneet Chauhan, Alex Guarnaschelli, Michael Voltaggio, Brooke Williamson, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, José Andrés, Alain Ducasse, Alice Waters, and Kwame Onwuachi.
General tickets for the festival are available here.
