This year’s SAVOR Southern Arizona Food & Wine Festival was a huge hit — and a sellout — bringing together more than 1,500 people at the Tucson Botanical Gardens.
Currently, it’s Southern Arizona’s largest culinary festival, and last month, more than 80 participating chefs, wineries, breweries, and local food artisans dished out goods.
“Culinary arts are among the most elevated cultural traditions in our region,” said Kate Marquez, Executive Director of the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA). “We are proud to provide an opportunity to uplift and showcase the creativity, heritage, and innovation of our local chefs and food artisans year after year.”
The folks at Tucson Botanical Gardens were happy once again to transform the garden into a “celebration of flavors,” creating a fun fusion of nature and local food.
It’s “more than just a culinary experience,” said Michelle Conklin, Executive Director of the Tucson Botanical Gardens. “It’s a dynamic community gathering that enriches the city’s cultural fabric, deepens our appreciation for food and the environment, and showcases the power of partnership by uniting three organizations with a shared vision.”
Hey, Tucson isn’t a UNESCO City of Gastronomy for nothin’, right?
People’s Choice AWARDS
Also, and like previous years, there are a couple of People’s Choice Award Winners to announce. Attendees voted for their favorite tastings, and Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa and Los Milics Vineyards were awarded top honors.
The crew at Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, located at 3800 E. Sunrise Dr., won “Best Bite” for their grilled octopus salad and scallops with butternut squash. Then, Los Milics — a vineyard in Elgin that’s won multiple awards in the past couple fo years — took home “Best Sip” for its Jules Vermentino, Itas Rosé, and Renatos Red Blend.
Going Green
This year’s event also introduced expanded sustainability efforts, working toward zero waste in collaboration with the University of Arizona’s Compost Cats and Local First Arizona.
Throughout the day, folks were encouraged to separate their waste into recycling, composting, liquid, and landfill containers.
Looking Ahead to the Next YEAR
As Tucson continues to shine as a top-notch culinary city of greatness, SAVOR will return next year with even more flavors, local collaborations, and community-driven experiences.
Mark your calendars — it’ll likely be in January 2026.
For more information on the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance and upcoming events, visit saaca.org.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
