On February 12th, I attended the 2011 Washington D.C. International Wine and Food Festival at The Ronald Reagan Center, it was the 4th or 5th time I have attended this event…it might of been the last time.  The pre-event info boasted of 600 wines from wineries all over the World, that part was semi correct, the count was more likely under 500 .  The reality was that this year, not one California winery attended, over the past few years this has been a trend for the worse.   The countries pouring wines from Spain, France, Italy were ok but the ones from South Africa, New York and Virginia were pretty bad, mixed in with vendors selling storm windows and vacation time shares.  The highlight was the coat check, since we left the event early for dinner. 

The highlight  of the day was the dinner at The Capital Grill in D.C. where both their wine selection by the glass is extensive and offers many excellent wines.  As always this restaurant is a must go if you are in D.C.,   the dinner and atmosphere are fabulous, with the best place to sit is at the bar or in the bars dining area.