Elegant, Elevated, and Exclusive, are three words to describe the new food and beverage scene at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. Sandestin, renowned as the premier Resort in Northwest Florida, is now offering first-of-its-kind wine locker memberships and social memberships to the exclusive Burnt Pine Golf Club.
“Everything that you’ve heard about food and beverage, throw it out the window,” said Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort Executive Director of Food & Beverage Vasil Penchev. “Every wine dinner around is the same thing; a long table with everyone sitting together eating a plated meal. What we are doing is about the experience; our wine dinners will touch all five senses.”
Penchev explained that the first wine dinner he and his team are planning for Burnt Pine will be a Caymus Wine Dinner on October 5th; a seven-course gourmet experience with wine pairings, open to Burnt Pine club members. The dinner is so prestigious that the Vice President, National Sales of Caymus Wines will lead the tasting.
“We are going to build a ‘stage’ where the wine connoisseur will walk. There will be a chef’s station live-action area where the chef will cook in front of everyone,” Vasil said. “There will be a Japanese-style yakitori station, and we will prepare pasta in a 2x2-foot parmesan wheel. With all of these touch points, the diners will see and smell their food before they taste it and each course will be paired with wines selected to perfectly accompany each dish.”
Recently renovated, the Burnt Pine Clubhouse features an upgraded bar, stylish furnishings and climate-controlled wine lockers. When installing the wine lockers, the team at Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort aspired to build only the best.
"We invested in state-of-the-art, climate-controlled wine lockers because we wanted to offer something unique that no one else in the area provides,” Vasil said. "The best way to store wine is horizontally, thus protecting the cork."
The 64 wine lockers hold 6 bottles each and are first come first served for Burnt Pine members. Members can purchase bottles from the extensive wine list at Burnt Pine and can then be served without a corkage fee, upon request.
“We set out to elevate the Burnt Pine Clubhouse into a luxurious dining destination with a vibrant, interactive social atmosphere,” said April Sarver, Director of Marketing for Sandestin Resort. “It was time to expand and transform to create new wine experiences, pristine wine lockers and an elevated menu.”
These elevated dining experiences are not exclusive to Burnt Pine and Beach Club members. When Hotel Effie Sandestin opened its doors in February 2021, fine dining at Ovide opened along with it. An elegant, culinary adventure, Ovide brings together classic Gulf Coast flavors and southern culinary traditions.
“At Ovide, every bite delivers an extraordinary flavor experience,” said Tanya Rauch, Director of Marketing for Hotel Effie. “The menu embraces Southern culinary traditions and favorites, so you'll find comfort foods like our pork chop, deviled eggs, and of course Grandma Effie's biscuits. Our deviled eggs feature smoked salmon, and you'll find premium ingredients like fennel sausage in our shrimp & grits. Effie's biscuits are Grandma's recipe, so we've left that one alone. What sets Ovide apart is the way these dishes are prepared for a truly fine dining experience."
Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort offers six club opportunities spanning from its most exclusive - The Elite Membership of Sandestin, inclusive of all club memberships including the recently renovated and prestigious Beach Club, as well as a Golf, Fitness and Tennis Club. Across the resort, one thing remains the same, members enjoy elevated experiences from food and beverage to golf and beach.
“Like a color pallet, food, wine and spirits are all based on personal preference,” Vasil said. “Our approach is to serve good food, southern classics using fresh ingredients that are paired with quality wines and alcoholic beverages. We value and accentuate our relationships with our wine distributors by offering luxurious food and beverage experiences to our customers across the entire resort.”