San Diego Wine & Culinary Center

Popularly known as the Wine Heretic, John Alongé is a well-respected “educational entertainer” on food and wine topics. . His innovative and dynamic presentations such as “Blend-Your-Own-Wine Competition”, “Five Easy Steps to Really Enjoying Wine” and “The Wine and Culinary Game Show” are regularly booked by corporate and private groups throughout the United States. He has written a variety of articles for international wine publications and is oft-quoted in food and wine industry trade journals. Alongé is the founder of the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center, an 8000-square foot venue in the heart of the city dedicated to food and wine events and education. John’s extensive wine and culinary background has ripened into a blueprint for quality wine education with high entertainment value. Alongé began his career working among the vineyards of the Loire Valley in France. Since then, he has owned and operated successful restaurants around the world and served as Director of Food and Beverage for a major San Francisco-based hotel and restaurant group. His affiliation with numerous San Diego County wineries has allowed him to participate actively in the renaissance of fine wines in southern California. Alongé sits on the Advisory Boards of both the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival and the Business of Wine Program at San Diego State University. He is actively involved in the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau and the San Diego Chapter of Meeting Professionals International. Additionally, he teaches wine business classes at San Diego State University and is a regular contributing writer to Edible San Diego magazine and Examiner.com. The Wine Heretic’s Bible, Alongé’s latest book, offers “Plain English Advice for the Casual Wino”. John can be reached at john@wineheretic.com.