Hotel Coral & Marina Hosts Fiestas del Mar, April 20

Byline: Ambrosia Brody

ENSENADA — Boaters can enjoy wine tastings from the region’s top wineries and great traditional cuisine at Hotel Coral and Marina’s Fiestas del Mar celebration, April 20. Celebrating the best of Baja California’s wine and seafood, the event plans to serve up scrumptious food and wine pairings.

Hosted by Ensenada, Mexico’s Hotel Coral and Marina, the celebration features wine and champagne tastings, hot air balloon rides and live entertainment.

Festival-goers can sample ceviche during a special taste-off. The popular dish is a mix of fresh raw fish “cooked” with citrus juices and spices.

Chefs will face off in the hotel’s gardens at 4 p.m. before a panel of expert judges, who will select the best ceviche. Judges include Sabina Bandera Gonzáles of La Guerrerense, who has been heralded as “the world’s best cevicheria.”

Visitors can also enjoy wine tastings from more than 15 regional wineries, and select their favorite for the People’s Choice Award. The best ceviches and wines will be recognized during an 8 p.m. awards ceremony.

Latin pop stars Amanda Miguel and Diego Verdaguer will headline the entertainment at 9 p.m., with their daughter, Ana Victoria, as a special guest. Dueling Beatles vs. Rolling Stones tribute bands will open the fiesta and will perform throughout the evening, as visitors sample ceviches and wines from Valle de Guadalupe and Valle de Santo Tomás.

Located on the oceanfront, Hotel Coral and Marina invites guests to dock in the 350-slip marina, which accommodates vessels up to 110 feet in length. Boaters can dock for the day or the entire weekend.

“We are fortunate to host our guests in a beautiful region, with the Pacific’s freshest seafood and an abundant wine-producing countryside so close together,” said general manager Andres Martinez. “This event is a celebration of the world-class cuisine and wines Ensenada has to offer, and we look forward to continuing the tradition year after year.”

Tickets are available online or at the hotel. Prices range from $35 for general admission to $135 for VIP concert seating. Special hotel packages on April 20 — with one night in an ocean-view suite, two tickets to the concert, two tickets to the champagne area and spa credit — are available for $410 on a limited basis by calling (800) 862-9020.

Shuttle transportation to and from the San Diego area is also available upon request, subject to availability.

For more information about Fiestas del Mar, current packages, and Hotel Coral and Marina, visit hotelcoral.com.