Casa de Campo Resort & Villas closed on Saturday, October 10, the fourth annual edition of the Casa de Campo Food & Wine Festival with a full house. Saturday's tickets sold out for both the Grand Tasting Pavilion, at the Marina Riverside Center, and for Dinner Under the Stars, the closing evening at Minitas Beach Club, which culminated with fireworks over the sea.

mong the guests was Leah F. Campos, United States ambassador to the Dominican Republic. Carlos Calderón, presenter of Hoy Día from Telemundo, who also celebrated his birthday at the resort that weekend, was the master of ceremonies for both nights at the Grand Tasting Pavilion and turned the stage into a party, with live music and a DJ until closing.

Andrés Pichardo Rosenberg, president of Casa de Campo Resort & Villas, and Jason Kycek, senior vice president of sales and corporate marketing at Casa de Campo Resort & Villas and creator of the festival, welcomed the guests each night.

Inside the pavilion, the tastings were plated and brought to each guest by the waiters, and the winemakers poured their own wines. From king crab and caviar to Maine lobster, wagyu, and truffle, the fourth edition confirmed the level that today places Casa de Campo among the great gastronomic gatherings in the world.

The chefs and their dishes

Michael Mina, founder of MINA Group, with more than 30 restaurants in the United States, including his namesake restaurant, recognized with a Michelin star, served Hawaiian-style spiced beef with mashed sweet potatoes with olive oil and herbs and Egyptian pepper sauce.

Hubert Keller, the french chef that took Fleur de Lys, in San Francisco, as one of the great restaurants in the United States, returned for the fourth year with an extravagant burger surf and turf of wagyu with Maine lobster, brie cheese, and truffle.

Joe Isidori, owner of Arthur & Sons in Manhattan and the Hamptons and chef behind Black Tap, presentó en su segundo año en el festival un rigatoni alla vodka picante, fiel a la cocina italiana clásica de Nueva York.

Gabriel Tejada, founder of Tenú in Santiago de los Caballeros and former chef de cuisine of Central, in Lima, under Virgilio Martínez, brought local product to haute cuisine with roasted beet, goat cheese, raisins, and macadamia nuts. His participation placed Dominican ingredients alongside the great names of international cuisine and reaffirmed his commitment to the country's product in the luxury segment.

"The Dominican product does not need to be explained or excused. It needs to be cooked correctly and served in the right room", said Tejada "That is what this festival gives our producers, and that is why I am proud to cook here."

Dinner Under the Stars

Saturday night closed with a full house at Minitas Beach Club. The most requested station of the evening was the tacos station by chef Adrián Ramírez, executive chef of Osteria La Baia in New York. Carlos Alberto Mardones, executive chef of Casa de Campo, served the most succulent seafood station of the night, designed for the seafront setting: a Nomad-inspired king crab Louie, lobster rolls in butter topped with caviar, and a seafood tasting, among many other delicacies.

Between chef stations and roaming waiters, guests moved freely to the rhythm of a DJ and the live band, until the fireworks over Minitas Beach marked the close of the festival.

"Seeing this fourth edition consolidated with completely sold-out tickets shows that the festival has already become a key international benchmark for luxury gastronomic tourism in the region", commented Jason Kycek, senior vice president of corporate sales and marketing at Casa de Campo Resort & Villas and creator of the event. "The response from the public and the quality of the partner brands validate Casa de Campo's positioning as the culinary epicenter of the Caribbean."

For his part, Andrés Pichardo Rosenberg, president of Casa de Campo Resort & Villas, added:

"This fourth annual edition reflects our continued commitment to offering world-class culinary experiences that celebrate both global excellence and Dominican heritage. Casa de Campo has long been a destination where culture, gastronomy, and community meet, and this festival is the living embodiment of that spirit."

The fifth edition of the Casa de Campo Food & Wine Festival already has a date: from October 8 to 10, 2027. 

For more information about Casa de Campo Resort & Villas, visit casadecampo.com.do or follow @casadecampodr on Instagram

Sponsors

The Casa de Campo Food & Wine Festival 2026 was presented by American Express and Scotiabank, with the support of Invited Club, the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, ABS Foods / La Tiendita, the United States Embassy, El Catador, Altadis USA, La Bodega, Señor Vino, La Aurora Cigars / E. León Jiménez, Ron Barceló, Voli 305 Vodka, Álvarez & Sánchez, Tabacalera Los Robles, and Mercedes-Benz.