cooks events
EDIBLE PLEASURES
Autumn Food & Wine Festival celebrates 26th year.
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY ERIN MEYERING
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAKE TAHOE AUTUMN FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL
Indulgence is the simple act of enjoying a special pleasure. Whether it’s spectacular food, fine wine, or extraordinary experiences, it’s definitely worthwhile to treat yourself from time to time. This September, you’ll have a veritable smorgasbord of opportunities in which to indulge when the Lake Tahoe Autumn Food & Wine Festival returns to The Village at Northstar in Truckee. The event, in its 29th year and running Friday, Sept. 5 – Sunday, Sept. 7, features winemakers’ dinners, a grape stomp, luxurious luncheons, and wine pairings. Guests will enjoy three full days of cooking seminars and demonstrations, culinary competitions, and wine tastings.
In addition to the spectacular foodie appeal, September is a great time to relax in the Lake Tahoe area because of the mild weather, changing leaves, and a glistening sun that shines over the Sierra Nevada.
“Some of the most beautiful outdoor playgrounds are right here at our fingertips,” says Amber Burke, senior event manager at the Northstar resort. “We’re thrilled to take the crowd outside and combine everyone’s love for Tahoe adventure with a passion for culinary greatness through new, unparalleled tasting opportunities.”
AUTUMN FOOD & WINE SCHEDULE
Lake Tahoe Autumn Food & Wine features several free, as well as ticketed, seminars Friday, Sept. 5 – Sunday, Sept. 7. Below is a look at just a few of the deliciously fun ones at this beloved annual event.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 5
6 – 9 p.m.
Farm-to-Tahoe Dinner
Zephyr Lodge, Northstar, Truckee
Tickets: $80
Featuring fresh, sustainable, and locally sourced produce, Northstar’s chef Steve Anderson skillfully prepares a delicious dining experience sure to please the palate. Escape on a gondola ride to the beautiful Zephyr Lodge for this multi-course, plated dinner enjoyed with beer, wine, and light beverages and complemented by live music. Limited seating is available. Advance ticket purchase is required.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 6
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Take a Hike!
Northstar, Truckee
Tickets: $40
Trail food is taken to new heights on this trailside tasting and guided hike through the Tahoe National Forest. A professional trail guide explores the breathtaking wilderness and identifies the native flora and fauna. Tasting stations stocked with craft beer and light snacks will be set along the route. People of all ability levels are encouraged to participate. Advance ticket purchase is required. Walk-ins will be accepted on a space-available basis.
12 – 4 p.m.
Pedals & Pinots Cycling and Tasting Tour of Truckee
Northstar to downtown Truckee
Tickets: $55
Jump into your Lycra and grab your road bike. The second annual Pedals & Pinots ride is underway. This heart-healthy adventure combines a tasting room tour with a scenic ride through the Martis Valley. The tour starts in The Village at Northstar and winds through historic Truckee for a delightful tasting of pinots at The Pour House and Uncorked Squaw Valley wine bar. The tour then heads to the welcoming setting of PJ’s Bar & Grill at Gray’s Crossing for the final stop, which will include light appetizers, one more wine tasting, and an outdoor reprieve. Shuttles will transport participants back to Northstar for the evening’s festivities.
12 – 4 p.m.
Village Wine and Brew Walk
Village at Northstar, Truckee
Tickets: $25
Join the Village Wine and Brew Walk to get your taste buds ready for the Sunday Grand Tasting. Take a leisurely stroll to taste, shop, and visit with friends at this casual afternoon soirée. Sample wines from Napa, Sonoma, Eldorado, Lodi, Suisun Valley, the Foothills, Nevada City, Central Coast, and beyond. Beer aficionados can look forward to fresh, cold craft beers from Stella, Goose Island, Kona Brewery, and more. Souvenir tasting glass is included. Must be 21 years old to participate.
4:30 – 6 p.m.
Blazing Pans Mountain Chef Cook Off
Champion Mark Estee, chef and owner of Campo, vs. Ben “Wyatt” Dufresne, executive chef of PlumpJack Café
Tickets: $15
The 2013 Blazing Pans champion chef Mark Estee, of Campo restaurant in Reno, faces off against the talented and wildly popular chef, Ben “Wyatt” Dufresne of PlumpJack Café. The competitors will prepare four courses of restaurant-quality dishes in the hour-long battle, each featuring a secret ingredient that is revealed at the last second. Last year, Estee took the crown by dazzling the judges with his delicious and inventive uses of lamb. The event includes a classic, handcrafted Charbay cocktail shaken by Marko Karakasevic, 13th-generation master distiller from Charbay Distillery & Winery, in St. Helena, Calif. The winner of Blazing Pans receives an award and forever-bragging rights. Costumes, noisemakers, and air horns are encouraged to cheer on your favorite chef.
6:15 – 8:45 p.m.
Charbay Annual Release Party — Vodka & Caviar
The Charbay Distillery & Winery and its 13th-generation master distiller, Marko Karakasevic, will showcase this year’s release of the Charbay fresh-fruit-infused vodkas. To highlight the award-winning vodkas, they will be prepared in handcrafted cocktails and paired with James Beard-award-winning Tsar Nicoulai Caviar-based hors d’oeuvres, prepared by chef Jason Gronlund, vice president of culinary operations at Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grills.
Tavern 6330′, Village at Northstar
Tickets: $75
SUNDAY, SEPT. 7, 2014
1 – 4 p.m.
Sunday Culinary Competition and Grand Tasting
Village at Northstar and Overlook Pavilion
Tickets: $75 advance/$95 day of
This al fresco afternoon tasting showcases more than 25 top chefs in the region paired with 25 premium wines, spirits, and brews in a formally judged food-and-wine-pairing competition. Each chef’s dish is matched to a varietal and vintage from the winery or brewery of their choice. It’s a culinary throwdown, and the chefs compete for the Best Marriage of Food and Wine/Beverage and Best Food categories and the coveted People’s Choice Awards. A panel of food and wine industry experts judge the offerings, then the pairings are offered for ticketholders to enjoy.
Additionally, participants’ tickets allow them to sample from additional wineries pouring their finest varietals and vintages. In 2012, more than 90 wines were tasted at this event. Great weather will combine with spectacular food and fine wines, craft beers, artisan spirits, live music, and good friends — all in the mountain setting in The Village at Northstar.
For details, visit http://www.Tahoefoodandwine.com or http://www.Northstarcalifornia.com
