Autumn Food & Wine Festival highlights
The 29th Annual Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival at Northstar California will pair epicurean adventures with Northern California’s finest in regional food and wine delicacies. Master chefs and winemakers invite foodies to enjoy three days of cooking seminars and demonstrations, culinary competitions, wine tastings and food-themed experiences from Sept. 5 to Sept. 7 in The Village and on the mountain at Northstar, as well as in The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe.
“Autumn Food & Wine Festival at Northstar is a tradition that represents the best annual gathering of culinary talent, unique events and an atmosphere that celebrates food, wine, family and fun,” said Bill Rock, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Northstar California, in a press release.
As one of the Festival’s most iconic events, the Culinary Competition & Grand Tasting is scheduled for Sept. 7. Other highlights such as the Farm to Tahoe Dinner at Zephyr Lodge, Gourmet Marketplace Vendor Fair, Village Wine and Brew Walk, Blazing Pans Mountain Chef Cook Off, and 16th Annual Charbay Party continue to invite guests to delight in fine food and artisan wine, spirits and beer.
Additional events throughout the three-day event include Pedals & Pinots bike tour and tasting, Beer & Artisan Cheese Pairing and Winemaker for a Day seminars, Petra Winery Luncheon, and Take a Hike! guided hike and trailside tasting. (All events
Friday, Sept. 5
Art of the Cocktail | Kick off the festivities from 4 to 5 p.m. in The Living Room at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, where participants will journey to pre-prohibition days when cocktails were the highlight and beer, wine and other beverages were not in fashion. Art of the Cocktail will feature three bourbon, whiskey, vodka and gin cocktails paired with appetizers. $40
North Tahoe Arts Plein Air Reception | Enjoy light fare, wine and entertainment at the Gala Reception & Fundraising Event, as well the Plein Air exhibit preview and silent auction to benefits North Tahoe Arts at Petra from 4 to 6 p.m. $40
Farm to Tahoe Dinner | Northstar’s Chef Steve Anderson will masterfully prepare and present a dining experience highlighting fresh, sustainable and locally sourced produce from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Zephyr Lodge at the summit. Guests are whisked to the multi-course plated dinner via gondola, with pairings of craft beer, wine and light beverages complemented by live music. $80
Saturday, Sept. 6
(All events at Village at Northstar unless otherwise noted)
Gourmet Marketplace Vendor Fair | Sample some of the finest local and regional gourmet goodies at the open-air marketplace in The Village from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free
Plein Air demo and sale | Enjoy a juried exhibit of plein air artists with works on display and for sale from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free
Mozzarella Cheese Making | Chef Lara Ritchie will teach 25 guests how to create fresh Mozzarella cheese from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. for ages 9 and older. $25
Girl Farm seminar | Representatives from Northern Nevada-based Girl Farm invites guests to learn about sustainable farming, the benefits of fresh-sourced ingredients, and techniques from 11 a.m. to noon. Free
Guided Hike & Trailside Tasting | A professional trail guide will lead guests to explore breathtaking wilderness and identify the Lake Tahoe region’s native flora and fauna from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Trailside tasting stations along the route will offer craft beer paired with flavorful, creative recipes of classic trail morsels. All ability levels. $40
Village Wine & Brew Walk | Sip, shop and visit with friends at the casual afternoon soirée with featured wines from Napa and Sonoma, El Dorado and Lodi, Suisun Valley and the Foothills, Nevada City, the Central Coast and beyond from noon to 4 p.m. Beer aficionados may look forward to fresh, cold craft beers from Stella, Goose Island, Kona Brewery and more. $25
Kid’s Zone | Kids and families are invited to enjoy complimentary face painting, balloon sculptures, arts and crafts, and outdoor play at the Overlook Deck from noon to 4 p.m.
Winemaker Luncheon | Petra Wine Bar owner and wine connoisseur Kali Kopley and renowned winemaker John Anthony Truchard will host a three-course luncheon paired with award-winning wines from FARM Napa Valley from noon to 2 p.m. $60
Pedals & Pinots | Enjoy a scenic, guided bike tour from Northstar through the Martis Valley to Historic Downtown Truckee from noon to 4 p.m. with a delightful tasting of Pinots at The Pour House and Uncorked Wine Bar, then to PJ’s Bar & Grill at Gray’s Crossing for light appetizers paired with wine and an outdoor reprieve. Shuttle rides back to Northstar. $55
Seafood cooking demo | Sean Conry, executive chef of Longboards Bar & Grill in Graeagle, will embrace seafood with a trio of autumn plates that showcase fresh, seasonal produce from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. Chef Conry will demonstrate how to meld harvest-fresh ingredients into mouth-watering dishes at home. Free
Beer and Artisan Cheese Pairing | Enjoy craft beers paired with artisan cheeses at Tavern 6330’ from 1 to 2:15 p.m. with Nyna Weatherson, as well as how to create a cheeseboard selection. $35
Grilling demo | Guests will learn techniques for successful marinating and brining that lead to flavor-bursting dishes from Chef Jason Gronlund from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. Free
Winemaker for a Day | Learn the intricacies of blending various wines as they create his or her own keepsake bottle of wine from 2 to 4 p.m. with wine expert Phil McKenney at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe. Guests will taste single-varietal wines such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc before blending in a classroom-style format. Participants experiment with different proportions, discuss the characteristics of each grape, as well as cork and label his or her wines. $80
15 Minute Meals demo | Chef Lara Ritchie will show even the busiest of people how to create amazing, flavorful dishes at home in no more than 15 minutes from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. Free
Why You Like What You Like | Get ready for a humorous, enlightening wine and food tasting seminar and book signing with Chef Tim Hanni from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Experience interactions between wine and food and learn flavor-balancing techniques that will ensure that a favorite wine tastes great with a favorite dish. $40
Dessert demo | Chef Daniel Carter will share a Fall Harvest Dessert demonstration from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. Free
Blazing Pans Mountain Chef Cook Off | 2013 Blazing Pans Champion Chef Mark Estee of the renowned Campo Restaurant faces off with the talented and wildly popular Chef Wyatt Dufresne of PlumpJack Café from 4:30 to 6 p.m. These two fearless competitors will prepare four courses of gourmet dishes in the hour-long battle featuring a secret ingredient that is revealed at the last second. The audience is encouraged to don costumes, noisemakers and air horns. $15
Spirits Tasting & Caviar 101 | 13th generation master distiller Marko Karakasevic of Charbay Distillery and Winery will showcase his hand crafted Charbay vodkas and Tequila Tapatio in tasting featuring the decadent caviars and natural flavored roes from Tsar Nicoulai Caviar Company from 6:15 to 8:45 p.m. Chef Jason Gronlund works his culinary magic with perfectly orchestrated hors d’oeuvres and small bites to pair with the spirits and cocktails. The seminar will start with Caviar 101 on how to prime one’s palate for tasting clear vodka and caviar. $75
Tahoe Long Table Harvest Dinner | Executive Chef Stanley Miller features a family-style, six-course dinner of a harvest menu that incorporates the freshest locally sourced, sustainable ingredients from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe. $85
Sunday, Sept. 7
Gourmet Marketplace Vendor Fair | Sample some of the finest local and regional gourmet goodies at the open-air marketplace in The Village from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free
Plein Air demo and sale | Enjoy a juried exhibit of plein air artists with works on display and for sale from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free
Bubbles Tasting Flight | Relax at Petra and enjoy a flight featuring three sparkling wines all day starting at 11 a.m. $12
Culinary Competition & Grand Tasting | Featuring more than 25 top chefs in the region paired with 25 premium wines, sprits and brews in a formally judged food and wine pairing competition from 1 to 4 p.m. Each chef’s dish is paired with a varietal and vintage from the winery or brewery of his or her choice. Chefs vie for top honors including Best Marriage of Food and Wine/Beverage, Best Food and the coveted People’s Choice awards. The presentations are judged by a panel of food and wine industry experts, after which the pairings are opened for ticketholders to enjoy $75 advance, $95 at the event.
Festival tickets
Tickets may be purchased for single or multiple events, and advance registration is required for most of the special events and cooking classes as space is limited.
The 3-Day Festival Experience package beckons unabashed foodies to indulge during Friday’s Farm to Tahoe Dinner at Zephyr Lodge, Saturday’s Brew & Wine Walk and Blazing Pans Mountain Chef Cook-Off, and Sunday’s pièce de résistance – the Grand Tasting and Culinary Competition.
Additional options, such as tickets to Farm to Tahoe Dinner at Zephyr Lodge or Art of the Cocktail at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe are offered, as well as individual tickets to all events hosted throughout the Festival. Lodging deals to Northstar also are available at northstarcalifornia.com.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit tahoefoodandwine.com or northstarcalifironia.com.
