12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

8th Annual Village Grape Stomp & Vineyard Luncheon

Team of Four - Includes Stomp, Lunch, Beer & Wine Tasting

Single Stomp -  Entry Includes Stomp, Lunch, Beer & Wine Tasting

Luncheon Only - Includes Beer & Wine Tasting

$200 per team

$50 per ticket

$40 per ticket

Winemaker Dinners & Special Tasting Events

Plump Jack Cafe and Orin Swift Cellars Winemaker Dinner. 

Stuff a Mini Friend and paint a mini t-shirt. - The Villager Candle Shop

Outdoor Grilling

Chef Mark Estee

Chef Mark Estee is becoming a national culinary figure as well as something of a legend locally. He is everywhere from the Food & Wine Classic at Pebble Beach to the classic Chef’s Holiday Dinner at the Awahnee Hotel in Yosemite. His Truckee Burger Me was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Food Network, is the chef/owner of the wildly popular Moody’s Bistro & Lounge in Truckee, and he is currently working on his new concept, Campo, on the Truckee River in Reno. Come early, limited seating.

12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Gourmet Marketplace Wine & Brew Walk

Taste your way through a wonderful collection of wineries and appellations. Featured appellations (wine growing regions, or AVA’s) are Lake County and Santa Cruz County. Lake County is the up and coming hot spot for well priced, well made wines. Discover them along with some of your California favorites from Napa, Sonoma, Foothills, Placer, Amador and other regions. Love Belgian Style Brews? Have a taste of Stella Artois, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Shock Top and Land Shark Island Style Ale. Entry fee includes souvenir glass. Must be 21.

Kid's Zone

The Village at Northstar is a great place for the whole family! They can enjoy giant chess and checkers, a "beach" and fun play areas. The Festival invites our little guests to free cupcake decorating, face painting, magicians, balloon sculptures, bubble art and more. And new this year, we are excited to have Todd Wees playing kid’s music that grown-ups can enjoy too. There will also be activities in All Fired Up! and The Villager Candle Shop.

Gourmet Marketplace Trade Fair

Bring your shopping bag as we have the largest Gourmet Marketplace ever. Sample olive oils, tapenades, olives, vinegars, gourmet ingredients,unique products; artisan jewelry and accessories, art, photography all interwoven throughout the Village.Enjoy free live music and entertainment all afternoon. Bring a friend!

Cookin' Hard Rock© Style

Chef Jason Gronlund, Hard Rock Café International

Back by popular demand is the always entertaining, crazy-man, globe trotting chef extraordinaire, Jason Gronlund. Jason was recently appointed as Senior Director of Culinary and Executive Chef for Hard Rock Café International. Wow. They have cafes in just about every state and in 51 countries around the globe. Join him in his culinary journey showcasing great techniques and delightful recipes. Come early, limited seating.

The Chocolate Bar Restaurant - Covered In Chocolate

Participants will receive two signature Chocolate Martinis, Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Mousse. There will be a food demonstration on The Fundamentals of Making Chocolate Fondue with tips on what foods work best for dipping. Participants will be able to sample the fondue after the demonstration.  Must be 21.

Some Like It Hot - Big, Bold California Wine and American BBQ Food and Wine Sensory Training

Lars Kronmark, Chef Instructor, CWP, Culinary Institute of America, Napa

Finally! A seminar demystifying the terminology and methodology of matching wine to food. Lars presents a practical, user-friendly approach grounded in understanding the direct relationships and reactions between food and wine components, flavors, and textures. Taste the vineyard Designates and Reserve Zinfandels from the acclaimed Rosenblum Cellars, hand crafted by winemaker John Kane.  The  wines are Monte Rosso and St. Peter's Church Reserve Zinfandel and the Rockpile Road Vineyard Designate Zinfandel.  This seminar is geared towards casual home chefs and amateur winemakers as well as professionals. We know you will enjoy Lars’ teaching style, humor and expertise in a very relaxed setting. Food and wine tasting. Must be 21. Very limited seating.

Family Hands-On Cooking Class -Thai Spring Rolls

Lara Ritchie, Chef/Owner, Nothing To It Culinary Center, Reno

The delightful Chef Lara returns to the Festival with new ideas to inspire the young chef in your home as they learn to cook side-by-side with Mom and Dad.  Cooking together can be an amazing bonding experience for the family, with some very tasty results. You will taste your creation after completion. Young chefs must be a minimum of 9 years old.  Limited space, reserve early. 

Cuisine Unique Cooking Demo

Douglas Dale, Chef/Owner, Wolfdale’s Restaurant Tahoe City

He’s a local legend. He’s set the bar very high for exquisite dining. His mission is simple:
The Theme: Fresh food, simply prepared
The Fundamentals: Asian and European
His Spirit: California
Chef Dale’s cooking demonstrations are an inspiration as he guides you in finding new elements, ingredients, techniques and unconventional food combinations. Find out how YOU can stay vibrant and thrilled about cooking. Learn from the master. Pure and simple.

Wines With Altitude - A Discovery Tasting Of Lake County Appellation

Winery and Winemaker Staff

With a rich history of grape growing and winemaking, Lake County is one of California’s newest wine country destinations for those looking to enjoy fine wines in a relaxed, down-to-earth, rural and breathtaking environment. This award-winning, yet relatively undiscovered wine region is located just 20 miles north of the Napa Valley. The combination of high elevation, diverse soils, unique microclimates and sustainable farming practices produce the premium quality grapes that provide the origin of Lake County’s highly acclaimed wines. You will taste Petite Sirah from three wineries and Sauvignon Blanc for another three wineries paired with some light appetizers.

Family Hands-On Cooking Class -Thai Spring Rolls

Lara Ritchie, Chef/Owner, Nothing To It Culinary Center, Reno

The delightful Chef Lara returns to the Festival with new ideas to inspire the young chef in your home as they learn to cook side-by-side with Mom and Dad. Cooking together can be an amazing bonding experience for the family, with some very tasty results. You will get to taste your creation upon completion. Young chefs must be a minimum of 9 years old. Limited space, reserve early.

Taste the Pride - Pride Mountain Vineyards Horizontal Tasting

Steven Pride/Co-owner, Pride Mountain Vineyards 

We are proud to present a wine experience usually available only to the restaurant and wine trade. This horizontal tasting of the entire portfolio of wines is handcrafted on St. Helena's Spring Mountain (Napa/Sonoma appellation) by Pride Mountain Winery’s award winning team headed up by winemaker Sally Johnson. The seminar is skillfully presented by Pride co-owner Steven Pride. He will be pouring a  2006 Syrah, 2006 Merlot, 2006 VS Merlot, 2006 Reserve Claret, Cabernet Franc, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 VS Cabernet Sauvignon, and a 2006 RESERVE Cabernet Sauvignon. Limited seating, book early. Subject to sell out. 

A Taste of Paradise - Santa Cruz Mountain Pinot Noir & Fiscalini Cheese Pairing

Presented by Linda Rodriquez, Fiscalini Cheese and Laura Ness, Santa Cruz Vintners Association

Mountain wines meet happy vows!  A delicious pairing of Pinot Noir and award-winning artisan cheeses from Fiscalini Farms.  The Santa Cruz Mountains has produced world-class Pinots since Paul Masson planted cuttings from Burgundy in the 19th century.   Delight in exquisite pairings of five Pinot Noirs from the region’s top producers, including Big Basin Vineyards, Burrell School Vineyards, Loma Prieta Winery, Poetic Cellars and Windy Oaks Vineyard. Fiscalini Farms aged cheeses are made by hand from the finest milk in California - produced from their very own contented cows. The Bandage Wrapped Cheddar won Best Extra Mature Traditional Cheddar in the World at the 2007 World Cheese Awards in London. Don't miss this one. Very limited seating. 

Blazing Pans Mountain Chef Cook Off

Chef David Lutz, Evergreen Café, Tahoe City
Chef Sean Conry, Longboards Bar & Grill at Plumas Pines Golf Course

Blazing Pans is the signature event and entertainment extraordinaire of Saturday’s festivities. Featured is a fierce, live cooking battle between two-time defending champion Chef/Owner David Lutz of Evergreen Restaurant, Tahoe City, and this year's challenger, Executive Chef Sean Conry of Longboard Bar & Grill. Chef Lutz and Conry will be presented with a secret ingredient unveiled at the start of the competition. The only things Chef’s can bring to the culinary stage are their personal knives, 2 chef assistants, incredible culinary expertise and nerves of steel. This is live entertainment at its best... Iron Chef© style! Dress up in costume; bring your finest cheering voice, noisemakers and a thirst for an ice-cold Charbay cocktail, hosted by Marko & Jenni Karakasevic, Charbay Artisan Winery & Distillery, St. Helena, CA. Must be 21.

Charbay Artisan Winery & Distillery - Annual Release Party - Racer 5 Whiskey

Master Distiller Marko Karakasevic and Jenni Karakasevic

If you know Marko at Charbay, you know he is always pushing the limits of distilling. This year, you will be tasting the beer Charbay Whiskey is distilled from, then trying the un-aged whiskey, and finally tasting the barrel aged version. Where else can you try whiskey in all of its stages? Bear Republic’s Big Bear Stout and Racer 5 IPA beers are award winning, and distill into amazing whiskey. Appetizers skillyfully prepared by Chef Jason Gronlund. This is a year not to be missed Must be 21. Limited seating. 

Winemaker Dinners & Special Tasting

Wolfdale's Cuisine Unique and Silver Oak Cellars. 

Winemaker Dinners & Special Tasting

Moody's Bistro & Lounge, Truckee and Chateau d'Esclans Cellars. 

Culinary Competition & Grand Tasting

Food and wine pairings, live music, gourmet marketplace, Silent auction, and Vineyard Row Tastings.

The grand finale to Autumn Food & Wine, the Grand Tasting, features the food and wine from 24 of the finest restaurants, caterers and chefs from the Lake Tahoe region, paired with premium world-class wineries. This is an incredible opportunity to sample the culinary and winemaking talents of the chef’s and wineries you always wanted to try, including Tahoe’s newest restaurants. The culinary offerings are over the top utilizing fresh seasonal ingredients prepared with the amazing skill of our chefs, perfectly paired with new and known wine finds. You will also discover new wineries and sample their latest vintage or newest varietal during the Grand Tasting on Vineyard Row and at the Gourmet Marketplace. Also taste the latest Belgian style brews from Stella Artois, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Shock Top plus Land Shark Island Style Ale all under blue skies in the great outdoors at the new Village at Northstar. You must be minimum 21years of age to attend the Grand Tasting.  Sorry, no children or strollers.

 2010 Grand Tasting Event winners list 

$75 online thru Sept. 9
$90 at the door