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30th Annual Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Winners Announced

Last updated: May 2021

Press Contact:
Stephanie Myers
The Abbi Agency for North Lake Tahoe
(775) 323-2977
[email protected]

30th Annual Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Winners Announced

 

North Lake Tahoe, Calif./Nev. (September 18, 2015) – After multiple days of various festivities, ranging from a hands-on mozzarella making class to numerous farm- to-table dinners and more, the 30th Anniversary of the Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival ended Sunday, Sept. 13, with the much-anticipated Culinary Competition and Grand Tasting at in The Village at Northstar California Resort.

Leading up to Sunday’s grand finale, Saturday hosted one of the festival’s most talked about events: the Blazing Pans Mountain Chef Cook Off®. This year executive chef Jason Friendy of the Resort at Squaw Creek/Six Peaks Grille and executive chef Rob Wyss of Sunnyside competed in the hour-long competition producing three-course meals with this year’s secret ingredient, beer. Chef Friendy was awarded the title of Blazing Pans Mountain Chef champion.
Sunday’s Culinary Competition and Grand Tasting featured nearly two dozen restaurants paired with premium wines, craft beers or spirits.  More than 60 wines were poured over the weekend along with a selection of handcrafted beverages from prestigious breweries and award-winning distilleries. The Judges Choice Award is granted to the winner of a blind tasting by a panel of industry experts including professional wine judges, professional chefs, culinary experts and food and wine pairing experts. The second competition, People’s Choice Award, is chosen by festival attendee’s ballot votes. Grand Tasting participants have the opportunity to cast their votes on two different phases of competition during the event. A complete list of the Judges Choice and People’s Choice winners is included below:

Judges’ Choice Awards

Best Pairing of Food and Beverage

Gold: Northstar California Resort and Benziger Family Winery
Silver: Six Peaks Grille – Resort at Squaw Creek and Alaskan Amber Brewing Co.

Bronze: Granlibakken Resort and Emeritus Vineyards

Best Food

Gold: Wolfdale’s Cuisine Unique Restaurant
Silver: Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill

Bronze: Moody’s Bistro, Bar & Beats

Best Red Wine

Gold: Emeritus Vineyards
Silver: Chappellet Winery

Bronze: Veedercrest Vineyards

Best White Wine

Gold: Gruet Winery’s Champagne
Silver: ZD Wines

Bronze: Lumen Wines

Best Beverage Other than Wine

Gold: Charbay Distillery & Winery

 

People’s Choice Awards

Best Beer: Goose Island Brewery’s Seasonal Oktoberfest
Best Other Than Wine:
 
Charbay Distillery & Winery
Best White:
 
ZD Wines
Best Red:
 
Orin Swift Cellars
Best Table Presentation:
 
Northstar California Resort
Best Food:
 
Campo Reno 
Best Pairing:
 
Northstar California Resort and Benziger Family Winery

For more information about the Lake Tahoe Autumn Food & Wine Festival, visit www.TahoeFoodandWine.com. For more information about North Lake Tahoe visit www.GoTahoeNorth.com.

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About North Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is a crown jewel of the Sierra. Formed approximately two million years ago, it is the largest alpine lake in North America and the second deepest in the United States. North Lake Tahoe spans two states and boasts two dozen beaches, twelve ski resorts, hundreds of miles of biking trails, half a dozen communities, and a growing number of nationally recognized human-powered events, races and festivals. North Lake Tahoe is a 45-minute drive from the Reno Tahoe International Airport, two hours from Sacramento International Airport and just over three hours from San Francisco International Airport. Visitor information centers are located at 100 North Lake Boulevard in Tahoe City and 969 Tahoe Boulevard in Incline Village. For the latest deals, check out the Cool Deals tab on www.gotahoenorth.com

About Northstar California Resort

Northstar California™ is home to a base area village featuring unique shops and restaurants, a conference center, 9,000 square foot outdoor skating rink, movie theaters, on-site lodging, special events and more. A winter sport enthusiast’s paradise, Northstar offers 100 ski trails spread across 3,170 acres, award-winning terrain parks and snow sports including alpine and Telemark skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and tubing. Summer activities include mountain biking, golfing, scenic lift rides for sightseeing and hiking, fly-fishing and more.

Northstar is located on Highway 267, just six miles north of Lake Tahoe and six miles south of downtown Truckee. For more information, call 1.800.GO.NORTH (1.800.466.6784) or visit www.NorthstarCalifornia.com.