NINTH ANNUAL PEBBLE BEACH FOOD & WINE ANNOUNCES LINEUP OF LEGENDARY CHEFS, WINEMAKERS, AND HOSPITALITY LUMINARIES, TAKING PLACE MARCH 31 – APRIL 3, 2016
Pebble Beach Food & Wine returns March 31 through April 1, 2016, to the iconic strip of the California coastline and Pebble Beach Resorts for the ninth year. Continuing its reign as the premier food and wine event in the world, guests can expect an unprecedented lineup of more than 100 renowned chefs and 250 distinguished winemakers at this first-class, four-day celebration.
Offering unrivaled access to the pinnacle of the hospitality industry, the 2016 lineup is filled with once-in-a-lifetime tasting opportunities, cooking demonstrations, wine-paired luncheons and intimate dinners, elite wine seminars, and more. Participants include nationally and internationally acclaimed chefs such as Cat Cora, Gavin Kaysen, Guy Fieri, Fabio Viviani, Graham Elliot, Daniel Boulud, Charles Phan, and Hugh Acheson, making this a not-to-miss annual event for anyone serious about food and wine.
Highlights from the ninth annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine will include:
Lunches & Dinners
- Christopher Kostow & Nathaniel Dorn – The New Napa Experience: Chef Christopher Kostow’s three Michelin stars at the Restaurant at Meadowood require a discipline of technique and talent. This year at Pebble Beach, Kostow and business partner Nathaniel Dorn will relax a bit as they début the family-style cuisine that epitomizes the “New Napa Experience.” Kostow and Dorn’s event will offer guests a sneak peek taste of their upcoming new restaurant in St. Helena, offering guests another “only at Pebble Beach” dining experience. Date: Saturday, April 2, 2016 from 6:30p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
- South Australia – The Epicurean Way: Welcome to South Australia: our sunburnt land of wide blue skies and ochre desert sands, of vineyard-laden hills and clear ocean waters. Take a culinary adventure where the produce is real and the wines are robust and unique. Join Tasting Australia Creative Director Chef Simon Bryant and Barossa Chef Lachlan Colwill on an epicurean journey through some of Australia’s most iconic food and wine regions. Travel through South Australia via Kangaroo Island’s pristine beauty, stunning coastline, and world-renowned vineyards. U.S. chefs Michel Nischan and Bruce Kalman will join Simon and Lachlan to guide you through the flavors of South Australia. Date: Friday, April 1, 2016 from 6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
- Booze & Bites Lunch at Restaurant 1833: Pebble Beach Food & Wine is very proud to host San Francisco’s most amazing culinary couple for the annual lunch at Restaurant 1833. Chefs Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinsky of State Bird Provisions and The Progress have re-invigorated the Bay Area dining scene with what many consider to be the two of San Francisco’s best restaurant additions in decades. They’ll join Restaurant 1833 Executive Chef Jason Franey to create an extraordinary lunch, available “only at Pebble Beach.” Date: Friday, April 1, 2016 from 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Wine Seminars
- Women and Wine: Master Class: In the words of acclaimed singer James Brown, “This is a man’s world, but it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl.” Historically speaking, the wine industry has been heavily dominated by males, but at the end of the day, are women intuitively and biologically better tasters of wine? This unique seminar allows guests to explore the world of wine through a female’s perspective with moderator Christie Dufault, Culinary Institute of America’s Associate Professor and all female Master Sommeliers Gillian Balance, June Rodil and Emily Wines. Taste through a flight of wines together while discussing the intersection of physiology, psychology and gender. Date: Saturday, April 2, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
- Big Bottles Bubbles Seminar: Ever wonder why certain wines are bottled in larger formats than the traditional 750 mL? Did you know that the average glassblower’s lung capacity was between 700 – 800 mL of air, such that the volume gradually standardized? Many winemakers and sommeliers nevertheless feel that the 1.5 L size bottle is preferable for aging. Can you tell the difference in the glass? Join the fun exploration of comparative tasting while addressing the age-old question, “Does size matter?” Date: Sunday, April 3, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
- Champagne Bollinger: A Living Heritage: Drunk by James Bond and beloved by connoisseurs the world around, Champagne Bollinger is synonymous with luxury. It is also the only Champagne house to receive the prestigious “Enterprise du Patrimoine Vivant” award, the French government’s highest award given to businesses. Bollinger is France, a living heritage, and Pebble Beach Food & Wine is thrilled to host an unparalleled retrospective tasting of their top cuvée, “Grande Année.” Date: Sunday, April 3, 2016 from 10:00 a.m – 11:15 a.m.
Cooking Demonstrations
- Cat Cora’s “World Tour”: It’s no surprise that Cat Cora has become a world renowned chef. In 2005, she made television history on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” as the first and only female Iron Chef, and in November 2006 Bon Appétit Magazine bestowed her with their “Teacher of the Year Award,” an honor she calls, “the greatest recognition she could achieve as a chef.” That same month, she was also bestowed with another great culinary distinction when she was named Executive Chef of Bon Appétit. Since then, Cora has continued to evolve her craft, becoming an accomplished author, restaurateur, contributing editor, philanthropist, and television host. Date: Saturday, April 2, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
- The Culinary Olympics at Pebble Beach IX: The Ment’Or Cooking Demo & Dinner: Dubbed the “Culinary Olympics,” the Bocuse d’Or is the culinary arts’ most respected international cooking competition, one in which the world’s best converge on Lyon, France for a marathon five and a half hour chef extravaganza in front of thousands of cheering fans. At this year’s Pebble Beach Food & Wine, the United States representatives from Chef Bocuse’s premier culinary event, including Daniel Boulud, Gavin Kaysen, Stephanie Prida, Bryce Shuman, Philip Tessier, Dave Beran, Jérôme Bocuse, Mathew Peters and Joshua Skenes, will showcase the skills that place them among the world’s very best. Cooking Demo Date: Friday, April 1, 2016, from 3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. Dinner Dates: Friday, April 1, 2016, and Saturday, April 2, 2016, from 6:30 p.m. –10:30 p.m.
Lexus Grand Tasting
- The Lexus Grand Tastings, the festival’s most spectacular opportunity for maximum culinary indulgence, will once again take place in a 60,000 square-foot tent on both Saturday, April 2, 2016 and Sunday, April 3, 2016 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. With over 300 wines from world-renowned producers to a “who’s who” list of 30 top celebrity chefs offering exclusive tastes of their best dishes, this is your chance to mingle, mix and sip with the very best in the world.
Tickets for the 9th Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine are available now and prices range from $100 to $4,750 for a VIP, all-inclusive four-day pass including Lexus transportation and access to exclusive private parties and events throughout the weekend.