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The 28th Annual Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival at Northstar California Resort will pair savory adventures with the finest in regional food and wine delicacies. Foodies are invited to enjoy three full days of cooking seminars and demonstrations, culinary competitions, wine tastings, food-themed excursions and more September 6-8, 2013 in the Village at Northstar.
 
Fan favorite events continue to take the main stage including the Gourmet Marketplace Vendor Fair, Village Wine and Brew Walk, Blazing Pans Mountain Chef Cook Off and the Charbay Annual Release Party.  Other additions include the Goose Island Craft Beer and Artisan Cheese Pairing, Live Concert with Joe Craven, cooking demonstrations with TV Chef Nathan Lyon, and a raw foods seminar with Raw Chef Steph. 
 
“Northstar’s beautiful outdoor playground is the ideal setting for a weekend of food and wine,” said Northstar Senior Events Manager Amber Whitman.  “This festival is a distinctive way to combine a passion for the outdoors with a love of the culinary arts, through unparalleled tasting opportunities.”
 
Seminars and cooking demonstrations begin Friday and run through the weekend.
 
Friday

• Bike to the Beach Bash & BBQ
  Intermediate mountain bike riders are invited to gear up for a guided downhill adventure from the top of Northstar’s chairlifts to Waterman’s Landing in Carnelian Bay.  Paddleboards and kayaks will be available at a twilight beachside barbecue. A complimentary shuttle will transport participants back to Northstar.
• Farm-to-Tahoe Dinner Presented by Mountain Bounty Farms
  Featuring fresh, sustainable and locally-sourced produce, Chef Steve Anderson will prepare a dinner under the stars.

Saturday

• Raw Foods Seminar with Raw Chef Steph
  Raw Chef Steph highlights the benefits of a raw diet, provides an introduction to raw food programs and chats about tips and tricks to get started.  Find creative, satiating ways to add veggies and superfoods to your diet in this hour-long seminar.
• Gourmet Marketplace Vendor Fair

Guests will sample some of the finest local and regional gourmet goodies at our open-air marketplace in the Village. Vendors display the best kitchen gadgets, fine linens and clothing, exquisite handmade jewelry, fine art, photography, spa products and much more.

• Cupcake Decorating

Anne Archery of Batch Cupcakery presents this  hands-on, kid-friendly cupcake decorating seminar where participants will learn some fun decorating tips and tricks.

• Take a Hike! Trailside Tasting

This trailside tasting and guided hike through the Tahoe National Forest will explore the native flora and fauna with a local wilderness guide, passing through several tasting stations along the route stocked with craft beer and light snacks.

• Cooking Demonstration – Chef Jason Gronlund

Chef Jason returns for one of the festival’s most highly-anticipated events. An accomplished grill master who believes pork should be slow-smoked and pulled often, Jason makes one thing clear: marinating is not to be taken lightly. His contagiously high energy is a fan-favorite.

• Pride Mountain Vineyards - Petra Restaurant Winery Luncheon
  Petra Owner and Wine Connoisseur Kali Kopley and Stuart Bryan of Pride Mountain Vineyards will host a delicious multicourse luncheon and award winning wines.
• Village Wine and Brew Walk
  A place for guests to leisurely taste, shop and visit with friends at this casual afternoon soiree. Wines to taste from Napa, Sonoma, El Dorado, Lodi, Suisun Valley, the Foothills, Nevada City, Central Coast and beyond will be sampled. Beer aficionados can look forward to fresh, cold craft beers from Stella, Goose Island, Spatan and more.
• Kidz Zone
  Games, face painting, balloon sculptures and a play area are located on the Overlook Deck for younger guests. Ticketed activities including bungee jumping, the STRIDER Adventure Zone, and more.  Games, face painting, balloon sculptures and a play area are located on the Overlook Deck alongside bungee jumping and the STRIDER Adventure Zone for younger guests. 
• Goose Island Craft Beer and Artisan Cheese Pairing
  Nyna Weatherson, co-owner of the wildly successful Trokay Café in Downtown Truckee, makes her debut at the Festival. Nyna is a recognized cheese expert and former head cheese monger at the renowned Murray’s Cheese in New York City. Nyna will team up with a Goose Island Beer brand ambassador for a series of craft beer and cheese pairings featuring Goose Island IPA, Honkers, Urban Wheat, Matilda Belgian Pale and a seasonal brew. 
• Hands on Cooking – Cheesemaking
  To continue our love affair with all things cheese, Chef Lara Ritchie will teach guests how to make fresh Mozzarella cheese. The class is appropriate for children as young as 9-years-old. 
• Mixology at the Chocolate Bar ~ Village at Northstar
  Chocolate Bar’s mixologist host an interactive seminar on how to balance sangria and how to perfect Chocolate Bar signature martinis.
• Cooking Demonstration - Chef Nathan Lyon
  TV Chef Nathan Lyon, recently nominated for an Emmy as an Outstanding Culinary Host for his show, “Good Food America,” chef and co-host on “Growing A Greener World,” will prepare one dish to say farewell to summer and another to welcome the start of fall, both from his seasonally-designed cookbook. 
• Pedals and Pinots
  A new and heart-healthy addition to this year’s schedule 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 Wine Bar. The tour backtracks to the beautiful Truckee River Winery for its final stop to include light appetizers, bocce ball and outdoor reprieve. Shuttle rides will transport participants back to Northstar for the evening’s festivities.
• Blazing Pans Mountain Chef Cook Off
  Blazing Pans 2012 Champion Elsa Corrigan, Chef and Owner of Mamasake in The Village at Squaw faces off with the talented and wildly popular Chef Mark Estee, chef and owner of Campo Restaurant in Reno. Each will prepare four courses of restaurant-quality dishes in the hour-long battle featuring a secret ingredient revealed at the very last second. Last year, Elsa took the crown using crawfish from Lake Tahoe. The event features a classic handcrafted Charbay Cocktail shaken by Marko Karakasevic, 13th generation Master Distiller from Charbay Artisan Winery & Distillery, St. Helena, Calif. This must-see signature event will be emceed by our special guest, Chef Nathan Lyon.
• Charbay Annual Release Party & Joe Craven Concert
  Guests will celebrate with Charbay Artisan Winery & Distiller for the release of Whiskey S cocktails paired with appetizers prepared by Chef Jason Gronlund. Charbay Owner Marko Karakasevic will gift every guest with a bottle of his signature whiskey to take home. Charbay  Whiskey S is distilled from bottle-ready Big Bear Black Stout beer from Bear Republic Brewery in Northern California.  Big Bear Black Stout boasts a bold, roasty, caramel malt flavor is balanced by Centennial and Cascade hops.  Chef Jason is an expert at whiskey pairing and preparing amazing dishes to highlight the characteristics of the blend. 
• Live Concert with Joe Craven
  Joe is noted for his uncanny ability to play almost any instrument from drums, violin, mandolin, banjo, guitar, and a series of unique homemade instruments including his “canjo.” An accomplished vocalist as well, Joe masterfully weaves folk, rock, roots, Cajun, bluegrass, Americana, jazz and classical into a tapestry of incredible sounds.  This intimate setting is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and tickets are high-in-demand.

Sunday

• Culinary Competition and Grand Tasting
  The most anticipated food, wine, spirits and brew event of the year will transpire Sunday afternoon, 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. Each chef’s dish is paired with a varietal and vintage from the winery of their choice. It’s a culinary throw-down and the chefs compete for the Best Marriage of Food and Wine/Beverage and Best Food titles. The offerings are judged by a panel of food and wine industry experts, then the pairings are opened for ticketholders to enjoy. The Gourmet Marketplace continues in full swing, presenting additional wineries to pour their finest varietals and vintages. In 2012, more than 90 wines were poured at this event. Great weather, spectacular food and fine wines, craft beers, artisan spirits and live music with good friends during a silent auction - all in the mountain setting of Lake Tahoe in the Village at Northstar.

 For additional details on the Autumn Food and Wine Festival, visit NorthstarCalifornia.com.  A complete list of events is available at TahoeFoodandWine.com.