Charlie Palmer’s Seventh Annual Celebration of Pigs & Pinot

Chef Charlie Palmer will take over Sonoma Wine Country with top food and wine talent by his side for the Seventh Annual Pigs & Pinot Weekend (www.pigsandpinot.com).

This charitable celebration has become a coveted event amongst pork and wine enthusiasts who are eager to experience the creations of over 60 wineries and 10 chefs who showcase their talents each year.

This year’s participating pork authorities include:

• Guy Fieri, Restaurateur, Television Personality: NBC and Food Network, Best-selling Author
• Michael Mina, Owner/Chef, MICHAEL MINA San Francisco and Las Vegas
• Casey Thompson, Top Chef Season 3 Finalist 
• Michael White, Owner/Chef, Marea, Osteria Morini and Ai Fiori in New York City

And, to guide us on an illuminating red wine experience, featured pinot pros include:

• Bob Cabral, Williams Selyem
• Janie Brooks Heuck, Brooks
• Steve Kanzler, Kanzler Vineyards
• Aurélien Verdet, Domaine Aurélien Verdet

The 2012 Pigs & Pinot event presents a stimulating line-up of food & wine seminars, tastings and cook-offs, all of which will benefit Share Our Strength® and Here for Them’s “Russ’s Kitchen” project.

“Each year, we continue to be amazed with the overwhelming support of both our professionals and guests who eagerly travel from near and far to be a part of this event,” shares Chef Charlie Palmer.

“The fact that we are able to carry on this fun tradition while raising significant resources for deserving charities is a true accomplishment.”

THE 2012 PIGS & PINOT WEEKEND LINE-UP

Friday, March 23rd

Taste of Pigs & Pinot: 6:30-9 pm 
Friday evening’s kickoff event is the interactive Taste of Pigs & Pinot where guests sample 60 highly-acclaimed Pinot Noir wines competing in the Pinot Cup competition. These hand-picked wines, hailing from California and beyond, face a distinguished judging panel in a blind tasting and the winner and runner-up of the prestigious Pinot Cup will be revealed at the end of the night.

Tastings are served alongside a variety of pork dishes, including homemade sausages, charcuterie, grilled pork, pates and other special creations from Chef Palmer and Chef de Cuisine Dustin Valette, guest chefs and local Healdsburg restaurants.

Saturday, March 24th

Tournament of the Pig: 10:30 am-12:30 pm
Pigs & Pinot guest chefs will be divided into two talent-packed teams. This Iron Chef-style competition will be hosted by Charlie Palmer and Guy Fieri, so be prepared for some lively commentary! The two teams will be given a whole pig, which they will use to create two distinct dishes, along with ingredients they can find at Dry Creek Kitchen. The winning team will be determined by a pork-loving judging panel. And yes, the audience gets to taste, too.

Ultimate Pinot Smack Down; 1:00pm-3:00pm
Join Master Sommeliers Keith Goldston, Fred Dame, Drew Hendricks, and Aureole Las Vegas Wine Director William Sherer for this exciting March Madness-inspired wine seminar. Each Master Sommelier enters the room with his personal selection of four Pinot Noirs from around the world and proceeds to “sell” his favorites in this lively head-to-head pitch contest, which includes blind tastings where the audience picks the winner.

Pigs & Pinot Gala: 7 pm 
Saturday evening’s Pigs & Pinot Gala features a sumptuous five-course dinner at Hotel Healdsburg’s Dry Creek Kitchen.  As a collaborative offering, each course features a signature creation from Palmer and his guest chefs including: Michael Mina of MICHAEL MINA, Casey Thompson from Bravo’s Top Chef, Michael White of Marea and Philippe Rispoli of Boulangerie Bistro. Every course will be paired with two limited-production Pinot Noirs from highly acclaimed wineries including Williams Selyem, Brooks and Aurélien Verdet.

New! Spoonbar’s “Eat 100” Pigs & Pinot Wine Dinner: 7pm at h2hotel 
An exclusive four-course “Eat 100” themed dinner on Saturday evening at h2hotel's . This special dinner will begin with a welcome artisan cocktail from h2’s master mixologist Scott Beattie followed by a celebratory pork and Pinot Noir wine dinner created by Spoonbar’s Chef Rudy Mihal and accompanied by wines from two premier Sonoma County Pinot Noir producers: Cartograph and Emeritus. Guests will indulge in a truly local experience in which all the ingredients are sourced from within 100 miles of Healdsburg including, of course, a locally raised pig (Berkshire) as the centerpiece.

Pigs & Pinot Late Night is a late evening celebration following the Gala and “Eat 100” events with after-dinner drinks and dessert in the Hotel Healdsburg lobby.  All Pigs & Pinot celebrants are welcome to attend.

Due to the wonderful attention and support from our fellow pork and pinot lovers, tickets to this event quickly sell-out. Those interested in attending the event should frequently visit www.PigsandPinot.com for ticket sales dates, updates and new offerings.