LOWER LAKE — A warm, breezy Saturday afternoon greeted attendees of the Cattails and Tules wine and food pairing festival, held jointly at Vigilance Winery and Vineyards and Gregory Graham Wines.
The event was a venture between the two wineries and owners Gregory Graham and Clay Shannon. Shannon said the event was a fundraiser for Konocti Regional Trails and the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association.
“The two of us put our heads together and said, ?Hey, let”s do a wine and food pairing festival. They have them all over the place. And let”s see if we can get a large group of folks together to create a fundraising event for two great organizations,”” Shannon said.
The event provided an opportunity to show off the creations of the many chefs and caterers in Lake County, according to Shannon.
“Lake County is pretty spread out,” he said. “A lot of folks don”t know these restaurants are there.”
Graham said the turnout was greater than expected. “We had to turn away some people,” he said.
Graham said 300 tickets were purchased in advance and food vendors prepared food for that many people.
Graham said a highlight of the festival was being able to walk the trail between the two wineries to partake in both parts of the event.
“We call it the Wine Valley Terroir Trail,” he said. “(People) love it. They can”t go any place else that I know of in California and go out and traverse the vineyards.”
Ten Lake County chefs competed and were judged by a panel of Napa Valley veterans: Ken Frank, executive chef and owner of La Toque Restaurant in Napa; Traci Dutton, beverage manager and sommelier at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena; and Greg Cole, executive chef and owner of both Cole”s Chophouse and Celadon in Napa.
The judges awarded five prizes.
Nicholas Heidemann, of Chef Nicholas Catering, won Best of Show for his pairing of lamb empanadas with juniper port onion marmalade and a Gregory Graham Syrah.
Ben Davison, of Lakeport”s Park Place Restaurant, won the People”s Choice Award for his pairing of Shannon Ridge lamb meatballs and a Shannon Ridge zinfandel.
Ian Anderson, of the Manzanita Restaurant at Middletown”s Twin Pine Casino, won Best Presentation for his pairing of Six Sigma beef and mushroom crostini with a Gregory Graham Cinder Cone.
Julie Hoskins, of Hidden Valley Lake”s Chic le Chef, won Most Creative Pairing for her pairing of Thai shrimp bruschetta with a Shannon Ridge Viognier.
Jeremy Zabel, of Kelseyville”s The Saw Shop Gallery Bistro, won Best Use of Local Products for his pairing of roasted beet and goat cheese bruschetta with a Vigilance Cimarron.
Graham and Shannon said the event was successful, and they are planning on having it return next year.
Kevin N. Hume can be reached at kevin.n.hume@gmail.com or call directly 263-5636 ext. 14.
