Broken Earth winery wins award at Winemakers Cookoff
The winning team of Broken Earth winery got the top award in the amateur chef category.
Photos by Mira Advani Honeycutt
Over 1300 foodies attend 18th annual fundraiser
—The annual Winemakers’ Cookoff kicked up smoke and tantalizing barbecue aromas on Saturday evening at the Paso Robles Event Center. The popular fundraiser staged by the Paso Robles Rotary Club is a mecca for foodies and wine aficionados who look forward to this annual ritual.
27 wineries and three breweries teamed up with professional and amateur chefs in the cookoff with several contenders walking away with multiple awards.
“We are expecting more than 1,300 people,” said Paso Robles Rotary Club president Tony Wallace at the start of the event.
The popular Barrel House Brewing nabbed the top prize in People’s Choice Award
Amidst a plethora of ribs, tri-tips, roast beef and pork bellies, it was refreshing to sample a selection of seafood this year paired with chilled white and rose wines, a welcome relief on a triple-digit hot day.
In the amateur chefs category, the judges awarded Broken Earth the top prize for chef Kirk Sowell’s Viva El Cubano. The classic sandwich served on authentic Cuban bread was layered with Serrano ham, roast pork Swiss cheese and slathered in yellow mustard. The second prize was picked up by Barrel House Brewing for chef Matthew Jacobs’ seared scallop shooter in a chilled Dashi consommé followed by On Your Left Wine’s Hole Mole in third place.
Diablo Paso, wInner in the professional chef category, Mistura restaurant’s chef Nicola Alegretta and winemaker Enrique Torres, Diablo Paso’s owner/winemaker
In the professional chefs category, Diablo Paso winery’s collaboration with chef Nicola Allegretta of Mistura restaurant earned them the top award for grilled Spanish octopus served with quinoa and green aji sauce. The team also picked up an honorable mention in the People’s Choice award for the creative dish.
Slices of chocolate salami, a traditional Tuscan dessert created by chef Mari Lenci of Villa San Juliette picked up the second prize followed by Sextant Wines smoked sable fish taco prepared by Chris Battle of Moro Bay Fishing Company.
In the Spirit category, First Crush Cellars nabbed the top prize for chef Charles Paladin’s barbecued salmon bahn mi sandwich, trailed by Derby Wine Estates’ candied bacon-crusted smoked jalapeno pepper. The third prize was awarded to Broken Earth with honorable mention going to Clavo Cellars for Neil Roberts’ birdie drumstick.
However, it was the “no rules, no holds barred” People’s Choice award that created a buzz this year with winery/chef stations offering a range of bribes to get those ballots from the attendees who were given ballots to vote for their favorite chef. In addition to a wide selection of wines, participants offered such temptations as exotic and specialty drinks from Mojitos to Sangrias. Calcareous offered a hefty slice of cheesecake or a taste of their $100 Cab for that ballot and Barrel House Brewing offered a Leo Leo gelato and beer float for four ballots.
Derby Wine Estate won a second place both in People’s Choice and Spirit awards
It was clear from the crowded Barrel House Brewing booth that people were eager to chase down a cool scallop shooter with a chilled beer and ready to cast their ballots for the top award. The popularity landed the brewing company the People’s Choice top prize. Derby came in second trailed by Still Waters Vineyards for chef Gregg Wangard’s short rib slider accompanied by delicious rosemary chips.
This year’s five-member panel of judges was all set to put their palates to work tasting their way through 27 dishes. Do they get palate fatigue? “Not at all,” concurred cookbook author Brigit Binns and journalist Robert Whitley. They were joined by fellow judges Sara Schneider, wine editor for Sunset magazine; wine journalist Mike Cervin; and Wiliam Bloxsom-Carter, chef/owner of The Canyon Villa in Paso Robles.
The event has grown in popularity and drawing out of the area attendees, noted Wallace. “Last year our net proceed from the event was $54,000,” he said. “This year we are hoping to go over $70,000 as this year ticket sales were better.” Funds raised at the cookoff benefit college scholarships for local high school seniors.
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