Local chefs and wineries compete at 20th annual Pinot and Paella Festival
Proceeds from the event benefited the Paso Robles Youth Arts Center
– More than 500 people attended the 20th Annual Pinot and Paella Festival at Templeton Community Park on June 1. Nine chefs competed with original paella recipes paired with 24 Paso Robles Pinot Noir producers. Music played throughout the park with live performances by the Cimo Brothers.
Marc Goldberg and Maggie D’Ambrosia, original founders of the event, attended the festival. New features this year included a watercolor bar sponsored by Paso Robles Youth Arts, an original dessert paella featuring Leo! Leo! Gelato, and a live broadcast by What’s Up North County.
Chef Jeff Wiesinger of Jeffry’s Wine Country BBQ won the People’s Choice Award, while Chef Trish Jacobs of Paso Catering Co. won the Top Paella Prize as selected by judges.
“This was the first year with Paso Robles Youth Arts organizing the event, and it turned out amazing,” said Barby Wunsch, executive director of Paso Robles Youth Arts Center. “We raised $40,000 of essential funding to forward our mission of enriching lives through the arts. We are so grateful to this incredible community, amazing volunteers, talented chefs and top-notch wineries for their contributions to make this event such an ongoing success. We can’t wait for next year.”
Proceeds from the event benefited the Paso Robles Youth Arts Center. The center, founded by artist and philanthropist Donna Berg, offers free after-school visual and performing arts classes to youth ages 5 to 18. It aims to provide a safe space for children to explore the arts, regardless of socioeconomic status, and has served more than 11,000 students.
The Paso Robles Youth Arts Center offers weekly classes in art, dance, music, theatre, and creative enrichment, including culinary arts. The organization is funded through community donations and supports local youth in engaging in creative activities. More information is available at pryoutharts.org.
