Wineries and chefs compete in new Wine Fest ‘Paired Paso’ event
Ten winery and chef teams compete for top pairing honors
– Ten wineries and their chef partners will compete in the first-ever Paired Paso, a food and wine pairing event taking place Friday, May 16, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. as part of the annual Paso Wine Fest weekend.
The event will feature culinary teams creating food and wine pairings to compete for the title of Paired Paso Champion. Wineries will partner with chefs, including local talent and culinary professionals from across the country. Attendees will taste each pairing, meet the winemakers and chefs, and cast votes for a people’s choice award.
“Paired Paso is a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and the exceptional wines of Paso Robles,” said Joel Peterson, executive director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. “We’re always looking for new ways to raise the bar, and this event brings together bold pairings and big personalities for a fresh, flavorful experience that’s all about the joy of Paso wine.”
Participating winery and chef teams include:
– My Favorite Neighbor with Chef Gregg Wangard of Kelleco
– Cairjn Wine Cellars with Chef Candice Custodio
– Hoyt Family Vineyards with Chef Dominque Benavidez of Agridulce
– Jacob Toft with Chef Justin Monson of Oak & Vine at Templeton
– Justin Vineyards & Winery with The Restaurant at Justin
– Le Cuvier Winery with the culinary team at Le Cuvier
– Maha Estate and Villa Creek Cellars with Chef Brian Reimer
– ONX Wines with Chef Amy Baer of Epicurean Santa Barbara
– Peachy Canyon Winery with Chef Jeffry Weisinger of Jeffry’s Wine Country BBQ
– Thacher Winery with Bar Becky
General admission tickets for Paired Paso are $175. A limited number of combo tickets are available for $375, which include access to Paired Paso and a VIP early entry pass to the Paso Wine Fest Grand Tasting on Saturday, May 17. The VIP ticket includes one-hour early entry, a welcome wine reception, and a dedicated lounge. Tickets are available at www.pasowine.com/consumer_events/paired-paso/.
The Paso Wine Fest weekend begins with three Winemaker Dinners on Thursday, May 15, at 6:30 p.m. Dinners will be held at The Hatch Paso Robles, Thomas Hill Organics, and Region SLO. Guests will dine with winemakers and taste wines paired with locally sourced cuisine.
The Paso Wine Fest Grand Tasting takes place Saturday, May 17, from 12 to 4:30 p.m. at the Paso Robles Event Center. The event will feature more than 120 wineries, chefs, artisan vendors, craft distillers, and winery exhibits.
The weekend concludes with Sparkling Paso on Sunday, May 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Paris Valley Road Estate Winery. Participating wineries will pour limited-production sparkling wines paired with hors d’oeuvres. Wineries include Bushong Vintage Company, Hoyt Family Vineyards, Jack Creek Cellars, Paris Valley Road Estate Winery, Sextant Wines, Tank Garage Winery, Thacher Winery, and Villa San Juliette.
The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, the official trade and marketing organization for the Paso Robles American Viticultural Area, represents wineries, growers, and related businesses. For more information, visit pasowine.com.
