A Sensational Season of Wine Country Events
A Sensational Season of Wine Country Events |
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Press ReleaseNAPA VALLEY MUSTARD FESTIVAL 2003
NEWS Introduction Napa Valley, CA ~ Visit Napa Valley during the months of February and March 2003 and experience the Napa Valley Mustard Festival's tenth annual season of sensational events, February 1 through March 29. This two-month showcase of food, wine, and art celebrates the rich, unique agricultural and cultural bounty of Napa Valley. Fields, vineyards and hillsides vibrant with wild mustard in bloom provide a breathtaking backdrop.
Indulge in a full palette of food, wine, art, entertainment and cultural activities staged throughout the world famous grape-growing region where mustard, the condiment, shares center stage with mustard in bloom. The spicy condiment will appear at events and in mustard menus and recipes, from entrées to desserts.
To plan your Mustard Festival excursions, visit the website at mustardfestival.org for lodging recommendations, mustard season hotel packages for the preferred Visa(r) traveler, and limousine companies. Gather groups of friends for some of the best parties on earth or plan romantic escapes for two. Each of the events on the Mustard Season calendar provide an exquisite adventure through this hospitable land of food and wine. MUSTARD FESTIVAL EVENTS Mustard Magic ~ Mascarade! ~ the Grand Opening Event Indulge in fantasy at Mustard Magic, the opulent grand opening event, on Saturday, February 1, at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena. Host Chef Cindy Pawlcyn of Mustards and Miramonte, Host Winemaker Rob Hunter of Sterling Vineyards, and Host Art Ambassador Ira Wolk of I Wolk Gallery and I Wolk Sculpture Gallery at Auberge du Soleil will be among those present to greet guests. The event's traditional French theme will prevail - with a new twist: Mascarade! Don a mask, wear a costume, and become a part of the cast! This event magnifique is considered by many to be Napa Valley's most creative, extravagant gathering of the year. A life-size reenactment of world-famous artist Guy Buffet's third annual Napa Valley Mustard Festival original painting - Coucher de Soleil sur les Champs de Moutarde (Sunset on the Mustard Field ) will greet you upon arrival. The Culinary Institute of America's three-story atrium, magnificent barrel room, inspired teaching kitchens and intimate museum, all housed in the magnificent stone building that was once home to Christian Brothers Winery, set the stage for paintings by masters brought to life. As you stroll through art filled candlelit spaces, sumptuous offerings of food and wine presented by Napa Valley chefs and winemakers will entice you at every turn. Enter the Barrel Room, transformed into le Moulin Rouge, where the bawdy and bold perform the can-can, and you too may wish to dance the night away. Step across Monet's famed green bridge as ballerinas unfold like water lilies to dance on the mezzanine. On the first floor, take a seat in Van Gogh's Café Terrace at Night where entertainers invite you to enjoy their antics. Just around the corner, enjoy traditional French music and cabaret seating, where Renoir's Luncheon of the Boating Party takes the stage. Savor marvelous morsels throughout the event, but don't overdo: Culinary Institute of America chefs will present gourmet fare in the famed teaching kitchen on the third floor. Just across the landing and around the staircase where trapeze artists perform in mid-air, you'll discover the most fantastic scene of all: The soirée's Live and Silent Auctions. This 'event within the event' attracts bidders who compete to win exotic trips, unusual wine country adventures and getaways, winemaker dinners, wine lots, art and more. Become an auction goer - first come first served for tables centered in front of the stage - where you will be entertained and served the finest wines in the house as you raise your paddle to win the bid. This is also a chance to place your silent bid on Guy Buffet's original 2003 Napa Valley Mustard Festival painting. Admission to Mustard Magic is $85 per person before January 6, $100 per person by January 30, and $125 at the door.
A Weekend With Guy Buffet Meet Monsieur Buffet during his third and final year as the Napa Valley Mustard Festival's official artist during a special weekend to be held in his honor, February 21 through February 23. Grand Dîner avec Guy Buffet à Domaine Chandon This celebratory weekend kicks off with Grand Dîner avec Guy Buffet à Domaine Chandon on Friday, February 21 at 6 p.m. An extravagant, multi-course, sit down dinner presented by the region's premier chefs and winemakers including 2003 Host Chef Cindy Pawlcyn of Mustards, 2003 Host Winemaker Rob Hunter of Sterling Vineyards, 2002 Host Chef Bob Hurley of Hurley's, 2001 Host Chef Peter Pahk of Silverado, Napa Valley Wine Train Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald and Domaine Chandon Executive Chef Eric Torralba. The Domaine Chandon extravaganza will include a reception featuring Domaine Chandon's elegant sparkling wines, music and a Napa Valley Mustard Festival 10th Anniversary Silent Auction of Napa Valley Vintages. This event for lovers of fine foods and wines is limited to 150 people and is offered at $175 per person. Napa Valley Wine Train On Saturday, February 22, evening number two of A Weekend with Guy Buffet, dine on the Napa Valley Wine Train, a long time supporter of the Napa Valley Mustard Festival, and receive a 2003 Napa Valley Mustard Festival signed poster. Call the Napa Valley Wine Train at 800-427-4124 for reservations or visit the website at www.winetrain.com.
Mahalo! Merci! Monsieur Buffet Celebrate Monsieur Buffet's Hawaiian connection and French heritage at Mahalo! Merci! Monsieur Buffet on Sunday, February 23, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Domaine Carneros and Silverado will present this event to bid adieu to Guy Buffet at Domaine Carneros nestled within the beautiful, rolling vine-covered hills of southern Napa County's Carneros Appellation. Executive Chef Peter Pahk of Silverado is of Hawaiian heritage and shares Monsieur Buffet's love of the Hawaiian Islands, where the artist and his family maintain their second home in Maui. Chef Pahk will present an hors d'oeuvre buffet featuring savory Hawaiian specialties paired with Domaine Carneros sparkling and still wines. This reception and bon voyage soiree will feature an art exhibit that includes Monsieur Buffet's limited edition Hawaiian prints. The event is limited to 200 guests and is offered at $100 per couple or $60 per individual. The couples ticket includes one 2003 signed poster, and the individual ticket includes one 2003 signed poster.
La Dolce Vita Reserve early for La Dolce Vita ~ Sterling Vineyards Presents the Best of Napa Valley, one of the season's exciting new events, to be held at Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga on Saturday, March 8, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Take the Sterling Sky Tram to the hilltop "villa" with the best views to be found in Napa Valley. The Italian theme honors the memory of the immigrants who settled in Napa and planted vines in the valley, reminiscent of the hills of Italy. "In vino veritas" - in wine there is life! The music of Italy, seductive Italian cuisine, and renowned Sterling wines may inspire your dreams of visits to Italy's most romantic hill towns. Play "The Napa Valley Game - Buona Fortuna!" and enjoy camaraderie among fellow guests as you test your knowledge of Napa Valley history, its wine, and its very own Mustard Festival. La Dolce Vita is limited to 150 guests and is offered at $100 per person in advance, $150 at the door, provided that space is available.
The Awards Meet world champion mustard makers and taste original mustard recipes by Napa Valley chefs at The Awards - The World-Wide Mustard Competition Awards Ceremony, Chef of the Year & Rising Star Chef Mustard Recipe Competitions - on Friday, March 14, 7 p.m. at Clos Pegase in Calistoga. Dubbed Napa Valley's 'temple to wine,' Clos Pegase was named in honor of Pegasus, the winged horse of Greek mythology. Designed by renowned Princeton architect Michael Graves, this spectacular award-winning structure will open its reception rooms and elegant caves at the invitation of proprietors Jan and Mitsuko Schrem. Enjoy music along with mustard dishes and Napa Valley vintages throughout the caves. A team of sensory scientists from the University of California, along with a panel of esteemed food journalists, will judge the Mustard Recipe Competitions in a blind tasting session. When the doors are opened to the public, you will have the opportunity to vote for your favorite mustard recipe presentations and select the "People's Choice" Mustard Festival Chef of the Year. In 2002, Don Nolan of Ring's Seafood & Steakhouse at Embassy Suites won the critics choice Executive Chef Award, James Houghton, of Trinchero Family Estates won The Rising Star Chef Award, and Derek De La Paz of Napa Valley Grille won The People's Choice Award. (The World-Wide Mustard Competition final round of judging, coordinated by Barry Levenson, curator of the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, will take place in February.) Tickets are $75 per person in advance; $100 at the door. Admission is limited.
The Marketplace ~ The Signature Event Celebrate the mustard season and taste mustards from around the world at The Marketplace, the Napa Valley Mustard Festival's Signature Event, on Saturday and Sunday, March 15 and 16, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Napa Valley Exposition in Napa. Mustards and an array of gourmet products will be showcased alongside sensational wine country cuisine, world famous wines, hearty craft brews, and fine arts and crafts. The Marketplace will provide you with the opportunity to explore the best of Napa Valley during the most beautiful time of year in the wine country, when the brilliant gold of mustard in bloom carpets hillsides, valleys and vineyards. Rain or shine, this festival for connoisseurs is housed in festive white tents and in halls named for the region's grape varietals: Merlot, Riesling, Cabernet, and Chardonnay. Food, wine, and art exhibits are staged around an exquisite collection of antique carriages in buildings and tents bedecked with mustard in bloom. Highlights include fine art and exquisite crafts in Cabernet Hall and an expansive tented pavilion; celebrity chef cooking demonstrations sponsored by Viking Stove Company; four stages featuring jazz, rhythm and blues, and classical music; a Sunset Magazine pavilion, a KGO Newstalk AM 810 live remote broadcast of Dining Around with Gene Burns; and a hands-on art project for children sponsored by the Arts Council of Napa Valley. If the sun is shining, you're in for a brilliant experience; if it rains, one of the coziest weekends of the year. General admission is $10 per adult; or $25, which includes a $20 per person tasting package; $2 for children 12 and under. Tickets will be available at the gate, in advance by mail, and on line at www.mustardfestival.org. Park and shuttle free from downtown Napa to the event.
Smothers European Mercedes-Benz Golf Benefit Play golf on the world famous greens of Silverado in Napa at the Smothers European Mercedes-Benz Golf Benefit on Friday, March 28. Registration with continental breakfast begins at 7 a.m. Shotgun start begins at 8 a.m. The two person better ball tournament, with gross and net divisions, has a fee of $175 per player. Tee-Sign sponsorships are available for $500, which includes play for two and lunch. Net division players must have an established handicap. The fee includes eighteen holes of golf with cart, continental breakfast, luncheon, and awards presentation.
The Mumm Cuvée Napa Photo Finish View the season's beauty captured by photographers from far and wide at The Mumm Cuvée Napa Photo Finish, the inevitably "sold out" and wildly exuberant Napa Valley Mustard Festival grand finale event, to be held at Mumm Cuvée Napa in Rutherford on Saturday, March 29 at 7 p.m. Sample delectable offerings of hors d'oeuvres, desserts, and wine. Enjoy jazz and classical music throughout the winery and gather in the gallery to compare and contrast, compliment, and thoroughly enjoy the multitude of entries in the ever-popular photography contest. Photographs elicit smiles, peals of laughter, a few groans, and in general, a great deal of admiration. Take home a framed photograph to keep glorious visions of brilliant green and gold alive until Mustard Season 2004. Revel in the party until the last dance, held under the tent adjacent to the winery tasting room. The Mumm Cuvée Napa Photo Finish is a night of awards and prize giveaways, a truly glittering wrap-up for Napa Valley's golden season. One extremely fortunate Mustard Festival supporter will win the Voyage Extraordinaire - Trip to France Drawing featuring two American Airlines round-trip Business Class tickets to Paris with deluxe overnight stays. Tickets are $65 per person in advance; $75 per person at the door.
For further information about Napa Valley Mustard Festival events call 707.259.9020, visit the Festival website at www.mustardfestival.org, e-mail info@mustardfestival.org, or call Summers-McCann, Inc., Public Relations, event producer, at 707.938.1133. MUSTARD SEASON ART, MUSIC, TASTING AND COMMUNITY EVENTS A Weekend of Fine Art - On Saturday and Sunday February 8 and 9 galleries throughout the Napa Valley will host special receptions and exhibits during A Weekend of Fine Art. For most there is no charge to attend. This is a chance to meet the artists and add to your collection of fine art. For more information call the Napa Valley Museum at 707.944.0500. Napa Valley Mustard Festival Art Competition Exhibit - During A Weekend of Fine Art be sure to visit Kirkland Ranch Winery. The winery will host a wine and hors d'oeuvre reception for competing artists and the public on Sunday, February 9, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Napa Valley Mustard Festival exhibit will run from February 4 through April 11. For more information call 707.254.9100. Savor St. Helena - Reserve a room for two and visit St. Helena on Saturday, February 15, for Savor St. Helena from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meander through shops laden with art, furnishings, antiques, clothing, and more as you indulge in the classics. Enjoy memorable music, delicious cuisine, and superb wines staged beneath an enormous canopy in downtown St. Helena. Tasting tickets and wine glasses will be available for purchase. For more information call the St. Helena Chamber of Commerce at 707.963.4456 or visit the website at www.StHelena.com. Cravings Creations - Taste an array of mustards and gourmet products at Cravings Creations at Vintage 1870 in Yountville on Saturday, February 22, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This popular annual event is a great place to launch a wonderful weekend of romantic Napa Valley adventures. For more information call Cravings (Vintage 1870's gourmet marketplace) at 707.944.8100. The Yountville Epicurean Affair - Yountville is the per-capita-gourmet-capital-of America. Enjoy a full day of epicurean delights, a rare opportunity to learn tips on cooking directly from master Chefs. Also find out about the various components in different wine varietals from the valley's expert winemakers, discover new ways to entertain, enjoy a stroll through the enchanting hamlet of Yountville and share a delicious and creative dinner with live music, prepared by the featured Master Chef and complemented by local premium wines. Dates are: * Monday, February 24, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. - Executive Chef, Jeff Cerciello from Bouchon and Anthony Bell from Bell Wine Cellars. $250 per person. * Monday, March 24, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. - Chef, Mari Jennings, and Owner, Sally Gordon from Gordon's Café & Wine Bar and Winemaker, Timothy Milos from S. Anderson Winery. $225 per person. For information call 707.944.9429 or email YEpicureanAffair@aol.com Dean & DeLuca Mustard Festival Tasting of Gold Medal Winners - Taste Gold Medal winning mustards from around the world on Saturday, March 1 at Dean & DeLuca in St. Helena. Peruse the wine country's finest selection of gourmet foods and California wines, housewares, culinary gadgets, and much more at the St. Helena store. For more information call 707.967.9980 or visit the website at www.dean-deluca.com. Mustard & Music on Main Street ~ HAS BEEN CANCELLED. (Update February 27, 2003) Calistoga Jazz Festival ~ Mustard, Music & Mud Visit the quaint town of Calistoga on Saturday, March 8th for the Calistoga Jazz Festival. Enjoy jazz from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in a variety of venues as you stroll through galleries and shops and dine at local pubs and restaurants. Take time to slip into a mudbath at one of Calistoga's world famous spas. For more information call the Calistoga Chamber of Commerce at 707.942.6333. A Taste of Yountville - If you're in the gourmet "know," you've most likely heard of Yountville - the tiny wine country hamlet filled with and surrounded by famous chefs and winemakers. With more gourmet restaurants and premium wineries than any other town of comparable size, Yountville will flaunt its "gourmet roots" on Saturday, March 22, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. A Taste of Yountville, an all Yountville showcase, will feature traditional samplings of gourmet restaurant fare, olive oils, vinegars and mustards, fine wines and micro-brews. Tasting tickets will be sold on site. Live entertainment will filter throughout Yountville's downtown area. For more information call the Yountville Chamber of Commerce at 707.944.0904. Blessing of the Balloons - Join Native American spiritual figure Rolando Solis on Sunday, March 23, at 6:45 a.m. for Blessing of the Balloons as he blesses the balloon fleet at Domaine Chandon in Yountville. In case of rain the event will be held March 30. Don't miss this exuberant and colorful tenth annual launch. A great photo opportunity for next year's annual Napa Valley Mustard Festival Photography Contest in the year 2004. For more information call 707.944.8793. Napa Valley Wine Train Mustard Season Events Sweetheart Serenade • February 14, 15, 16 For more information call 800.427.4124 or visit www.winetrain.com. NAPA VALLEY MUSTARD FESTIVAL COMPETITIONS & EXHIBITS World-Wide Mustard Competition - The Napa Valley Mustard Festival presents the seventh annual World-Wide Mustard Competition in 2003. The deadline for entry is January 24, 2003. There are fifteen categories from Sweet-Hot to Classic Dijon. The competition is overseen by Barry Levenson, curator of the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. Winners will be notified in February. Awards will be presented at The Awards to be held at Clos Pegase Winery in Calistoga, California, at The Awards on March 14, at 7 p.m. In 2002, 298 mustards from eight countries entered the competition. Norman Bishop's Dill & Garlic Mustard was pronounced the 2002 Grand Champion.
Visual Art Competition, Auction & Exhibit - Artists from throughout Northern California's wine country, the San Francisco Bay Area, and across the nation are invited to enter traditional, contemporary, impressionist, and abstract flat and three dimensional works of art in the tenth annual Napa Valley Mustard Festival Visual Art Competition. The deadline for entry is Saturday, January 18, 2003. Prize money totaling $3,500 will be awarded. Entries juried into the show will be exhibited and offered for silent auction at Mustard Magic ~ Mascarade!, the Napa Valley Mustard Festival's grand opening event at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone on Saturday, February 1, at 7 p.m. The Art Competition exhibit will then be presented at Kirkland Ranch Winery through April 11. An artist's reception will be held at the winery on February 9, from 3 - 5 p.m.
Photography Contest & Exhibit - The Napa Valley Mustard Festival Photography Contest, now in its tenth year, has been one of the most successful elements of the Napa Valley Mustard Festival since its inception. Professional and amateur photographers enter more than 300 photographs of Napa Valley's glorious scenes of mustard in bloom each year. Winning entries have appeared in hundreds of publications throughout the nation, promoting the brilliance and beauty of Napa Valley's mustard season. Prize money totaling $5,250 is awarded annually. The deadline for entry is Saturday, March 22, 2003. For information, entry forms and guidelines for competitions, call Summers-McCann, Inc. Public Relations, Napa Valley Mustard Festival Producer, at 707.938.1133 or visit the Festival website at www.mustardfestival.org. NAPA VALLEY MUSTARD FESTIVAL PURPOSE AND SPONSORSHIP The 10th annual Napa Valley Mustard Festival is presented by Visa U.S.A., American Airlines, KGO Newstalk AM 810, ABC 7, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Mustard Season events provide unique opportunities to experience the beauty of Napa Valley's golden season. Sample superb culinary fare and sumptuous wines; experience luxurious sojourns in historic wine country communities; and attend events from casual to black tie. The Napa Valley Mustard Festival is a non-profit community service organization. Proceeds enable the communities of Napa Valley to maintain visitor revenues throughout the year that ensure consistent employment opportunities; to encourage the development of artistic and cultural endeavors in Napa Valley; and to support the fundraising efforts of non-profit art, historical, and educational organizations.
For further information call 707.259.9020, visit the Festival website at www.mustardfestival.org, e-mail info@mustardfestival.org, or call Summers-McCann, Inc., Public Relations, event producer, at 707.938.1133. ### prepared by Summers-McCann, Inc. Public Relations P.O. Box 3603 Yountville, CA 94599 707.944.1133 info@mustardfestival.org See Also: Back to Top |
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