Six chefs. Five secret ingredients. Three dishes. Forty-five minutes. While hundreds watch. That's what's happening Friday when the Celebrity Chef Challenge by InAlliance takes place in Sacramento. Half a dozen local chefs will compete in this Iron Chef-style cook-off that raises money to help people with developmental disabilities. The nonprofit's ninth annual chef challenge will be much more spontaneous than other types of cooking contests because no one will know what the secret ingredients are until minutes before the event begins. The chefs are planning to have a good time in this friendly competition. "It's going to be fun," said Evan's Kitchen owner Evan Elsberry. "We're going to

If you didn't get your ticket early, you missed out. Raley Field was the setting for Infuze Marketing's Wine in the Park wine tasting, featuring a selection of wines from surrounding area wineries, appetizers and a seat to watch the ballgame. The sold-out event took place in the VIP tented section off the third base line before the Sacramento River Cats and the Tucson Padres started the first of a four-game series at home. Participating wineries included Sierra Knolls Vineyard & Winery, Abundance Vineyards, Lucchesi Vineyards & Winery, Watts Winery and Mount Aukum Winery. The event was sponsored by Top Speed Data Communications, Porter | Scott Attorneys and the UC Davis Health

The electric whines of drills and saws coming from the corner of 12th and K streets Wednesday indicated the opening of Tequila Museo Mayahuel is still a short way off. The sounds escaped from open doors papered in bright green with the words "Coming Soon to K Street." The restaurant and tequila bar had been expected to open by the end of 2010, and then by Feb. 1. However, the need for electrical changes and other construction delays, as well as permitting issues, have postponed the opening to March, owner Ernesto Delgado said. He hopes to imbue the 5,300-square-foot restaurant, bar and gift shop with a museum-like quality that highlights Mexico's culture through tequila. Born in the Mex

The streets flooded with winemakers, vintners, grape-growers, agricultural manufacturers and wine industry icons as over 12,200 people gathered for the Unified Wine & Grapegrowers Symposium Jan. 25 through 27. This annual event, always held at Sacramento's convention center had it all from tractors to tasting rooms. Sponsored by California Association of Wine Grape Growers this industry event, which is open to the public provides significant industry insight on what's currently happening in the wine industry. From industry insights to new packaging techniques, it was a fount of information on who the wine market will be aiming at, where wine-drinking trends are going and what kinds o

Looking at the two men, one wouldn’t notice much in common; except maybe the worn out pair of jeans each wore and the purple stains under their finger nails. But these two men share the same passion – wine. “Some kids went to preschool,” said D.J. Latcham, a 24-year-old third generation winery owner and operator at Latcham Vineyards. “I went to the tasting room. There is wine in my veins. Some zin is in there somewhere.” For Mount Aukum winemaker Michel Prod’hon, a native of a tiny French village who moved to the U.S. 31 years ago, wine was a part of growing up. “When I grew up, we didn’t wait to drink. I have been drinking wine since I was little.” His childhood memories involved pickin

The El Dorado Winery Association’s Bring Out the Barrel will take place January 29-30, 2011. It features barrel tasting from 26 wineries in the El Dorado wine country. In addition, many wineries feature entertainment, live bands and food pairings. Ticket prices are $20 in advance if purchased before January 23. Discounts are also available for designated drivers and groups. To purchase tickets and learn more, visit www.eldoradowines.org. Before visiting an El Dorado winery, a few tips from veteran wine drinkers and winemakers on how to make the most of your experience: Find a designated driver. Convince a friend or hire a car service to be your driver for the day. These wineries offer g

It was hot and steamy. The weather, that is. With the temperature soaring above 100 degrees on Wednesday, I headed over to Raley Field in West Sacramento to attend Infuze Marketing’s Wine in the Park event. Sponsored by Classic Party Rentals, Wine in the Park features a wine tasting from participating family-owned wineries an hour and a half before the Sacramento River Cats game taking place that night. Attendees were able to try some unique wines, watch the ball game and support a great cause. A portion of the proceeds from Wednesday’s event will benefit a local nonprofit, Stanford Home for Children. Stanford Home for Children’s mission is “Strengthening children and families: to drea

Great Chefs 2010 is coming this August! Great Chefs is a gourmet celebration to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Sacramento. It will be taking place on Saturday, August 21, 2010 from 6p-9p at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Capitol Plaza. For this 9th annual event, head chefs from some of the area’s finest restaurants, wineries and breweries will be pairing foods and beverages for a fun-filled, one-of-a-kind evening. In addition, the evening includes a silent auction and dancing. And the delicious desserts are not to be missed. Some of the featured restaurants will be Aioli Bodega Espanol, Bake Sense Inc., Just 4 U Catering, Event Architects, California Capitol Chefs Association, Sa

Over 25 Lodi vintners will be pouring their wines this Friday, April 16, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the 17th annual Lodi School Street Wine Stroll. Wineries will be showcasing their wines in boutiques and shops throughout the historic downtown Lodi. Stroll down School Street and enjoy live music, appetizers, chef demonstrations and of course great wines! Guests from Sacramento can ride Amtrak roundtrip - save the air ride the train! The train departs Sacramento on Friday at 4:55pm and arrives in Lodi at 5:30pm. The event takes place one block from the train station where guests are given a wine glass and map. Amtrak departs Lodi at either Friday evening at 10:39pm or Saturday morning at 11:

Sacramento wine connoisseurs will be able to savor the diversity of Paso Robles' wine country April 19-20 as part of the 2010 Grand Tasting Tour. Winemaker dinners at local restaurants are scheduled April 19. Wine tasting will be held April 20. A preview retail testing is scheduled April 16. Paso Robles is one of California's premiere wine-producing regions. Twenty-seven wineries and hospitality representatives will feature more than 150 wines during the two-day event. The tour was organized by the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. "I think coming to the capital city is very special," Executive Director Stacie Jacob said in a phone interview. "I think many people come for other business

Wine industry analyst Jon Fredrickson speaking at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium last week at the Sacramento Convention Center, said California wine shipments were down 1.6 percent. The largest disparity in sales included international exports in which 3.2 million fewer cases were shipped overseas. While Fredrickson argued that the decrease in California wine exports is due to the economy, his data and theories were being disputed only 50 miles away. The El Dorado Winery Association held its annual Bring out the Barrel event Saturday and Sunday to packed cellars and enthusiastic wine lovers. “We learned something and had great wine,” said Glenda Lumsden of Placerville, Calif. Along w

To truly understand what makes wine great, it helps if one knows how it is made. The process of creating wine involves more than just the type of grape, the soil and if it is meant for a bottle, jug or box. And although all of these variables factor into the final product, the character of a wine is determined during the aging process, while stored in barrels. Usually the public isn’t provided the opportunity to witness what makes great wine, and more importantly, to sample it before it hits the wine list at The Firehouse Restaurant or the shelf at Trader Joe’s. Not anymore.  For the third consecutive year, over 20 El Dorado County wineries will open their cellars for Bring out the Barre

Wine and eclectic beats never sounded so good. Design Within Reach, a trendy art furniture studio Downtown, came alive Wednesday evening, providing a popular hot spot for the first ever Wine and Beats event, created and hosted by Rai-Mon Nemar. Nemar, founder of LEGENDmag and budding sommelier, has a contagious passion for both wine and music. Nemar said he noticed subtle changes to the characteristics of wine while listening to albums. "I was writing an article one day reviewing an album, sipping on wine," he said. "By the time I completed the article I thought, 'All I need in life is wine and beats.' So I started comparing bottles of wine to certain albums and was amazed at some of the

In the midst of Bordeauxs, chiantis, pinot noirs and chardonnays, merlot can be underappreciated in the world of wine, or at least that's what Napa Valley filmmaker Rudy McClain would argue. On Saturday, the crimson underdog will have a shot at glory as the Revolution Wines winery and the Sacramento Institute of Fun hosts a Sacramento premiere event for the screening of McClain's new documentary, Merlove. McClain's film includes interviews with merlot makers from around the world. A complimentary dinner will be provided at Revolution Wines, including pizza from Midtown's Luigi's Slice, and local merlot labels Black Hole and Route 3 prior to the film. The screening will be held at the nea