Out of over 1,800 entries from 44 states, appetizer recipes from only eighteen individuals from around the country have been selected to make it to the next round in Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyard’s “Glorious Bites Challenge.” A leader in California sparkling wine for 30 years, Gloria Ferrer is on a mission to discover the most glorious appetizer recipe in the country that best pairs with its Sonoma Brut. The semi-finalists chosen will compete in regional cook-off events scheduled for Los Angeles, Washington (D.C.), and Austin this month to determine who will move on to Sonoma to compete in the finals for $5,000 in October. All appetizers will be judged by an expert panel in each city on originality, taste appeal and ability to pair with the Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut.
Chef Jennifer Luttrell
Tickets for the “Glorious Bites” semi-finals and final events as well as a full list of semi-finalists and their recipes are available at www.gloriousbites.com. Tickets cost $25 per person for the semi-finals and $45 for the finals and include all the cook-off excitement plus a selection of appetizers, wine, and a cooking demonstration from keynote “Glorious Bites” Judge and Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company Executive Chef Jennifer Luttrell. Semi-finals and final event details are as follows:
LOS ANGELES, CA – Friday, September 16th, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Location: The Springs, 608 Mateo Street
Semi-finalists:
- Claire Preen of Castle Rock, CO
- Merry Graham of Newhall, CA
- Laurie Figone of Petaluma, CA
- Diane Williams of Auburn, CA
- Jodi Taffel of Altadena, CA
- Suzanne Clark of Phoenix, AZ
Special Guest Judge: Chef Stuart O’Keeffe, an Irish celebrity chef, food writer and TV personality best known for his appearances on Food Network’s Private Chefs of Beverly Hills, NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s The Talk and his AOL series Kitchen Daily 101. His recent cookbook “The Quick Six Fix,” which focuses recipes that consist of 6 Ingredients, 6 Minute Prep and 6 Minute Cleanup published by Harper Collins, went to an Amazon #1 best seller in the first week.
Chef Stuart O’Keeffe
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Thursday, September 22nd, 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Union Kitchen, 1369 New York Ave NE
Semi-finalists:
- Brett Youmans of Reading, PA
- Christina Schurr of Patterson, NY
- Becky Ellis of Roanoke, VA
- Jerry Edwards of Timonium, MD
- Josee Lanzi of Newport Ritchie, FL
- Ronna Farley of Rockville, MD
Special Guest Judge: Nycci Nellis, founder and publisher of www.TheListAreYouOnIt.com (The List), referred to by the Washington Post as “one of the DC area’s premier resources for information about all things food and wine in DC and beyond” for more than 36,000 subscribers. She also co-hosts the radio show, Foodie and the Beast, DC’s only food and wine variety radio show featuring the who’s who of today’s culinary landscape. Additionally, you can hear her regularly weekly on WTOP radio (103.5 FM), among many other regular, TV guest spots and public appearances.
AUSTIN, TX – Saturday, September 24th, 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Sustainable Food Center, 2921 E. 17th Street
Semi-finalists:
- Chera Little of Leander, TX
- Leah Lyon of Ada, OK
- Davon Hatchett Robinson of Dallas, TX
- Mary Souchek of Parker, CO
- Kadija Bridgewater of Boca Raton, FL
- Mike Hulquist of Tucson, AZ
Special Guest Judge: Linda Nguyen, who has been sharing her adventures in travel and cuisine on social media and her food blog Girl Eats World since 2009. Currently she serves on the board of Austin Food Bloggers Alliance as their social chair.
SONOMA, CA – Saturday, October 15th, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, 23555 Arnold Drive
Finalists: To Be Announced!
Special Guest Judge: Sara Deseran, a longtime San Francisco-based food writer and the editor-at-large for San Francisco magazine. Her work is regularly selected for the annual Best Food Writing anthology and she’s worked as a James Beard Foundation cookbook judge. While contributing to magazines such as Saveur, Women’s Health, and C magazine, Deseran has published four cookbooks, most recently Tacolicious (Ten Speed Press). The latter is no coincidence. Today, on top of writing, she works as the Director of Marketing and Branding for Tacolicious, the growing, SF-based restaurant group she co-owns with her husband Joe Hargrave.
About Gloria Ferrer
A pioneering history and approach to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay have made Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards a leader in California sparkling wine for 30 years. Founded in 1986 in Sonoma, California, by the Ferrer family of Spain, Gloria Ferrer combines the best of sparkling winegrowing history with the bounty of the Carneros winegrowing region using time-honored méthode champenoise winemaking traditions and centuries-old sustainable practices. Gloria Ferrer produces the most awarded California sparkling wines that have won over 400 gold medals and received 30 outstanding 90+ point ratings in the last 5 years. Discover the Glorious Life at www.gloriaferrer.com.
