Event Recap: 2011 Pebble Beach Food & Wine

The fourth annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine was an experience for which words and pictures really can't do justice — you really need to be there.

Upon checking in on the first day, guests are given the event program. It actually resembles a small novel. The 257 page high-gloss 'epicure' IV Pebble Beach Food & Wine Presented by American Express Publishing Publication contains chef profiles, a schedule of events, interviews with celebrity chefs and master sommeliers, and even recipes. Just leafing through the 'epicure' gave an overall view of this very upscale event where only the very best in food and wine is presented.

At the opening night reception at the Spanish Bay Inn, guests enjoyed dishes from 23 celebrity chefs and sampled wines, many from the world's top 100 producers. For fans of bubbly, the event's Bubble Lounge featured Champagne Krug, Dom Pérignon, and Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame, just to name a few. And then there were the celebrity chefs. Guests sampled the culinary genius of chefs like Graham Elliot, Roy Yamaguchi, Claudine and Jacques Pepin, Shawn McClain, and Grant MacPherson, as well as many more names that you are sure to know. After seeing how the Pebble Beach Food & Wine kicked things off we could not even imagine what two full days of events would bring.

The first full day presented a wide variety of choices: an event spotlighting Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal, another featuring dessert with Top Chef: Just Desserts winner Yigit Pura, and yet another that offered a wine seminar and tasting on Super Tuscans. We joined Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson for her Breakfast of Champs: Champagne, bacon, eggs and caviar. Tasting some of the world's finest caviar along with Champagne and sparkling wines was a wonderful way to start the day. Do you even think about lunch when the midday hour tolls after a breakfast like that? When you're at Pebble Beach Food & Wine you do. The selection of luncheons included options like a Belgian beer lunch, a showcase of sustainable delicacies from the sea, and a chef's table lunch with Michael Chiarello and Graham Elliot. We decided on the lunch at Club XIX at The Lodge overlooking the world famous 18th hole at Pebble Beach. Five chefs treated us to a five-course lunch and Champagne reception featuring 'REAL' food outdoors with the 18th hole at Pebble Beach as the backdrop underneath a beautiful blue, cloudless sky.

Pebble Beach Food & Wine kept the hits coming in the afternoon with a family meal with Tyler Florence, and Chateau de Beaucastel pouring their historic wines from Chateauneuf-du-Pape and other wine events. We stopped in on Laura Werlin's seminar, "A love affair with cheese and Wine," for an educational experience on cheese and wine pairing which included a taste of some lovely wines from Domaine Serene. As the first day moved into the evening hours, guests could get formal and spend the Evening with Michelin Stars for an epic meal or enjoy Food and Wine Magazine's Chef Alumni dinner or even some Haute Cuisine with Champagne Krug. Just experiencing the first day was a foodie and wine aficionado's version of heaven and the Pebble Beach Food & Wine was just getting started.

On the second day at Pebble Beach Food & Wine, events were at full steam. Guests could start the day with Tom Colicchio, explore Burgundy's Grand Crus, or even participate in a Pinot Noir blind tasting. We found our interest drawn to a Bordeaux retrospective featuring Chateau Lagrange and Chateau D'Issan where we began with the 2005 vintage and worked our way back to 1985. A very nice vertical to start off the day! Lunch brought guests a lively Interactive meal with Guy Fieri and then off to the Grand Tasting where we strolled amongst over 300 wineries and 25 celebrity chefs. Evening fell upon Pebble Beach but that in no way meant the day was over. With dinners featuring "the stars of Napa Valley" and Food & Wine Magazine's best sommeliers, a Tribute to Tom Colicchio and, of course, the grand finale dinner featuring Charlie Trotter, Michel Richard, and Gary Danko. Each gave guests a tremendous opportunity to dine with culinary legends.

Any event of this stature had to finish with a bang. Or in this case, with bubbles! A nice way to wake up on the last day at this prestigious event was attending a 1990 vintage champagne tasting, featuring champagnes and sparkling wines from around the world. The Sunday Lexus Grand Tasting brought more wineries and even more celebrity chefs for attendees to enjoy. Even if you attended the grand tasting the day before, Sunday brought a whole new experience to tantalize your palate.

Pebble Beach Food & Wine is an event that takes its guests into the stratosphere with culinary events that most food lovers only dream about. In addition to the culinary stars, this upscale event featured an all-star team of sommeliers, many of whom have attained the Master Sommelier level to educate guests with seminars and dinners featuring many of the world's finest wines. For those who want an upscale food and wine experience, Pebble Beach Food & Wine is the only place you should be next spring. We plan on being there year and hope to see you there.