Food and wine aficionados gathered on Saturday, April 7 to attend one of Napa Valley’s greatest annual events: bASH! Presented by Appellation St. Helena (ASH), whose mission is to promote St. Helena as one of the greatest winemaking regions in the world, the event took place in the historic Barrel Room at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Guests gathered to sample and vote for their favorite delicious bite prepared by CIA student chef teams, winery chefs, and local restaurants. Each one expertly paired with more than 30 Appellation St. Helena wines.
Before the event, CIA students and their winery partners worked closely together to plan their food and wine pairing, with expert advice provided by CIA instructors. Then, the heat was on to prepare more than 250 small bites before the event’s 6 p.m. start time. Finally, it was off to the Barrel Room to serve the food to guests while the wineries poured the accompanying wines.
At the end of the evening, the best pairings were announced with fanfare and much applause. The prize? In addition to bragging rights, the top five teams took home a Le Creuset Dutch oven and a bottle of Salute Santé grapeseed oil!
The Winners:
First Place: Chase Evans (Lake Sherwood, CA) and David Ju (Saratoga, CA), who was paired with Del Dotto Winery. Their dish was Steamed Bao Buns with Braised Beef Cheeks, Shallot Aioli, and Spring Vegetables.
Second Place: Sean Smith (Fresno, CA) and Reilly Brown (Anchorage, AK), who was paired with Parry Cellars. Their dish was Ancho Beef Tacos with Charred Salsa and Escabèche.
Third Place: Allison Komara (Frederick, MD) and Nina Widjaja, (Bogor, Indonesia) who were paired with Rombauer Vineyards. Their dish was Galbi Jjim (Korean Beef Short Ribs).
Fourth Place: Brandon Matthews (Sacramento, CA) and Carlos Ramires (Carlsbad, CA), who was paired with Pellet Estate. Their dish was Cornet of Red Wine-Braised Kobe Beef, Creamy Polenta, with Morel and Black Truffle.
Fifth Place: Cameron Hassell (Fremont, CA) and Nicholas Stogsdill (Great Falls, MT) were paired with Ballentine Vineyards. Their dish was “Wanna Wonton.”