Inaugural Pebble Beach Food & Wine festival draws over 3,000
Inaugural Pebble Beach Food & Wine festival draws over 3,000
PEBBLE BEACH, CA -- More than 3,000 aficionados of fine wine and gourmet food attended the inaugural four-day Pebble Beach Food & Wine festival that ran here March 27-30.
Ticket purchasers sampled wares at the Lexus Grand Tasting held both Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Purveyors of wine and food were at the festival by invitation only.
The festival was heavily weighted toward wine, with some 250 wineries represented and some 70 sommeliers and 10 master sommeliers in attendance. There also were 53 chefs on hand.
Representing the fresh produce industry were three Salinas, CA, area companies: Watsonville, CA-based Driscoll Strawberry Associates, plus Salinas, CA-based companies Tanimura & Antle and Mann Packing Co. Inc.
Lara Grossman, director of marketing and business development for Tanimura & Antle Inc., said at the Lexus Grand Tasting on Sunday that the "energy continues" that had been present throughout the event.
"It's (festival) so much exposure - it's just amazing," Ms. Grossman said. T&A used the event to showcase its sweet Italian red onions and as a sort of launch of its "Artisan" lettuce line, which features two "unique, European- derived varieties," Ms. Grossman said. The line had been carried by the Trader Joe's retail chain under a private label since the end of August. The wek of March 30 marked a broader launch of the line. T&A has been receiving "very strong interest" from customers and has been shipping the product to Canada for a couple of weeks, Ms. Grossman said.
T&A's "Artisan" lettuce line will feature a seven-pound, 16-head foodservice box and a 12-count retail carton. Baby Oak Blend, Sweet Gem and Tuscan Tango Twosome make up T&A's "Artisan" line of red and green leaf varietals. Rick Antle, T&A's chief executive officer, said he was proud that the company had been invited to take part in the festival and to have made T&A's products available for chefs who "all have their own creative flair."
T&A is slated to harvest "Artisan" lettuce in Salinas, CA, around April 10. The company harvested Artisan lettuce last fall in Salinas and has harvested it in Huron, CA, and in Yuma, AZ.
Michael Hollister, vice president of sales and marketing for Driscoll, said that the company benefited from the festival.
"The great value is that we have chefs and consumers all here," Mr. Hollister said. "Chefs present new, innovative ideas that consumers experience at restaurants."
Mr. Hollister said that Driscoll has a longtime association with chefs and with the Culinary Institute of America.
Lorri Koster, vice president of marketing for Mann Packing Co., said that there appeared to be about a 50-50 split between local attendees of the festival and those from around the country. The company displayed its "Broccolini" brand baby broccoli, and a couple of chefs created dishes that featured "Broccolini."
Mann Packing, Tanimura & Antle and Driscoll all shared Craig von Foerster, executive chef of Sierra Mar Restaurant at Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, CA, for the Lexus Grand Tasting.
Ticket purchasers sampled wares at the Lexus Grand Tasting held both Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Purveyors of wine and food were at the festival by invitation only.
The festival was heavily weighted toward wine, with some 250 wineries represented and some 70 sommeliers and 10 master sommeliers in attendance. There also were 53 chefs on hand.
Representing the fresh produce industry were three Salinas, CA, area companies: Watsonville, CA-based Driscoll Strawberry Associates, plus Salinas, CA-based companies Tanimura & Antle and Mann Packing Co. Inc.
Lara Grossman, director of marketing and business development for Tanimura & Antle Inc., said at the Lexus Grand Tasting on Sunday that the "energy continues" that had been present throughout the event.
"It's (festival) so much exposure - it's just amazing," Ms. Grossman said. T&A used the event to showcase its sweet Italian red onions and as a sort of launch of its "Artisan" lettuce line, which features two "unique, European- derived varieties," Ms. Grossman said. The line had been carried by the Trader Joe's retail chain under a private label since the end of August. The wek of March 30 marked a broader launch of the line. T&A has been receiving "very strong interest" from customers and has been shipping the product to Canada for a couple of weeks, Ms. Grossman said.
T&A's "Artisan" lettuce line will feature a seven-pound, 16-head foodservice box and a 12-count retail carton. Baby Oak Blend, Sweet Gem and Tuscan Tango Twosome make up T&A's "Artisan" line of red and green leaf varietals. Rick Antle, T&A's chief executive officer, said he was proud that the company had been invited to take part in the festival and to have made T&A's products available for chefs who "all have their own creative flair."
T&A is slated to harvest "Artisan" lettuce in Salinas, CA, around April 10. The company harvested Artisan lettuce last fall in Salinas and has harvested it in Huron, CA, and in Yuma, AZ.
Michael Hollister, vice president of sales and marketing for Driscoll, said that the company benefited from the festival.
"The great value is that we have chefs and consumers all here," Mr. Hollister said. "Chefs present new, innovative ideas that consumers experience at restaurants."
Mr. Hollister said that Driscoll has a longtime association with chefs and with the Culinary Institute of America.
Lorri Koster, vice president of marketing for Mann Packing Co., said that there appeared to be about a 50-50 split between local attendees of the festival and those from around the country. The company displayed its "Broccolini" brand baby broccoli, and a couple of chefs created dishes that featured "Broccolini."
Mann Packing, Tanimura & Antle and Driscoll all shared Craig von Foerster, executive chef of Sierra Mar Restaurant at Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, CA, for the Lexus Grand Tasting.
