Farmhouse Wine Director Geoff Kruth has announced an exciting new format for the 2012 Farmhouse Wine Dinner Series: Clash of the Sommeliers. Top Sommeliers from all over the Bay Area will compete in pairing wines with four course menus featuring unique seasonal ingredients, with celebrity judges and guests alike voting live in the dining room during each of four evenings.
Nine sommeliers will begin the competition. On April 9, one sommelier will rule them all.
The first three dinners in February and March will each feature three sommeliers pairing wines side-by-side for a four course, seasonal menu, prepared by Farmhouse Executive Chef Steve Litke and Sous Chef Neil Corsten. The winner of each of the three events, as voted by Geoff, an invited judge and the guests, will go on to the final dinner on Monday, April 9. The Last Somm Standing will win a Grand Prize of $1000, provided by the Guild of Sommeliers.
Each competitor will be given a generous budget allowing them to pair four wines with Chef Litke’s menus. The wine choices have no limitations- competitors are free in terms of variety, vintage and origin. Diners will have the opportunity to taste three diverse wines, one from each competitor, with each of the four courses, a unique sensual experience of the way three different top sommeliers approach a single culinary form.
At the end of their meal the judges and guests will vote on their favorite pairings for each course. Each evening’s winner will advance to the Final Clash on April 9. This unique experience offers participants a chance to experience the way three different top sommeliers approach the same four course meal.
Kruth says he conceived the idea for these events with a dream list of competitors. “Within a day, I had confirmations from each of the nine I’d invited. I couldn’t be more excited to see this new event evolve.”
The price per ticket is $165 or $600 for the entire series. Reservations may be made by calling 707-887-3300 or by clicking here. Price excludes tax and gratuity.