A lot of people callously use the perceived rivalry between Napa and Sonoma counties as a reason to promote their own agendas. It is shocking, I know.
Next thing you know, people will be talking up the rivalries between LA and San Francisco, Pepsi and Coke, and Google and God. Pish-posh, says I.
Just as the tourism authorities in Los Angeles pay people to pretend they are actors when they are waiting on your table so you, as a tourist, feel a bit of the glamour of tinseltown, so too do we here in wine country engage in a bit of friendly “competition” so as to create the all-important “buzz” among the “bloggers” that our focus groups and experts claim is imperative to getting “exposure.”
I thought this was all a friendly game until I came across the 4th Annual Carneros Heritage Festival, which feautures, in addition to cute, sweet and delicious lamb, sheepherding, falconry, and wine tasting, a caged death match between Napa and Sonoma chefs.
I was a bit taken back, because usually that is reserved for the Harvest Festival, but I guess we wanted to get things started earlier this year.
Of course, the official line is that the chefs from two of America’s best wine regions (not leaving you out there Iowa, just not mentioning you directly for now…) will be engaged in a contest to see who can cook the best lamb. In fact, the web site for the event says:
“Napa v. Sonoma ThrowDown! Featuring emerging chefs pitted against each other in a lamb cook-off with Carneros wine pairings.”
You have to be a local to know what it means, though. To peeps from wine country the above is read as:
“Napa v. Sonoma DeathMatch! Featuring emerging chefs pitted against each other in mortal combat in a cage lined with razor wire, and crazed ruminants running roughshod over the whole mess. Local wine will also be served.”
These vicious animals will be featured at a Carneros Circus Maximus, terrorizing local chefs.
So, you heard it here first. If you want to see some of the best local chefs battling it out, and I mean to the bitter end, and also enjoy some local wines, you better get over to the Carneros Heritage Festival this weekend. Because you won’t see anything else like this until the County Fair Quilting/Mixed Martial Arts Bloodfest in October. I’m saving tickets for my mom now.
Carneros Heritage Festival
May 29 – 30
Sonoma Wine Country, and a little bit of Napa, too
Buy tickets here…
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One Trackback[...] the part about the wine. They drink beer.) We did get in a bit of hot water when we suggested that Napa and Sonoma chefs were going to square off in a caged death match against a furry lamb. Again, we apologize. We got it wrong. Oops. All in all, a good [...]