The annual Kendall-Jackson® Heirloom Tomato Festival returns on Saturday, September 28, for a one-of-a-kind celebration of Sonoma County’s seasonal bounty. Now in its 17th year, the Kendall-Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival is a full-day event showcasing more than 175 varieties of heirloom tomatoes (grown in the Kendall-Jackson culinary gardens); a chef competition featuring Bravo’s Top Chef® contenders; and tomato-inspired dishes from nearly 50 prominent wine country and Bay Area restaurants chefs and food purveyors. Guests will also enjoy wine tasting, live music and educational wine and garden seminars.
Top Chefs Jen Carroll and Kevin Gillespie in the 2011 Competition
175 Varieties of Heirloom Tomatoes will compete in this year's competition under the tomato tent. Many harvested from the Kendall Jackson Culinary Gardens.
Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta with Roquefort Cheese and Micro Greens
New this year, Kendall-Jackson will introduce a VIP event package featuring exclusive wine and food pairings and limited production reserve wines poured by the winery’s Master Sommelier. The VIP experience also provides additional privileges such as access to a private lounge tent, valet parking and a dedicated entrance to the event. Tickets for this extra special VIP experience are $150 per person.
Sonoma Culinary Icon - John Ash & Company
In addition to wine and food, guests at the 2013 Tomato Festival can discover the Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate’s recently expanded culinary and sensory gardens. Culinary gardener Tucker Taylor will lead educational tours throughout the day to reveal the captivating garden transformation, including an exploration of the garden’s wide variety of organic specialty produce and beautiful design enhancements. For the first time, the event’s popular heirloom tomato tasting will take place in the gardens to celebrate just-picked tomatoes fresh from the source.
The lovely and talented Chef Jen Carroll, 2011 Competition
Top Chef Kevin Gillespie proved a fierce competitor in the 2011 competition.
General admission tickets for the Heirloom Tomato Festival are $95 for the general public or $50 for wine club members and are available online at www.kj.com. Proceeds benefit Guy Fieri’s Cooking with Kids Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that encourages kids to develop healthy eating habits, addresses childhood obesity and works to strengthen families by sharing quality time in the kitchen. The event will be held at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate and Gardens, 5700 Fulton Road, in Fulton, CA, just a few miles north of Santa Rosa.
Local Food Lovers John & Carolyn Hansen
KENDALL JACKSON TOMATO FESTIVAL VENDORS 2013
FOOD VENDORS
| A La Heart Catering | Nicasio Valley Cheese |
| Agave Mexican Restaurant & Tequila Bar | Nick’s Cove |
| Applewood Inn & Restaurant | Opa Helmut’s Rub |
| Backyard | Partake |
| Bay View Resturant | Peloton Catering |
| Beehive Cheese Company | Rocker Oysterfellers Kitchen + Saloon |
| Catelli’s | Savory Spice Shop |
| Chole’s French Cafe | Sea Thai Bistro |
| Cookie… Take a Bite | Shoki Ramen House |
| Costeaux French Bakery | Smash Foods |
| Duck Club at Bodega Bay Lodge & Spa | Sonoma Latina Grill |
| Equus Restaurant | SooFoo |
| Fiorello’s | Summerfield Foods |
| G & G Market/ Harris Ranch | Sosu Ketchup |
| Heirloom Ketchup | Sur La Table |
| Jackson’s Bar & Oven | Taverna Sofia |
| John Ash & Company | Taylor Maid Farms Organic Coffee & Tea |
| Johnny Garlic’s | The Smoked Olive LLC |
| Lucero Olive Oil | The Spinster Sisters |
| Marin French Cheese Co. | Tolay Sonoma County Cuisine |
| Mary’s Pizza Shack | Trader Joe’s |
| Montibella Sausage | Whole Vine Products |
| Nectar, Hilton Sonoma Wine County | Zin Resturant & Wine Bar |
Benefiting Cooking With Kids Foundation, cwkfoundation.org
The Kendall Jackson Grand Estate - Home of the KJ Heirloom Tomato Festival
About Kendall-Jackson Winery
Kendall-Jackson is one of America’s most beloved family-owned and operated wineries. Founded by entrepreneur and visionary Jess Jackson and now led by his wife Barbara Banke and their children, Kendall-Jackson is based in Sonoma County and offers a range of acclaimed wines grown on the family’s estate vineyards along the coastal ridges of California.
A leader in sustainable vineyard and winery practices including solar cogeneration, water conservation, and natural pest control, 100% of Kendall- Jackson’s vineyards in California are SIP Certified (Sustainability in Practice). Learn more online at www.kj.com, and follow KJ on Facebook. Engage in this year’s Tomato Festival conversation on Twitter via @KJWines and #Kjtomfest.
Chef Josh Silvers
Top Chef Kevin Gillespie 2011 Winner
Photos by Emily Semans of esphoto.org
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