News Releases

TRUCKEE, Calif. — Sept. 5, 2019 —The 34th annual Autumn Food and Wine Festival returns to Northstar California Resort on a slightly later date, September 20-22, to capture the height of fall in the Sierra. Presented by Northstar California and the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association (NLTRA), the festival will feature local food and drink paired with curated on-mountain experiences such as chef showdowns, progressive picnics, craft beer and wine tastings.
 
“We are excited to once again host the premier culinary event of the season,” said Roger Cardoza, director of food and beverage at Northstar California Resort. “We’ve worked hard to highlight seasonal flavors, and to present the very best food and wine the region has to offer with an emphasis on local and sustainable sourcing, an area that Northstar is focused on growing.”
 
The Autumn Food and Wine Festival will kick off on Friday night with a mountaintop sunset dinner at Northstar California’s LEED-certified Zephyr Lodge. The meal will feature local cuisine from the Bently Ranch, including grass-fed beef along with spirits from Bently Heritage Distillery, which cultivates low-water-use grains and botanicals in the nearby Carson Valley, Nevada.
 
The weekend reflects Northstar’s larger sustainability plan with waste management being implemented through the weekend by Clean Vibes, a company dedicated to responsible on-site waste management at events. This winter, Zephyr Lodge and The Lodge at Big Springs will join Summit Smokehouse in sustainable dining efforts with front-of-house sorting, where staff will sort waste properly for guests. These initiatives are a part of Vail Resorts’ Epic Promise and Commitment to Zero, delivering on zero net emissions, zero waste to landfill and zero net operating impact to forests and habitat by 2030, and a short-term goal of 50% waste diversion by 2020.
 
The three-day event will continue on Saturday with Pop-Up Seminars, a Gourmet Marketplace, and the Wine & Brew Walk at The Village at Northstar California. Guests will be able to graze through an open-air marketplace of culinary delights, stop in for chef seminars and then sample more than 15 standout restaurants and over 40 regional wineries, breweries and distilleries. The majority of wineries at this event are from Northern California, allowing for visitors to experience a true taste of the local area during the event.
 
The festival will conclude on Sunday with the highly-anticipated Grand Tasting & Culinary Competition at The Village at Northstar and The Overlook. Over 20 top chefs will compete for Best Marriage of Food and Beverage and Best Food Categories, including Chef Jon Blackley of Michael Mina’s Bourbon Pub, which will open its doors at Northstar this winter, as well as Chef Brian Sumner and Chef Chad Shrewsbury of Northstar California Resort. Respected food and wine industry experts like award-winning chefs Douglas Dale and Jean-Pierre Doignon, caterer Laura Richie and syndicated writer Jean Sexton will judge the gastronomic competition. Ticket holders can join the fun by trying delicious pairings and voting for the People’s Choice Award winner.
 
Guests may purchase individual day passes, multi-day passes and unlimited add-on experiences. New this year is an enhanced day pass, which now includes the Saturday Wine & Brew Walk tastings and Pop-Up Seminars. Tickets are now available for purchase at Northstar California. See a sampling of events below or visit the Autumn Food and Wine Festival web page.
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 - ($45 Day Pass)
 
Pop-Up Seminars & Gourmet Marketplace: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. | The Village at Northstar California
An open-air marketplace featuring culinary vendors and expert.
 
Wine & Brew Walk (21+): 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
The Village at Northstar California
Sample craft beer and wine tastings on festival grounds. Souvenir wine glass for ticket holders.
 
TASTING EXPEDITIONS
 
The 10 Barrel Brewing Progressive Picnic
Saturday, September 21 at 11:00am
An adventurous lunchtime hike at Northstar where you’ll stop along the way for a three-course lunch with craft beer pairings, led by the 10 Barrel Brewing team and a local professional trail guide. You’ll ride the Big Springs gondola to mid-mountain then head out on the trail bound for Sawmill Lake, for an approximately two-mile, round trip hike with several stops to pause, take a break, and enjoy a food & beer pairing. Cost is $75 and includes food, drinks, gondola ticket, tax and gratuity. *This event sells out each year so please purchase in advance for best availability. 
 
The Hartwell Estate Vineyards Vertical Tasting
Session 1: Saturday, September 21 at 11:30am
Session 2: Saturday, September 21 at 1:00pm
A twist on the traditional vertical tasting where you’ll taste a range of vintages of a single small-lot wine from award-winning Hartwell Estate Vineyards of Napa. After each pour, you’ll head a bit further up the mountain on the gondola and chairlifts, finishing the afternoon at nearly 8000’ elevation with another glass of your favorite wine from the tastings and paired hors d'oeuvres. Cost is $75 and includes food, drinks, gondola ticket, tax and gratuity. *This event sells out each year so please purchase in advance for best availability. 
 
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 - ($85 Day Pass)
 
Grand Tasting & Culinary Competition: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. | The Village at Northstar and The Overlook
Top chefs will compete for Best Marriage of Food and Beverage and Best Food Categories. Respected food and wine industry experts will judge the competition. Ticket holders can taste pairings and vote for the People’s Choice Award winner.
 
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About Northstar California Resort
Northstar California Resort™ is a four-season destination offering effortless family adventure. The Village at Northstar features boutique shopping, elevated dining experiences, a year-round outdoor skating rink, conference centers, movie theatre, alpine-chic lodging and more. During the winter months Northstar California is home to meticulously groomed runs, award-winning terrain parks, and alpine activities including as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and tubing. Summer transforms the mountain into the largest, lift-served bike park on the West Coast alongside a network of hiking trails, the Kid Zone, and a family-friendly golf course. Northstar California is located on Highway 267, six miles north of Lake Tahoe and six miles south of downtown Truckee. For more information, call 1.800.GO.NORTH (1.800.466.6784) or visit www.northstarcalifornia.com.
 
About North Lake Tahoe Resort Association
Lake Tahoe is a crown jewel of the Sierra. Formed approximately two million years ago, it is the
largest alpine lake in North America and the second deepest in the United States. North Lake Tahoe spans two states and boasts two dozen beaches, twelve ski resorts, hundreds of miles of biking trails, half a dozen communities, and a growing number of nationally recognized human-powered events, races and festivals. North Lake Tahoe is a 45-minute drive from the Reno Tahoe International Airport, two hours from Sacramento International Airport and just over three hours from San Francisco International Airport. Visitor information centers are located at 100 North Lake Boulevard in Tahoe City and 969 Tahoe Boulevard in Incline Village. For the latest deals, check out the Deals tab on https://www.gotahoenorth.com.
 
Media Note: More info available at news.northstar.vailresorts.com
 
Media Contact: Susan Whitman, Sswhitman@vailresorts.com, (530) 562-8036
 
About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. Vail Resorts’ subsidiaries operate 15 world-class mountain resorts and three urban ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher, Falls Creek, and Hotham in Australia; Stowe and Okemo in Vermont; Mt. Sunapee in New Hampshire; Stevens Pass in Washington; Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. Vail Resorts owns and/or manages a collection of casually elegant hotels under the RockResorts brand, as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning and development subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.