The energy in the Club reached new heights as celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse prepared a menu paired with all three Santa Margherita wines for the post-premiere dinner of the new movie “The Boys Are Back.”  A-List stars turned out for this intimate wine dinner, and they were greeted with a glass of Prosecco as they posed for pictures with actor Clive Owen, Emeril, and Fabio.  However, the highlight of the week was the Santa Margherita Great Taste Challenge Finale, where contestant Andreann G. won first prize with her lamb dish paired with Chianti Classico.  Interested in trying the winning dish?  Go to the Santa Margherita website to download her recipe.   Start practicing your pairing skills now – maybe you have what it takes to win the Great Taste Challenge in 2010! 

As the events at the Bon Appétit Supper Club and Café wound to a close, it was time to hustle over to the 2^nd annual Chicago Gourmet Food and Wine Festival.  The festival was a weekend long extravaganza of extraordinary food and great wines – including the family of Santa Margherita wines.  Anthony Terlato, Chairman of Terlato Wines International, and the man who brought Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio to the United States 30 years ago, and Chef Fabio Viviani won the hearts of fans during a cooking demonstration in front of a standing-room-only crowd.  Tony discussed the principles of wine and food pairing and the history of Santa Margherita while Fabio prepared his delicious Seared Tuna with Caramelized Fennel and Salsa Verde paired with Santa Margherita Prosecco.  Everyone in attendance received the recipe card but, if you were not able to make it, you can download the card on Facebook.

After the demonstration, everyone hurried over the Terlato Wines International tasting tent to try a sample of all three of the Santa Margherita wines.  A Santa Margherita apron, signed by Fabio Viviani, was raffled off –Shirley C. of Chicago was the lucky winner!  We captured photographs of the crowd throughout the entire weekend – go to www.Facebook.com/SantaMargherita to see if you are in one of the pictures.

Santa Margherita is always hosting exclusive events all across the country – all you need to do to be invited to the next event is “Become a Fan” of Santa Margherita on Facebook or follow us on Twitter (Twitter.com/SMPinotGrigio).  We make sure to give our fans the first opportunity to RSVP, so be sure to find us on online and we will see you at the next event!

While the first finalist was selected live in Chicago, we saw a fevered race to the finish in the online competition!  Amateur chefs from across the country submitted their unique recipes paired with the Santa Margherita wines, and from day one the votes and comments poured in.  By the end of the voting period, our entrants received more than 7,000 votes and hundreds of comments!  With your votes tallied, we brought in our judging panel to test the top four recipes – a very tough decision.  In the end, Andreann G. and Debbie K. came out the winners with their delicious recipes and wine pairings. 

It has been thrilling every step of the way and the final show-down at the Bon Appétit Supper Club & Café in New York City will not disappoint.  This New York hotspot is the perfect venue for the conclusion to the Great Taste Challenge.  The moment of truth is upon us: it is time to have our three talented contestants – Colleen, Andreann, and Debbie – face each other head-to-head.  Who will take home the prize?  Colleen’s delicate scallops paired with the crisp, bubbly Prosecco?  Maybe it will be Debbie’s glazed pork that perfectly highlights the citrus notes in the Pinot Grigio?  Or Andreann, with her tender lamb paired beautifully with the soft tannins of the Chianti Classico?  With the prestigious judging panel composed of Bill Terlato (CEO, Terlato Wines International), Fabio Viviani (Top Chef Fan Favorite and Restaurateur), and Barbara Fairchild (Editor-In-Chief, Bon Appétit Magazine) we are eagerly awaiting the results!