SF: 6th Annual HALL Cabernet Cookoff Sizzles For Charities

HALL Wines vintners Kathryn Walt Hall and Craig Hall recently welcomed more than 680 food and wine enthusiasts to HALL St. Helena on a beautiful Saturday afternoon to taste, sip and crown four champions at the 6th Annual HALL Cabernet Cookoff. The event raised $59,319 in ticket sales, sponsor contributions and also included a generous donation from the HALL Napa Valley Community Fund. Fifteen all-star San Francisco and Napa Valley-based chef teams were tasked with creating a seasonal dish to pair with HALL’s newly released 2012 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Each chef team competed for a local charity of their choice.

“We are grateful this event is recognized each year by so many people,” says Walt Hall, the featured Woman of Substance in the May/June issue of Haute Living San Francisco. “Napa Valley is the leading wine and food destination in the U.S. and we are proud the Cabernet Cookoff not only supports our community, but also showcases the flavor and diversity of the Valley.”

Dishes were evaluated by guests and a special panel of judges including Chef Ken Frank of La Toque, Chef Lars Kronmark of the Culinary Institute of America, Virginie Boone from Wine Enthusiast and Ian White from San Francisco Magazine.

The 2015 winning teams, charities and respective dishes include:

Judges’ Choice 1st Place:

Chef Zack Mutrux, PRESS
Charity: If Given a Chance
Dish: Braised lamb neck with beef fat potatoes and bacon sherry vinaigrette

People’s Choice 1st Place:

Chef Chris Jorosz and Andrea Reiter, Capital Dime
Charity: Food Literacy Center
Dish: Savory wild rice Belgian waffles, crispy duck and fig balsamic wildflower syrup

Judges’ Choice 2nd Place:

Chef Victoria Acosta, The Grill at Meadowood
Charity: Community Resource for Children
Dish: Beef short ribs with charred Meadowood garden spring onions and huckleberry jus

People’s Choice 2nd Place:

Chef Mark Dommen, One Market San Francisco
Charity: Napa Valley Hospice ADS
Dish: Sauerbraten braised beef cheeks, house cured pancetta, faro, Maitake mushrooms

Save the Date for the 2016 HALL Cabernet Cookoff, April 23, 2016!

Photos: Courtesy Justine Di Fede