Foodie Buzz: The Lexus Culinary Classic

cavallo point lodgeFood and wine lovers in San Francisco in March may want to check out the Lexus Culinary Classic at the Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito. 

The event, which runs from March 6 to 8, will include multi-course menus, a Napa Valley wine tasting presented by Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy, a Sonoma winery dinner, and an interactive cooking class demo and lunch. The executive chefs from 11 Lexus Hotel Partners will create specialty dishes for the event, complemented by premier wines from 20 leading vintners in Napa Valley, Sonoma and Marin County. There will be classic vintages, including Charles Krug wines dating back to the sixties, poured throughout the weekend.

Here's a look at the schedule:

Friday, March 6

Seasonal Flavors of America Dinner, 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. - A welcome reception and formal dinner will kick off the weekend as the chefs present seasonal specialties prepared with ingredients from their local purveyors. The evening’s featured chefs for the four-course menu with paired wines include Kyle Koenig (Topping Rose House, New York), Joseph Lenn (Blackberry Farm, Tennessee), Sunny Jin (The Allison Inn & Spa, Oregon) and Justin Everett (Cavallo Point Lodge, California).

Saturday, March 7

“Chow” Italia! A Hands-On Cooking Experience, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. - This demonstration and hands-on cooking class with an Italian theme features David Viviano (St. Regis Aspen, Colorado), Victor Scargle (Bardessono, California) and Jayne Reichert (Cooking School Director at Cavallo Point Lodge, California). The chefs’ demonstration is followed by a five-course lunch prepared by the class, paired with wines that complement the menu.
 
Somm Phenom: Wine Tasting with Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy, 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. - Lexus partner and Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy is one of the weekend’s special guests. One of just 211 Master Sommeliers worldwide, he will lead the tasting of a selection of Napa Valley wines. The event will feature an exclusive tasting of Charles Krug vintages spanning over six decades starting from the sixties. Complementing the event are small bites by Angela Tamura (Pebble Beach Resorts, California) and Bernard Ibarra (Terranea Resort, California).

 
Feast Among The Vines Dinner, 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. at Ram’s Gate Winery, Sonoma - The weekend’s finale dinner takes place in the wine-country setting of Ram’s Gate Winery. The four-course menu includes offerings presented by Justin Everett (Cavallo Point Lodge), John Cox (Post Ranch Inn, California), David Hutton (XV Beacon, Massachusetts) and Nicolas Blouin (Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Texas), as well as wines from Ram’s Gate. The guests will be transported privately to Ram’s Gate Winery from Cavallo Point Lodge in a Lexus fleet.

Sunday, March 8

Lexus Grand Tasting 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. - As the culmination of the weekend’s festivities, the Grand Tasting has 11 Lexus Hotel Partner chefs from around the country, and 18 vintners from wine-growing regions in Napa, as curated by Napa Valley Vintners. Wines from Sonoma and Marin will also be on offer. 

Tickets

- Individual event tickets are available for purchase.
- All Access Events Package is for $700 / person (Includes admission for one person to all five events throughout the weekend.)

- Lexus Culinary Classic Weekend Package: March 6 – 9 - Includes tickets to all five experiences, three nights’ stay at Cavallo Point, daily breakfast and more. The Culinary Classic Weekend Package is priced from $2,100 per couple, based on double occupancy.