Didn't make it to the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Show?

Here's what you missed:

Thursday April 16 marked the opening of the 2nd Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine event, featuring over 60 top chefs and 250 wineries from around the world. The Opening Reception at the Inn at Spanish Bay, showcased dozens of chefs such as Cindy Pawlcyn (Mustards Grill, Napa Valley), Richard Reddington (REDD, Yountville + Silversea guest chef), Todd English (Olives, Figs ...), Rick Tramonto (Tru, Chicago + Silversea guest chef), Nancy Oakes (Boulevard, SF), Cat Cora (Iron Chef + Silversea guest chef) and notable wineries Colgin - Far Niente - Etude - Au Bon Climat - Chateau Montelena - Chateau Lafite - Hanzell - Inniskillin - Nickel & Nickel - Opus One - Patz & Hall - Peter Michael  . .

Friday Apr 17 -  Truffle lunch prepared by Jean Joho (Everest Restaurant, Chicago, Relais & Chateaux) + Michel Richard's (Citronelle, Washington DC, LA, Carmel Valley) assisted by Chef Renee Neighbors, AIWF member, Kansas City, and one of our Silversea guests chefs. Wines served included a '02 Roederer Estate l'Ermitage Brut, '07 Schloss Riesling Kabinett; '05 Hewitt Cabernet Sauvignon, and a delicious Penfolds, Grandfather, Tawny, Australia.

Friday April 17 - Our neighboring Relais & Chateaux hotel, L'Auberge of Carmel hosted a Bordeaux dinner, featuring winemakers from two St. Julien Bordeaux wineries, Chateau Lagrange and Chateau d'Issan serving three decades from 1985, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2006 - two glasses for per year for each course!

Saturday April 18 - Lexus Grand Finale Dinner at the Pebble Beach Club with chefs Thomas Keller (French Laundry, Yountville, Napa Valley & Per Se in NY), Tom Colicchio (Top Chef, founder Gramercy Tavern, NY, now Craft, NY), and Michael Ginor, Hudson Valley Foie Gras. The meal was served with '95 Chateau Margaux, Bordeaux; '04 Clarendon Hills Syrah, Astralis Vineyard, Australia; and '90 Chateau d'Yquem, Sauterne!!!! Worth the $1,250 pp!

Highlights of the event include meeting chef Jacques Pépin and his daughter Claudine - and adding a brush stroke to artist Thomas Arvid's newest Chateau Montelena wine bottle painting! Stay tuned - we hope to have this delightful artist aboard one of our wine cruises in 2010!

Sunday April 19 - Although I missed the 10am 'Cristal' tasting, the Grand Tasting at the Equestrian Center at Pebble Beach made up for it. Oh... one had to have temperance and be so selective - there were too many delicious choices - Some of my favorites: Staglin Family Estate Cabernet, Heitz Cellars Martha's Vineyard, Phelps Insignia, Justin Isoceles & Justification - and selections from Paul Hobbs, Realm, Miura, Duckhorn, Quintessa, Stags Leap, Antinori, Gaia, and Tignanello.

Mark your calendar for April 8-11, 2010 for the 3rd Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine Show.