Festival Schedule

Purchase tickets here. Info on our Live Auction items is also available now!

Wine Tastings

FRIDAY, NOV 6TH—

10:00 AM - LEGENDS OF THE FALL – POWER PINOT PANEL
Conference Center, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
A remarkable gathering of the Pinot clan! Join Gary Pisoni from of Pisoni, Steve Clifton of Brewer-Cliftoon, Josh Jensen of Calera, Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat, and Dan Karlsen of Talbott, in what will undoubtedly be a wild ride, with passionate winemakers of differing styles AND opinions. This panel will be moderated by the wonderful Peter Granoff – Master Sommelier and member of the Court of Master Sommeliers and also owner of the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant in San Francisco and the Oxbow Cheese Shop in Napa. Price per guest is $50 and 50 tickets are available.

2:30 PM – NORTH TO SOUTH AND IN BETWEEN – BORDEAUX BLENDS WE LOVE
Ventana Conference Room
Please join us for what we believe is a unique perspective in a very tight format for the Bordeaux-styled wines from the Central Coast to Napa. Justin, Bernardus, Ridge and Chappellet – four major power houses in their respective regions will show two separate vintages in this wonderful afternoon session. Price per guest is $50 and 40 tickets are available.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH—

10:00 AM - RHONE YOU BE MINE?
Ventana Conference Room
Rhone styled wines are taking off, and the complexity of these exquisite beauties is being recognized at a rapid rate. We are honored to have the leading proponents with us this weekend – John Alban of Alban Vineyards, Jason Haas of Tablas Creek, Emmanuel Kimiji (MS) of Miura Vineyards, Steve Beckmen of Beckmen Vineyards, Matt Trevisan of Linne Calodo, and Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure Wine. What a marvelous way to start your Saturday – six incredibly gifted artisans presenting what you love! Price per guest is $40 and 40 tickets are available.

10:00 AM – DOES IT REALLY MATTER? – SUSTAINABLE VS BIODYNAMIC VS ORGANIC
Conference Center, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
Actually, yes it DOES matter, and our invited panel of friends will give ALL the reasons as to why! Join Richard Sanford of Alma Rosa, Randall Graham of Bonny Doon, Steve McIntyre of McIntyre Vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands, and Dan Lee of Morgan as they present their own personal and professional reasons why the land they work with is so valuable and why it needs to be treated with utmost respect. Price per guest is $40 and 50 tickets are available.

Noon - 3:00 PM - AFTERNOON ECLECTIC - POST RANCH STROLLING TOUR
Tastings with Paired Edibles at Six Picturesque Locations
At this first-ever reception along Post Ranch's trails, guests are invited to explore the grounds of Post Ranch on a walking wine-tasting tour. Along the way are six picturesque locations featuring an eclectic variety of regional wines produced in the nearby Central Coast, where the hot climate is tempered by welcome fog. Reflecting the weekend's focus on Big Sur, the afternoon's wineries were sourced within a 100-mile radius of Post Ranch. In one afternoon, guests will taste wines from Tannat to Grenache, Albarino to Verdelho and Tocai Fruilano to Marsanne.

The designer of the tour is Sierra Mar's Wine Director Dominique DaCruz, whose cellar consistently receives Wine Spectator awards. He has coordinated with the vintners and representatives noted below to present selected varietals that are not mainstream or widely planted in California, including those using sustainable and organic farming methods. To enhance the tasting experience, Executive Chef Craig von Foerster will prepare delicious edibles matched to each wine. The day's festivities continue into the evening with a soirée at Sierra Mar restaurant. Price per guest is $80 for the tour and paired edibles. 40 tickets are available.

Participating local winemakers are:
Dan Morgan Lee , Lee Family Vineyards, Monterey Portuguese Varietals
Chrystal and Steve Clifton, Palmina, Santa Inez, Italian Varietals
Guillaume and Solene Favre, Clos Solene, Paso Robles, White and Red Rhône Varietals
Chris and Cathy Weideman, Pelerin, Monterey, White and Red Rhône Varietals
Eric Lauman, Cambiata, Monterey, Various World Varietals
Bill Brosseau, Brosseau, Monterey , Burgundian Varietals

12:00 - 3:30 PM - GRAND PUBLIC TASTING
The Lodge at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
30 Wineries and Restaurants, including PassionFish, The Cheese Shop and Mundaka of Carmel and TreeBones Sushi! - Price per guest is $40 and 120 tickets are available.

Winemaker Dinners

Dinner with Friends — A Benefit for Big Sur

The Restaurant at Ventana

DINNER WITH FRIENDS
Saturday November 7th • 5:30 PM
Start the evening's festivities with a fabulous reception and Live Auction on the back deck of the Restaurant at Ventana. The rare and very limited River Ranch wines will be poured along with the fabulous wines from Michaud Winery, then join us for a sumptuous dinner at 7:30, with wines from Talbott, Ridge, Chappellet, Bernardus and Justin. Our featured chefs for the reception is Arturo Moscoso of the Peppoli Restaurant at Pebble Beach, and for the dinner, our esteemed friends and neighbors Mark Ayers of the Highlands Inn, Cal Stamenov and Ben Spungin of Bernardus Lodge will work with recently installed and highly respected Chef Dory Ford of Ventana.

There are 100 tickets available for the Dinner With Friends at $250 per person.
There are an additional 100 tickets for just the Reception (5:30 to 7pm)and Live Auction at $40 per person.

The Live Auction starts at 6pm and closes at 7pm. (The Silent Auction starts at 1pm and will close at 5:45pm)
We have some wonderful Auction items on the block, and are grateful to our donors and sponsors for their generosity.

Esalen Institute

Saturday November 7th • 5:00pm
Only 40 lucky guests will enjoy the quintessential Big Sur experience of the Esalen Institute for a fabulous dining experience at the Big House on the Esalen property. This will be a very special evening, highlighting wines from Alma Rosa Winery seasonal, locally grown food from the Esalen Garden, and culinary delights prepared by the Esalen Kitchen. Not only do you get this unique opportunity to meet our dear friend and winemaker - Richard Sanford and his gracious wife, Thekla, you also get to enjoy the baths! Come prepared to be completely blown away by sitting in the sulfur springs, perched a few dozen feet above the pounding surf and experience one of Big Sur's best kept culinary secrets.

There will be a reception with champagne, fire dancing, music and more. Price for each dinner is $165 per guest (including tax and tip) and 40 tickets are available.

Deetjen's Big Sur Inn

Deetjen's is an intimate and rustic inn perched at the edge of Highway One, just half a mile south of Nepenthe. One of only three resorts in Big Sur to receive the coveted Zagat award, Deetjen's mystical atmosphere takes you back in time. Winemaker Dinners for both nights will take place in the Family room and the adjoining Fireplace Room.

Friday November 6th • 7:30pm
We are delighted to welcome our friends Graff Vineyards for the Friday night dinner. Chef Domingo Santamaria, who has firmly made his stamp on this kitchen, will create some fabulous dishes, and both evenings promise to be classic Big Sur experiences. Price is $150 per guest (including tax and tip) and 26 tickets are available.

Saturday November 7th • 7:30pm
On Saturday night, join us at Deetjen's for a magical evening with the folks from Tantara Winery. Price is $150 per guest (including tax and tip) and 26 tickets are available.

Nepenthe

Friday November 6th • 6pm
This event is SOLD OUT!
A renowned destination in Big Sur for people from all around the world, Nepenthe just celebrated its 60th birthday. That's pretty impressive for any restaurant! Overlooking the Pacific from 700', Nepenthe has long been considered the center of Big Sur, where visitors soak in the view, the unique architecture, and the consistently good food. Kirk Gafill, grandson of the founders Bill and Lolly Fassett, recently created a fabulous wine list, and upgraded the menu. Now boasting quite possibly the largest collection of Pisoni-based wines, Nepenthe will host a wonderful evening featuring Gary Pisoni and his neighbor Gary Franscioni. Together, these two innovative men have set the world of Pinot Noir on its ear. Come and join the amazing staff at Nepenthe for a dinner not to be forgotten.

Big Sur Bakery

Accolades just seem to keep pouring in for this celebrated restaurant located on the Post grade in Big Sur. With the incredible talents of Philp Wojtowicz as Chef de Cuisine, and his wife, Michelle Rizzolo, Chef de Patisserie, in the kitchen, the Bakery serves some of the most exquisite food in Big Sur in an intimate setting. Using a brick, wood-fired oven, all of their bread is baked fresh each morning, and is generally sold out by late afternoon. The Bakery is opening its doors for two amazing wine maker dinners this weekend - on Friday night they welcome Justin and Debby Baldwin of Justin Winery, and on Saturday evening, the irrepressible and dynamic Gary Pisoni will be on hand to showcase some of his extraordinary wines and no doubt provide guests with rather incredible insights that might have nothing at all to do with wine!

 Friday November 6th • 7:30pm
The wonderful crew at the Bakery welcomes our dear friends Justin and Debby Baldwin of Justin Winery, without a doubt one of the stalwarts of the Central Coast wine scene. Justin’s policy has always been to create the very best wines at the most reasonable prices, and their Isosceles ranks amongst some of the greatest California wines available. Price per guest is $150 (including tax and tip) and 50 tickets are available for this evening.

Saturday November 7th • 7:30pm
Word is for this soiree that it will be a stand-up event, buffet style, with Gary Pisoni roaming the crowd as only he knows how to do! Tickets for this will sell out very quickly and there are only 50 spaces available. Price per guest is $150 per guest (including tax and tip) and 50 tickets are available for this evening.

Sierra Mar at Post Ranch Inn

Chef Craig Von Foerster is one of the most talented and versatile chefs on the West Coast. And that's saying a lot, given the incredible talent ranging from Seattle to Los Angeles. Every day, Craig and his remarkable crew change their menu completely and present food that is best described as sublime. The Sierra Mar sits at 1200' with a view to the gods and beyond over the Pacific. Wine Director Dominique DaCruz has put together a wine list that has garnered multiple wine awards. For the weekend of the Big Sur Food and Wine festival, Chef Craig will be working with Cal Stamenov of the esteemed Bernardus Lodge and Chef Joseph Humphrey of Murray Circle at Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito.

 Friday November 6th • 7:30pm
Start this incredible weekend in the company of Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure from The Paso Robles area, and our very dear friend, Josh Jensen of the famed Calera Vineyards.

Saturday November 7th • 7:30pm
John Alban, a regular visitor to Big Sur, winemaker and owner of the incredible Alban Vineyards and Matt Trevisan of powerhouse Linne Calodo Winery come together to present their dynamic wines along with another fresh menu from Chef Craig.

The Post Ranch Inn welcomes you for a two night stay as part of the Sierra Mar winemaker dinners. Please contact the Sierra Mar directly for more information on this weekend event package– 831-667-2800.

Big Sur Lodge-The Best Kept Secret in Big Sur

Nestled amongst the aged oak trees and tall ancient redwoods, Big Sur Lodge located in Pfeiffer State Park is known as a haven surrounded by exquisite natural beauty of majestic splendor that would sooth and restore both heart and soul, with an exquisite dining room, lounge with a fireplace and a lovely patio overseeing the Big Sur River. It’s the ideal venue for the merging of food and wines, for two fabulous wine maker dinners this weekend.

Friday November 6th • 7:30pm
Lodge Dining Room
Welcome Heller Estates Winery-100% Organically Grown Magical Wine, That Dance On Your Palate and Harpist Juli Alexander, merging on a seven course dinner with the incredible Chef Joel Manriquez, originally from Caracas. Chef Manriquez has trained with great chefs in Switzerland and Ireland and the Monterey Peninsula. Now he aims to make his own mark in what he calls "Magical Big Sur." From the neighborhood farmers markets to the most selective sustainable harvests from the sea, Chef Manriquez, says "It is totally amazing what extraordinary ingredients we have here to practice and advance our culinary craft”. Price per guest is $125 (including tax and tip) and 65 tickets are available for this evening.

Saturday November 7th - 7:30pm
Lodge Dining Room
Tapas Social Night that will be a stand-up event, featuring the boutique and extraordinary Scheid Winery, and entertainment by local jazz ensemble Paige Too. Chef Manriquez will be working with Chef Alfred Mueller, originally from Switzerland. He joins the Big Sur Lodge team from Waikoloa, Hawaii where he recently worked as Chef at the Hilton Waikoloa Village and Hilton Hawaii Village in Honolulu. Price per guest is $60 (including tax and tip) and 120 tickets are available for this evening.

Please contact the Big Sur Lodge directly for Room, Wine & Food Packages or for more information on these winemaker dinners, special room rates, and individual tickets – 831-667-3100.

The Redwood Grill at Fernwood Resort

Friday November 6th • 6:30pm
Chef David Dildine formerly of the Post Ranch Inn and also owner of the Coast Foods Catering is working with Tobin James on a wild game dinner that promises to be one of the unique highlights of the weekend! From small kitchens come great things, it is often said, and this is no exception. Dave's food is always fresh, good and honest, and the tavern-style atmosphere of the Redwood Grill will be a perfect match for Toby James, who is known for his engaging energy and personality. Live music and dancing at 9pm! Price per guest is $85 (including tax and tip) and 40 tickets are available.

Big Sur Roadhouse

Friday November 6th • 7:30pm
The Big Sur Roadhouse is an exquisite dining room in the heart of the Big Sur Valley, located right on Highway One and is the only restaurant in the area that has a focus on Latin-American food. With two separate dining rooms and a lovely brick patio on the back, it's the ideal venue for the wines of Cima Collina, our neighbors and friends from Monterey. Produced in small batches, Cima Collina wines come from mostly the Santa Lucia Highlands, just a stone's throw over the mountains from Big Sur. Price per guest is $65 (including tax and tip) and 40 tickets are available.