Avalon Winery Launches America's Great Foods Recipe Challenge

Sept. 6, 2012 - PRLog -- Graton, CA-  In celebration of the rich culinary diversity and bounty of America, Avalon Winery launched the first annual America’s Great Foods Recipe Challenge on September 5, 2012. Participants are invited to enter the competition by submitting a recipe involving a “Great food” element specific to their personal heritage or geographic region that would pair well with Avalon wines. The participant who submits the winning recipe entry, to be selected at the BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival® by Festival guests on Saturday, March 2, 2013, will receive a grand prize of $10,000 in cash. The deadline for recipe entries is Friday, January 4, 2013 at 9 AM PST.

Three Finalists will be selected from among all eligible entrants to America’s Great Foods Recipe Challenge by a judging panel. Submitted recipes will be evaluated based on taste, creativity, great food choice, and ease of preparation. Recipes must be prepared within thirty-five minutes including cooking time and include a grilling component.

Once selected, these finalists and a guest of their choice will receive round trip airfare and tickets to the BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival® held February 28th – March 3rd, 2013. Finalists will prepare their recipe on a TEC® grill at the Avalon Outdoor Living + Grilling Area in the Festival’s Culinary Village. Chef Kelly Liken has partnered with Avalon Winery to pair fresh and innovative recipes featuring Avalon wines. She will be hosting contest finalists for the cooking demo. Liken is owner and executive chef at Restaurant Kelly Liken in Vail, Colorado, and has been a contestant on Food Network’s Iron Chef America and Season 7 of Bravo’s Top Chef.

Avalon Winery produces top quality California Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc and Napa Valley designated Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, The winery is excited to be the sole sponsor of the Challenge and invites all eligible participants to submit recipes at www.avalonwinery.com/recipecontest. Follow the Challenge on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AvalonWinery,  on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/avalonwinery/, and Twitter at @AvalonWinery at https://twitter.com/AvalonWinery.

The Avalon 2012 America’s Great Foods Recipe Challenge is open to U.S. residents, who are legal residents of the United States, aged twenty-one or older. All submitted recipes cannot have been published, exhibited before or won any kind of award. After submission, all entries become property of Purple Wine Company and will not be returned.

For more details about America’s Great Foods Recipe Challenge, please email the winery at info@avalonwinery.com or phone at 707.938.9229.  For media inquiries please contact Kimberly Charles at Charles Communications Associates at 415.701.9463 or press@charlescomm.com.

About Avalon Winery

Avalon Winery, located in the town of Graton in Sonoma County, California, produces top selling wines recognized for outstanding quality and food friendly style. The Avalon portfolio includes two wines sourced from the Napa Valley, including the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Napa Valley Merlot, as well as a California Sauvignon Blanc and the winery’s flagship California Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from premier vineyards in Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Lake County and Monterey. A leader in sustainable production, the winery employs cutting-edge energy and water efficient practices. World-class winemaking techniques combined with a culture of responsible resource conservation results in quality both inside and outside the bottle.