Pig, Pinot and Cervena

Healdsburg, Calif. – On March 20-21, food and wine enthusiasts gathered at the beautiful Hotel Healdsburg (www.hotelhealdsburg.com) and Dry Creek Kitchen as Chef Charlie Palmer welcomed visiting chefs Michael Mina, Christopher Kostow, Graham Brown, Philippe Rispoli as well as winemakers Bob Cabral, Michael Shaps, Lee Martinelli, Jr., James Ontiveros and Michael Henley for a collaborative epicurean extravaganza benefit, Pigs & Pinot.

 Graham Brown was invited to cook alongside long-time friend and successful restaurateur Charlie Palmer at a charity event in Northern California in late March.  Chef Palmer, with a chain of upmarket restaurants to his name, had been looking for an opportunity to work with Graham again after being a Cervena Ambassador during the 1990s.  When Chef Palmer knew that Graham would be travelling to the USA to undertake some distributor work and culinary demonstrations, he asked if he would have time to join a line-up of renown US chefs for the gourmet charity event ‘Pigs and Pinot’.  Graham prepared three Cervena™ (and wild boar) dishes for receptive diners during the weekend long festival.

The sold-out weekend kicked off with Friday's Taste event featuring over 50 Pinot Noir tastings alongside small bites such as Poached Laughing Bird Shrimp "BLT" from Michael Mina in the gala chefs tasting area under Hotel Healdsburg's screened porch adjacent to the Viking Grill where chef Philippe Rispoli served BBQ Pork Vol au Vent; Charlie Palmer's Porchetta and Hot Ham carving station; and the Pork Cheek "Po'Boy" from acclaimed Cyrus restaurant in the Healdsburg chef's showcase in Grange Hall. Guests savored the varied pig inspired bites and swirled bottomless glasses of Pinot Noirs while awaiting the results of the anticipated Pinot Cup.

The final Pigs & Pinot five-course gala dinner was held at Hotel Healdsburg's Dry Creek Kitchen. As a collaborative offering among the master chefs, each different course featured a signature creation from Palmer or one of his guest chefs, paired with limited-production pinot noirs from wineries Martinelli, Craggy Range, Williams Selyem, Rancho Ontiveros Vineyards, and Maison Shaps & Roucher-Sarrazin. The camaraderie was just as strong in the kitchen as it was in the dining room, with each chef introducing his own course alongside his paired winemaker.

Chef Brown prepared a Cervena loin with wild boar kromesky, with a pearl barley rissotto.

All proceeds from Pigs & Pinot benefited Share Our Strength (Strength.org) and The Healdsburg School (www.thehealdsburgschool.org).