SONOMA COUNTY, CA – Graton Resort & Casino hosted its inaugural Savor Sonoma Aug. 21–22, bringing together chefs, wineries and culinary partners for a two-day food and wine festival.
The event featured chefs Aarón Sánchez, Nyesha Arrington, Marcus Samuelsson, Charlie Palmer, Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, Dustin Valette and Roy Ellamar, along with wineries and culinary partners from Sonoma and Napa.
“Savor Sonoma was created to showcase the incredible talent, passion, and sense of place that make Sonoma County such a special culinary destination,” said Lana Rivera, President of Graton Resort & Casino. “We’re proud to bring together this caliber of talent for our inaugural festival, and to have created an experience that celebrates both the national culinary community and the incredible local food and wine culture right here in our backyard.”
The festival began with a public meet and greet with Sánchez, followed by The Headliners’ Dinner at AYA, Graton Resort & Casino’s rooftop restaurant by Ellamar. The five-course collaborative dinner featured dishes presented by Palmer, Bryan Voltaggio, Sánchez, Ellamar and Michael Voltaggio.
Courses included Kanpachi Crudo from Palmer; Chicken Nugget with seaweed buttermilk, fish bone cracker, Sungold tomatoes and caviar from Bryan Voltaggio; Blackened Scallops with summer corn maque choux and saffron-aji amarillo soubise from Sánchez; Fireplace Wagyu Short Rib with sesame soy glaze and fermented farm vegetables from Ellamar; and Hibiscus Curd with coconut semifreddo, matcha buñuelos, strawberry and yuzu from Michael Voltaggio.
Graton Resort & Casino Wine Director James Hernandez curated wine pairings for each course, featuring Kongsgaard Albariño, J. Schram Blancs Brut, Aubert Chardonnay, Aperture Cabernet Sauvignon and Far Niente Dolce.
The weekend also included Live Fire & Vine, which brought all seven participating chefs to Graton’s pool deck and ballroom for open-flame cooking alongside a Sonoma wine and agave village. Local culinary partners included The Matheson, L’Oro di Napoli, A La Heart Kitchen and Wing & Barrel Ranch.
More than 20 wineries participated in Savor Sonoma, including Aperture Cellars, Bricoleur Vineyards, Chappellet Winery, J Vineyards & Winery, Ram’s Gate Winery, Ridge Vineyards, Silver Oak Cellars, Turley Wine Cellars, Vérité Winery and Williams Selyem Winery, among others.
Savor Sonoma also raised $20,000 for the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund, a program of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation that supports culinary and nutrition education, scholarships and food resources for Latino youth and families.
More than 1,000 guests attended the two-day festival, which featured more than 30 wineries, spirits and agave partners, and culinary producers.