Wolfgang Puck’s 28th American Wine & Food Festival at Universal Studios Sept. 25 – Not to be Missed!

Calling all Los Angeles foodies! Tickets for the 28th American Wine & Food Festival held on September 25th at the Universal Studios’ Backlot are on sale now. While you enjoy the glorious cuisines of the finest chefs, you’ll be helping out the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation that benefits the Los Angeles Meals on Wheels Programs.

Feasting Gourmet Style

The signature Saturday evening event returns to Universal Studios’ Back Lot on September 25. The country’s culinary elite cook up an unrivaled feast paired with fine wines and spirits. The spectacular setting serves as a backdrop for live bands, a silent auction and a few surprises. See and be seen…last year’s event hosted over 2,800 of L.A.’s most passionate foodies and charitable supporters! The festival welcomes back Audi as a presenting sponsor, and announces premiere sponsors: The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and the Center for Wine Origins. Tickets to this event are $300 per person.

Chef VIP List

Here are just a few of the stellar chefs displaying their talent from all over the nation at this year’s AWFF:

Gino Angelini of Angelini Osteria; Matt Bencivenga, Karl Matz & Kittipong Tojanautai of Wolfgang Puck Bistro; Thomas Keller of Bouchon; Rene Mata of Chinois On Main; Frank Ostini of The Hitching Post; Mark Peel of Campanile / Tar Pit; Paul Prudhomme of K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen; Nancy Silverton & Dahlia Narvaez of Pizzeria Mozza & Osteria Mozza; Jose Andres of China Poblano & Jaleo; and David Myers of Comme Ca.

If you have a sweet tooth, be sure to visit Spago Sherry Yard’s Sweet Sanctuary Champagne & Port Lounge featuring some of the best pastries and desert wines to pair with.

Wine Tasting Fest

Here is just a tiny representation of the numerous vintners available for your sampling at AWFF:

Antica Terra, Bonny Doon Vineyard, Breggo Cellars, C. Donatiello Winery, Cosentino Signature Wines, Derby Wine Estates, Foxen, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Frog’s Leap Winery, Gramercy Cellars, Hall Wines, Hunt Cellars, Inception Wines, Justin Vineyards & WineryKalin Cellars, Laetitia Vineyard & Winery, Melville Miner Family and Qupé.

Chef’s Grand Tasting Dinner

If you can’t make the festival or just want to make a foodie fest weekend, there is one more way to fine dine for charity. Wolfgang Puck, Lee Hefter and Barbara Lazaroff along with Executive Pastry Chef Sherry Yard welcome six internationally renowned chefs who will design an elegant, six-course repast at the 11th Annual Chefs Grand Tasting Dinner on September 26th at 6 pm at Spago Beverly Hills.

Here are the 6 chefs of the Grand Tasting Dinner:

Dominique Ansel
Daniel, New York City
Paul Bartolotta
Bartolotta, Ristorante Di Mare, Las Vegas
Nobu Matsuhisa
Matsuhisa, Beverly Hills
Charlie Palmer
Aureole, New York City
Santi Santamaria
Restaurant Can Fabes, Barcelona, Spain
Michael White
Marea, New York City

These celebrated chefs will each contribute one course to this grand dinner. Exquisitely prepared dishes served with exceptional wine selections and a live auction offering one-of-a-kind items and experiences contribute to the evening’s extravagance. For Reservations, call (310) 385-0880. $750 per person.

Event Sponsors

Patronize these sponsors for making the best food festival LA has ever seen possible. Audi, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, The Center for Wine Origins, 94.7 The Wave, Acteva RSVP, American Airlines, Angeleno, Aperol, Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Cassis Travel Services, Cento, CIGNA, Clear Channel Outdoor, Credit Suisse, Evans Hardy+Young, Fiji Water, Freshends, K-EARTH 101FM, Kerrygold, Knork Flatwear, Integrated Transportation Services, Jacob Maarse, La Brea Bakery, LA Specialty Produce, Mansour Travel Company, Newport Meat, POM Wonderful, Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, Republic Master Chefs, Sempra Energy, Snake River Farms, Southern California Gas, Southern California Wine & Spirits, Tasting Room, Ultimat Vodka, Universal Studios, Urbani Tartufi, US Foodservice Los Angeles Division, T Salon, The Patron Spirits Company, The Portuguese Cork Association, Wolfgang Puck, Wolfgang Puck Bistro, Wolfgang Puck Catering, Wolfgang Puck Coffee and Wolfgang Puck Culinary Iced Coffees.

Audi

Audi of America Inc. joins the American Wine & Food Festival as presenting sponsor for a third year. Audi’s lineup of German-engineered luxury vehicles in one of the freshest in the industry and Audi is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. www.audiusa.com

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

Situated at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is located at 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. South directly between CityCenter and Bellagio. The resort’s uniquely vertical multi-tower design offers spectacular views of the vibrant city. The new 2,995-room resort features over sized residential-style living spaces with expansive, one-of-a-kind private terraces. The Cosmopolitan’s luxurious resort amenities include a 100,000 square foot casino; unique and eclectic boutiques; Sahra Spa & Hammam; three unique pool experiences; multi-level integrated nightclubs and 150,000 square feet of state-of-the-art convention and meeting space. For more information visit www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com.

The Center for Wine Origins

The Center for Wine Origins in as educational campaign and advocacy organization committed to promoting the importance of location and to gain greater protection of wine place names in the U.S. Their mission is to protect and promote unique wines from unique places. It was founded in 2005 by the wine regions of Champagne, France, and Porto, Portugal.  www.wineorigins.com

AWFF

Since its inception in 1982, the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation has supported the American Wine & Food Festival, raising more than $15 million for the Los Angeles Chapters of Meals on Wheels. This organization serves thousands of meals each day to Los Angeles’ homebound seniors and disabled citizens, regardless of race, religion or creed. www.awff.org

American Wine & Food Festival
Saturday, September 25 at 6-11pm (VIP entry at 5pm)
Universal Studios’ Back Lot
Tickets at: www.awff.org/tickets