Placer County Vintners to host AMGEN gala event
(photo credit: Barry Walton)
The Vino Velo Gala will be a wine, food and festive event celebrating the evolution of the bicycle and the Stage 3 Start of the Amgen Tour of California in Auburn.
Bike Auburn in partnership with event host, the Placer County Vintners Association, has gathered some of the region’s finest food and wine purveyors for the event May 15, 2011 at Winchester Country Club in Meadow Vista. This festive Sunday afternoon gala is jam-packed and is sure to wow all the senses with a program that includes food & wine pairings, a twenty piece live jazz band, BBQ and taco bar, an impressive display of vintage and ultra-modern bicycles, and a silent auction featuring local art & jewelry.
The Versus Channel live broadcast of the ATOC Overall Start occurring that day in Lake Tahoe will be shown and celebrity cyclists “Fast Freddie” Rodriquez and radio announcer Bruce Hildenbrand are among some of the featured guest speakers.
All-Star Lineup to present a “Tour of World Wine & Cuisine” themed menu
Placer County Vintners Association wineries will showcase their best wines and many of the owners and winemakers will pour the wine themselves. Mt. Vernon Winery of Auburn, the region’s oldest and most award-winning winery will have owner Jim Taylor pouring some “big reds” while “Best Micro Winery for White and Red wines” Casque Wines will pour some of their Sierra Foothills whites. Pair those and wines from other local wineries with an African seafood stew from the highly acclaimed Latitudes Restaurant or a zesty tomato, caper & crème fraiche bruschetta from Cape Vino, the region’s top rated 4 Star restaurant. Latitudes Bistro in Auburn was recently honored by PlacerGROWN and the City of Auburn for their contribution to the local food scene.
Participating PCVA Wineries:
• Casque Wines • Dono dal Cielo Vineyard & Winery • Fawnridge Winery • Green Family Winery •Lone Buffalo Vineyards • Mt. Vernon Winery • Viña Castellano Vineyard & Winery • Wise Villa Winery
Participating Restaurants:
• Auburn Thai Garden • Bootleggers Old Town Tavern & Grill • Carpe Vino Old Town Auburn • Latitudes Restaurant & Bistro • Maria’s Mexican Tacos • Max’s Dessert s • The Flour Garden Bakery • Tsuda’s Eatery & Catering • Winchester Country Club
Retired Pro Cyclists – Former Olympians – Cycling Experts
Guests will enjoy generous food, wine & entertainment and hob-nob with a cadres of retired pro cyclists, former Olympians and cycling experts. Tour de France writer, race announcer and cycling expert Bruce Hildenbrand will act at “Master of Ceremonies” welcoming guests and leading the kick-off of the Video broadcast of the Stage 1 start in Lake Tahoe. Additional speakers will include:
“Fast Freddie” Rodriguez, three-time winner of the US Pro Cycling Championship known for his reputation as a champion sprinter;
Mike McCarthy, a former Olympian and seventeen-time U.S. National Cycling Champion who earned numerous track citations and was the USA Cycling Athlete of the Year in 1990;
Ken Carpenter, a retired road bicycle racer and track cyclist who represented the US at the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics;
Dylan Casey, four-time US National Champion & former Olympian still riding with Team Specialized Racing;
“World Champion” Larry Nolan, USA Cycling (level 2) coach since 1998, Team Specialized Director Sportif since 2010 and holder of 14 UCI masters track World Championships and one current world record!
EVENT DETAILS:
LOCATION: Just 6 miles from downtown Auburn
Winchester Country Club, 3030 Legends Drive, Meadow Vista, CA
TICKETS:
Tickets start at $65/person and include generous food, wine & entertainment. A limited number of VIP tickets are available for advance food and wine tasting opportunities and some exclusive time with Amgen VIPs and Celebrity Cyclists. Discounted tickets can also be purchased through participating wineries and Auburn area bike shops such as Bicycle Emporium, Victory Velo and Auburn Bike Works.
PROGRAM:
12-5pm Food & Wine
12-3pm Silent Auction,
12:30-1:30 & 3-4pm Live Music
Special Activities:
12-1pm VIP Tasting
1-5pm Grand Gala
1:30-2pm Celebrity Cyclists Intros & Amgen Race Kick-Off Intro
2-4pm Broadcast of Stage 1 Overall Start in Tahoe on Versus TV
Special Lodging Packages
Area hotels are offering specially priced lodging packages for Amgen fans planning to attend the Gala and other events focusing around Amgen in Auburn. Please visit www.bikeauburn.com/about.html for more information.
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About PCVA
Placer County Vintner’s Association is a non-profit association formed to provide a forum for Placer County wineries to collaborate on events and programs that support local and regional communities, develop marketing programs to increase awareness of the Placer County Wine Trail, and to share best practices and provide a quality experience for winery visitors.
About Bike Auburn
Bike Auburn! was formed to oversee Stage 3 event operations, engage the residents of Auburn in healthy outdoor activities ancillary to ATOC; promote the sport of bicycling within the Endurance Capital of the World community, and fulfill the philanthropic mission of ATOC’s Breakaway from the Cancer campaign at a local level.
About the Amgen Tour of California
The largest cycling event in America, the 2011 Amgen Tour of California is a Tour de France-style cycling road race, presented by AEG that challenges the world’s top professional cycling teams to compete along a demanding course from May 15-22, 2011.
For more information on the Amgen Tour of California and the Auburn Stage 3 Start, please visit www.bikeauburn.com.
For more information on the Vino Velo Gala and the PCVA, visit www.placerwine.com.
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