Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast Main Event Promises to be Bigger, Better than Ever: Meet Celebrity Chefs and Vintners and Dive into more Travel and Adventure

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif., Sept. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- This year's Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast – the West Coast's premier wine and food event – promises to be bigger and better than before, with chances to meet some of the nation's hottest celebrity chefs and winemakers, and dive into more travel and adventure. Taking place Sept. 26-29 at locations throughout the Central Coast and the Main Event at Santa Margarita Ranch, Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast, has become the West Coast's hot ticket for wine and food lovers.

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Presented by Sunset and Visit San Luis Obispo, take a look at what's new this year and why you should buy tickets before they sell out:

Cooking, Cars, and Cabernets
Known for the Paso Robles and Edna Valley wine regions, as well as abundant farms and ranches, the Central Coast is a mecca for culinary travelers.  SAVOR's Main Event reflects this bounty, with dozens of celebrity and regional chefs, leading local vintners, and a new Farm to Table demonstration stage.  Hosted by Central Coast chef and cookbook author, Brigit Binns, the Farm to Table area will feature topics such as olive oil, sheep's milk ice cream, fresh cheeses, and more. Meet culinary stars such as Sandra Lee, who will demonstrate how to make great garden cocktails and white-hot Celebrity Chef Michael Voltaggio of ink. and ink.sack in Los Angeles, who's planning a special demonstration at Chef Central.  Mingle with Celebrity Chef Nathan Lyon, co-host of PBS' Growing a Greener World and author of Great Food Starts Fresh, who is planning a sustainable seafood cooking demonstration. Celebrity Chef Marcela Valladolid, cookbook author and host of Food Network's Mexican Made Easy and Vons Executive Chef Jeff Anderson will host a Real Taste of Mexico demonstration, showing how easy it is to create brilliant traditional and contemporary Mexican flavors.  Sunset fans can interact with Sunset Food Editor Margo True and learn what really happens "Inside the Sunset Test Kitchen." Plus, get a sneak peak at exciting recipes from upcoming issues of the magazine.

Winemaker Central features various seminars moderated by Sunset Wine Editor Sara Schneider, giving wine fans the chance to meet and learn from renowned and up-and-coming regional winemakers in an intimate setting. Take a journey down the Central Coast's wine regions, tasting through regional flights, wine aromas, and more. 

At the Central Coast Pavilion, guests can stop by the Buick Lounge for a special interactive automobile experience and discover local destinations from Central Coast experts; from Ventura and Santa Barbara up to San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties.  Pavilion guests can also register to win a VIP Getaway to San Luis Obispo County, which includes deluxe accommodations, $500 gift card from US Airways, exciting activities such as a private Hearst Castle Tour, winetasting experience for two with Breakaway Tours, dining experiences, and more.

New Savor Flavors
At the Marketplace & Sunset at Home area, wine lovers can take a grand tour of the Central Coast's acclaimed wineries—from Santa Cruz to Ventura—all in one stop. Arranged by sub-region, more than 100 wineries will pour their latest and greatest, while top regional chefs dish up trendy small bites. Guests can take a piece of the Central Coast home by checking out the regional pop-up shops where they can purchase gourmet local olive oils, cookies and almonds. New this year, several favorite local purveyors are creating a special "Savor Flavor." Brown Butter Cookie Company's new SAVOR Flavor is a Citrus cookie, while Negranti Creamery has created a special White Peach Balsamic flavor of sheep's milk ice cream, and the new General Store in Paso Robles is preparing a special SAVOR "Peach Habanero" jam.  These will only be available at SAVOR.

Celebrity Chef Book Signings
In the SAVOR store you'll find the Book Signing Stage where fans can chat with their favorite culinary authors, buy their books, and have them autographed, The Book Signing Stage will feature Michael Voltaggio (VOLT ink.), Nathan Lyon (Great Food Starts Fresh), Marcela Valladolid (Mexican Made Easy), and Brigit Binns (The New Wine Country Cookbook, which focuses on the Central Coast). Voltaggio and Lyon will also be signing at Sunset in the Vineyard at Vina Robles Saturday night.

Travel and Adventure
New this year is a special Travel and Adventure Stage where visitors can learn travel tips and tricks to plan their ultimate outdoor adventures from land to sea. From glamping set-ups and arranging a wine tour to taking travel photos with your smart phone, Sunset editors and Central Coast experts will help travel fans make their travel dreams come to life in the West.  Special presentations include a storytelling session with authors and photographers Chris Burkard and Eric Soderquist, who will share highlights from The California Surf Project, a fully illustrated travel diary of two surfers who took the trip of a lifetime surfing down California's legendary coast.

Just prior to SAVOR, organizers have expanded the culinary and outdoor Adventure Tours into two days, each costing just $65 for half-day experiences. Although some tours are sold out, there are still tickets for only-at-SAVOR tours, such as:

• Plant Your Vine in Cambria – plant a wine vine, taste leading wines and visit your vine later as it grows
• Frolic with Flamingos at Atascadero Zoo – behind-the-scenes tour and picnic lunch with Central Coast Beers
• Lasso the Wild West with Madonna Inn – includes a rodeo experience and Santa Maria-style barbecue lunch
• Chardonnay: from Grape to Glass experience with Edna Valley Vineyards – interactive education on food and wine dynamics with Chardonnay, followed by farm-to-table lunch
• Blending Peace, Serenity and Spice in the Garden – Explore the world of tea and enjoy a true farm-to-table lunch
• Taste of Morro Bay from Land to Sea – Enjoy a tour of Shanley Farm's famous avocado groves and explore unusual crops, followed by a farm-to-table lunch
• Golf Seaside in Avila Beach – Enjoy nine holes at scenic Avila Beach Golf Resort, including great wines and a gourmet lunch

Sunset at Vina Robles
Those seeking a musical adventure can pair two-time Grammy winner Colbie Caillat with their favorite wines at Sunset in the Vineyard at Vina Robles.  Taking place Sept. 28 at the new Vina Robles Amphitheatre, this intimate concert event also features a wine and light bites reception, a gourmet wine-centric dinner served at communal tables and book signing opportunities with celebrity chefs Nathan Lyon (author of "Great Food Starts Fresh") and Michael Voltaggio of L.A.'s ink. and ink.sack (author of "VOLT ink.: Recipes, Stories, Brothers").

SAVOR Run
For those who consider a 5k or 10K race a grand adventure, don't miss the SAVOR Run, where runners make their way through the tree-lined streets of charming San Luis Obispo, starting and ending at the historic and beautiful Mission San Luis Obispo de Toloso in the heart of downtown.

Stay and Play with Hotel and Ticket Packages
San Luis Obispo County is all about pure play, which kicks up a notch during Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast.  To find the right home base for SAVOR and beyond, nearly 20 hotels are offering  accommodation and ticket packages.

Find out the latest ticket and hotel offerings at www.savorcentralcoast.com. Check us out on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SavorCC) or on Twitter (https://twitter.com/SavorCC).

About Visit San Luis Obispo County: Visit San Luis Obispo County promotes San Luis Obispo County through advertising, marketing, public relations and group sales. Its membership base is comprised of over 500 tourism industry-related businesses including lodging properties, restaurants, wineries, golf courses, and retail stores. Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast is produced and managed by Visit San Luis Obispo County. For more information on Visit San Luis Obispo County, please visit www.VisitSanLuisObispoCounty.com.

About Sunset: Sunset (www.sunset.com) is the leading lifestyle brand in the West. Through magazines, books, events, experiences, digital, and social media, Sunset covers the West's best flavors, destinations, design trends, and innovations. Sunset engages and inspires an audience of over five million educated, active and affluent consumers every month through its five regional print editions—Pacific Northwest, Northern California, Southern California, Southwest, and Mountain— available on all tablet devices and on Sunset.com. In addition to its print and digital publication, Sunset showcases the region's unique lifestyle and noteworthy destinations through its flagship events, established home programs, licensing partnerships, books and International Wine Competition. Sunset is part of the Time Inc. Lifestyle Group.

SOURCE Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast