Celebrity Chefs Announced, Tickets on Sale for 14th Annual Kohler Food & Wine Experience

KOHLER, Wis., Aug. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The 14th annual Kohler Food & Wine Experience, the Midwest's premiere wine, spirits and culinary festival, is once again boasting a strong roster of award-winning chefs and big flavors on October 23-26. Tickets for the four-day weekend extravaganza filled with interactive and educational experiences are on sale August 1 at www.KohlerFoodandWine.com or via phone at 1-800-344-2838; along with many other complimentary events and samplings. A variety of Kohler Food & Wine Experience hotel packages are available at Forbes Five-Star The American Club or Three-Star Inn on Woodlake with exclusive access to signature events and celebrity chefs.

The 2014 Kohler Food & Wine Experience celebrity chef line-up features talented chefs from New York City and Chicago, who offer interactive culinary experiences in a quaint village resort setting. Each celebrity chef will host a cooking demonstration on the Stella Artois Main Stage with book signings, as well as participate in a variety of exclusive events including the Feast of Talent Dinner. On par with the nation's top wine and spirits events, Kohler Food & Wine Experience affords an interactive platform where chefs – celebrity and regional favorites – allow for up-close-and-personal interactions within an approachable setting. Each of the sought-after Main Stage sessions provides more than 200 ticketed guests with food samples of the chef-presented recipes prepared on stage with an accompanying beverage pairing.

This year's celebrity chef line-up includes:

• Graham Elliot – Chicago chef and restaurateur of Graham Elliot Bistro who has competed on both Iron Chef and Top Chef Masters.
• Stephanie Izard – Author‚ Bravo's Top Chef Winner (2008) and Executive Chef/partner of two Chicago restaurants‚ Girl & the Goat and Little Goat.
• Christopher Kimball – Host of the highest rated cooking show on public television, America's Test Kitchen, editor and publisher of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country Magazines, and a frequent guest on national television. He is joined by cast members Bridget Lancaster and Jack Bishop.
• Rick Tramonto – Chicago chef‚ cookbook author‚ president and culinary director at Tramonto Cuisine‚ Inc.; Season 2 of Top Chef Masters as well as appearing on Iron Chef and as a judge on Top Chef.
• Geoffrey Zakarian – Chef and restaurateur, owner of The Lambs Club in New York City and Culinary Director for The Plaza. In addition, author and television personality as Iron Chef and judge on Food Network's Chopped and co-host on Food Network's new series, The Kitchen.

Celebrating the culinary talents across the Midwest, several noteworthy chefs from various locales throughout Wisconsin and nearby Illinois will host seminars on the Sub-Zero Wolf Midwest Chefs' Stage. This year's regional chef line-up includes Three Three Five Chef Chris Manglass of Green Bay, Wis.; The Paddock Club Chef Lynn Chisholm of Elkhart Lake, Wis.; The Iron Horse Hotel Chef Bradford Shovlin of Milwaukee, Wis.; A Pig in a Fur Coat Chef Dan Bonanno of Madison, Wis.; Acadia Chef Ryan McCaskey, and Found Chef Nicole Pederson of Evanston, Ill.; Nico Pastry Chef Amanda Rockman and Quartino Chef John Coletta of Chicago, Ill. Popular Sheboygan County restaurant owner and Chef Stefano Viglietti will host a cooking demonstration on the Stella Artois Main Stage. A variety of talented chefs including The American Club Executive Chef Rick Boyer from The Kitchens of Kohler restaurants will participate in select events, special restaurant menus and demonstrations throughout the festival.

In addition to the culinary experiences, many top-notch winemakers and representatives serve as hosts to more than 70 wine and spirits seminars. Some participants include: Maria Ponzi of Ponzi Vineyards, Greg Morthole of Rodney Strong Vineyards, Rob Mondavi of M. Mondavi Wines and the Edrington Spirits Collection including The Macallan and Brugal.

"We know that the quality of the presenting winemakers makes the wine seminars memorable. The intimacy that the Kohler Food & Wine Festival provides is a unique draw for winemaking tastemakers to present their own collections in place of or alongside their regional specialists," said Destination Kohler Special Events Manager Tricia Rathermel.

The evening flourishes with lively celebrations of food and libations delivering memorable experiences for all interests. Classic festgoer favorites and new events are scheduled throughout the resort at The Kitchens of Kohler Restaurants, as well as at a variety of unique venues including the Kohler Design Center – a multi-level product mecca showcasing Kohler kitchen and bath products and services. Signature events include the Taste of the Vine, Shake & Stir Cocktail Party with Stephanie Izard, Feast of Talent, and Champions Dinner. New this year is the On The Rocks event on Saturday evening featuring cocktails from Death's Door Spirits, Don Q Rum and Casamigos Tequila and chef action stations hosted by a featured selection of the event's Midwest Chefs. The weekend concludes with a first time Sunday Brunch-themed Main Stage Cooking Demonstration with Jones Dairy Farms.

Throughout the weekend, guests can enjoy complimentary demonstrations and tastings at various locations across the resort. Gratis experiences are hosted at The Shops at Woodlake, Kohler Design Center, Woodlake Market, Gourmet Marketplace at The American Club and Stella Artois Beer Tent – with the latter pouring complimentary glasses from Stella Artois' Collection.

Stay up-to-date with event news and happenings on Facebook at www.facebook.com/americanclub and on Twitter www.twitter.com/theamericanclub #KohlerFoodWine.

About Destination Kohler
The American Club, a 2014 Forbes Five-Star Recipient and the Midwest's only AAA Five-Diamond resort-hotel was named #3 Golf Resort in North America, by Golf Digest Magazine. The hotel is one of only 44 in North America with both the Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond distinction. Kohler Waters Spa in Kohler, Wisconsin is the first and only Forbes Five-Star spa in Wisconsin and one of 41 spas worldwide to hold this distinction. The resort features 12 dining establishments from the Forbes Four-Star Immigrant Restaurant to traditional pub fare at Horse & Plow and rustic Italian at Cucina. The resort is located in the Village of Kohler, Wisconsin, one hour north of Milwaukee and two and a half hours north of Chicago.

SOURCE Kohler Co.