Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast Tickets Go on Sale Today with Exclusive $100 Weekend Pass Price for Early Buyers: Surprises for 2013 Include Celebrity Chef Michael Voltaggio, Expanded Adventure Tours and New Evening Events

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif., May 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fresh off winning the Fame Award for Best Regional Magazine Event, organizers of Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast today announced plans to dish up plenty of delicious surprises this Sept. 26-29. From a new celebrity chef, expanded adventure tours and original evening events to venues that celebrate the best of the California Central Coast lifestyle, this year's theme "Time to Play" will be brought to life throughout the four day wine and food festival presented by Sunset magazine and Visit San Luis Obispo County. 

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And if you buy your tickets in May, you can savor huge savings on a Main Event Weekend Pass – offering access to great food and wine tastings and demonstrations for just $100 (normally $150). www.savorcentralcoast.com

Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast is a unique partnership between Sunset Magazine, the West's leading lifestyle brand, and Visit San Luis Obispo County, the destination marketing organization for San Luis Obispo County, which is located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The four-day lifestyle event takes place at the renowned Santa Margarita Ranch and throughout the region highlighting the destination's unique West Coast locations.

"Now that Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast is established as the wine and food event of the year on the West Coast, we're kicking it up a notch and aiming for recognition as one of the 'must taste' events in the nation," said Stacie Jacob, executive director of Visit San Luis Obispo County. "Unlike most wine and food festivals these days which can take place anywhere, SAVOR was inspired by the place it calls home – one of the most abundant agricultural regions in the U.S."

Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast takes full advantage of the star power in California – from its new celebrity chef headliner Michael Voltaggio, chef/owner of Los Angeles' ink and ink.sack, to leading winemakers from all over the state.

"For passionate food lovers who travel the national culinary event circuit, or people who simply want to experience the best of the California Central Coast lifestyle, SAVOR offers four days of unforgettable culinary experiences. At SAVOR, you won't just taste fantastic wine and food—you will connect to the people who make it and the land where it grows," said Barb Newton, president, Sunset Publishing. "You can also relax and savor exclusive experiences like Sunset editor-led events, a rare evening at Hearst Castle, a sunset event on the beach or vineyard and much more. Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast is one of the most exciting and accessible wine and food events around."

What's New: 

•  The theme this year is "Time to Play," which attendees can experience through hands-on activities throughout the event from fun adventure tours and tastings to demonstrations on food, wine and travel;
• Adventure tours, have been expanded into two days, taking place Sept. 26-27. Tours range from a behind-the-scenes tour of Hearst Castle, wine blending classes and touring an abalone farm to planting vines at a vineyard, a cowboy adventure and golfing on the beach. Just $65;
• Visitors can enjoy a new Friday evening event, Sunset on the Sand in Pismo Beach, where the pages of Sunset—the ultimate guide to living in the West—will come to life with extraordinary style. Sunset experts will demonstrate how to make a delicious Sunset on the Sand cocktail with herbs from your garden, followed by exceptional farm-to-table cuisine celebrating the bounty of the region and served at friendly communal tables, all paired with outstanding vintages selected by Sunset Wine Editor Sara Schneider;
• Participants will savor the new Saturday evening event, Sunset in the Vineyard at Vina Robles, featuring specially prepared foods and award-winning wines and outstanding live music in a brand-new amphitheatre—all while surrounded by the beauty of Paso Robles wine country;
  • New Travel & Adventure Stage with presentations by Sunset travel experts;
  • New Farm-to-Table Stage with presentations by regional chefs and purveyors; and
  • New SAVOR Run takes place Sept. 29 at Mission Plaza, downtown San Luis Obispo.  The event, produced by the Central Coast Cancer Challenge, features a 5K or 10K walk/run and a fastest mile challenge through the streets of charming San Luis Obispo, including a gourmet pancake breakfast to follow.

Favorites Return

• Always a sell-out, the magical opening evening, Sunset at Hearst Castle, returns. Savor the Pacific sunset, paired with medal-winning wines from the 2013 Sunset International Wine Competition, and farm-to-table delights from Chef Meagan Loring of the acclaimed Lido Restaurant at Dolphin Bay.  A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit Friends of Hearst Castle's efforts to restore the magnificent 16^th-century Spanish Madejar coffered ceiling in Hearst Castle's Morning Room. (Last year's event raised over $20,000 for this important project.);
• The Main Event at Santa Margarita Ranch will take place Sept. 28-29 and will feature guest chefs, winemakers, farmers, artisan food purveyors and the sounds of local bands in the Estrada Gardens. Tickets to the main event, which includes all tastings, farm-to-table and travel and adventure stage demonstrations, costs $100 in May for a weekend pass, and later goes up to $150. Day passes will sell for $85. Purchase tickets at www.savorcentralcoast.com.
• Ticketholders to the main weekend event can access limited-seating seminars with celebrity chefs at Chef Central and winemakers at Winemaker Central – for just $25 each; and
• Hotel weekend packages, giving guests an irresistible chance to stay longer at a lower rate and enjoy everything from wine tasting to outdoor recreation along the soul-stirring coastline.

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.

Many thanks to our national and local sponsors who have helped make Sunset Savor the Central Coast an ever-growing success. National Sponsors: Buick, Seagram's, Toblerone, Torani and Vons. Local Sponsors: Boutique Hotel Collection, Hearst Castle, KCOY, Martin Resorts, Mid-American Solar, Morro Bay Tourism Bureau, Travel Paso Robles Alliance, Performing Arts Center, City of Pismo Beach, City of San Luis Obispo, Santa Margarita Ranch, Vina Robles and Wine Coast Country.

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 the Bureau. 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 and books, events and experiences, and 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—as well as via all tablet devices and its website. 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