The 27th American Wine & Food Festival is upon us!

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.AWFF.org. The celebration, benefiting Los Angeles chapters of Meals on Wheels, takes place October 2-4 on the Universal Studios Back Lot. Pre-Sale Tickets and VIP Perks to this amazing epicurean event, hosted by the Wolfgang Puck, are now available!

The American Wine & Food Festival, hosted by the Puck- Lazaroff Charitable Foundation, is serving up a world-class culinary celebration. This star-studded food Festival taking place October 2 – 4, 2009, in Los Angeles, features world-renowned chefs, vintners and spirit purveyors at the most anticipated epicurean event of the year. The Festival features a spectacular spread of delectable dishes, superb libations, fantasy auction items and amazing entertainment in three separate events

Friday Evening begins with the festival opening events. Tickets are available for $150 per person (online now).  Saturday evening’s event begins with a Wolfgang Puck VIP Cooking Demo, staged against the backdrop of movie sets of the Universal Studios Back Lot.  As dusk falls, a spectacularly lit movie set will provide the stage for a culinary scene like no other: An unrivaled feast prepared by world-renowned chefs, will include fine wines and smooth spirits, as well as a silent auction filled with luxury items – all set to sounds of live bands. Saturday Evening Event tickets are available for $300 per person.  Table reservations are available from $3,500 (online now).

Sunday finishes with a Chefs Grand Tasting Dinner at Spago Beverly Hills!

Wolfgang Puck welcomes several of the world’s finest chefs to prepare an elegant six-course dinner at the 10th Annual Chefs Grand Tasting Dinner.  This limited-seating event at Spago Beverly Hills is filled with exquisite dishes paired with select wines and a live auction featuring one-of-a-kind items and experiences.  Celebrity chefs Thomas Keller of Bouchon; Dean Fearing of Fearing’s at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas; Jereme Leung of Jereme Leung Creative Concepts Pte Ltd; Nobu Matsuhisa of Matsuhisa & Ubon; and Gina DePalma of Ristorante Babbo pair up, each preparing one course, for the grand gala dinner. Reservations for the Chefs Grand Tasting Dinner are available for $750 per person or $7,000 per table.  Please contact Spago for information.

Saturday Participating Chefs & Restaurants (to date):
Alan Wong of Alan Wong’s; Alex Stratta and Jenifer Fournier of ALEX, Wynn Las Vegas; Larry Forgione of An American Place; Gino Angelini of Angelini Osteria; Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier of Arrows Restaurant; Jonathan Waxman of Barbuto; Paul Bartolotta of Bartolotta; Laurent Tourondel of BLT; Thomas Keller of Bouchon; Robert Del Grande of Café Annie; Mark Peel of Campanile; Rene Mata of Chinois on Main; Walter Manzke of Church & State; Mark Miller of Coyote Café; Ken Oringer of Clio; Tom Colicchio of Craftsteak; Ari Rosenson of CUT at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel; Matt Hurley of CUT at The Palazzo Las Vegas; Richard Sandoval of Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Mexico; Roger Stettler of Four Seasons Resort Maui, Hawaii; Ilan Hall of Gorbals; Frank Ostini of The Hitching Post; Lydia Shire and Mario Capone of Locke-Ober; Cal Stamenov of Marinus Restaurant at Bernardus Lodge; Nobu Matsuhisa of Matsuhisa & Ubon; John Cuevas of Montage Beverly Hills; Nancy Silverton of Mozza; Octavio Becerra of Palate Food + Wine; Joachim Splichal of Patina; Francois Payard of Payard Patisserie & Bistro; Julian Serrano of Picasso; Jimmy Schmidt of Rattlesnake Club; Richard Reddington of Redd; Sam Choy of Sam Choy’s; Charles Phan of Slanted Door; Kerry Heffernan of South Gate; Mark Ferguson of Spago Bachelor Gulch; Wolfgang Puck of Spago Beverly Hills; Sherry Yard of Spago Beverly Hills; Lee Hefter and Thomas Boyce of Spago Beverly Hills; David Robins and Eric Klein of Spago Las Vegas; Cameron Lewark of Spago Maui; Stephan Pyles of Stephan Pyles Restaurant; Lissa Doumani and Hiro Sone of Terra, St. Helena, and AME, San Francisco; David Walzog of SW Steakhouse, Wynn Las Vegas; Traci Des Jardins of Traci Des Jardiniere; Piero Selvaggio, Luciano Pellegrini and Angelo Auriana of Valentino; Yuji Wakiya of Wakiya Ichiemicharo; Marc Djozlija and Aram Mardigiam of Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill; Mat Bencivenga, Yoshi Kojima & Scott Drewno of Wolfgang Puck Restaurants.

Sunday Participating Chefs & Restaurants (to date):
Thomas Keller of Bouchon; Dean Fearing of Fearing’s at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas; Jereme Leung of Jereme Leung Creative Concepts Pte Ltd; Nobu Matsuhisa of Matsuhisa & Ubon; Gina DePalma of Ristorante Babbo.

Participating Vintners (to date):
Beckmen Vineyards; Beringer Vineyards; Bernardus Winery; Bonaccorsi Wine Company; Bouchaine Vineyards; Chappellet Winery; Charles Krug Winery; Chateau St. Jean Winery; Cielo Malibu Estate Wineyards; Crimson Wine Group; Domaine Drouhin Oregon; Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.; Duckhorn Wine Company; Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery; Francis Coppola Estate Winery; Frank Family Vineyards; Frog’s Leap Winery; Gramercy Cellars; Grgich Hills Estate; Gridley Family Cellars; J Vineyards & Winery; JUSTIN Winery; Laetitia Vineyard & Winery; Lancaster Estate; Loire Valley Wine Bureau; Long Shadows Vintners; Malibu Family Wines; Malibu Vineyards; Melville; Morgan Winery; O’Shaughnessy Winery; Paradigm Winery; Peju Province; Rosenthal-The Malibu Estate/Surfrider; Semler & Saddlerock; Silver Oak Wine Cellars; Tantara Winery; Topanga Vineyards; Waters Winery; Whitcraft Winery.

About the American Wine & Food Festival
Since its inception in 1982, the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation has supported the American Wine & Food Festival, raising more than $15 million for Los Angeles Chapters of Meals On Wheels.  This organization serves thousands of meals each day to Los Angeles’ homebound senior and disabled citizens.
As a result of their efforts on behalf of Meals On Wheels, the Austrian-born Puck, renowned for feeding Hollywood glamour at the annual post-Oscar extravaganza, and leading restaurant designer Lazaroff, are also celebrated for their philanthropic spirit.

-bryan