Columbia Crest and Bobby Flay Announce Winners of the "Flayvors of Washington" Recipe Contest

Paterson, Wash.

Columbia Crest Winery, in conjunction with Chef Bobby Flay, today announced the top-three winning recipes of the “Flayvors of Washington” recipe contest. The contest challenged food and wine lovers throughout the United States to create and submit an original recipe inspired by Columbia Crest wines and utilizing ingredients from Washington state. The recipe competition is part of a partnership between the acclaimed Washington-based winery and Flay that highlights the unexpected rewards of dining with Columbia Crest Grand Estates wines.

New Albany, Ohio, resident and homemaker Teresa Ralston won the “Flayvors of Washington” contest with her Chicken Curry Burger with Crispy Prosciutto and Warm Apple Chutney recipe. Ralston utilized five Washington state ingredients – apples, peppers, pork, poultry and sweet onions – and paired the dish with Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay. As the grand prize winner, Ralston will receive an all-expense paid trip to New York City, where she will have the opportunity to cook with Flay and have dinner at one of the chef’s restaurants.

The nearly 700 recipe entries received were reviewed and 10 outstanding recipes were selected as semifinalists. These 10 recipes were then tasted and scored by Columbia Crest Winemaker Ray Einberger, Seattle Times food writer and local NPR food commentator Nancy Leson and the winery’s culinary director, John Sarich. The five recipes with the highest scores moved on to the final phase of judging. The finalist judging event took place at the Food Network test kitchen in New York City, where Flay and Food Network Sous Chef Miriam Garron, who regularly appears with Flay on the Food Network series, “Throw Down with Bobby Flay,” tasted and scored the five finalist recipes to determine the winners.

"I was impressed with the Chicken Curry Burger because it highlighted a number of Washington state ingredients in an original way and paired well with the suggested Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay," said Flay. "Overall, the dish had great flavor and was especially satisfying. I look forward to meeting the winner and spending time with her in my kitchen."

In second-place is the Lamb with Blackberry-Mint Sauce and Roasted Vegetables recipe submitted by Zoe Doll, a pianist from Clifton, N.J. The dish was paired with Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot and utilized Washington state apples, blackberries, lamb and potatoes. The third-place winner is Edwina Gadsby, a retiree from Great Falls, Mont., who submitted a recipe for Dungeness Crab and Sweet Corn Tart with Sautéed Chanterelles. This recipe utilized Washington state chanterelles, Dungeness crab, peppers and sweet onions. The suggested pairing for the dish is the Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay. The second- and third-place winners will receive an assortment of culinary-related items, including Columbia Crest stemware, items from the Bobby Flay at Kohl’s cookware line, a wine-essentials picnic basket and autographed copies of Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill cookbook.

"We are thrilled with all of the contest entries received, as it demonstrates that fans of Bobby Flay and Columbia Crest certainly have a passion for food and wine, as well as a creative flair for using Washington state ingredients," said Miles Johnson, senior product manager for Columbia Crest.

In May 2007, Columbia Crest and Flay announced their partnership to demonstrate how simple it is to have a great food and wine experience everyday. In addition to the contest, the partnership includes a Columbia Crest Grand Estates print advertising campaign staring Flay, as well as recipes and wine pairings created by Flay, which currently are featured on the Columbia Crest Web site.

About Columbia Crest In 2008, Columbia Crest Winery celebrates 25 years of winemaking in Washington state. Columbia Crest has grown from a small winery in a relatively unknown wine region to one of the most significant wineries in the United States and a major force behind Washington state’s emergence as a world-class wine region. In 2007, the Grand Estates Merlot was selected from a field of 15,000 wines as one of the “Top 100 Wines of the World” by Wine Spectator, marking the 14th “Top 100” placement for Columbia Crest in the past 10 years. More information about the winery can be found at columbia-crest.com.

About Bobby Flay Chef Bobby Flay’s critically acclaimed restaurants include New York’s Bar Americain; Bobby Flay Steak in the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City; and three outposts of his famed Mesa Grill in New York, Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and The Cove Atlantis in the Bahamas. A graduate of the French Culinary Institute, Flay also shares his enthusiasm for food through his cookbooks, most recently The Mesa Grill Cookbook, and a variety of national programs on the Food Network including the Emmy-winning “Boy Meets Grill.” Flay regularly informs audiences about seasonal, fresh dishes and ingredients as a food correspondent for “The Early Show” on CBS.

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For further information:
Erin Shane
425-415-3696
erin.shane@ste-michelle.com