30th Anniversary
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2010 Spaghetti Western Pasta Cookoff!
Best Overall - Stephanie Henderson of Salinas
Crowd Favorite - Dan Thomas of San Juan BautistaThank you all for coming and we'll look forward to seeing you next year!
Hundreds of guests turned out at the Hahn family’s Santa Lucia Highlands estate on Saturday, June 26, 2010, to celebrate the winery’s 30th anniversary with a fete dubbed Spaghetti Western.
The theme was a nod to the estate’s ranch roots. Now home to vineyards, it was once the site of the Smith and Hook horse and cattle ranches. Nicky and Gaby Hahn took the property’s reins in the mid-1970s and released their first wine, Smith & Hook Cabernet Sauvignon, in 1980.
There was plenty of Smith & Hook Cabernet Sauvignon on hand for Spaghetti Western, but partygoers also tasted wines from several of the family’s other labels, including Hahn Winery, Hahn SLH Estate and Huntington.
There was no shortage of entertainment. The Sons of Bakersfield got several guests on the dance floor, while others braved a mechanical bull, tried their hand at calf roping and sent guns blazing in a shooting gallery.
The day’s highlight was a pasta sauce cookoff. Five contestants did their best to win the votes of the celebrity judge, renowned cookbook author James McNair, as well as the crowd. Sauces were evaluated on how well they paired with Hahn Winery’s signature varietal, Pinot Noir. After several gallons of sauce had been ladled over more than 100 pounds of pasta, Hahn Family Wines President Bill Leigon announced the winners: Stephanie Henderson of Salinas was McNair’s pick for top chef, while the crowd chose Dan Thomas of San Juan Bautista as their favorite. Henderson and Thomas are both wine club members.
The inaugural Spaghetti Western party and pasta sauce cookoff was such a success that we’ve decided to make it an annual event. Stay tuned for details!
