Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/646914
102 / the tasting panel / march 2016 EVENT RECAP Tackling Hunger TASTE OF THE NFL HOLDS ITS 25TH ANNUAL "PARTY WITH A PURPOSE" W hen taste of the NFL held its 25th annual "Party with a Purpose" on February 6 near San Francisco, attendees gobbled up delicious tastes provided by 39 top chefs from around the country. Each dish was paired with tasty wines from E. & J. Gallo's premium portfolio. NFL stars, past and present, manned every food station, signing autographs and smiling for photos. TNFL is the only pre–Super Bowl party officially sanctioned by the league and the only one with a solely charitable purpose. One hundred percent of proceeds get divided evenly among food banks in all 32 NFL cities plus Canton, OH, home to the NFL Hall of Fame. E. & J. Gallo has been involved with TNFL for 21 years. Gina Gallo has served on its Board of Directors for 18. "I learned so much being at the dinner table with my parents and grandparents," she tells me. "How many kids don't have that opportunity? We want to help. It's the foundation of America," she adds. "Coming together to help each other. We innately want to do good, to give back." TNFL and the E. & J. Gallo Winery also raise funds year-round. In the months leading up to the Super Bowl, Gallo's by-the-glass program—sup- ported by more than 1,000 Bay Area restaurants—kicks in a meal per bottle sold. That resulted in more than 90,000 meals this winter alone. TNFL is an on-going commitment for chefs and teams too. According to Chef Deb Paquette of Etch restaurant, Nashville, "We have to earn our way to each Super Bowl party by raising money in our own community throughout the year. Every NFL team raises funds too." Chef Paquette's dish, andouille bacon on a green tomato slice with strawberry gelée, pickled shallot, masa crème fraîche and pepita brittle, was delicious with the MacMurray Estate Vineyards Russian River Pinot Noir. The funded food banks will distribute four million meals thanks to this year's event. The long-term impact has been huge. "It's amazing," says TNFL Founder/ Executive Director Wayne Kostroski. "We've been so fortunate to come up with a hit. Over the years, we've created more than 190 million meals." Chef Jean-Robert de Cavel of Jean-Robert's Table in Cincinnati says, "I've been involved since 2000, and I will never miss a year." Eight-year partici- pant, Denver Broncos Hall of Famer Karl Mecklenburg says, "There are so many parties. This is the one which makes a difference every year." by Fred Swan / photos by Hardy Wilson Gina Gallo, Director of Winemaking for E. & J. Gallo, serves wine at Taste of the NFL's 25th annual "Party with a Purpose." Andouille bacon and green tomato crudo, Fresno strawberry gelée, pickled shallot, masa crème fraîche, pepita brittle from Chef Deb Paquette of Etch, located in Nashville, TN. Left to right: Hall of Fame San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dave Wilcox and TNFL founder and Executive Director Wayne Kostroski.