Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/776532
january/february 2017 / the tasting panel / 103 THE 2016 Napa Valley Film Festival opened with a bang last November, its opening night film, Lion, now a contender for two dozen awards. From high- profile premieres in Yountville to intimate indie screenings in Calistoga, the California air was abundant with celebrities and celebration. But big screen stars weren't the only ones deserving of the spotlight. We sipped and savored creations from a host of food and bev- erage producers over the five day fest that, in its sixth year, included wine tastings, culi- nary demos and 120 new film screenings in a dozen venues sprinkled throughout Napa Valley. (Read about the Film Festival Gala on page 98.) Food critic Paolo Lucchesi, director Robert Liano, director Joel David Moore, actress Madeline Zima and Food Network Chef Tyler Florence served as panelists for Variety's "10 to Taste" event, presented by Food Network and Cooking Channel at the Napa Valley Film Festival last year. PHOTO: CHUCK HALL/PICTURE GROUP CRAFTSMEN: CHEFS & OWNERS The Culinary Stage also featured a "sliders and Stella Artois" demo, hosted by Kenmore Executive Chef Kari Karch. The upbeat Chicago- based chef has two decades of experience in the culinary industry under her belt and hosts the brand's sponsored events as its spokesperson and ambassador. Karch spent an early morning crafting a brunch spread for a hungry hoard of roving reporters, including yours truly. An intimate party of 1,500 attendees joined dozens of wine, beer, spirits and food purveyors to celebrate with live bands at The Festival Gala at the Lincoln Theatre in Yountville. Chefs from restaurants new and estab- lished served up samples of film-inspired fare, following an awards ceremony for juried and audience favorites. Yountville's Chef Bob Hurley, owner of Hurley's Restaurant, served up braised wild Texas boar over truffle-scented polenta with crisp housemade onion strings at the Napa Valley Film Festival Gala at the Lincoln Theatre in Yountville. His white tablecloth restaurant is known for its Mediterranean fare. PHOTO: ALEXANDER RUBIN CREATIVES: CELEBS & FILMMAKERS At Variety's "10 to Taste" event, presented by Food Network and Cooking Channel, ten Napa Valley chefs served dishes inspired by iconic movie scenes, such as chefs and Oenotri alums Ethan Speizer and Josh Balague's "lamb som tum" inspired by The Princess Bride. After the ticketed walk-around tasting that featured selections from Terlato Wine Group, a star-studded panel discussed their favorite dishes and the intersection of filmmaking and food at the Riverfront Promenade in downtown Napa. Speaking on the synchronicity between film and food, chef and television host Tyler Florence reflected on his decades in the hospitality industry, offering sage advice to young creatives: "Your ambition and your ability will be off kilter early on in your career, but you have to get up each day and do it again and again and again. One day, you'll look in the mirror and realize, 'Today is the day I'm good.'"