Mohegan Sun Newsroom

Chef Showdown, a Grape Stomp competition and the 7th Annual Mohegan Sun Oyster Open take place during the weekend’s Grand Tasting

 A culinary face-off, mashed grapes and oyster shucking will highlight a competition-filled weekend during SUN WINEFEST 2010. A variety of events will take place on Saturday, January 30th and Sunday, January 31st including the 6th Annual Chef Showdown, 7th Annual Mohegan Sun Oyster Open and the first-ever Grape Stomp competition.

Sponsored by Hatfield® the 6th Annual Chef Showdown kicks off Saturday, January 30th at 1:45pm on the main stage in the Uncas Ballroom during the Grand Tasting. Chefs who submit the most creative, unique and inspiring recipe utilizing Hatfield® Flat Iron Pork Sirloin and Quick Ribs will be chosen as finalists to  prepare their dishes for a chance to take home $4,000, an exclusive VIP stay at Mohegan Sun, a custom Championship Chef’s Coat and a feature in an upcoming issue of Hartford Magazine. Second place will take home a $1,000 prize. Aspiring chefs and culinary enthusiasts can still enter their original recipes for a chance to compete. Visit sunwinefest.com/chefs for registration.

Following the 6th Annual Chef Showdown, Sun WineFest’s first-ever Grape Stomp sponsored by [yellow tail] ® begins at 4:15pm, January 30th, on the main stage. Teams will kick off their shoes and have three minutes to channel their inner Lucille Ball and stomp out as much grape juice as they can. To enter, potential participants can contact Event Director, Vicky Cirilli at 860.874.7742. First place will win $1,500, an overnight stay at Mohegan Sun and a complimentary dinner for two at Todd English’s Tuscany. Second place will take home $1,000 and third will receive $500.00, respectively. The SUN WINEFEST 2010 Grape Stomp will benefit the American Diabetes Association. 

Finally SUN WINEFEST 2010 concludes the action during the 7th Annual Mohegan Sun Oyster Open sponsored by Bud Light. Elite shuckers from the best restaurants, raw bars and shellfish and seafood companies on the Eastern Seaboard will compete to take down last year’s champion William “Chopper” Young of Wellfleet, MA at 4:15pm in the Uncas Ballroom on January 31st. The deadline for Oyster Open registration is January 1st. For more information, please visit sunwinefest.com/oyster_open.

All three competitions can be viewed during the Grand Tasting. Tickets for the Grand Tasting are $70.00 for a one-day pass and $110.00 for a weekend pass and may be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, over the phone at 1.800.745.3000 or in-person at Mohegan Sun’s Box Office.  The Grand Tasting runs from 12:00pm – 5:00pm on January 30th and 31st.

SUN WINEFEST 2009 is a production of Life Marketing and Events, a West Hartford, Connecticut-based, full service firm that specializes in marketing, event management and production, public relations, sponsorship, advertising sales, creative design, promotions, publishing and more.

Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribe, is one of the largest, most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and meeting destinations in the United States.  Situated on 240 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country.  More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting mohegansun.com.

Connecticut native Veronica Ballestrini to take the stage with a free performance and signing event on October 8th

Southeastern Connecticut native and singing sensation Veronica Ballestrini takes the stage in The Shops at Mohegan Sun on  Thursday, October 8th. The aspiring Country singer and songwriter will perform songs from her debut album, entitled What I’m All About, at 7:00pm, followed by a signing event at 7:30pm.

Nicknamed “V,” Ballestrini and her popularity have beaconed over the past four years with an emphatic following that has amassed 11.5 million plays on MySpace, with over 120,000 followers and 7.5 million page views. Ballestrini’s Pop-Country sound has generated a wave of praise from a variety of outlets including The New York Times, MusicRow.com, The New London Day, YallWire.com and Aristopr.com. Notable appearances include a visit to the Country Music Awards, the Wagon Wheel Country Music Festival, Country AirCheck, Nashville Songwriters Association International, Country Weekly Magazine and Music Row Magazine. Marie Claire Magazine also profiled her earlier this year as one of six Nashville artists to watch for. Her debut album is available now at SpinStreet in The Shops at Mohegan Sun.   

Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribe, is one of the largest, most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and meeting destinations in the United States.  Situated on 240 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country.  More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting mohegansun.com.  

Weekend festivities feature culinary events, seminars and the Grand Tasting at Mohegan Sun on January 30 and 31, 2010

SUN WINEFEST, New England’s most spectacular wine and food event, returns to Mohegan Sun Saturday, January 30th and Sunday, January 31, 2010. 

The weekend’s main event is the Grand Tasting, which will be held in the Convention Center from 12:00pm to 5:00pm on Saturday, January 30th and Sunday, January 31st.  Sample more than 1,000 fine wines provided by international wineries and specialty beers from breweries and beer companies from around the world.  Exhibitors showcasing related services such as wine storage, culinary accessories and specialty foods will also be featured.  Guests will have the opportunity to ask questions, hear commentary from the winemakers and experts, and enjoy delicacies from some of the region’s finest restaurants by purchasing tasting portions of signature dishes at a nominal rate.

Tickets for the Grand Tasting are $70.00 for a one-day pass and $110.00 for a weekend pass.  They go on sale at the Mohegan Sun Box Office and through Ticketmaster Monday, September 14th.  Ticketmaster customers may purchase online at ticketmaster.com, over the phone at 800.745.3000, or at any Ticketmaster outlet.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

SUN WINEFEST attendees will also have the opportunity to add to their experience by attending a series of interesting and educational seminars on a variety of topics.  Tickets for seminars will be offered at an additional cost and are available at sunwinefest.com.

Mohegan Sun’s Executive Chef, Michael Luboff, is pleased to host Mohegan Sun’s own celebrity restaurateurs, Bobby Flay, Todd English and Jasper White who will be joined by an impressive lineup of culinary personalities.  Celebrity chefs will be featured in cooking demonstrations all weekend on the Main Stage located in the Grand Tasting along with other entertaining presentations.

To further complement the SUN WINEFEST experience, Saturday night will feature a fundraiser to benefit The Connecticut Sports Foundation Against Cancer.  The evening features a Celebrity Chef Dine Around, giving guests the opportunity to be served delectable dishes prepared by world-famous chefs, television celebrities and cookbook authors.  Each dish will be paired with extraordinary wines and many talented winemakers will be on-hand.  The evening culminates with an elaborate dessert display presented by Mohegan Sun’s Executive Pastry Chef Lynn Mansel.  Tickets for the event are $175.00, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting The Connecticut Sports Foundation Against Cancer, a non-profit-IRS 501(C)(3) corporation chartered by the State of Connecticut whose mission is to provide economic assistance and compassionate aid to Connecticut cancer patients and their families and raise funds for cancer research.  Because CSF is one of only a handful of organizations in Connecticut that provides financial assistance directly to cancer patients and their families, they are inundated with more applications for assistance than they can fulfill. Their long-term goal is to never have to turn anyone away.

New for 2010 — Introducing the Elite Cru Tasting in The Cabaret Theatre hosted by Contessa Premium Foods on Saturday from 3:00pm – 5:00pm.  An exclusive opportunity for wine lovers of all levels to enjoy the “best of the best” from vineyards all over the world.  From the experienced to the curious palate, taste some of the world’s finest wines.  Speak with vintners and discover your new favorite grape.

Reserve your space now for this ultimate event.  The Elite Cru Tasting will offer select vintages from premium wineries (Silver Oak Napa Valley, Antinori Solaia, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23, Duckhorn Three Palms Vineyard Merlot, to name a few) accompanied by Contessa Premium Shrimp.

Tickets to the Celebrity Chef Dine Around and Elite Cru Tasting are on sale now at sunwinefest.com or by calling Life Marketing and Events at 860.953.0444 ext. 144. 

For more information on individual seminars, the Elite Cru Tasting, the Celebrity Chef Dine Around charity gala, special trade rates and hours and area hotel information, visit sunwinefest.com or call Life Marketing and Events at 860.953.0444 ext. 144. 

SUN WINEFEST 2010 is a production of Life Marketing and Events, a West Hartford, Connecticut-based, full service firm that specializes in marketing, event management and production, public relations, sponsorship, advertising sales, creative design, promotions, publishing and more.

Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribe, is one of the largest, most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and meeting destinations in the United States.  Situated on 240 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country.  More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting mohegansun.com.