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.