Sutter Home Family Vineyards Kicks Off 29th Annual Build A Better Burger Recipe Contest

Finalists from 28th Annual Contest to Compete for $25,000 Grand Prize on May 2

ST. HELENA, Calif., April 2, 2019 – Sutter Home Family Vineyards today announced the opening of its 29th annual Build a Better Burger National Recipe Contest® – the nation’s longest‐running burger contest – for a chance to win the $25,000 grand prize. Sutter Home invites burger enthusiasts of all skill levels from home cooks to grill masters to enter their winning burger recipes and wine pairings now through July 31. Semi‐finalists will face off at one of five regional tailgate party cook‐offs prior to MLB games taking place August and September. Finalists will compete at a live cook‐off in Napa Valley in October at the historic Sutter Home Inn in St. Helena, California. Only one winner will come home with the enviable $25,000 grand prize that inspires thousands of recipe entries throughout the year. Contestants may enter at https://sutterhome.com/build-a-better-burger/.

As the 29th annual contest kicks off, Sutter Home’s 28th annual contest finalists are preparing for their grand finale in Napa Valley on May 2. In one month, these five contestants will turn up the heat to win the favor of the event’s live panel of VIP judges with their mouth‐watering recipes:

Recipe: Norse Style Pork Sliders with Red Onion Mulled Wine Jam
Wine Pairing: Sutter Home Pinot Noir
Created by: Crystal Schlueter of Babbitt, Minnesota

Recipe: The Cherry Best Burger
Wine Pairing: Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon
Created by: Jill Gilber of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Recipe: Peruvian‐Inspired Burgers with Green Sauce & Quick‐Pickled Red Onions
Wine Pairing: Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc
Created by: Julie Beckwith of Crete, Illinois

Recipe: The Big Texan: Fried Green Tomato Burger
Wine Pairing: Sutter Home Pinot Grigio
Created by: Rebecka Evans of Pearland, Texas

Recipe: Red Rub Bacon Swiss Burger
Wine Pairing: Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon
Created by: Tyler Norby of Portland, Oregon

The fate of these five finalists is in the hands of acclaimed culinary judges based on the recipe’s taste, creativity, ease of preparation and proposed wine pairing:

• Douglas Keane, Roadhouse 29 chef
• Casey Thompson, Top Chef alumni
• Lauren Katz, 27th annual Build a Better Burger cook‐off winner
• Kevin Kolman, Weber Grill Master
• Karen Cakebread, ZIATA wines owner and founder

27th annual Build a Better Burger Grand Prize winner Lauren Katz of Ashburn, Virginia is thrilled to return as a judge to help name her successor. Katz received Sutter Home’s $25,000 cash prize for her innovative Scampi Prawn Sliders – a prize well deserved for her sixth Build a Better Burger entry. “Winning Build a Better Burger felt amazing. It had been a pipedream of mine for a long time,” Katz said. On her journey to the finish line, Katz added, “It’s a lot of work that goes into these things, and into this burger, in particular. It’s a tiny little burger, but it’s a big story – it’s a creation.”

Sutter Home marketing director Brie Wohld is also looking forward to crowning this year’s champion. “As a 70+ year old family‐owned business, Sutter Home values time‐honored traditions that bring family and friends together like our Build a Better Burger Recipe Contest. We at Sutter Home are immensely proud to kick off our 29th year of this competition which supports those who dare to dream and share our love of Sutter Home Family Vineyards,” Wohld said.

Like Sutter Home Family Vineyards, Build a Better Burger is an American tradition and the embodiment of the American Dream. For additional information on the contest or to access past Sutter Home Build a Better Burger recipes along with wine pairing suggestions, visit www.sutterhome.com.