Sutter Home Family Vineyards Crowns 32nd Annual Build a Better Burger Recipe Contest Champion
$25,000 Grand Prize Awarded to Student-Teacher Sarah Grace Ralston of New Albany, Ohio for Italy-Inspired Via Napoli Burger
ST. HELENA, Calif., Oct. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sutter Home Family Vineyards, creator of the nation's longest running burger contest, today announced Sarah Grace Ralston of New Albany, Ohio as the Grand Prize Winner of its annual Build a Better Burger® Recipe Contest, an American tradition since 1990. Sutter Home awarded Ralston with a $25,000 cash prize after five culinary judges tasted and declared her Via Napoli Burger the winner at the annual live cook-off held at the historic Sutter Home Victorian Inn in Napa Valley. Five regional champions competed for the top prize, with recipes spanning the Char Siu Glazed Banh Mi Burgers with Pickled Carrots & Pork Pâté submitted by Chera Little of Austin, Texas to the Plant-Based Greek Perfection created by Kathleen McCarey of Tampa, Florida. All five semi-finalists received high praises from the judging panel, but only Ralston was awarded the enviable $25,000 grand prize that inspired hundreds of recipe entries during the contest's 32nd year.
The Via Napoli Burger recipe that won the hearts of the judging panel borrowed inspiration from the flavors of Italy. "I had just returned from a dream trip to Italy with my extended family and I was feeling inspired by the incredible bounty of wonderful flavors," Ralston recounted. "A highlight was a trip to Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Sun-ripened red tomatoes bursting with flavor, huge bright lemons, fresh rocket arugula and gorgeous Italian meats were everywhere I looked. Creating this burger was a fun way to celebrate my adventure."
Ralston's wine pairing came just as intuitively. "Personally, my all-time favorite Sutter Home wine is the Red Blend. I knew that it would pair perfectly with that Italian flavor. I just wanted to stick with my favorite. I knew it would pair perfectly and I just went with it." The live judging panel lauded the decision; following Ralston's announcement as winner, Chef Lars Kronmark of Culinary Institute of America praised, "The wine pairing with your burger was the best of all five."
Five judges comprised the judging panel: Ziggy Eschliman, @ziggythewinegal; Katie Hamilton Shaffer, @feastitforward; Chef Lars Kronmark, Culinary Institute of America; Liam Mayclem, Eye On The Bay & The Foodie Chap; and Liren Baker, @kitchconfidante. Each appreciated the burger's balance of flavors and rich inspiration from Italy's Naples and Amalfi Coast regions.
"The burger was really creative, with an extraordinary use of ingredients," Eschliman said. "I thought it had all the things, from start to finish; it was juicy, it was succulent, it was delicious, it was savory, with a little bit of sweet. It had everything that you would want. The creativity for me was really tops. Plus, it was Italian – it took me right there. It's the best way to get to Italy – every bite of it."
Mayclem concurred: "The burger delivered on everything that was promised. It was juicy, it was yummy, it was a party on the palate. You took us on a trip to Italy. You delivered on the name. All the other burgers were great in their own way; this one went over the top and delivered." Hamilton Shaffer put it even more simply, "No joke, I ate every bit of the burger. You are amazing. I loved it. I would have eaten five of them." Baker concluded, "Every burger was amazing, but yours had the wow factor. I cannot wait to make it at home over and over again."
Student-Teacher Ralston's well-deserved big check will be put to good use next school year. "I am currently student teaching in a first-grade classroom and I'm graduating in May," Ralston said. "I hope to have my own kindergarten or first-grade classroom, so I'm going to use the money to buy books for my students, buy a beautiful carpet for the classroom and just make it the most welcoming space possible for them."
The family-owned Napa Valley winery shares in Ralston's celebration. "The Sutter Home team couldn't be happier that Sarah took home the grand prize of this year's Build a Better Burger Recipe Contest," said Jennifer Hohman, director of marketing for Sutter Home. "We all join Sarah in raising a glass of her favorite Sutter Home Red Blend and we wish her all the best as she begins this next chapter of her exciting teaching career."
Sutter Home's Build a Better Burger Recipe Contest will once again open in spring 2023, for its 33rd year. All are encouraged to submit their favorite burger recipes for their chance to win $25,000. 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.
When the Trinchero family bought the Sutter Home Winery in 1948, they had vision, passion and a keen insight into consumer tastes. In the early 1970s, Sutter Home revolutionized the way Americans enjoyed wine when it created the first-ever White Zinfandel, introducing a new, sweeter style of wine—along with several other crowd-pleasing varietals—at an affordable price. By the 1980s and 1990s, Sutter Home became a household name as the second largest independent, family-owned winery in the United States. In 2005, the winery was the first to produce the groundbreaking single-serve, 187mL package in lightweight plastic bottles. Today, Sutter Home continues to reflect the evolution of its consumers, offering 24 different varietals in 750mL, 187mL and 1.5L bottles, plus 500mL Tetra Pak® packages. For more information visit www.SutterHome.com.
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