Q ain’t for quaint at the seventh annual Wine Country Big Q (1-5 p.m., July 8). This is a rib-tastic, porkapalooza of hardcore barbecue pit posses, itching for some Kansas City gold. The only KC-sanctioned event in Wine Country, this is the mac daddy of barbecue cook-offs, with trained judges and serious teams vying for cash prizes and bragging rights.
In addition to the ‘cue pros, wineries will also go head to head with the Big Beef Challenge to find the best tri-tip (paired, of course with their wines), local firehouses will let ‘er rip with the Bold Bean Challenge–a competition for the best barbecued beans, plus there’s the Bakin’ for Bacon sweet and savory dessert-off, spirits tasting and cooking demos.
Attendees are offered up a full pound of meat, should they accept the challenge, and it’s fairly likely you’ll be nursing some serious meat sweats the next day.
The Wine Country Big Q has expanded to the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds in Petaluma for plenty of finger-licking, sauce-swigging fun, and tickets are available for $50 for general admission and $75 for “Bull Pen” VIP tickets that include special samplings of wine, beer and spirits.
Details online at winecountrybigq.com.
You got a glass to fill with all the beer and wine samples you cared to have. Guayaki was also there sampling their Yerba Mate drinks. The sudsy drinks were being filled to the brim all afternoon. You also got 8 tickets to exchange for pretty hefty samples – I didn’t even use all of mine. The drumsticks used for the Tailgaters category averaged about 1/4 pound a piece and you got one for a ticket. There was also an awesome dessert category. I had the deconstructed apple pie with caramel bourbon sauce. It was a size you would probably pay 2 – 3 bucks for at a nice shop. You could also buy more food tickets and other food items. The event benefited Vet Connect of Sonoma County. It was a pretty awesome event.
Costco two tickets 70 bucks.
“$50” bucks a person? WOW!! If this is a fundraiser, of which I find no mention of, maybe worth it, but “$50” bucks a person is quite expensive for one meal!