Food, Wine and Cycling: Napa Valley's Bottega Gran Fondo Returns

The Bottega Gran Fondo is set for a second tour of the Napa Valley, April 25 and 26.

Famed Chef Michael Chiarello will host the weekend-long experience with help from former Tour de France winner and World Champion Cadel Evans, plus VIP guests including 17 time Tour De France competitor George Hincapie and legend Andy Hampsten.

The Bottega Gran Fondo embodies Chiarello’s passion for riding, food and wine, bringing together notable cycling, culinary and celebrity personalities such as Brian Boitano, Olympic gold medal figure skater, and Summer Sanders, Olympic gold medal swimmer. The event also serves to support Clinic Ole Community Health, Napa Valley Bike Coalition, Napa Valley Vine Trail and for 2015, the Davis Phinney Foundation.

“I was in Italy for Pinarello’s Gran Fondo, half-way up an especially gruelling climb, and searching for extra motivation,” said Chef Chiarello. “The image of Hampsten persevering in the snow over the Gavia during the Giro--the sheer epicness of it--gave me a little something extra. Cycling has been such a positive force in my life. With Napa Valley as the backdrop, I wanted to honor that particular experience by sharing a chef’s vision of cycling and ‘breaking bread’ with my friends and guests.”

The 2015 VIPs:

Chefs

• Matt Accarrino, SPQR (San Francisco)
• Dave Beran, NEXT (Chicago)
• John McConnell, Clif Family Winery (St. Helena)
• Seamus Mullen, Tertulia and El Comado (New York)
• Ned Bell, Four Seasons (Vancouver)
• Chocolatier Chris Kollar and dessert chef Kara Lind

Winemakers

• Sarah Gott, Gott Wines (Napa Valley)
• Doug Shafer, Shafer Vineyards (Napa Valley)
• Steve Reynolds, Reynolds Family Winery (Napa Valley)
• Brian Larky, Della Terra (Los Angeles)
• Carlton McCoy, Little Nell (Aspen)
• Bobby Stuckey, Frasca (Boulder)

Cyclists

• Cadel Evans
• George Hincapie
• Andy Hampsten
• Tim Johnson
• Robin Farina
• Chris Carmichael
• Davis Phinney
• Connie Carpenter
• Bob Roll

Key sponsors of the Bottega Gran Fondo include Lexus, Delta, Aleve, Pinarello, Giordana and Clif Family Winery.