A play on the Iron Chef Television show, the Iron Vintner Challenge at Willows Lodge is half over, but there are still tickets available for the final challenge and the winemaker dinner. The culinary competition pits local winemakers against one another in a battle for the title of Iron Vintner, ending in a championship winemaker dinner at Barking Frog benefiting Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center.

This iron chef competition is played in front of a live audience on the patio at Willows Lodge. During each competition the audience is in the middle of the action watching as participating winemakers strategize, cook and compete against their rival. The competition begins as each winemaker and their partner are given a box of products selected by Chef Moore from which to create an appetizer and an entrée in 60 minutes.

When Chris Gorman, owner and winemaker of Gorman Winery, trounced Chris Sparkman of Sparkman Cellars in Round One of the competition, Chef Moore’s surprise ingredient was pork. Gorman won his with pork tacos and a pork belly entrée.

 Tickets the cooking competition is $35 per person and includes tastes from each winery competing that night. Tickets for the final Championship Winemaker Dinner are $135 per person. Willows Lodge will extend a special 15 percent discount on the best available room rate for Iron Vintner Challenge attendees to stay overnight on the Wednesday evening of the competition. Visit www.willowslodge.com for additional information and tickets.