December 29, 2003–Murphys, California – Entries from professional chefs are now being accepted for the 7th annual Ironstone Vineyards, A Spring Obsession Recipe Contest. Every March, Ironstone Vineyards celebrates the release of the new vintage of their Obsession Symphony wine with a weekend festival that brings food, wine, art and nature together at the Ironstone Vineyards winery, located in the historic gold rush town of Murphys, California.

Ironstone’s A Spring Obsession event is one of the region’s premier celebrations, drawing thousands of visitors and participants from around the world for a weekend of activities, including a professional chefs recipe contest, a juried art exhibition and an internationally recognized daffodil show, as well as a showcase of over 100,000 daffodils and other spring flowers in bloom throughout the winery facility and gardens. Professional chefs compete in the categories of best entrée and dessert, to be paired with Ironstone’s Obsession Symphony wine. Winners will be awarded a cash prize, and are flown to Ironstone Vineyards to take place in the festivities on March 20 & 21, 2004, including a public demonstration of their winning recipes in the Ironstone Culinary Center.

The winning chefs will be guests of honor, and the winning recipes will be served at the Winners Circle Award Dinner and Ceremony, a four course winemaker dinner which also celebrates the award winners in the A Spring Obsession Art Competition. Recipe winners will also be mentioned in nationally and regionally distributed press releases, attracting valuable publicity for the chefs. Recipes will be judged on their ability to take advantage of the unique flavor of Ironstone’s Obsession Symphony wine as well as their versatility for banquet style and home preparation.

A winner of numerous awards and much praise, Obsession Symphony is a light bodies wine with a floral bouquet and a delicious taste that is incomparable to any other white wine on the market. A highly versatile wine with an illusion of sweetness, it pairs with many types of cuisine and is an exceptional complement to spicy dishes.

Chefs may enter their original recipes in either one or both categories. Entries are due at Ironstone Vineyards no later than January 31, 2004 and winners will be notified no later than February 13, 2004. Winning Chefs must be available for public relations appearances and interviews, award celebrations and the cooking demonstrations at Ironstone Vineyards on March 20 & 21. For an entry form, regulations related to the contest or further information, chefs should contact their local Ironstone distributor or Executive Chef Dan Lewis by telephone at 209-728-1251 or email chefdan@ironstonevineayrds.com For Media Information regarding A Spring Obsession or General Winery Information, contact Zac Apley, Facility Marketing and Public Relations at 209-728-1251 or email Zac Apley zapley@ironstonevineyards.com.