Wine Country Big Q brings tasty meats to Petaluma

After spending its first five years farther north on Highway 101, the Wine Country Big Q has landed in Petaluma, where local foodies hope it stays for good.|

After spending its first five years farther north on Highway 101, the Wine Country Big Q has landed in Petaluma, where local foodies hope it stays for good. The WCBQ heats up the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds on July 9, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and holds the distinction of being Sonoma County’s only nationally sanctioned barbecue competition.

Pitmasters from across the country will compete for more than $9,000 in cash and prizes, the Grand Champion trophy and the possibility of moving on to the Kansas City Royale and the Jack Daniel’s Classic, two of the most prestigious barbecue competitions in the world.

There are subtle differences between barbecuing and grilling. Barbecuing relies on indirect heat, usually through the use of smokers, while grilling is what most of us do on our backyard Char- Broils, hibachis and Webers. The distinction is of the utmost importance to the teams that compete in Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) sanctioned events.

Guests at the Wine Country Big Q can marvel at the wide array of impressive homebuilt smokers, while tasting the pitmasters’ finger-licking good barbecue.

This writer was lucky enough to nab one of the judging spots at this year’s Wine Country Big Q, but only after attending a qualification class at the Mill Casino’s BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay in Coos Bay, Ore., learning how to properly judge a KCBS-sanctioned event, and judging that cook-off.

The KCBS standards and judging criteria have been finely tuned over the past couple of decades and involve more than simply stuffing one’s face with delicious barbecue. The competition is broken down into four categories - chicken, ribs (pork), pork shoulder (usually pulled pork) and beef brisket.

Pitmasters must compete in all four categories and time their completion to coincide perfectly with judging times, which is why they must be masters of all four meats and not simply a specialist of one.

New at this year’s Wine Country Big Q are a limited number of VIP tickets for entry into the Bull Pen, educational seminars and activities for kids. The Bull Pen will feature local distillers, including Sonoma County Distilling, Siddiqui Rum, Alley 6 Craft Distillery, Graton Distilling and American Craft Whiskey Distillery, plus complimentary wine and beer from Lagunitas.

Educational seminars include Petaluma native, celebrity chef, cookbook author and World Food champion Laurie Figone, who will demonstrate how to prepare her simple yet sensational PETE’S Grilled Corn Potato Salad. Jodie Lau of G&G Supermarket will be cooking with Chimichurri sauce and for those with an early bird ticket, Petaluma Poultry’s Chef Mark Johnston will present “Breakdown and Brine,” tutoring guests on how to break down a whole chicken, as well as how to properly brine in order to add flavor to any chicken dish.

As with most KCBS-sanctioned events, organizers often supplement the sanctioned portion with other non-sanctioned categories. This year’s Wine Country Big Q will also host competition categories such as the Winery Big Beef Challenge, Tailgater Team Challenge, Bold Bean Challenge and Bakin’ for Bacon Desert Challenge.

The Winery Big Beef Challenge gives wineries a chance to highlight their chef’s best beef dishes, coupled with wines from their cellars. The Tailgater Team Challenge is an opportunity for backyard barbecuers to compete in a chicken wing challenge. The Bakin’ for Bacon competition showcases the best bacon dessert.

Topping the list of local sponsors are Fishman Supply, G&G Supermarkets, Petaluma Poultry and Lagunitas Brewing Company.

Presale tickets are $45 ($50 at the door) and include a pound of award-winning barbecue, along with wine, beer and cider tastings, and music by Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn cover bands. Youth tickets are also available. Bull Pen VIP tickets are $75 and early bird entry plus Bull Pen tickets are $85.

Proceeds from the Wine Country Big Q benefit Sonoma County Vet Connect, a cost-free veteran’s assistance program helping vets get the service they have earned during their military service.

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