It is September and in Texas that means not only has school just started, so has many people's favorite past time- football! Pretty much my entire family (including my husband) are huge Dallas Cowboys fans and love to watch the games every Sunday. Something else that is overtly Texas, especially in the fall, is making big batches of chili and everyone has their own special recipe or twist on it. I know a lot of people (especially here in Texas!) do not believe that chili should include beans, but my favorite personal chili recipe is a spicy 3 bean chili. It is vegetarian, but will definitely keep you full with the protein of all the beans and will satisfy your palate with the nice kick of spice it produces. A great pairing with my spicy 3 bean chili is Riunite's Lambrusco. Lambruso actually goes well with pretty much anything, but the sweet, chilled red wine makes the absolute perfect pairing with a spicy chili.
Riunite knows how well their Lambrusco goes with chili and is hosting a nation wide chili cook-off contest in honor of that perfect pairing. The competition will take place in cities across the United States including Dallas, New Orleans, Baltimore, New York and Arizona among others and with the finals will be held in San Diego, California at Qualcomm Stadium. The first stop will be in Dallas, TX on September 28th and the last regional event will be held in Phoenix, Arizona on November 16. The 8 best chili cooks in the nation will then compete in the final on November 23, 2014 in San Diego. The grand prize winner will not only receive bragging rights about their chili, they will also receive a trip for 2 to the Big Game in February to Pheonix! The grand prize includes:
- Three nights at a deluxe hotel in Phoenix
- Roundtrip economy-class airfare to Phoenix
- Tickets to the Big Game on Sunday, February 1, 2015
- Pre-game hospitality
- A $250 pre-paid gift card
- Deluxe gift bags
