HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FOOD & WINE CLASSIC IN ASPEN

Once again, the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen (the 28th) provided numerous prime opportunities to meet winemakers and winery owners and to discover new wines. While there always are discoveries to be made in the Grand Tasting Tent and enlightenment to be gained from the seminars, this year I especially enjoyed the special events that typically surround the main program.

As always, the Classic kicked off Thursday evening with the Welcome Reception, hosted again by Trinchero Family Estates. It’s always fun for people watching and celebrity sighting and, of course, for a chance to say “hi” to Gabby and Mark. As for the wines, Amador County Zinfandels from Terra d’Oro and a Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc from Joel Gott (Napa winemaker and owner of Taylor’s Refresher gourmet burger joints) were particular standouts. The Gott wines showed good varietal fruit, while the Terra d’Oro wines were typically hearty and intense.

Next, Wines from Spain sponsored a Spanish-style barbecue at an amazing Aspen home that was hosted by acclaimed chef Jose Andres. So, of course, we got another chance to see Gabby and Mark. Wonderful Spanish cheeses, tapas and even a roast pig were accompanied by a half dozen crisp, Albarinos from Rias Baixa and several flavorful, tempranillo-based reds from Ribera del Duero. My favorite reds were 2006 Emina, 2004 Protos Reserva, and 2004 Pago de los Capellanes. Spain has had a strong presence at the Classic for many years, both through seminars and The Spanish Tent, which featured many great wines too numerous to cover here.

Thursday night’s dinner at Jimmy’s was hosted by Ferrer Wine Estates and featured several sparklers from their extensive line of Cava. It is, after all, the success of Freixenet Cava that made the Ferrer family fortune. The workhorse Feixenet Cordon Negro Brut and the Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad (love that pewter trimmed bottle) were solid appetizers, while the new Elyssia ultra premium Cava from Feixenet (Gran Cuvee Brut and Pinot Noir Brut) showed themselves as good additions to the portfolio. We also were treated to bubbly from the family’s Gloria Ferrer California operation. The new “Va di Vi” was full of fruit and I couldn’t help but take second and third helpings of the tête de cuvee 1999 Carneros Cuvee.

Friday lunch was all about beer, or I should say bière. “Tails and Ales: Where Belgian Beers meet Louisiana Crawfish” hosted by Stella Artois provided a distinctive and actually welcome respite from hours of wine tasting. Hosted by Chef John Besh (his Besh Restaurant Group owns six restaurants in southern Louisiana) and Master Beer Sommelier Marc Stroobandt, we were treated to six courses featuring differing preparations of crawfish! As good as they all were, I was quite relieved dessert came sans tails. As for the beers, it was fun to experiment with matching the different styles – Stella Artois (light, crisp European Pilsner), Hoegaarden (citrusy, malty unfiltered Belgian white) and Leffe Blonde (spicy, malty Belgian Abbey Ale) – with each dish.

And Friday night? Three more parties! The night began with Banfi Vintners, “Five Great Chefs & Stellar Wines” party at the Grand Aspen. I especially enjoyed Banfi’s new wine called Belnero (Tuscan sangiovese), Emiliana’s Coyam (a biodynamic Argentinean blend of mostly syrah, cabernet sauvignon, carmenere, and merlot), and Banfi Rosa Regale (a delightful Brachetto d'Acqui that paired beautifully with Jacques Torres handmade chocolate).

Then it was off to the Aspen Art Gallery to “cleanse” my palate with The Macallan Scotch, specifically the Fine Oak line of single malt scotches. For the Scotch drinker, you can’t do much better than the highly praised 12, 18, 21, and 30 Years Old Fine Oak Single Malt Scotches. The Fine Oak Scotches are matured in European and American casks that previously held Sherry or bourbon. I found this produced an amazingly elegant, complex whiskey suggestive of dried fruit in the nose and vanilla, almond and honey in the mouth.

After that, it was back to the Hyatt for Old Bridge Cellars’ “Infamous Aussie Winemaker” party. The festivities were hosted by Chester Osborn (Fourth Generation Winemaker of d’Arenberg Winery, John Duvall (Founder/Winemaker John Duvall Wines and former Winemaker for Penfolds Grange), and Nathan Waks (Proprietor/Managing Director of Killikanoon). It was a real privilege to be able to engage in casual conversation with these icons of Australian wine. And there wines didn’t disappoint. There was an amazing array of fantastic juice to be had. Just a few of the ones that stood out to me included Duval’s Plexus (GSM), Entity (old vine shiraz), and Eligo (the flagship shiraz); Killikanoon’s Prodigal (Grenache), Killerman’s Run (shiraz-grenache), Oracle (shiraz), and Black’s Road (cabernet sauvignon); and last but certainly not least d’Arenberg’s Mourvedre, Ironstone Pressings (GSM), Magpie (shiraz viognier), and The Dead Arm (shiraz).

The climax of the event Saturday night, of course, was the Best New Chefs Dinner. It was especially fun this year to see Denver’s Alex Seidel honored for his work at Fruition Restaurant. It was also a treat that the dinner featured wines from Beringer. The Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir showed well as usual, as did the Alluvium Blanc. But it was extra special to be able to drink a few of Beringer’s top-of-the-line wines: Bancroft Ranch Merlot, Private Reserve Chardonnay and Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

The real treat though was being able to celebrate Alex Seidel for his achievement in being recognized by Food & Wine as one of America’s Best New Chefs. I had a sought an interview with Alex and was glad I did. I’ve always appreciated the purity and impeccable simplicity of his food and the amicable attentiveness of Fruition’s staff. This clearly comes from Alex’s (and his partner Paul Atardi’s) commitment to quality. That commitment really came through in the interview. He long has worked with local producers to source top quality ingredients and now has partnered to purchase a farm near Larkspur to help supply the restaurant. Two other elements came through in the interview that attest to Alex’s (and Fruition’s) current and future success: his focus on every situation as an opportunity to learn and improve and his relationship with his cooks and wait staff as one of a community all working together for the same purpose.

Finally, I very much enjoyed another interview opportunity with Bob Mosby, General Manager for Benovia. Bob is a retired psychologist who joined his friends Joe Anderson and Mary Dewane (who had purchased the Cohn vineyard in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley and supplied grapes to others for several years) in 2005, when they purchased a prime Pinot Noir vineyard (it had previously supplied Williams Selyem and Kosta Browne) with an existing winery and decided to produce their own wine. Importantly, Mike Sullivan, who had great success at Hartford Court before coming to Benovia, joined the project as co-owner and Winemaker. They now produce about 3000 cases of Pinot Noir (65%), Chardonnay (25%) and Zinfandel (10%).

I sampled several 2008 wines: Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, La Pommeraie Vineyard Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, Cohn Vineyard Pinot Noir, Bella Una Pinot Noir, and La Pommeraie Vineyard Pinot Noir. Bob (and his charming wife Jeannie who had joined us) proved a delightful interview. And from the taste of the wines, I fully expect Benovia to emerge as one of California’s top Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producers. And I can’t wait to try their Zinfandel someday. There were many more amazing experiences at the Classic but I think you get the idea. Once again, the Food & Wine brought an amazing world of food and wine to Aspen, combining education and pleasure in the magazine’s unique way.