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Best High-Altitude Fall/Late Summer Festivals

July 31, 2022 by evebushman

For those looking to elevate their summer/fall festival adventures – go up. High-altitude mountain festivals means iconic views, cooler temperatures and oftentimes less crowds (though you have to watch your alcohol consumption at high elevations!).

We put together a list of our favorite late summer/fall food/beverage and movie festivals that are over 8,000 feet of elevation –

Vail Wine Classic (8,150’, August 11-13): The Vail Wine Classic includes “Vail Uncorked Dinner Series” featuring five-course dinners at Vail’s top restaurants, a Somm-led “Argentine Experiences Hike” that culminates with a three-course paired lunch, a seminar about RIEDEL’s’s varietal-specific glassware, and much more. Vail Wine Classic brings master winemakers and wine enthusiasts together for an immersive three-day tasting event that includes all-inclusive tastings of diverse and distinctive wines from around the world and a-la-carte events.

Breckenridge Wine Classic (9,600’, Sept. 15-17): In addition to the iconic Grand Tasting sessions that feature hundreds of wineries, breweries, distilleries, and epicurean purveyors, the Breckenridge Wine Classic’s innovative lineup includes a “Winemaker for a Day” experience, “Wine & Wildflower Hike,” and exquisite paired dinners with some of the country’s best vintners at five standout Breckenridge restaurants, including one at the ski resort.

Vail Oktoberfest (8,150’, Sept 9-11 + Sept. 16-18): The beloved Vail Oktoberfest is a Bavarian extravaganza of competitions, costume contests, German delicacies, flowing German beer, traditional music and dance, children’s entertainment and more. This free, family-friendly event was named among the 10 greatest Oktoberfest celebrations in the U.S. by USA Today.

Telluride Film Festiva l (8,750’, Sept. 2-5) – Each Labor Day weekend, the tiny mountain village of Telluride, Colorado triples in size. Swells of passionate film enthusiasts flood the town for four days of total cinematic immersion, embarking on a viewing odyssey, blissfully spending entire days in flickering dark rooms.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: beer, beer event, breweries, distillery, festival, glasses, restaurant, restaurants, riedel, varietal, vineyard, vintner, wine dinner, wine fest, wine festival, wine glass, wine glasses, Wine tasting, winemaker, winemakers, wineries

Breckenridge Wine Classic Announcements

July 17, 2022 by evebushman

GOLDEN, Colo. – The Eighth Annual Breckenridge Wine Classic (September 15-17) has announced details regarding its innovative lineup including a “Winemaker for a Day” experience, “Wine & Wildflower Hike,” and exquisite paired dinners with some of the country’s best vintners at five standout Breckenridge restaurants, including one at the ski resort. Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the Breckenridge Wine Classic is a three-day festival anchored by the two-day Grand Tasting, which features hundreds of wineries, breweries, distilleries, and epicurean purveyors at this ultimate food, wine and sensory destination. Tickets for the seminars and paired dinners are on sale now, while Grand Tasting tickets went on sale in April.

“The Breckenridge Wine Classic is so much more than the Grand Tasting. We develop programming that provides unprecedented access to sommeliers, winemakers, glassware experts and other industry pioneers that will help everyone from a wine novice to someone with decades of wine enthusiasm learn more about the craft,” said Breckenridge Wine Classic Festival Events and Marketing Director Kristen Horpedahl. “Where else can you play winemaker for a day for $85 or explore the Rocky Mountains with a master somm?”

All tickets can be purchased on the Breckenridge Wine Classic Eventbrite page. Experiences at the 2022 Breckenridge Wine Classic include:

Thursday, September 15: The Breckenridge Uncorked Dinner Series (prices vary) will feature five-course paired wine dinners at Breckenridge’s best restaurants including:

  • The Tour of Pinot Noir Dinner at Hearthstone Breckenridge with Copper Cane’s portfolio
  • Single Vineyard Reserve Dinner at Beaver Run Resort’s Spencer’s Lounge with Canard Vineyard
  • Wild West of Wines Dinner at Carboy Winery Breckenridge with Colorado’s own winery
  • Master Sommelier Reserve Dinner at Rootstalk Breckenridge with local Master Sommelier Sean Razee
  • Read All About It Dinner at Modis Breckenridge with Robert Craig Winery

Friday, September 16:

  • Winemaker For A Day Blending Experience ($85): Alexander Valley Vineyards hosts a blending seminar where guests are invited to taste from the barrel samples and create their own craft blend
  • Uncharted Territories Hike ($130): This guided 3-mile hike on the Burro Trail culminates in a three-course paired lunch at Cabin Juice with wines from little known regions of Australia.

Saturday, September 17:

  • Class On Glass Riedel Seminar ($125): Guests will sample wine from Riedel’s varietal-specific glasses to understand how glassware enhances the aromas and taste components.
  • Wine & Wildflower Hike ($130): This 3-mile guided hike throughout the Rocky Mountain’s wildflowers alongside Deanna Benzenberg of Michael David Winery culminates in a three-course paired lunch at Cabin Juice.
  • Giampietro’s Reserve Lunch ($99): Double the somms, double the fun. This double-trouble paired lunch features two Master Sommeliers: Sean Razee and Damon Ornowski at Giampietro Italian restaurant.

Tickets for the seminars and paired dinners start at $85, while Grand Tasting tickets start at $109.

More details regarding the seminars and events will be released closer to the festival. Volunteer applications will open in June.

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High-resolution renderings available here.

Media interested in attending, please fill out this form.

About Breckenridge Wine Classic

The Breckenridge Wine Classic is a premier destination event where master winemakers, culinary greats, and our distinguished guests gather to play, wine, and dine in beautiful Breckenridge, Colo. Experience more than 100 food artisans, wineries, breweries, distilleries, epicurean purveyors, and locally-made products at this ultimate food and wine experience. Whether you are a full-fledged foodie or an emerging gourmand, you are sure to find more than one event to whet your appetite at the Wine Classic. There is something for everyone – from food and wine tastings, to seminars and luncheons, to outdoor adventures with food & wine influences, there are tastes and temptations at every turn. For more information, visit breckenridgewineclassic.com or follow @breckwineclassic on Instagram and @breckenridewineclassic on Facebook.

About Team Player Productions

Founded more than 25 years ago in Denver, Team Player Productions (TPP) has produced and managed more than 400 events around the country, raising more than $2 million for its various nonprofit partners. TPP has created and continues to produce beloved annual events including Vail Wine Classic, Breckenridge Wine Classic and Vail Craft Beer Classic , and adopted others, such asDenver Burger Battle and the Boulder Creek Festival. The company was also the originator of events including Taste of Fort Collins, Steamboat Wine Festival and Park City Food & Wine Classic. TPP consults and produces events for a portfolio of clients as well, such as Goose Island Beer Co., Blue Point Brewing Co., Great Divide Brewing Company, Odell Brewing Company, Red Bull, City of Centennial, Anheuser-Busch, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and City of Littleton. For more information, visit TPPEvents.com, or follow @TPPEvents on Facebook and @TeamPlayerProductions on Instagram.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: Australia, Barrel, blend, breweries, colorado, distiller, food event, riedel, sommelier, taste, vineyard, wine dinner, wine event, wine festival, Wine tasting, winemaker

The Lodge at Torrey Pines to Debut Beyond the Cellar: A Spring Collectors Tasting

April 2, 2020 by evebushman

LA JOLLA, CALIF. (PRWEB) – Winemakers and owners from some of the most exclusive California wineries will travel down the coast to The Lodge at Torrey Pines for its inaugural Beyond the Cellar: A Spring Collectors Tasting. The AAA Five Diamond La Jolla resort will host the wine tasting and purchasing event Friday, May 8, 2020 from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. There are a limited number of tickets available for this exclusive event. Tickets are priced at $150 per person and can be purchased online at lodgetorreypines.com/beyond-the-cellar.

Riding off the success and model of The Lodge’s annual culinary festival, Celebrate the Craft, Beyond the Cellar is an event geared toward wine aficionados and collectors. Winemakers and winery owners will have the opportunity to showcase some of their rare and high-end vintages that are not readily available to the general public. Wholesale pricing of featured wines will range from $100 to over $1,000 per bottle and attendees will have the opportunity to purchase wine through the attending wineries, at retail value. The majority of the bottles available for purchase cannot be found in stores or ordered online.

Curated by The Lodge’s Advanced Sommelier Paul Krikorian, Beyond the Cellar will feature highly coveted wines and experts from Napa Valley wineries including Nickel & Nickel and Far Niente, Continuum Estate, Pulido-Walker, Spottswoode, Ramey Wine Cellars, Paul Hobbs, Flora Springs, Ovid, Lewis Cellars, Morlet Family Vineyards, Staglin Family Vineyard, Hundred Acre, Mirror, and Abacus by ZD Wines. Each featured wine will be poured by either the winemaker, owner or spokesperson, providing guests with an exclusive one-on-one guided tasting. Krikorian, along with other sommeliers, will be available throughout the event to provide expert insight and advice to attendees.

Wine tastings will be accompanied by artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, handcrafted chocolates, passed hors d’oeuvres, live entertainment by a jazz guitarist and a champagne greeting. Along with bottles and barrels from the wineries, guests will also have the chance to purchase fine glassware from Riedel, the premier wineglass and decanter manufacturer. Additionally, Riedel will provide guests with a surprise takeaway gift.

Guests interested in extending their Beyond the Cellar experience can also reserve a room package starting at $719 per night, which includes two tickets to the event.

About The Lodge at Torrey Pines:
The Lodge at Torrey Pines is an AAA Five Diamond award-winning property offering views of the world renowned Torrey Pines Golf Course and the Pacific Ocean. Guests of The Lodge can take advantage of the near perfect weather while hiking the Torrey Pines State Reserve, golfing on Torrey Pines Golf Course or relaxing at the spa. The Lodge pays tribute to the California Craftsman Movement and is modeled after Greene and Greene’s famed Gamble and Blacker houses in Pasadena, California, two of the finest examples of early 1900s Craftsman-style architecture. The Lodge features 170 spacious guest rooms and suites, a 9,500 square-foot full-service spa and two restaurants serving contemporary California cuisine. The Lodge is owned and operated by Evans Hotels and is in proximity to the San Diego International Airport, downtown San Diego and downtown La Jolla. The Lodge is located 11480 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037. For reservations, call (858) 453-4420 or visit http://www.lodgetorreypines.com.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: Barrel, California, cellar, champagne, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, culinary, decanter, food, food event, foodie, music, Napa Valley, riedel, sommelier, vintage, wine glass, Wine tasting, winemakers

Perlis Picks: Maré and the wineglass question

December 17, 2016 by Michael Perlis

Recently, my esteemed publisher and good friend Eve Bushman wrote an article about her current pet peeves.

eve-wine-101-shirtI think I was at least partially instrumental in triggering one of them.

One of the issues she raised had to do with restaurant customers whining about the adequacy of appropriate stemware for wine service. Her suggestion to the whiner was something to the effect of “get over it or bring your own glasses.” While Eve said that I was not the only person who has complained to her about glasses, we did just recently have the following experience…

We were dining at a reasonably nice restaurant, which shall remain nameless. The wine list had obviously been given some thought and it was well put together. But the wineglasses for the restaurant were essentially just nice stemmed water glasses. I asked Eve: “Why doesn’t [blank] have decent wineglasses to go with the effort he’s put into everything else in the restaurant?” Her reply was: “Why don’t you just bring your own?”

Admittedly, there have been times when I have done just that, although not in a while. Schlepping glasses is just not a lot of fun. Also, one of Eve’s pet peeves that she mentions in the article refers to wine snobs, and I don’t think there is much that make you look more like a wine snob than showing up at a restaurant with a bunch of Riedels. Although, yes, I have done it but I try to limit that to when the wineglasses are just totally unacceptable.

If you ask my preference, then I’d say I’d prefer all restaurants serve wine in large, thin Riedel or similar glasses. But once I get beyond that preference, then I look at context.

I’m going to digress now. Please bear with me for a few paragraphs.

I’ve been wanting to write about one of our favorite restaurants for some time and this is a perfect opportunity.

Maré on Melrose is…well…it’s an experience. Parking on Melrose can be pretty tricky so plan on using the valet or a car service. There is no direct entry to Maré. Instead, walk into Greenspan’s Grilled Cheese [Chef Eric Greenspan and his partners own both restaurants] and go to the back [be sure to say hi to the guys behind the counter]. Walk through the grilled cheese shop’s storage area and up a short flight of stairs. Finally open what appears to be a refrigerator door; you find yourself in a four-walled uncovered patio. Welcome to Maré!

According Chef Greenspan: “Maré is inspired by a European city by the coast…a little getaway to relax and share good food with good company.”

The menu is focused, with a heavy emphasis on seafood. Service is excellent, friendly and gracious. Karen almost always gets one of the seafood broths with pasta and a poached egg still in the shell – I usually steal the egg from her.

There is also a whole branzino on the bone, a skirt steak and a half a dozen or so other regular menu items, as well as typically a few specials.

We recently had a sweet potato gnocchi that was nothing short of amazing. The few desserts are excellent as well and I definitely suggest you save room for at least one of them. I recommend this place very highly; it’s a good idea to go with a few or even several people to be able to share multiple dishes but the starlit sky also provides for a nice romantic atmosphere for a couple. It is a fairly small patio so reservations are definitely suggested. I admit I wasn’t sure I’d like this place but I thought I’d go once to check it out. We keep going back.

The wine list is fairly small. The wines offered aren’t ones I’m familiar with and I haven’t had an opportunity to find out how they are selected. We BYOB, although we usually order a glass of something white, pink or sparkling to start, or maybe even the sangria.

The wine glasses are essentially tumblers. I’m not talking Riedel O-series here, I just mean short wide tumblers. And you know what? In this setting, they work, they’re perfectly acceptable and they’re kind of fun.

Note that Maré recently opened a second location in Santa Monica, taking over the old JiRaffe spot. The ambience there is a little more upscale and the glasses match that. We like both places but we still prefer the Melrose location.

So, back to wineglasses. Once you get past that you’re not going to get high end stemware everywhere you go, then it should come down to context. So long as you’re not being served wine in little thimble-sized glasses, I think it comes down to the glasses fitting, at least, the ambience of the restaurant.

And to that guy who has an upscale restaurant who has spent a lot of time putting together a nice wine list, yeah, you still need better wineglasses.

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also Vice President of Eve Bushman Consulting (fka Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting) http://evebushmanconsulting.com/ and President of MCP Financial. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or michael@evebushmanconsulting.com.

Filed Under: Michael Perlis Tagged With: chef, dessert, menu, restaurant, riedel, sangria, Sparkling wine, stemware, wine glasses, wine list

Eve’s Wine Pet Peeves, Again

December 16, 2016 by evebushman

Awhile back I did a few things, I wrote Wine Service at Your Home, an Event, Bar, Winery or Restaurant, another on Bad Somm Service and compiled a little 99 cent e-book called Wine Etiquette For Everyone: How To Feel Like A Pro In Any Situation Involving Wine. Fast-forward a couple of years and as it would turn out, my level of detecting aromas and flavors has also identified more BS in the wine community. Check it out, though I may have a couple or repeats in here as some things still really bug the hell out of me:

restaurant-449952_960_720I recently dined at a restaurant that served wine and allowed BYOW (Bring Your Own Wine). The waitress took the bottle I had brought in, opened it up out of my view (guessing there is one corkscrew in the place) then returned with the bottle, and presto, the cork was removed right through the now ripped foil. I had no choice but to remove the jagged remains from the top of the bottle myself. Why they would serve wine this way I don’t know. It’s just plain ugly and the diner has to do the work.

This is one a few people mentioned to me on Faceboook: Attending a catered party, complete with hired bartending services, and the bar ends up being low on basic supplies and the server is ill-trained.

Holding the wine glass by the bowl instead of the stem is only appropriately called for if the wine is too cold and the aromas are closed off. (I’ve been known to cup a frosted glass – another pet peeve – of white wine as I can’t detect a damn thing when the wine is served icy cold.) The stem is there for a reason, please use it. It allows you to easily swirl your wine so you can enjoy its color and aromas.

Anyone with the inability to handle a cork mishap hasn’t been trained properly. I’ve actually had to step in to rescue a broken cork from a bottle, or to wipe down the inside or outside of the neck of broken cork remnants.

This is very common: not pouring a taste when you BYOW to a restaurant. Any bottle can be corked or deemed undrinkable. Why not show the courtesy, and if the bottle is not up to par, there you are ready to offer a suggestion for replacement. Seems like a no brainer to me. When I’m hosting a party or working a wine event I always taste the wines before serving.

Please taste through your wines before subjecting a diner or guest to a pairing. Wine and cake is not my favorite pairing. Neither are cocktails and cookies. Like and like works with food: a good example is a big Cab with firm tannins will help break down fat in a big steak. But a sweet wine with an equally sweet dessert isn’t for everyone. Port alone or with a little chocolate is good, while a Sauterne is nice with a blue cheese, the rest you can keep to yourself.

Bad glasses: if you really don’t like the glasses offered at a restaurant enough that it negatively changes your experience, bring your own. A restaurant may not carry the latest Riedel or crystal glasses for the sole reason that they are expensive, highly breakable and not the easiest to fit in their dishwasher. Get over it or pack up and bring in your own.

If you serve wine in individual carafes please don’t empty the entire carafe into the wine glass. It’s not a show. Pour about two ounces, or up to the widest portion of the glass. Overfilling the wine glass won’t allow for swirling.

Ignoring a drip: really? Come prepared with a cloth napkin nearby when you serve wine. The diner shouldn’t be responsible to wipe up a drip. Or, if left unnoticed, have their clothing stained.

Over chilled white wines: I understand the majority of people like wine bucket service for their sparkling. It’s a nice show. But unless it’s 90+ degrees out I would rather discern the serving temperature myself of a white wine. If a white is served too cold aromas are shut down.

This should be obvious but while guests watch a server opening a wine they will notice dirty fingernails. Please clean up before serving. Egads people.

Not a biggie but the foil capsule is the bottle’s “dressing” and shouldn’t be completely removed. I’ve been told it’s easier for the staff, among other reasons, but it’s not supposed to be served that way and a wine person will only presume that you just don’t know any better.

Many a time a bottle is presented and poured with the label hidden in the palm of a hand. Please turn the bottle around, holding with one hand by the back and the punt, and confirm it was the correct one ordered. The bottle should then be shown to all of the guests at the table if possible.

This is fun to watch but not appropriate: holding the bottle between your knees or under your arm to retrieve the cork. If you simply can’t maneuver it, then place it on the table to help you balance the bottle while opening.

This happened to me once in a very high-end restaurant: The waitress and I both watched as the sediment slid out of the bottle and into my glass. Really? Stop pouring and replace the wine. She didn’t.

Snobs, I’ve touched on this one before but have since have to add: please be careful on social media. Your “expert’s rant” is subject to commentary so unless you know something to be a fact, and of value to others, keep it to yourself. Expressing an “elevated view” of wine makes you look like a snob, some of your followers may feel like veritable idiots and is a complete disservice to the wine community.

This video from Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) on opening wine is valuable, and if you want more there are four in the series you can watch here.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: bar, cork, corkscrew, etiquette, glasses, restaurant, riedel, sediment, somm, tannins, wine service, winery

Masters and Makers @ Meritage – The Ultimate Napa Valley Food and Wine Experience

February 4, 2016 by evebushman

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: cabernet, Cabernet Franc, California, Carmenere, cave, cellar, charity, chocolate, cocktail, culinary, food event, glassware, Malbec, Meritage, Merlot, mixologist, Napa, Napa Valley, petit verdot, Port, recipe, riedel, sommelier, sonoma county, wine dinner, wine education, wine event, winemaker

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Eve Bushman, owner Eve’s Wine 101 and Eve Bushman Consulting.

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