Aspen FOOD & WINE Classic - The Wine

More on Aspen!! I thought I would share a few things about the wine that we experienced there. My travel buddy is certainly more educated in this area than I, so I will keep my comments brief. 

I am a bargain wine drinker, I will admit this. I have a hard time spending more than $20 on a bottle unless it is a special occasion. Most of the wine we buy is from Trader Joe's and goes for under $10/bottle. However, after 4 days in Aspen and this guy, my thoughts have changed. There are times when a bit more mullah is necessary, especially for Pinot Noirs. Life is too short to drink shitty wine!

If you are going to drink a Pinot Noir, might as well be one from Sonoma County, CA. I was able to attend a Sonoma Pinot class during the Aspen FOOD & WINE Classic, led by Mark Oldman, one of the country's top wine enthusiasts. He is THE BEST! He really impressed me because he took the "snootiness" out of wine drinking. He encouraged "brave" drinking and bargain bottles. The best part about him is that he confirmed 2 things that many people argue with me about:

1. Twist tops are OK and can prevent wine spoilage.
2. Red wines should be served slightly chilled.

Many people think that a twist top means that it is cheap wine and won't taste good (that the winery maybe skimmed on corking the bottles). Mark Oldman says that the twist tops are totally acceptable in the wine industry and can actually help prevent the rare case of spoilage caused by air getting through the cork. He also confirmed that you should definitely chill Pinot Noirs, specifically to 57F. Put it in an ice bucket with water and not the refrigerator. This helps focus the flavors of the wine and makes it more refreshing!

Even though the Pinot class was the only dedicated wine seminar we attended, wine was still very abundant in the Tasting Tents. If you remember from my first Aspen Classic post, the Tasting Tents opened twice a day for two hours. There was a large add-on tent in the back for Spain. We checked this out during our second Tasting Tent visit and proceeded to go back each time. It was featuring all Spanish wines and foods, which was my favorite. In my opinion, Spanish wines have the most flavor and complexity of all the other regions we tasted. They were also served with Spains renowned Jamón serrano! 

Jamón serrano

Another "trend" we noticed during the Classic was the plethora of Rosés and Rosatos, which are light pink in color. Another myth buster! I went for it and tried most of them determined to convince myself that a really good Rosé or Rosato doesn't have to be sweet AT ALL. Once I returned to NC, I noticed that Rosés were everywhere! All over the wine stores, grocery stores, markets, etc.....and I was LOVING it!

So, recap, wine lessons learned:

1. Twist tops are OK and often better!
2. Slightly chill red wine.
3. Best Pinots are found in Sonoma and Bourdeux, France.
4. Spanish wines rock!
5. Don't be scared of a light pink wine.
6. Mark Oldman is awesome!

Aspen FOOD & WINE Classic - The Memories

Well folks, that's it. I'm old! The birthday festivities were beyond incredible, and the fun continued into the 4th of July weekend. After several weeks of travel, fun and lots of great food, it is back to work and back to blogging!

I hope everyone enjoyed the 30/30 countdown on Kettler Cuisine! It was such a blast to put together and I have many people to thank, including several of the restaurants for making the food so photogenic and delicious (Kimbap and Trophy). For a full recap of my favorites, visit the Favorites tab above or go here.

While 30/30 was going on, I went to the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen to celebrate my big birthday with a dear friend!! Oh yea, it was beyond fantastic! The town of Aspen is a beautiful spot on its own, then sprinkle in top chefs, wineries and phenomenal food, and you have yourself one heck of a destination. I have so much to share that I will break it up into a few posts not to overwhelm everyone (and myself).

First and foremost, the memories! I was fortunate enough to share this experience with one of my closest friends, who just so happens to live 3000 miles away from me! But, we don't let distance, three time zones and busy lives interfere with our friendship. We met in Denver and hopped on a small plane up to Aspen. Everyone on our flight was heading to the Classic, including Michael Chiarello and a Tequilla distillery (yes, the entire flight smelled like Agave tequila). No complaining here :)

After a very quick (and intense) landing, we were greeted with blue skies and huge mountain backdrops. After checking in to the hotel and the Classic, we explored the adorable and beautiful town of Aspen.

The three-day festival didn't disappoint. We met chefs, winemakers, restaurateurs, celebrities and many, many fun (and slightly drunk) people. It will be hard to recap everything, but here are some of my favorite and most memorable experiences...

Cooking and Meeting Marcus Sameulsson
Probably one of the most vibrant and vivacious celebrity chefs there, Marcus Sameulsson hosted a cooking session on "The Whole Nine Yards," using all parts of a chicken. This was our very first session and experience at the Classic, so it set the bar very high!

He is extremely personable and an incredible talent in the kitchen. I was able to sneak a taste of several of his dishes, including his chicken soup!

I'm excited for Marcus' soup!

Meeting Ali Larter
I told you there were celebrities everywhere! I met her, got a signed cookbook, AND talked about my blog with her. She interviewed Giada De Laurentiis during a session on the second morning and really surprised us with her wit, intelligence and strong female power! It was great to see a fellow blogger that also has a passion for entertaining and cooking, along with a full time job (and children).

Giddy after chatting with Ali Larter

The Tasting Tent
Oh, the Tasting Tent! The things in this tent blew.....us....away! We have never experienced such a concentrated location of inventive, delicious and satiating food. Then there was all the wine, and more wine, and even more wine. We had to pace ourselves....

The Tasting Tent opened twice a day for 2 hours. The first run was a learning experience, we were trying to get through as fast and as efficiently as possible. By the second run, we were experts. We focused on specific sections and took our time going through, getting to know some of the vendors and the back story of how they got there. (This also helped us from drinking too much too quickly).

My best bud and I on the last run of the Tasting Tent.

Hugh Acheson's passion for Local
This guy is awesome! I don't have any other elequent descriptions other than he rocks! Even though he was born in Canada, he has earned a status among some of the top Southern chefs. He doesn't just cook Southern cuisine, but he immerses himself in it and constantly educates himself and others on the history, techniques and ingredients. The best thing about this guy, besides his laundry list of accolades and awards, is that he fully supports Local! He buys local, he eats local, he promotes local in pretty much all he does.

"Small steps will win this race and the first small steps are about your local sphere."
- Hugh Acheson

Hugh Acheson, an accomplished and very friendly Southern Chef

Celebrity Sightings!!!
Oh, there were many. Mostly celebrity chefs like Giada De Laurentiis, Richard Blais, Andrew Zimmern (think Bizarre Foods), Gail Simmons, Michael Chiarello, Tom Colicchio, Jacques Pépin, Curtis Stone, Scott Conant, Johnny Iuzzini (think sweet treats), and just about every Top Chef contestant and winner you can think of! But I also saw and met Stephen Merchant...hilarious!!

The Hubby was a bit jealous on this one! I was so nervous to meet him :)

Overall it was an amazing trip!! We ate a lot....

And drank a lot....

But most of all, we had a great time together...