Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta,
"The Wine Event With All Those Great Restaurants,"
Returns for Its Eighteenth Year the Last Weekend in September
- New Jr.Creation Salads Allow
Guests to Make Even Healthier Choices -
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO; " Fall in New Mexico is always a
glorious affair. The lush green of summer foliage begin to give
way to bright reds and yellows, and a crispness in the air means
cooler nights. Then there is, of course, the annual chile harvest,
celebrated not only across the state, but by visitors who come
from all over the world to attend the Santa Fe Wine & Chile
Fiesta.
Set
against the breathtaking backdrop of the spectacular Santa Fe
Rocky Mountains, this five-day event, running September 24 through
28, pairs culinary creations from 60 of the City Different.
Its finest restaurants with world-class wines produced by 90
different wineries. Taste local selections from Santa Fe Vineyards
and Gruet Winery or international vintages from Miguel Torres
or Domaine Weinbach while enjoying edible delights from Santa
Fe institutions like the Pink Adobe or Santacafe.
Says
SFWC Executive Director Greg O'Byrne, 'I am excited about this
year's compelling combination of guest chefs from around the
country and great local Santa Fe chefs' "it's a fabulous
mix. The chef's luncheons and tastings will make for wonderful
wine parings from our 90 participating wineries. It's the most
fun you can have with a wine glass!"
This
year's lineup of events features:
.
Grand Food and Wine Tasting- Come out to the
Santa Fe Opera for tastes from 60 great Santa Fe restaurants
and 90 world-class wineries.
.
Reserve Wine Tasting - Sample top wines from
90 participating wineries.
.
Live Auction Luncheon - A five-course meal
created by five guest chefs and paired with wines from this
year's SFWC Fiesta Winemaker of the Year, Richard Sanford of
Alma Rosa Winery. Richard and his wife, Thekla, are responsible
for pioneering Pinot Noir in the Santa Barbara's Santa Ynez
Valley, having planted the first vineyard in 1971.
.
Guest Chef Luncheons - Features Santa Fe chefs
James Campbell Caruso of La Boca, Mark Kiffin of The Compound
Restaurant, Martin Rios of Geronimo, Mark Miller and Eric Di
Stefano of Coyote Café, Fernando Olea of Bert's La Taquería,
David Huertas of El Mesón.
.
Visiting Chefs - SFWC is proud to welcome Monica
Pope of T'afia in Houston, Ryan Hardy of Little Nell in Aspen,
Guillermo Pernod of Cuba Libre in Philadelphia, and award-winning
author and cheese expert Laura Werlin.
.
Cooking Demos and Wine Pairings - Join Santa
Fe chefs to explore the food and wine of various regions: David
Sellars of Amavi (Italy), Rocky Durham of the Santa Fe School
of Cooking (New Mexico), and Joel Coleman of Mauka (Pacific
Rim).
.
Daily Wine Seminars - Highlights include a
panel discussion on natural wines featuring Randall Grahm of
Bonny Doon and Jason Haas of Tablas Creek, chaired by author
Alice Feiring (The Battle for Wine and Love or How I Saved the
World from Parkerization), as well as a wine and cheese class
highlighting the world's classic pairings, hosted by cheese
expert Laura Werlin and Master Sommelier Tim Gaiser.
There
will also be a panel tasting of Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noirs
with winemakers Kris Curran of Foley Estate, Bruno d'Alfonso
of Badge, Dick Dore of Foxen, and Kathy Joseph of Fiddlehead.
.
Nightly Wine Dinners - Sip specially chosen
vintages at the 60 participating Santa Fe restaurants.
.
Gruet Golf Classic - Every third hole, participants
are invited to taste a different Gruet Sparkling wine paired
with an appetizer from one of Santa Fe's finest eateries.
Tickets
and schedule available July 7, 2008. For reservations, call
505-438-8060.
To
learn more about this year's Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta,
please visit www.santafewineandchile.org.
