I've had the privilege to spend the last few Father's Day weekends at the Aspen Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, CO. Here are some memories and highlights I'd like to share from my recent trip to Aspen.

The Aspen Food & Wine Classic happens every Father's Day weekend in June and is host to world renowned chefs, wines, beer and spirits that are featured throughout the 4 day extravaganza. There are two tasting tents that are open twice a day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday that allow patrons, buyers and suppliers to taste some of the best wine and food in the world! On Friday and Saturday there are seminars that feature famous chefs such as Jacques Pepin, Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay. These are the hottest tickets in town that literally have lines of people trying to get in to see these "stars of cuisine".

I was fortunate enough to get into the Thomas Keller (owner of the nearly impossible to get in "French Laundry" in Napa Valley and Per Se in New York) chef demo seminar. The one thing I took away, according to Chef Keller, from his seminar is that black pepper is "not a seasoning, it's a flavoring".

My first night in Aspen was spent with a small group of people dining at the Ute City Bar & Grill. We started with a bottle of Roederer Estate Brut to compliment our appetizers. This California sparkling wine was crisp and elegant and had complex pear, spice and hazelnut flavors. It was fresh and lightly fruity with great finesse and depth of flavor. From there we went on to the 2009 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc to go with our salads and also the remaining appetizers. The experience of tasting this luscious Sauvignon Blanc begins with a complex, mouthwatering aroma of golden delicious and honey crisp apples accented with crème brulée and sweet Meyer lemon. Sophisticated mineral notes appear as the wine opens. An underlayment of lychee fruit, ripe pineapple and white peach then follows. The rich palate is finely tuned, with an excellent, refreshing balance. The only red wine we enjoyed, since everyone at the table had a variety of entrees that ranged from fish to steak, was the 2007 ZD Carneros Pinot Noir which had a dark ruby color and displayed aromas of ripe cherries, plum and rhubarb. Hints of cedar, vanilla and toasted nuts lead to a full, rich palate of flavors and silky tannins. The company, food and wine were all a perfect way to start my Aspen experience in style! 

On Friday, we really roughed it (ha!) by drinking Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label and eating succulent pork tacos for lunch on the outdoor restaurant patio of the Red Onion.  Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label Champagne has an intense, pleasant fragrance, with fruit and brioche notes. Well-balanced and pleasantly fresh to taste, with a remarkable fruity structure. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon in Aspen!

For dinner I went with a different group of people to the highly acclaimed restaurant, Cache Cache. We started out by drinking a bottle of Piper- Heidsieck Brut Champagne which has aromas of citrus fruits, pear and Granny Smith apple and displays flavors of pineapple, nutmeg, white pepper and oriental zest. This Champagne went extremely well with a variety of appetizers that included an Alaskan king crab, cantaloupe, sweet avocado, cilantro-brown butter vinaigrette and a beet salad, Haystack Farms goat cheese, leeks, and lemon-truffle vinaigrette. The wine that we selected to accompany our entrees was the highly allocated Roar Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir. This wine has a medium-deep ruby color with earthy, smoky black cherry aromas. Earthy, mineral notes with deep, complex smoky black cherry flavors along with a silky texture and a long finish. This wine was so delicious that we had no choice but to order a second bottle!

Stay tuned for details of my last day in Aspen where there were enough wines tasted to fill up a whole blog entry! Cheers to you, Brad Wermager