Page 49 - The Hunt - Spring 2020

annual Taste of Vail celebration is a can’t-miss. Showcasing only local chefs (you won’t find any Food Network vagabonds signing autographs here), the festival also brings in hundreds of different wines for tastings led by wine- growing celebrities. This year, it takes place April 1-4.
My first evening at last year’s event, there was a major walk-around with more than 200 rosé wines available for tasting, along with several food stands. There was worldwide representation, including a handful of champagne houses. The many European winemakers on hand poured and chatted about their wines.
The next morning, breakfast was a few steps from my hotel—Arrabelle at Vail Square in Lionshead—in the legendary Little Diner, which fills up almost as soon as the doors open at 6 a.m. There’s no alcohol, but the huevos rancheros were so awesome I returned the next two days
to tuck into more. On another morning, I attended a champagne brunch at Vintage. The dishes included oysters with Osetra caviar, an exotic fruit salad, and a galette with brie, spinach, black truffle and quail egg. All of it made
me wish I had time to come back for dinner. Other events included tastings and seminars focusing on wines from Santa Barbara, Calif., and Corsica, plus the new Premier- cru-in-waiting, Pouilly-Fuissé.
But this is Colorado, and the ultimate theme is spring lamb. Tents were set up in advance along Gore Creek Drive and Willow Ridge Road. The judges—including myself—conferred inside our tent while festivalgoers were busy tasting the same servings outside. The festival concluded with an evening gala at the Marriott resort, where guests strolled around with their food and wine. It was a fitting conclusion to this spectacular four-day culinary tour de force.
For those who can’t make it to the festival, there’s still plenty to savor in Vail. At the Chophouse, I enjoyed
my first lunch of the trip—a perfect Bloody Mary and a cooked-rare “mountain” burger. Outside, I watched the Eagle Bahn Gondola whisk adventurers to an elevation of almost 11,570 feet.
The sprawling Vail Mountain is a mecca for skiers thanks to more than 5,000 skiable acres. There are 195 named runs (beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert), the longest being four miles.
On another day, I had lunch at Fall Line Kitchen, an easy- to-miss eatery also overlooking the ski crowd. For dinner, I tried Sweet Basil—possibly the best food in the area and one whose buzz is definitely big city. And the streamside Up the Creek is simultaneously friendly and food-sophisticated.
For pizza, I stop at Blue Moose, whose pies are so filling you never need to order extra toppings. There’s an additional time to nosh, and that’s at the 3 p.m. This daily après-ski celebration is a happy hour that never disappoints.
When in Vail, right?
Visit www.vail.com.
The scene and cuisine at Taste of Vail, scheduled for April 1-4 this year.
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROGER MORRIS