Wining and dining at the 2010 Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta September 22nd to 26th part 1

The annual Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta has much to do with wine and only a little to do with chile. That iconic food conjures up a stereotype of the food found in The City Different and Northern New Mexico. Santa Fe eateries have gone way behind chile, though it does appear in many incarnations on menus all over town. A more encompassing name for the bacchanalian five-day event would be simply, Wine and Food but that would not shout Santa Fe. This is a wine-lovers town and the lists in most restaurants reflect this. Even casual places have offer good wines. Prices run the gamut from reasonable to bring the Brinks truck with lots in between. There are a number of dining establishments sporting Wine Spectator and other notable wine awards on their walls. This year the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta runs from September 22nd to the 26th.

There is a full list of wine dinners on the Wine and Chile Fiesta’s website. Reservations are a must. Here’s what some restaurants are offering diners (if you want to know the wine pairings for menus not on the internet, call the restaurant):

315 Restaurant and Wine Bar is offering two wine dinners. It’s fitting; wine is in their name. The first dinner, based on 2000 wines from Bordeaux, is Wednesday, September 22nd. For the second dinner on Friday the 24th the restaurant is pairing Louis Jadot Burgundy wines. Each evening offers a four-course menu designed by Executive Chef Lewis Moskow to enhance the wines. Both dinners end with a chocolate truffle lagniappe. There are two seatings each evening at 6:30 pm and 8:30pm; they are each $125 per person. For reservations call 505-986-9190.

Thursday, September 23rd, Amavi, a restaurant offering the foods of the Mediterranean is pairing with local wine importer Vin Iberian Wine Merchants, a company specializing in wines from all over Spain. Restaurant GM Mark Johnson explains this gives the restaurant the opportunity to offer regional wines, pairing them with that country’s local cuisines. The evening begins with passed tapas followed by six-courses. First course is Seafood Empanada with Octopus Salad followed by Skate Wing with Alioli. The third-course is Marinated Pollo Real Chicken Thighs Chorizo and Sherry and the fourth is Lamb Sweetbreads & Jus. The meal ends with a cheese-course and a sweet. Dinner begins at 7pm with passed hors d'oeuvres followed by six courses. The cost for dinner is $115 per person. For reservations call 505-988-2345.

Dinner for Two always offers great food at comparatively reasonable prices. On Thursday, September 23rd they pair with Sonoma’s Rodney Strong Vineyards. The four-course menu starts with Frisantè Honeydew Melon Soup; the next course is Almond-encrusted Swordfish with Mango Strawberry Chutney; followed by Braised Coffee-encrusted Short Ribs with Apple/Cinnamon/Cherry Compote. Dessert is Mint Lady Finger w/ Cocoa Ice Cream & Agave Syrup. The cost for dinner is $65 per person.

On Friday they pair with another Sonoma winery, Cline Cellars. The five-courses are: House Cured Lox with Capers, Olives, Parmesan Reggiano, Hard Cooked Egg and Red Onion; Brie and Duck Confit in Phyllo with Fresh Cherries and Ginger; Hickory Smoked New Mexico Filet with Porcinis with Cracked Black Pepper and Dark Plums; Chopped New Mexico Curried Lamb w/ New Mexico Piñons and Whole Grain Mustard Sauce. Dessert is Kirsch Cherry in Truffle Shell Cupcake. The cost for dinner is $55 per person; both start at 7pm. For reservations call 505-820-2075.

Friday, September 24th Fuego, at La Posada de Santa Fe Resort and Spa, teams up with Sonoma’s La Crema Winery. The four-course menu is preceded by ‘Fuego Tapas’ and finishes with ‘tiny sweets’. First course, Coconut Crusted Maine Scallop with Mango Emulsion and Jalapeño Oil is followed by Pan Seared Red Chile Rubbed Quail, Gingered Butternut Squash with Blackberry Coulis. The Intermezzo, Green Tea Sorbet with Silver Tequila is followed by Roast Buffalo with Hatch Chile Pesto, Baby Bok Choy, Smoked Bacon and Piñon Double Corn Polenta. The dessert offering is Star Anise Crème Brulee with Prickly Pear and White Peach Compote. The reception begins at 6pm; dinner is served at 7pm. The cost is $150 per person. For reservations call 505-954-9797.

Las Fuentes, at Bishop’s Lodge Resort and Spa, is a scenic ten-minute drive from town. The 450 acre property, the former getaway for 19th Century Archbishop Lamy and where parts of Crazy Heart were filmed, offers guests a private world. Las Fuentes has two wine dinners planned. The first dinner, another relative bargain at $65 per person, is Thursday, September 23rd. They are pairing with Steele Wines, from Lake County north of Napa. Executive Chef Helmut Sussenbach is offering a four-course menu with passed hors d’oeuvres during the pre-dinner reception. The first course is a mélange of seafood to accompany the 2008 Chardonnay Steele Cuvee. The second course brings Sautéed Veal Sweetbreads with Calvados Cream Sauce and Fresh Bishop’s Lodge Apples, the third course is Tenderloin of Colorado Elk with Porcini Mushroom Cream Sauce, Baby Vegetables and Gratin Dauphinoise Potatoes. Dinner ends with Raspberry Cream Brulee with New Mexico Chocolate.

The second dinner at Las Fuentes is the following evening. This evening they are paired with Ferrari-Carano Vineyards from Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California. Again the dinner begins with a reception featuring passed hors d’oeuvres. The five-course menu (plus Intermezzo)
begins with Sautéed Foie Gras Brioche with Onion-Raspberry Compote with Grilled Apple. The second-course is Chilean Sea Bass on a Bed of Sautéed Baby Spinach with Sherry Cream Sauce. After the Intermezzo, Provimi Veal Chop with Porcini Mushroom Cream Sauce, Asparagus, Baby Carrots, Patty Pan Squash and Sautéed German Spätlze will be served. There will be a cheese course followed by Almond Tuille with Mocha Ice Cream on a Bed of Crème Anglaise and Strawberry Sauce. This cost is $95 per person. Both receptions begin at 6pm and dinner is at 7pm. For reservations call 819-4035.

If you don’t want to drink and drive, Bishop’s Lodge is offering wine dinner packages. Check with the resort.

This is the first of two articles on wine dinners during the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta. Read part 2.

Writer's note: As a former hotel concierge and the owner of a travel concierge and trip-planning business in Santa Fe, the writer may have been a guest of a business or service mentioned in an article on this site. While these experiences have not influenced any articles on this site, this information is provided in the spirit of full disclosure.