Vail wine
Grape expectations
The Colorado resort area is a growing destination for wine lovers.
Words by Alex Miller
Think of the world’s top wine destinations, and the rolling hills and gentle climes of Sonoma or Bordeaux come first to mind. But does one need to be at the source to enjoy the fruit? You’d be hard-pressed to grow a single grape in Vail, a mountain town about 8,150 feet above sea level and an hour and a half drive from Denver. But you don’t have to grow them here to appreciate them—particularly in the form of wine. In fact, Vail, known for its world-class skiing, has also become a visible presence on the world wine connoisseur’s map.
The reason, according to sommelier Kevin Furtado at Larkspur, is simple. “Vail is such a highly visible market, and the wines we get are absolutely incredible,” he says. “All the micro-producers want to make sure their wines are here—it’s such a great showcase for them.”
This means that in addition to the output of larger producers, a restaurant like Larkspur—located at the base of Vail Mountain—has wines in its cellar that are not commonly available. As Furtado says, visitors to Vail have come to rely on it.
“They expect to be able to fi nd the Silver Oak or drink all the Opus 1 they want,” he says, referring to two high-end labels. “It’s something unique to the ski towns up here.”
Another change that’s fueled the wine trade in Vail, and plenty of other places, is the wealth of knowledge now available online.
People contemplating a fancy dinner might fi nd the restaurant’s wine list on the internet, pick out a few bottles and do some research. How much should they reasonably pay? What kind of food goes best with the wine?
A tip or two
On the flip side are the diners who know little about wine and rely on the expertise of individuals like Furtado and Chris Randall to guide them. Randall is the owner of Falling Creek, a Vail Valley restaurant located at the Country Club of the Rockies golf course, just west of Beaver Creek Resort. Randall is the kind of old-school restaurateur who works the fl oor and beams with pride over the kitchen’s output. And he has a steadfast belief or two about wine.
For one, restaurants shouldn’t mark up their bottles beyond the price range of the average diner. You can fi nd an $800 bottle on Falling Creek’s list, but Randall has plenty of nice wines in the $15-$30 range.
Randall also advises not to get hung up on labels and price. “Drink what you like and you can’t go too far wrong,” he says, echoing Furtado, who likes to say about wine: “Hey, it’s just grape juice.”
At Falling Creek, Randall takes pains with his by-the-glass choices, and one can’t miss by skipping a bottle altogether and going with his suggestions for glasses that match the courses. Start with a glass of crisp Heidsieck Blue Top Champagne, for example, to accompany the restaurant’s gorgeous appetizers, then move on to Kunin’s “Pape Star” red from the Santa Ynez Valley to go with, say, grilled lamb. To accompany Falling Creek’s delightful “really small desserts,” Randall might suggest a glass of something slightly unusual: a sweet, low-alcohol Muscato d’Asti from Italy.
Just ask
One refreshing thing about wining and dining in Vail is that the town prides itself on engaging visitors with smiles and answers. Most of the sommeliers in the area are delighted to guide the less-informed through their wine selections. Furtado notes that even those customers who are well versed have been known to turn to him for advice.
“There’s a level of trust when they tell me what they’re having for dinner, tell me what they want to spend and ask me to pick something great,” he says. “That’s very gratifying and fun for me.”
When in Vail, wine enthusiasts also like to stop at Eat! Drink! in nearby Edwards (970-926-1393). It’s not a restaurant, but a wonderful hybrid that serves wine, cheese and other light food on one side, and has a wine shop on the other, where you can purchase bottles of what you’ve just tried. Eat! Drink! is the creation of a couple—Chris Irving and Polly Forster—who are both sommeliers. The response to their undertaking has been so good that they’re adding a tapas-style restaurant upstairs. For now, though, it’s all about the wine and cheese, with selections that change constantly.
“Wine and cheese go well together since the cheese can help balance and reduce the wine’s acidity,” Irving says.
“You can think about cheese in the same way as wine,” he adds, “by thinking about where it came from.” He says it’s remarkable that cheese made from the milk of cows that ate grass growing out of the same dirt as nearby grapes tend to go quite nicely together. But it takes a lot of sampling to fi nd wines that pair well with cheese, olives and other nibbles like bruschetta and pâté.
As Irving puts it: “We make new discoveries every day.”
Like Falling Creek, glasses are reasonably priced at Eat! Drink!, making it fun to sample a few different ones and walk out with a bottle of your favorite. “You’ve got to go easy on the mark up,” Irving says. “We want people to try these wines—and come back for more.” Take a wine tour of Vail, and you’ll certainly be coming back for more.
Dining best bets
The little town has come a long way
Vail has matured a great deal in the culinary arts since rising out of a sheep meadow nearly 45 years ago to become a world-class resort. With a decidedly high-end clientele, Vail and the surrounding areas have attracted some of the world’s leading chefs and sommeliers, all of whom continue to build on the region’s reputation for culinary greatness. Here’s a quick look at some of the top restaurants around.
Larkspur Right at the base of the ski hill at Golden Peak Lodge, Larkspur is a Vail favorite. Its wine cellars are extraordinary, desserts are to die for and entrees range from traditional steak to creative sushi and sashimi to a tasting menu where chef Mark Curran has the opportunity to surprise you. 970-479-8054
Lord Gore This venerable restaurant, in the Manor Vail hotel, is one of the few left from the early days of the resort. Here, enjoy a traditional table-side Caesar salad, impeccable Colorado lamb and even chateaubriand. 970-476-4959
Falling Creek Chris Randall, owner of this Vail Valley restaurant, believes it’s possible to offer fi rst-class dining and very nice wines without charging an arm and a leg. He pulls it off with wonderful entrees that don’t top $30 and a wine list that includes good bottles for as low as $15. 970-926-2111
Kelly Liken Named after its chef/owner, this Vail eatery takes classic ingredients and energizes them with a fresh presentation. Try the Colorado roasted beet salad with a glass of sparkling wine, then you’ll be ready for the signature entrée: potato-encrusted trout fi let. 970-479-0175
Grouse Mountain Grill Take the trip up the hill to this Beaver Creek restaurant and enjoy Chef Ted Schneider’s wonderful takes on old favorites like beef tartare and pork chops. It’s worth it just for the delightful, cheesy fl atbread served as a starter. 970-949-0600
For more on Vail restaurants, visit www.vaildaily.com and click on the “Eat” box under “Special Sections.
Summer fun in the high country
The Vail Valley is a hopping place in the warmer months…
“Snowpack” is the word for the early part of summer in this area of Colorado this year. It snowed a lot here over the winter, and all that stored snow is melting fast—which means it’s likely to be an epic rafting and kayaking season.
The Eagle River fl ows through the Vail Valley and into the mighty Colorado, and plenty of outfi tters are on hand to take you through it. Options run from mild to serious whitewater stretches. Through the tight sections around Vail and Avon, the river is boisterous and home to the annual Teva Games (www.tevamountaingames.com), through June 4. Think of the Games as the river world’s answer to the Olympics—it’s huge and includes rafting and kayaking competitions as well as mountain biking and climbing events.
On the more civilized side, Vail is home each summer to the Bravo Music Festival (www.vailmusicfestival.org), with the Rochester, New York and Dallas orchestras performing in the town’s beautiful outdoor Ford Amphitheater. It runs June 28-August 3.
Another must-see event is the Vail International Dance Festival (www.vaildance.org), July 30-August 13. It includes performances by the National Ballet of China, international dance couples and even hip-hop troupes.
Vail also hosts the Lacrosse Shoot-Out (www.vaillacrosse.com), June 24 through the Fourth of July, which adds a fun athletic element when the rest of us are focused on beer and barbecues. Speaking of which, Vail’s America Days July 4 celebration includes the usual parades, hot dogs and funnel cakes— plus a free concert at the amphitheater.
When in Vail, hop on up the road to the town of Minturn for its famous Saturday Farmers’ Market. From artisan breads and farm-fresh produce to crafts, it adds a nice folksy touch to a valley that’s otherwise a bit upscale.
Even when the snow is gone, you can still ride a few of the lifts to the top of Vail Mountain (www.snow.com), where al fresco dining and other activities await.
For more summer events, go to www.vailsummer.com