1) Jim Koch, owner of Boston Beer Co 2) Jose Andres Chef/Owner of Jaleo, Cafe Atlantico & Minibar in Washington, D.C. 3) John Duval of John Duval Wines & Chester Osborne of d'Arenberg Winery

FOOD & WINE CLASSIS SPIRITS IN ASPEN

The 26th Food & Wine Classic in Aspen continued the event’s history of providing prime opportunities to meet winemakers and winery owners and to taste unique wines from all over the word. Truth is the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen has always featured more than just food and wine. Whether in the Grand Tasting Tent or at the various peripheral events held around Aspen, there are a wide variety of products –cooking equipment, crystal, cruises, cars – on display. Myriad liquid products – such as Cognac, Scotch, cordials, rum, and beer – also make jockey for attention. Of course, the thousands of wines dwarf these but this year I thought it worthwhile to highlight some of these other liquid delights.

I was reacquainted with Spanish brandy at a private tasting of the Grand Duque de Alba “Solera Gran Reserva” ($46), a smooth, rich spirit sporting deep aromas and flavors of nuts, caramel, butterscotch and brown spices. Lovers of cream liqueurs should also enjoy the Crema de Alba ($25), made from the same brandy. At the same tasting, I enjoyed two good values in Sherry, the medium intensity Dry Sack ($15) and Dry Sack 15 ($26), a complex, rich Oloroso. Beer also made an appearance. I tasted some excellent brews at the Colorado table from Steamworks Brewing of Durango. The most dramatic presence, though, certainly was the Boston Beer Company, makers of Samuel Adams and the largest craft brewer in the country, which made its sixth appearance at the Classic. Jim Koch, the company’s founder, has been on a mission to transform appreciation of beer to be more like that of wine – a beverage to drink mindfully and especially to pair with food. This year, he out did himself, with a large table in the Grand Tasting Tent featuring at least a half dozen beers, a first ever seminar on beer tasting, and an elaborate press luncheon. The lunch featured dishes made by celebrated chefs who used Sam Adams beer in their dishes and then paired the beers with those dishes.

We also got a preview of the new batch of Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock (750 ml, $15). It is a deliciously well-balanced brew with rich cocoa and vanilla notes; complex but lively and refreshing. It will be released in time for the holidays. Remy Martin, the nearly 300 year-old Cognac producer also hosted a press lunch to release their unique 1989 Vintage Cognac. This Cognac truly is a rarity for Cognac almost always is a blend of various years (intended to provide a consistency of taste). According to Cellarmaster Pierrette Trichet, who made her first trip to the U.S. for the event, the quality of the 1989 was so exceptional, the firm decided to hold a small amount back for special treatment. Special is an understatement. French law requires vintage Cognac to be held in a separate, locked cellar and regularly monitored by government inspectors. Whatever you might otherwise think of government regulation, this spirit rewards this extra care. Vanilla, butterscotch, caramel and a hint of ocean breeze greet the nose. The palate follows with a rich mix of fig, caramel and spice. As you might expect, this doesn’t come cheap. Remy Martin is releasing 1500 cases of the 1989 Vintage at $300 a bottle. But if you are a Cognac aficionado or want to give a special gift to someone who is, this is the ideal choice.

All of this pales, though, before the launch of the new 55 Year Old Single Malt Scotch whiskey from The Macallan. Think of it, this spirit began life shortly after the end of World War II and, according to the company’s representatives, has remained undisturbed until its release last November. Only enough liquid was left to fill 420 bottles, with only 100 available for the U.S. On top of that those bottles are specially made Lalique crystal. The amazingly concentrated and complex aromas of dried fruits and smoke and flavors of dried fruit, almond, vanilla, orange and spice reflect this Scotch’s age, of course, but also the prime Sherry oak casks that housed it. The only problem (at least for people of my means) is this luxury is rings in at $12,000, which, come to think of it, makes the little splash I had worth about $240! But that’s one aspect of what the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen is about: unique, often once-in-a-lifetime experiences of truly exceptional products.

Okay, so the Classic is mostly about wine and I can’t finish without noting a particularly educational and fun seminar. Each year, The Food & Wine Classic in Aspen offers dozens of wine seminars covering specific grape varieties, growing regions, styles of wine, and issues related to winemaking and the wine industry. This year, among the over 60 wine seminars, I was most intrigued by one that Fleming’s Steakhouse sponsored. It was billed as “Value Priced Wines: Can Your Palate Tell the Difference?” The possibility of failure was a little scary but I decided to take the challenge. Our presenter called it “a high/low blind tasting.” Attendees faced six wines – two Chardonnay, two Cabernet Sauvignon and two Petite Sirah. The two places on the tasting mat for Pinot Noir were empty, as the expected wines were lost in shipping. As an aside, although this was disappointing, I actually am amazed that such snafus have not happened more often at this huge event.

But back to the tasting. The only thing we tasters new about the wines in front of us were the grape variety and that one of each pair was about twice as expensive as the other. Our task was to decide which one was the more expensive wine and which was the less expensive. That may sound simple but, of course, it was not. Even with instruction from our host, there were many variables to sort through. We discussed which fruit flavors to expect; what it meant if we found earthy or minerally qualities; how winemaking techniques, such as the use of oak, malolactic fermentation, and aging on the lees translate to quality in the final wine. Then we assessed each wine. Did the bright fruit of one Chardonnay mean it was the lesser expensive and the buttery quality of the other mean it was the more expensive one? [Probably but not always.] When it came to the Petite Sirah, I knew it tended to be a hearty wine. But both samples showed a certain finesse. One reminded me a little of Beaujolais; the other was full-bodied with a lot going on in the glass. [I had a pretty good idea which was which.]

Finally, Cabernet Sauvignon, the most difficult test for me. Both had good body and lots of fruit accompanied by other pleasing non-fruit qualities. One was drier than the other. One was firmer; the other was lusher. What did it all mean? Ultimately, I was lucky to guess (and I do mean guess) right on all three but it wasn’t easy. As our group discussed the lessons of the seminar, a fairly consistent pattern emerged. In general (which means you can expect to find these characteristics most often true but there certainly can be exceptions), expect less expensive wines to:

_ focus on bright, up front fruit,
_ be lighter in body, and
_ and have a softer structure.

Expect more expensive wines to:

_ have more depth or concentration of fruit,
_ be medium to full-bodied,
_ present a firmer structure, and
_ display more complexity.

Of course, we had more trouble answering the bottom line question: were the more expensive wines worth the extra cost? This is often a tough question that I answer “no.” But, this time, the answer was yes. The more expensive wines were worth the cost. The only slight exception was the two Cabernets. Although I clearly preferred the Grgich Hills, the Hall wasn’t far behind and it’s not exactly cheap either. So, while it is often not true, with these wines, I do think you get what you pay for.

The wines
_ 2006 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard ($40)
_ 2006 Solex Chardonnay Russian River Valey ($18)
_ 2005 Stags’ Leap Winery Petite Syrah Napa Valley ($35)
_ 2005 Spellbound Petite Sirah Lodi ($16)
_ 2005 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($60)
_ 2005 Hall Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($40)