TABLE TALK: Spain to bask in spotlight at local wine fest

The Wine Festival of Colorado Springs, March 11-12, will feature the wines of Spain. The event, which benefits the Fine Arts Center, is one of the hot tickets of the year.

Often called a “sleeping giant” in the wine world, Spain has the largest area of land dedicated to viticulture of any country in the world. Archaeologists believe that grapes were first cultivated in Spain sometime between 4000 BC and 3000 BC. Some of the wines you can expect to sample during the weekend include reds from Rioja and Ribera del Duero, reds and whites from the Penedès and the fine sparkling wine known as Cava.

Spanish wine speakers include: Maite Esteve with Marquès de Gelida; Andrew Holod with Grapes of Spain; Bárbara de Miguel with Cepa 21; Ricardo Peñalba with Bodegas Peñalba Lopez; Marc Picon with Parés Baltà; and Sonia Rodriguez with Sierra Cantabria.

Here’s a peek at the schedule of seminars and tastings where the winemakers will be available.

March 11:
• The Spanish Wine Experience seminar in The Broadmoor Hall, 5:30 p.m. The winemakers will be talking about grape varieties, history and styles of the wines of various regions of Spain. Cost is $30 per person.
• Grand Tasting at The Broadmoor Hall, 7 p.m., where you can sample more than 300 wines and culinary dishes from top chefs and caterers. Cost is $65 for FAC members and $75 for nonmembers.

March 12:
• “Spanish Wine, But What Cheese?” seminar will be in the Sunrise Room at the Garden of the Gods Club, 3320 Mesa Road at 10:30 a.m. Cost is $35 per person.
• Transforming Food & Wine luncheon at Amuzé at the FAC, 30 W. Dale St. at 12:30 p.m., featuring the fine cuisine of William Sherman, executive chef of Amuzé. Sherman will delve into the science of molecular gastronomy (made famous by Ferran Adrià, who once owned El Bulli in Girona, Spain), while the winemakers will pair their wines with the courses. Cost is $65 per person.
• Gourmet Wine Dinner at the Garden of the Gods Club at 6:30 p.m. will be a five-course dinner paired with the winemakers’ wines. Cost is $150 per FAC member and $175 per nonmember.

Festival packages are $325 per FAC member or $380 per nonmember. Call 634-5583 or visit csfineartscenter.org for tickets.

Coffee jolts
There are a couple of new java joints where you can get your buzz going.

• Coffee On The Go, 250 Colorado 105 in Monument, is hard to miss. It’s a cute little red caboose-like kiosk to the west of I-25 at the exit for Monument. At night it’s outlined in bright light bulbs, enticing traffic to pull off for a shot of joe. And you won’t be disappointed with the coffee that is roasted by The Fresh Cup Roasting Co. in Palmer Lake. Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.
• Sacred Grounds Cafe, 1801 Cheyenne Blvd., is west of Cresta Road. In addition to coffee by Barista Espresso you will find baked goods, breakfast burritos, teas, soups and sandwiches. Take along the laptop and enjoy free wireless Internet. Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; and 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sundays. Call 475-0888.

Broadmoor chef hopeful
Bertrand Bouquin, executive chef for Summit and Penrose Room at The Broadmoor, is one of six Colorado chefs in the running for Best Chef in the Southwest Region for the James Beard Awards.

Other chefs on the list include: Ryan Hardy of Montagna at the Little Nell in Aspen; Mark Fischer of Restaurant Six89 in Carbondale; Jennifer Jasinski of Rioja in Denver; Alex Seidel of Fruition Restaurant in Denver; and, Kelly Liken of Kelly Liken in Vail.

The list will be whittled to a finalist group March 21, and the winner will be named May 9 in New York, at an event that is considered the “Oscars of the food world.”

Local Restaurant Week
Restaurants interested in participating in the first local Restaurant Week, scheduled for March 6-13, should contact Greg Howard at McCabe’s Tavern, 633-3300.

Participating restaurants will offer multi-course dinners for $35, $45 or $55.
—
CONTACT US: Send tips about restaurant openings, closings, menu changes and food specials to teresa .farney@gazette.com or call 636-0271. Do you manage a
restaurant? Send us your e-mail address so we can keep in touch. Hear her “KVOR Table Talk,” radio show noon to 1 p.m. Saturdays on 740 AM.