Thanks to the organizational efforts of Master of Wine Bill Nestor, the financial resources of Joseph Cresci and Gail Hohweiler
and a huge host of presenters, sponsors, exhibitors, staff and volunteers I'm returning today by train from a most enjoyable
weekend in Stowe, Vermont. This famous winter ski town was chosen as the summer site of what everyone is hoping will
become the East Coast answer to the wildly successful annual Aspen Wine and Food Event in Aspen, Colorado.
Aspen, it seems, has become so expensive for some that eastern entrepreneurs have awoken to the shocking fact that except
for the Wine Spectator's excruciatingly priced, biannual event in Manhattan there's really very little of merit around to entertain
the big population in this region. With the riches of culinary Europe close at hand, not to mention some of the most famous
American chefs and food artisans, there is ample talent available to fill the roster of seminar hosts and foodie stations.
This event offered no less than 8 of the new breed of wine cognoscenti, aka, Master's of Wine including Clive Coates, Doug
Frost, Sandy Block, Fiona Morrison and Bill Nesto plus wine educator Kevin Zraly. Cooking stars and commentators were in
abundance such as Giuliano Bugialli, Florence Fabricant, Roberto Donno, Bryan Miller, Mimi Sheraton, Barbara Lauterbach,
Madhur Jaffrey and many more.
Under the best looking pristine white tents I've ever seen, a cornucopia of sponsors of wine from around the world (make that
twice) poured samplings next to food specialties that ranged from succulent prosciutto to Vermont goat cheese to smoked fish
to specialty breads and coffees. Purchasing wooden chips ahead of time gave you entree to a myriad of coffee drinks, regional
foods and cheeses in larger portions. And as part of your admission an ample and continuous series of seminars ran throughout
each day hosted by wine panelists or cooking demonstrations.
Attendees were blessed with uncommonly clear skies, warm evenings and low humidity for the first two out of three days.
Sitting out in the large, grassy interior grounds looking up at the blue skies and white tent tops you also got a good look at the
nearby Green Mountains which seem to ring the area. One could hardly find a more appealing mix of woodland, blue skies and
sleepy town feel. Not quite Alpine, it is the town that the famous Trapp family, who lived the life that became the musical "The
Sound of Music", chose to settle in when they escaped from Hitler's Europe. The planning commission has done an exemplary
job of forcing attractive designs and signage on the town without ever giving the feeling of sterility that so often happens in towns
like this. With plenty of interesting places to dine and rent rooms, flowers everywhere (and this does seem rather Swiss), bikes
and canoes for rent, there's plenty to embellish the interests of anyone who needs to get away from the crowd.
Did I say crowd? Well there wasn't one really, to the consternation of some sponsors, but my bet is that next year you'll be
hearing about the Wine & Cuisine Expo at Stowe well in advance. If there was a real flaw this year it lies in their not getting the
word out to more people. It didn't bother me though, I loved being at the opening of something destined to attract a lot of
people. It was not unlike the Napa Valley Wine Auction's first bacchanal on the third fairway of the Meadowood golf course
which I attended with Michael Todd, now GrapeZine's editor. There weren't that many people, I'm not sure all the chairs filled
at the tables, but sipping lots of Napa Valley wine and eating cold chicken out of the big, grapevine picnic basket that was
placed in the center of the table made us feel like gods at a feast. You knew you were in the right place at the right time. Stowe,
Vermont had some of that feel this weekend and I suggest you mark your calendar.
