VOLUME VI / ISSUE X / OCTOBER 2022
In Search The Perfectof Sip Solace and Bite SANTA FE WINE & CHILE FIESTA
THE PERFECT SIP (AND BITE) WILLIAM SMITH @willismith_2000 COPY EDITOR & CONTRIBUTOR
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ARLIER THIS YEAR, I PENNED A PIECE IN POLO LIFESTYLES ON SUMMER WINE EVENTS AND FESTIVALS (APRIL 2022). It was great fun to research and write, but a recent experience made me realize I missed a key point of many wine festivals – the food. The omission, in retrospect, feels nearly sacrilegious. So I am taking some license this month and creating an addendum of sorts to that original piece. I’m a believer in these two truisms – wine makes food better and food makes wine better. And what better a place to test out these truisms than at a hallmark wine festival designed to feature both. page 184
I’m lucky to live in a place with a great festival: the Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta. The additional benefit is that the event features so many of our incredible local restaurants, many of which can point to James Beard Nominations and Awards to back up their culinary bona fides.
adjacent neighbors such well-regarded names as Frog’s Leap, Caymus, Honig, Beaulieu, and St. Supery. At the Fiesta, I tasted the 2019 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon which the winemaker describes as “a true reflection of the signature Rutherford dust.” It’s deliciously that and more.
First, let’s talk about the wine. This year, more than 90 wineries were pouring their grapey goodness. One name familiar to me was Napa’s Round Pond Estate. I’d been to Round Pond for a wedding four years ago and what I remembered from that that experience was a gorgeous setting and a rightful focus on the bride and groom. I also remembered their lineup of unctuous olive oils. What I didn’t remember were the wines.
Deep crimson in the glass, aromas of dark fruits, soil and minerality jump out in a most inviting way. Deep yet subtle, it’s a balanced mix of roasted spices and cocoa hints that left me wanting yet another tasting. It also felt like the perfect food Cabernet, so the hunt was on for its perfect pairing bite.
Shame on me, for rediscovering Round Pond Estate was pure bliss. Round Pond Estate is nestled into the acclaimed Rutherford Region of the Napa Valley, counting among its
Although Round Pond’s Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was perfect on its own, like most cabs from Napa, I want it alongside some roasted or grilled beef. With more than 60 restaurants taking part in the Fiesta, there were no lack of options. But close to where Round Pound was pouring, was the exceptional stalwart of Santa Fe’s food scene, Geronimo.