The second annual Sun Valley Food and Wine Festival kept a steady stream of tastings, demonstrations and food events happening throughout Ketchum and Sun Valley all weekend long. The event had a fiery kick-off at the Elkhorn Springs restaurant when a nearby building went ablaze during the Laurent-Perrier champagne reception. Chefs Cat Cora, John Tesar, Jimmy Sneed, Anne Callaghan and Larbie Dahrouch, as well as several valley restaurant owners, greeted sponsors and VIP festival pass holders while all supped on sumptuous appetizers, of tuna tartar, oysters and a variety of other tasty hors d'oeuvres created by Chef Paul Dean, executive chef of Elkhorn Golf Club.
Vintner dinners on Friday evening included a special dinner prepared by Chef Scott Wamsley at the Sun Valley Lodge. The dinner featured food and wine pairings, with wine by Winebow Importers presented by Christine Hammond.
The festival went full steam ahead on Saturday morning at CIRO restaurant and wine bar with a sold out demonstration by headline Chef Cat Cora. The day continued all-around town with an well-attended grilling demonstration at Memory Park in Ketchum by Roosevelt Grille and Sawtooth Club owner Tom Nickle.
Chef John Tesar wowed attendees at CIRO restaurant and wine bar with a four star corn three ways with lobster dish for his "Farmer's Market Produce and Sustainable Seafood" demonstration. Tesar willingly gave away some treasured cooking creeds such as more salt for the taste buds to enhance flavor and parchment paper cutouts for cooling items. Tesar felt very much at home in Sun Valley and wanted everyone he cooked for to feel like a gourmand.
Several wine tastings around town included Frenchman's Gulch Winery, which presented a fine selection of 2005 wines including the Ketchum Cuvée and a special tasty rosé, which was the talk of the party. The well-attended tasting included delicious Italian appetizers prepared by co-owner Tracey McCarthy, who was also serving wines with husband and co-owner Steve happily taking wine orders and making his guests feel at home. It was a festive party atmosphere and attendees enjoyed an excellent spring day around the barrels.
Another round of vintner dinners on Saturday evening included an Italian feast at Cristina's Restaurant. Although owner Cristina Ceccatelli Cook is not a sister to wine distributor Tony Ciccarelli of Empson Selections, Cook made all feel they were family with hand selected wines accompanying each carefully and beautifully presented course. For those who needed some wine tips, Ciccarelli said 2006 was an excellent year for Italian whites.
The weekend ended at Carol's Dollar Mountain lodge in Sun Valley with a grand tasting, which featured paella and pasta dishes cooked fresh by Sun Valley resort chefs in front of attendees, who could choose an assortment of ingredients to include in the paella and pasta. Alongside the cooks, were tables filled with anti-pasta dishes, cheeses and fruits.
Outside on the lodge deck, wine distributors and vineyards served wines and plentiful hors d'oeuvres as participants enjoyed a beautiful day to end the festival.
Tracey McCarthy from Frenchman's Gulch Winery in Ketchum serves a delicious rosé to a packed house of wine tasters and festival-goers.
Photo by Willy Cook
