Drinking gold in Beaver CreekI

BEAVER CREEK AND THE BAY — Every year, for the last 25 years, confident winemakers from around the world submit 4,000 wines into the San Francisco International Wine Competition to see how their grape gumption fares.

Out of the thousands, only 100 to 150 wines receive a double gold from judges, and starting on Thursday, the first-ever Beaver Creek Wine and Spirits Festival will pour only the gold.

“Wine gets a double gold if all the members of the panel that are judging say it’s a gold,” Anthony Blue said, the director of the festival.

Most people in the wine industry consider the San Francisco International Competition as the most prestigious, he continued.

“It’s pretty definitive. The people who are judging are pretty well respected,” Blue said.

In addition to the double-gold wines, winning spirits from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition will also be served at the festival. The spirit competition, like the wine, is noted all over the world.

“And it makes sense, when we judge, for example, over 100 single malt scotches,” Blue said.

Blue is a wine, food and lifestyle writer, he’s on the radio and on T.V. Some might recognize his name from Bon Appetit. For 20 years he was the publication’s wine and spirits editor, and he directed its tasting panel. If you eat it or drink it — Blue is an expert on it. Now Blue and his company, Blue Lifestyle, produce wine and food events across the country.

Pairing the double-gold wines and spirits with food, Blue has invited three guest chefs from San Francisco to cook at the festival: Frenchman Hubert Keller, Joseph Manzare, an Italian from the Bronx, and Richard Sandoval, who cooks Latin fusion. The food promises to be eclectic with this group, Blue said.

The festival opens with Cocktails and Comedy on Thursday, featuring comedian Craig Shoemaker, and of course, appetizers and wine.

The festival then moves into three interactive days of eating, drinking and checking out the scenery at Beaver Creek. There will be guided hikes and fishing followed by three-course lunches prepared by one of the guest chefs. Splendido at The Chateau will host a dinner, and Grouse Mountain Grill will host a brunch.

Blue will host seminars, “mini workshops” as he describes them. He intentionally keeps them small, around 20 people, and in the past, attendees have really gotten into it. This time around, Blue will discuss riesling — a wine that’s rising in quality since the days of the sweet Blue Nun.

“It’s fantastic food wine,” he said. “It’s definitely hot right now. People are switching from chardonnay to riesling and it’s a good thing for the end of summer.

And on Saturday, people can try more than 40 double gold wine and spirits and graze on signature dishes from both Beaver Creek chefs, as well as Keller, Manzare and Sandoval, during The Best of San Francisco Tasting at the Vilar Center.

Where to drink, when to eat THURSDAY Cocktails & Comedy Vilar Center for the Arts, 7 to 10 p.m., $35 A gut-wrenching comedy show with Craig Shoemaker, and complimentary cocktails, wine and appetizers to warm you up for the performance. FRIDAY Walk & Wine • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., $75 A guided hike with the experts of the Beaver Creek Hiking Center, and a three-course wine and spirits luncheon at Grouse Mountain Grill with Guest Chef Richard Sandoval. Riesling Seminar Foxnut • 4 to 5:30 p.m., $45 Anthony Dias Blue will guide you on a special tasting tour in which you will discover Rieslings from the world’s classic regions — Washington, Germany, France and New Zealand — paired with delicious foods prepared by Riley Romanin. Wine & Spirits Dinner Splendido at the Chateau • 7 to 10 p.m., $TBD Featuring Guest Chef Hubert Keller and Best of Show wines and spirits including wines from Chouinard Vineyards, La Crema and Kilikanoon. SATURDAY Walk & Wine • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., $75 A guided hike with the experts of the Beaver Creek Hiking Center, and a three-course wine and spirits luncheon at the Beaver Creek Chophouse with Guest Chef Joseph Manzare. All ability levels welcome. Fly Fish/Eat Fish 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., $200 Fish with the best guides around on the beautiful Eagle River, and enjoy a three-course wine and spirits luncheon at the Beaver Creek Chophouse with Guest Chef Joseph Manzare. All ability levels welcome. Best of San Francisco Tasting Vilar Center for the Arts • 7 to 10 p.m., $60 The one event not to miss. Taste over 40 award-winning wines, spirits and dishes from all of our celebrity guest chefs, and your Beaver Creek favorites. SUNDAY Bubbles & Booze Brunch Grouse Mountain Grill • 10 a.m. to noon, $45 Featuring Guest Chef Gerald Hirigoyen, and specialty morning cocktails from St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Finlandia Grapefruit Vodka and more. For more information, call 845- 9090, or visit www.beavercreek.com. Tickets available at 845-TIXS or www.vilarcenter.org.

Tuscan inspirations

Manzare, who owns Zuppa, Pescheria and The Globe in San Francisco, is making panini bollito at the tasting. Kobe beef brisket boiled in herbs, like garlic, peppercorn, bay leaf and onions, is topped on tiny Italian rolls and served with mild salsa verde or spicy salsa picante.

“It’s kobe brisket, so there is an even layer of fat going through it. And when it’s boiled, it’s super tender, like that end piece of meat you love to eat from a steak,” Manzare said.

He first saw this type of sandwich in Tuscany at a market in Florence.

“There are hundreds of people standing in line, but they’re not really standing in line, they’re squeezing into this little corner to wait for these sandwiches, and the guy is slicing away, and that’s all they sell is these paninnis,” he said.

Manzare was born to cook Italian: His family originally hails from Bari in Southern Italy. All of his restaurants in San Francisco, if not traditional Italian, adopt some spirit of his homeland’s cooking. Growing up in the Bronx, his father would shop in Italian neighborhoods, then drive across town to a certain bakery for bread or to buy cheese from a particular monger.

“He was really picky, like most Italians,” Manzare said.

First from his dad and then from Wolfgang Puck, Manzare has learned that using the best ingredients is what matters most in cooking. He likes Italian food because of its simplicity. You find a nice piece of halibut, he said, right out of the water, cook it on a wood grill with some lemon and olive oil and voila — it’s done.

‘Healthy camaraderie’

Keller, co-owner of Fleur de Lys, one of top fine dining restaurants in San Francisco and Las Vegas, specializes in French cuisine with a Mediterranean accent, like his marinated venison loin served with sauteed in pineapple julienne.

Sandoval, born in Mexico City, Mexico, cooks modern Mexican at several restaurants across the country, including Maya in San Francisco and Tamayo in Denver. Dishes like Pechuga Adobada appear on his menus: chicken marinated in adobo served with roasted corn, manchego cheese dumplings, cilantro pesto and warm pico de gallo.

But unlike how the wines arrived at this festival, there is no competition among these Bay area pals. The city, Manzare explained, invites healthy camaraderie, which is like no other place he’s worked. In fact, his restaurant Globe serves as the industry hang out. Open late, it’s the only place chefs, buss boys and restauranteurs can order a real meal after 10 p.m.

“San Francisco is the closest knit chef communities in the country if not the world,” Manzare said. “Everyone gets along and we all hang out.”

Cassie Pence is a freelance writer based in Vail. Contact her at cassandrapence@gmail.com.