Coming Tomorrow

Colorado wine breakdown -- Tomorrow, I'll list out the wines we drank in Colorado before we got to Larkspur. Some great wines and great deals!!!

Larkspur and Kunin Wines

I just got back from skiing in Vail and I'm having a little trouble getting back into work mode so I thought I'd add a long overdue post. I was in Vail with 3 friend and we had a great time (what's not to love...mountains, sun, skiing, good friend, etc). Two of the meals we cooked in (which were great). In preparation for the trip, I had pre-positioned a mixed case of wine which, by the end of the 3 day stay was all but gone.

For our last night, we went to a great restaurant named Larkspur (http://www.larkspurvail.com/). The Sommelier, Kevin Furtado, was extremely knowledgeable and helpful in providing us with excellent wines at very reasonable restaurant prices. While waiting for our table, we waited at the bar and ordered the suggested wine, a great rhone syle wine from Kunin Wines (http://kuninwines.com/). The 2005 Kunin Pape Star Rhone Blend ($58/btl) is almost like a California pinot noir with its explosive fruit and bright berry flavor. The difference comes in the mouth feel which is silky with just enough tannin and weight to stand up to and be paired with everything we had (from salads to veal scalopini or lamb). This is a great everyday drinking wine which I highly recommend (and am currently on the hunt for)! Furtado went on and on about Kunin's winemaking and philosophy. After tasting his wine, I understand why. The grapes are purchased from the best vineyards in the Central Coast area of California and crafted in a way that clearly maintains and takes full advantage of flavors the grapes he uses to make his wines. So, since leaving, I've been on a Kunin hunt. Living in Massachusetts can really be difficult when it comes to finding excellent, small production wines. Seth Kunin's wines are clearly that. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any of his wines yet, but I will.

After finishing a third bottle of Kunin, we moved on to a 2003 Beringer Private Reserve, which I thought was an unbelievable bargain at $80/btl. Even after the other bottles of wine (and some tequila), it was outstanding. The Beringer was typically in the style of other Beringer Private Reserves I have had, a big, solid fabulous Cal cab fruit bomb.

I guess, after drooling over the wines, I should talk about the food which, in a word, was fabulous. I started with a pork belly dish that had so many flavors and was so good it was criminal. For a main course, I had veal scalopini and my friends had a Colorado Rack of Lamb that, as good as the veal was, I wish I had! The food, service and decor was all fantastic and put the perfect end to 3 (well, 2 for me) days of unbelievable Rocky Mountain weather and skiing. Anyone going to Vail, eat at Larkspur. Anyone drinking wine....find some Kunin!!!