It’s late September in Northern New Mexico. The nights are turning chilly, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains above Santa Fe are ablaze in Fall colors and the aroma of freshly harvested green chili is deliciously pungent as locals set up their roasters in parking lots and on street corners all over the city.
In the third week of September, amidst these Autumn flavors and scenes, another tradition is firing up – Santa Fe’s Wine and Chile Fiesta (SFW&C Fiesta.) Beginning with a one-day event in 1991, The Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta - whose mission is to keep Santa Fe on the map as a world-class culinary destination - is now an annual five-day weekend of events featuring the culinary artistry found in Santa Fe’s many excellent restaurants coupled with the sophistication and wines from local and national wineries.
The schedule is packed with events including films, informative wine seminars hosted by Master Sommeliers, delicious cooking demonstrations at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, guest chef winery luncheons, wine-pairing dinners, a reserve wine-tasting, a live auction, a Champagne brunch, and a Gran Fondo bike ride to Truchas (on the High Road to Taos), all of which culminate with the ultimate Grand Tasting at the Santa Fe Opera where all 75 participating Santa Fe restaurants and all 90 wineries serve samples of their best food and wine.
“The Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta has, in my view, really evolved alongside the restaurant scene in Santa Fe. As I recall, when the Fiesta first started in 1991, Mark Miller’s Coyote Café was getting a lot of buzz and helped to put Santa Fe on the fine dining map." Beth Novak Milliken, CEO and president of Spottswoode Winery said. "There were other good restaurants in town, too, and all likely improved and got more notoriety as a result of the buzz generated by Coyote Café."
“We love the Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta for how it’s totally integrated into the culinary scene there. Nearly every great restaurant in Santa Fe (and there are a lot) participates, and not just in a token way." Jason Haas, head of Tablas Creek Winery said. "The result is that everyone involved, from wineries to sommeliers to consumers, wants to come back each year. And not just to show off what they’re doing that’s new, but to reconnect with old friends and to enjoy the unique richness of the town’s great food & wine scene.”
Thanks to the tireless efforts and creativity of the organization’s Board of Directors, this event continues to evolve and strives to provide attendees with a piece de resistance in wine events each and every year.
Buy tickets to all these amazing events before they sell out fast. For more information or to order tickets go to santafewineandchile.org
