Another Great Wine Dinner Menu

Greetings, Wine, Food, and Art Fans!!

News Flash!! We have just received the menu for the wine dinner at Joseph's Table, one of the most famous restaurants in Taos. This dinner is July 9 at 7 pm, and promises to be phenomenonal!!

First Course:
Drunken Shrimp, Crab Cake, or Tuna Tartar (served with Casa Rondena Winery Viognier)

Second Course:
Kale Salad, Manchego, or Carpaccio (served with Casa Rondena Winery Calvin Clarion)

Third Course
Vegetarian (Chef’s Choice), Duck Leg Confit, Dijon Crusted Salmon, or Petite Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Crème and Sweet Potato Mash (served with D. H. Lescombes Limited Edition Petite Sirah)

Dessert Course
Chocolate Quenelles (served with Casa Rondena Winery Calvin Animante Port Style wine).

Tickets are $100. Go to http://www.toastoftaos.com/ to buy tickets to this sumptuous feast!!

Stakeout Wine Dinner Menu--11 Wines from 3 states!!

More mouth-watering information is here: the menu for Stakeout Grill and Bar Wine Dinner at 7 pm on Thursday, July 10. The Stakeout location is exquisite with glorious views and terrific sunsets. Host Mauro Bettini takes very good care of his guests, and his food is superb, as are his wine and food pairings. Anyway, onto the menu:

CROSTINI AL SALMONE
House Smoked Wild Sockeye Salmon on Rustic Bread with Crème Fresh and Caviar

D.H. Lescombes, Brut (New Mexico)
D.H. Lescombes, Imperial Kir (New Mexico)


ANTIPASTO DI MARE
Cold Seafood marinated in extra virgin Olive Oil Mediterranean Style

The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey, Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2007 (Colorado)
Oak Hills, Seyval Blanc 2007 (Oklahoma)

***********

STAKEOUT SALAD
Mixed Selected Organic Greens tossed with Our Vinaigrette dressing

Reeder Mesa, Riesling 2007 (Colorado)
Granite Creek, Dry Rose (Arizona)

**********

WILD MUSROOM RISOTTO
Served with Pancetta, Porcini Mushrooms, Fresh Herbs and Parmesan Cheese

Luna Rossa, Nini 2005 (New Mexico)
Sonoita, Pinot Noir 2005 (Arizona)

**********

SORBET BELLISSIMO

**********

LE CARNI
Filet & Veal Involtini
A combination of a most tender Filet of Beef served with a Green Peppercorn Sauce, and a Free Range Veal Roll served with a light wine reduction Sauce

D.H. Lescombes, Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Release 2005 (New Mexico)
Tierra Encantada, Merlot 2004 (New Mexico)

**********

CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE
Served warm with molten center and Raspberry Sauce

The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey, Divinity 2003 (Colorado)


The winemakers will present their wines, and the pairings will be extraordinary. Tickets for this amazing sensory experience are $100 per person. To order tickets, go to http://www.toastoftaos.com/ or call (575) 751-5811.

Bravo Dinner Menu

Are you ready to drool? Take a peak at the menu for the wine dinner at Bravo! Fine Wine Food & Spirits on July 5. The winemakers will be at the dinner to present their wines. The chef is a master, and this dinner will be extraordinary!!

Cocktails and Canapes Passed
Canyon Wind Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Grand Valley, Colorado

Petit Jambonneau au Poulet
Ancho chili mushroom duxelle stuffed chicken with black peppercorn jus
The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2006, Canon City, CO

Broiled Baby Sea scallops with lobster butter Hollandaise
served with jicama cilantro salad
Canyon Wind Chardonnay 2005 Grand Valley, Colorado

Grilled Sweetbreads on breaded eggplant, Yellow Tomato Lime Salsa
Two Rivers Winery, Chateau Deux Fleuves Vineyards Syrah 2006, Grand Junction, CO
Concetta Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Castlerock, CO

Seared Salmon Medallions with apple pear mint compote
The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2007, Canon City, CO
Concetta Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon, Castlerock, CO

Creamy Mezcal Flan with Sugared Plantain Flambee
Nuyaka Creek Winery Oklahoma Petite Berry

Tickets are $100 per person, and the dinner starts at 7 pm. This is going to be great!!! To buy your tickets, go to http://www.toastoftaos.com/ or call (575) 751-5811.

Music Lineup for Toast of Taos Kickoff

Greetings from Toast of Taos Headquarters.

Here's the latest!! We have a great musician lineup for our Toast of Taos Kickoff at KTAO Solar Center, 1-5 pm, July 4. Here are the acts that will perform:

Rick De Stefano, singer and keyboardist.

Billy Archuleta & Doctor Lorenzo Trujillo--traditional New Mexican music

Lewis, DonCon and Turnmire--Latin-Blues-Jazz-Dance Groove-Jam

Mariachi Leon featuring John Archuleta

Paul Jones, flutist. Paul plays hand-carved Native American style flutes he makes himself.

Winemakers from Colorado, Oklahoma, and New Mexico will provide tastes of their wines.

Wrappers, Pizanos, and Don Fernando's will provide wonderful food. Come taste wine (maybe buy a bottle or two to take home), enjoy great munchies, and treat yourself to some terrific music by some of our best!!

Tickets are $25. Go to http://www.toastoftaos.com/ to buy yours today.

Great art and wine at Toast of Taos Auction

Here's the latest on the Toast of Taos auction.

Many wonderful artists have stepped forward to donate art to our 2008 auction. A big thanks to these terrific, talented folks for supporting their hospital and their community.

Keep an eye on our web site for a new auction page with images of art and wine donations. Here are a few of this year's donors and some images.

Jerry Mann--painter

Pat Woodall--painter

Jim Wagner--painter

Brad Malone--Photographer

Jd Challenger--painter

Steven Gootgeld--sculptor

Geraint Smith--photographer

Jerry Rea--photographer

Peter Schwartz--photographer

Robert MacGregor--painter

Judy Cockburn--jewelry maker

Sigrid Long--jewelry maker

Shelbee Mares--painter

Michael Carter--painter

Rory Wagner--painter

The auction will also include many sets of award-winning wine.

The auction will be live and will be part of the wine dinner at El Monte Sagrado Resort and Spa from 7-10 pm on July 12. Click this link to buy your tickets today.

Keep your eye on our website for the newest additions to our auction.

Colorado Comes on Board in a Big Way

Greetings, wine fans!!!

This year many wonderful wineries from Colorado will be joining us for Toast of Taos. I have tasted the wine of every one of these wineries, and I can say without hesitation that you will enjoy being introduced to their wines.

Here are the Colorado wineries that will be at this year's events:

Canyon Wind Cellars from Palisade. This lovely winery in the heart of Colorado wine country boasts a whole range of wonderful wines. I recommend the Petit Verdot.

Concetta Cellars from Castlerock. This small winery has a great Syrah and Cab. Winemaker Jay Spence also hosts a wine radio show on Wednesday at 6 pm on the Castlerock radio station.

Reeder Mesa from Whitewater. This small winery is hard to find but worth the trip!!! They boast a great Riesling and Cab

Turquoise Mesa from Broomfield. Winemakers Tom and Mary Joan Bueb are wonderful hosts and make some terrific Syrah.

Two Rivers Winery from Grand Junction. This winery is one of the biggest of Colorado. Their tasting room and party facilities are lovely, and their staff is welcoming and helpful. Plus their wines are wonderful.

Winery at Holy Cross Abbey from Canon City. Matt and Sally Cookson and Larry Oddo have supported Toast of Taos since we started. Winemaker Matt came from California wineries in 2001, and Holy Cross wine has gotten better each year. My special favorite is their Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, but the Cab Franc, Merlot Reserve, and Divinity Port are also to die for!!!

All of these winemakers will participate in either the July 4 kickoff or the July 11 gallery tour. Several will also be featured in the wine dinners. I will post the dinner menus in the next week or two on http://www.toastoftaos.com/.

Join us in welcoming these winemakers to Taos and in experiencing their great wines!!

Wine Class will be FANTASTIC!!!

The Toast of Taos Wine Class promises to be a fascinating experience this year.

On Tuesday, July 8, from 6-8 pm, Matt Cookson, winemaker for Winery of Holy Cross Abbey in Canon City, Colorado, will join Howard Fox, winemaker for Casa Rondena Winery in Albuquerque, NM, to discuss the differences between New Mexico and Colorado wine. The event will be at Bravo! Restaurant in Taos.

I know and admire both of these winemakers, and I love their wines. Neither gentleman is a shrinking violet. This class should be a blast!! In last year's class, Bravo! provided a plate of delectable munchies, we tasted some terrific wines, and we learned a great deal. This year, the class should be even better!!!

The tickets for this class are $25, a STEAL!!! Hit this link to buy your ticket today!!

I will definitely be there, and I am encouraging everyone I know to attend. Don't miss it!!!

Arizona Wineries are coming to 2008 Toast of Taos.

I have a terrific announcement!!!

For the first time, two Arizona wineries are coming to Toast of Taos!!

I had the great pleasure of visiting Arizona wineries in April, and two wineries agreed to make the LONG trip to Taos to give us a taste of their terrific wines and to see what Toast of Taos is all about!!!

Fran Lightly, winemaker of Sonoita Winery near Elgin, Arizona, will be in a gallery during the Art D'Vine Gallery Tour on July 11. His wine will also be featured in the dinner at the Stakeout Restaurant on July 11. Fran will be at the dinner and will be happy to tell you more about Sonoita Vineyards, its wines, and its rich history.

Julie and Kelsey Hoult of Granite Creek Vineyards will also be in a gallery during the Art D'Vine Gallery Tour on July 11. Several restaurants are also considering their wines for a wine dinner. Be sure to try their wines. They are all organic and quite good!

Join us at this year's Toast of Taos!! Click on this link to buy tickets.

Toast of Taos Poster Competition

Here's the latest from 2008 Toast of Taos.

A call has gone out to Taos artists to submit original artwork for the 2008 Poster Competition. Last year we got over a dozen entries from such art luminaries as Rich Nichols and Ed Sandoval. The picture to the right features Lee Heartwell and her beautiful 2007 entry.

The 2007 prize winners last year included Leigh Gusterson, Stephen Kilborn, and Mark Kemper. See below for the winning images (they are available at http://www.toastoftaos.com/. Click on the merchandise link).

This year the entry deadline is February 29, and we have already received several entries from terrific Taos artists, including Bob Cooley, Michelle Chrisman, Inger Jirby, and Peggy McGivern. Many more should be coming in during the next two weeks.

Judging will occur during the first week of March, and the winner--as well as the other entries--will be unveiled at an artist reception on March 29 from 2-4 pm at San Geronimo Lodge in Taos. Come join us, meet the artists, and see the gorgeous art.

Be sure to keep an eye on http://www.toastoftaos.com/, where the winning images will be posted soon after the reception. Posters and other merchandise featuring the winning images will also be available for sale on the site, at Toast of Taos events, and at the office of Holy Cross Hospital Foundation in Taos.

Toast of Taos is coming! Mark your calendar today for our big wine festival July 4-July 12.

2008 Toast of Taos is coming!

Welcome to the 2008 Toast of Taos blog!!

Planning for 2008 is well underway. Here are the 2008 event highlights:

1. Southwest Wine Competition on June 25 and 26, featuring wines from Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Arizona. Last year 197 wines were entered, and we expect even more this year.

I toured some great Arizona wineries in late 2007: Callaghan, Canelo Hills, Dos Cabeza, Granite Creek, Keeling-Schaefer, Kokopelli, Rancho Rossa, Sonoita, and Village of Elgin, to name a few. What a wonderful group of people and a diverse, fascinating group of wines. Everything from the immense reds of Callaghan to the delicate lovely organic wines of Granite Creek, to the multitudinus wines of Sonoita. I hope to see several of these wines in the competition, and several of the winemakers at Toast of Taos.

2. Wonderful wine dinners:

July 5: Bravo! Restaurant

July 9: Joseph's Table Restaurant

July 10: Stakeout Grill and Bar

July 12: El Monte Sagrado Resort and Spa

Joseph's Table is the new addition this year. Owner and chef Joseph Wrede is renowned for his fascinating, exquisite food, and for his excellent wine pairings. Also, the restaurant is located in the La Fonda de Taos Hotel, a beautiful old historical hotel in the heart of Taos.

3. Art D'Vine Gallery Tour on July 11. This tour will feature over 20 galleries, restaurants, and wineries. Several galleries are new to the tour, and restaurants and wineries sign up every day. Keep an eye on http://www.toastoftaos.com/ to see who comes on board each day.

4. Kick off Wine Tasting of the Southwest on July 4. This is our biggest wine tasting. We anticipate over 20 wineries will offer tastings of their wines and will show off their medals. In addition, we will provide some terrific munchies (included in the ticket price) and lots of great music. Last year we heard everything from traditional New Mexican folk songs to powerful rock music to harp pieces to soft rock ballads. There's something for everyone at this great event.

2008 Toast of Taos will be loads of fun. Plus, all profits raised will go to help purchase new digital fluoroscopic and x-ray equipment for Holy Cross Hospital in Taos.

Come join us and enjoy the best the Southwest has to offer!!! Tickets will soon be available on our web site, and if you want to purchase some early, send me an email at strigg@taoshospital.org or call 575 751-5811.

Keep an eye on this blog as I pass on the latest developments as we get ready for 2008 Toast of Taos!!!!