Denver Magazine / Denver Magazine Spring 2008 / Climbing the Culinary Peak

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Climbing the Culinary Peak

How to enjoy sipping, supping and partying at the three-day 26th Aspen Food & Wine Classic.

It's the culinary splurge fest of summer, the food and wine event of the year, and an annual blowout party that celebrates the glorious excess of gastronomy.

Now in its 26th year, the Food & Wine magazine Classic at Aspen a three-day odyssey through peaked, pearly white tents bedecked with wines and foodstuffs from around the globe, riveting wine seminars conducted by renowned grape warriors and cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs such as Bobby Flay, Danny Meyer, Ming Tsai (pictured, above right) and Jean-Georges Vongerichten is a grand tasting of apex proportions. Couple that with an Iron Chef-like Classic Cook-Off, splashy, invite-only parties, book signings and impromptu brushes with those famous mugs, and the $1,150 weekend price tag doesn't seem quite as steep as the towering mountains that crest in the distance.

If you've been before, then you know the drill, but if this is your first jaunt to the Food & Wine Classic, prepare to be simultaneously overwhelmed, over-satiated and overcome with abundant taste sensations. Here's a primer (or refresher course for you professionals) to tease your palate:

Brush up on your cooking skills with star chefs José Andrés, Danny Meyer, Michelle Bernstein, David Chang, Tom Colicchio, Bobby Flay, Padma Lakshmi (above left), Masaharu Morimoto, Jacques and Claudine Pépin (top right), Ming Tsai, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Lidia Bastianich, and Steven Raichlen.

Sip from the vines with wine gurus Joshua Wesson, Dan Philips, Richard Betts, Andrew Lawlor, Chris Hatcher, Bartholomew Broadbent, David Scholefield, Robert Simpson, Serge Hochar, Robert Simpson, Remi Fritsch-Fontanges, Jean-Guillaume Prats, Gina Gallo, Anthony Giglio, Mark Oldman, Mary Ewing-Mulligan, Rory Callahan, Tony Abou-Ganim, and Robin Kelly O'Connor.

Don't miss Chef David Chang's Whole Hog:Belly, Buns and Butt! Cooking demonstration, Michelle Bernstein's Fantastic Latin Food movement, Tom Colicchio and Padma Lakshmi's In the Kitchen with Top Chef and Danny Meyer and Dan Philips' Deli-icious Decantings wine seminar.

Weave your way around the Grand Tasting Tent one country or varietal at a time, otherwise the maze of wines will feel like a bad hangover. Take your time navigating the tents, step outside into the grassy courtyard to behold the beautiful views of Aspen Mountain, and remember that this is a sip fest - not a guzzling marathon.

Make friends with someone who has a coveted party invitation to The Sky Hotel, a hip and swanky boutique hotel that buzzes with energy and verve, especially as the night wears on.

Spot a local celebrity at the Living Room in the Little Nell, Aspen's plushest watering hole for the wealthy and well-heeled.

Spot a celebrity chef on the deck at The Tavern, the Little Nell's sun-kissed outdoor breeding ground for schmoozing, noshing (the truffled fries are legendary) and gawking.

Catch some Z's near Wagner Park, within wine spitting distance from the Grand Tasting Tent and the majority of cooking demonstration/wine seminar venues. Just be prepared to pay dearly for the prime location, and book now, otherwise you might be bunking in your car.

Not that you'll be hungry, but Aspen trumpets a passel of brilliant restaurants, including D-19, Lu Lu Wilson, Rustique, Social, Gusto Ristorante, Matsuhisa, Cache-Cache and Takah Sushi.