It was a wise choice to change our flight plans and stay an extra day in Crested Butte because we would need every minute on our Day 3!
The morning was slotted for my “Winemaker Trails” mountain bike ride with a crew of like-minded wino/mountain biking folks -- what a great concept, right? The group consisted of about ten people, including Marc Piscotty, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winning photographer, strong mountain biker, and all-around great guy.
The Winemaker Trails Group
We had the chance to ride together and see if we could capture any good video of the day. He had a camera clamp that did a good job, depending on how bumpy the terrain was. I mean, it’s mountain biking, so it’s not meant to be smooth!
See below for some unedited raw footage that Marc just sent me. We were testing to see how the camera/tripod clamp would work -- I think it turned out pretty well! Also, check out his blog for a video of another classic Crested Butte ride.
Our Mountain Guide, Woody Lindenmeyr, did a great job giving instruction to those who hadn’t mountain biked before and making sure we all found our picnic spot at the Club! Executive Chef Ben Breslauer and his crew were ready for us when we rolled in, hungry and thirsty (for wine). Mandy had arrived beforehand to set up our wines and had chilled glasses of our 2007 Pinot Grigio ready for the group.
Woody Lindenmeyr
It wasn’t long, though, until the weather caught up to us. The clouds had been turning darker all morning, and there was rain coming our way. Shortly after our first course, we were packing up the picnic and heading inside to avoid the high-altitude thunderstorms.
Ben put together a fantastic menu for us:
- Chilled Asparagus Soup, with a lump crab garnish (paired with our 2007 Sauvignon Blanc)
- Scallop Ceviche Martini, with diced tomatoes, cucumbers and cilantro (paired with our 2007 Pinot Grigio)
- Sliced Rare Tenderloin of Beef with Chimichurri Sauce, Haricot Verts and walnuts (paired with our 2006 Merlot)
- Strawberry and Kiwi “Carpaccio” served with torched brie (paired with our 2007 Generations Petit Verdot | Petite Sirah)
The whole group really loved the food and wine pairings -- there wasn’t much left of anything!
As I wrapped things up with the Winemaker Trails group, Mandy headed down to Maxwells with Aaron to taste our wines with Owner Peter Maxwell. I showed up (in my mountain biking gear -- I love Crested Butte) just as they were starting to taste the Sauvignon Blanc.
We had an awesome tasting with Peter -- he liked the wines across the board and thinks our 2007 Sauvignon Blanc and 2006 Merlot by the glass would do really well at his family steakhouse. He also enjoyed our 2005 Midnight Reserve. Hopefully this will help in securing a distribution partner in Colorado!
Mandy and I finished out our time in Crested Butte with a big BBQ at Aaron and Marianne’s house, LangeTwins being the ‘house wine’ of the night.
A successful trip that couldn’t have happened without the help of Aaron and Marianne Combs, their friends, and Mandy! Thanks to everyone.
We plan on being back in Colorado soon -- and often!
