Colorado Getaway in Telluride Full of Culinary Delights that Taste Like Heaven

Chefs Cheetie Kumar, Alex Seidel, Lindsay Autry, Paul C. Reilly, Javier Plascencia, Matt Vawter and Bernard Guillas are on deck to create, share and cultivate community around locally sourced dishes| Photo courtesy of Telluride Reserve

If savoring three days of food and wine events set against the 13,000- and 14,000-foot peaks that surround the town of Telluride sounds like your idea of heaven, you’ve found your heaven. Originated in 2019, the prestigious culinary experience that is Telluride Reserve features chefs, purveyors, winemakers, sommeliers and mixologists from around the globe in an unparalleled setting in the San Juan Mountains.

Centered around industry partnerships, each event during Telluride Reserve connects guests with admired creators within the culinary and vintner world as they showcase the subtleties that define flavor. “Telluride Reserve is at the forefront of culinary collaboration,” says Nicole Jarman, the brainchild behind Jarman and Co. Events, who expertly produces this event. “We all come together to experience the passion behind food and wine, combined with the gorgeous setting—you can’t help but feel inspired to share and be a part of what these experts are creating.”

Jarman is intentional in producing collaborative events that create a positive influence on the greater scopes of community and industry. “It’s the sharing of stories, the tastes and culture that make each guest and each industry specialist feel connected in a way you can’t experience at a restaurant or bar.”

Talking about culinary trends, educating and impassioning guests in a real grassroots, hands-on way, makes this event unique. Within food and wine circles, there is a great responsibility to share the real impact these events have on the industry they benefit from. In that effort, Reserve partners with curators who illustrate food integrity to elevate the experience, so guests leave enriched, and the event leaves a minimal environmental footprint.

“It is our belief food tastes unequivocally better when it runs wild, takes up less space and works in tandem with Earth’s natural rhythm,” Jarmen explains, “and it is our wish that guests of Reserve, as eaters and drinkers, seek the names of those who procure their ingredients, just as they do the chefs who create their meals.”

Winemaker Lulú Martínez Ojeda will walk guests through complex wines, with varietal typicity, natural freshness and aromatic finesse. | Photo courtesy of Telluride Reserve

Don’t Miss Events

Blending Baja & Bordeaux

11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Bon Vivant

The storied traditions of Bordeaux and fresh flavors of The Baja collide at 11,220 feet, creating an unrivaled taste experience surrounded by towering summits like Palmyra Peak. Guests have the option to hike or ride in an open-air, off-road vehicle to this venue normally only available during ski season. Once there, they’ll delight in the art of the long lunch, filled with inventive dishes born from the collaboration of chefs Javier Plascencia and Alex Seidel. The cuisine will be enhanced by wines from Bruma Valle de Guadalupe, produced by Lulú Martínez Ojeda, a Baja winemaker who studied for 12 years in Bordeaux.

Closer to the Stars Dinner

6 p.m.-9 p.m. at Bon Vivant

The farmlands on the road to Telluride are some of the most fertile and productive in Colorado, and August is peak time for local harvests. It’s also when the night skies are clearest for gazing at the stars. Chef Matt Vawter will create European-inspired dishes at 11,220 feet, with ingredients grown and raised in Colorado, paired with wines from Burgundy, France. Guests will ride in an open-air, off-road vehicles to this venue surrounded by Telluride Ski Resort’s dramatic summits. Experience this rare, exclusive occasion to dine alfresco at Bon Vivant in the summer.

Orange is the New White

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Communion, 567 Mountain Village Blvd., Suite 106C, Mountain Village

Join sommelier Dustin Clements and industry veteran Oullie Durham, co-owners of Communion, a wine bar in Telluride, as they uncover Orange Wines, which are made with any white wine grape that’s left in contact with its skin. Those eye-catching amber, copper or traffic-cone hues don’t come from actual oranges—a question sommeliers still field despite the category’s popularity—but rather due to the amount of time the juice sits with its skins. The resulting wines are a kaleidoscope of colors and characteristics, ranging from heavy-hitting bottles aged underground in ancient clay vessels for years, to light, refreshing sippers that sat with their skins in stainless steel tanks for all of three hours.

The scenic views of the San Juan mountains make Telluride a picture-perfect setting. | Photo courtesy of Photo Eng Photography

Farm to Gallery Dinner

7 p.m.-9 p.m. at the Telluride Art District Gallery, 220 W. Colorado Ave.

August in Telluride is the height of farmers market season, and the perfect time for a farm-to-pan-to-plate with chef Paul C. Reilly and chef Cheetie Kumar. Both chefs will begin with a visit to the local farmers market to procure seasonal, small-batch ingredients to be used for dinner that evening. Immerse in the exhibits of the Telluride Art District Gallery, and marvel at the way visual and culinary arts come together to influence taste and aesthetic.

Cast & Sip Fly Fishing Lunch

7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at secret location (shhh!)

“Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” Join Cakebread Wines on this exclusive experience for only eight guest fishermen. Embark on the guided excursion to a top-secret location, then return to revel over the trout tales of the day, while exclusively tasting Cakebread Wines.

The Mystery of Sicily Seminar

12:30 p.m.-2 p.m., Ania’s Table at Lumière Hotel, 118 Lost Creek Lane

The terroir of Mount Etna in Italy is a dynamic region in the world today. Advanced sommelier Kenny Koda reveals the mystery that is Sicilian wine, exploring how the volcanic earth and local ecology shape the characteristics of the reclaimed vines.

Photo courtesy of Telluride Reserve

WHERE TO STAY

Madeline Hotel & Residences

A stunning alpine resort in the historic town of Telluride, Madeline is surrounded on three sides by the 14,000-foot peaks of the San Juan Mountains. The hotel features 83 rooms and suites, and 71 residential con- dominiums. Each stay includes expansive Mountain Village views, and sophisticated amenities, featuring a heated outdoor swimming pool, hot tubs, fire pits, an al fresco lounge, an alpine-inspired spa and salon, and a personal training studio. Madeline Hotel & Residences recently received a five-star award, the highest Forbes Travel Guide rating possible. (use code telresmdl when booking)

InvitedHome

This selection of private, mountain homes from two to nine bedrooms and a variety of amenities at each, including home spas, grand fireplaces and recreation rooms. Long-space short-term stays are available for any size group. Every home is meticulously prepared ready to host long-lasting, memorable moments for families and friends. Call 720-537-1661 for discount information.

Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz Klammer Lodge

Located steps away from Village Gondola Station in Mountain Village, Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz Klammer Lodge has two and three-bedroom slope-side luxury residences, complimentary transportation to and from Telluride and Montrose airports, restaurant reservations and activity bookings, grocery service and spa appointments. The lodge also features an outdoor heated pool and hot tubs, fitness center, business center and on-site spa. (use discount code PGEN when booking)