Merryvale Vineyards Returns to The Blonde Bear Tavern

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We are pleased that The Blonde Bear Tavern will be participating once again in this year’s  30th Annual Taos Winter Wine Festival and celebrating the return of René Schlatter from Merryvale Vineyards, one of Napa Valley’s most prestigious wineries.  René and I will be hosting a special wine dinner to guide guests through six of Merryvale’s most notable wines.  We have carefully developed the menu to highlight these wines in a way that will engage the palate of both wine connoisseurs and novice wine lovers alike.  Last year’s dinner proved to be simply magical; we’re working to ensure this year’s will be as well.

Merryvale VineyardsMerryvale Vineyards’ Cabernet-centric portfolio includes wines that are complex and rich, balanced and expressive of Napa Valley’s fruit but also reflective of classic styles. Merryvale’s winemaker Simon Faury’s meticulous attention to detail calls for handpicking grapes in small batches and using custom-made Rieger tanks tailored specifically for the character of the grapes in each vineyard block.

 

About René

René Schlatter
René Schlatter

Since his appointment as Proprietor & CEO of Merryvale Family of Wines in 2008, René Schlatter has firmly established the company as one of Napa Valley’s most prestigious and well-respected wine companies. Through an unyielding commitment to wine quality, customer service, and investment in the community, René continues to uphold his family’s legacy in the winegrowing world.

A native of Switzerland, René has lived in the U.S. since 1987, having attended Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas as undergraduate. A top junior in his country, René arrived in the U.S. to play Division I tennis at Trinity University, during which time he and his team were ranked among the top 20 schools in the country. Upon completion of his undergraduate degree, René returned to Europe and worked for several years as a businessman in various industries. In 1994, René moved back to the US, earning a Master’s Degree from Arizona’s Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management.

In recognition of the success of the business, Wine Enthusiast magazine honored René with its prestigious “Person of the Year” Award in 2011. Presented at its Annual Wine Star Awards, the magazine included these comments: “Since 2008, the president of Napa’s Merryvale Vineyards has pioneered green initiatives while preserving the winery’s family legacy and excellence in producing Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.”

Says René: “I enjoy drinking wines from all over the world – Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany, Switzerland, and Napa Valley. No matter what the origin I look for purity of fruit, personality, character and a sense of place. For a wine to be great it must stand the test of time.”

René and his family are very committed to protecting and preserving the Napa Valley for future generations using sustainable practices. Both of Merryvale’s estate vineyards have been Napa Green Farm certified. He and his wife, Laurence, live in the St. Helena community with their three young daughters, Jenna, Jade and Corinna.

Robert Parker on Merryvale’s 2012 “Profile”:

“92 points.  The flagship wine at Merryvale is their Profile, and the 2012 Proprietary Red Blend Profile carries a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 10% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Beautiful blueberry, white flowers, black and red currants, as well as some incense and camphor jump from the glass of this stunningly proportioned, complex wine. The mouthfeel is medium to full-bodied with superb purity, enticing texture and oodles of beautiful ripe fruit that cascade over the palate. I think of it as a gracious and somewhat restrained, but authoritative Napa Red Wine. It should drink well for 12-15+ years.”

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The Dinner

(Menu subject to change)

Hors d’œuvre

Aged Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP with 10 year-old Leonardi Balsamic Vinegar

Assorted Crostini

Ramequin Vaudois

Starmont Sauvignon Blanc

 

First course

Seared Scallop on a bed of Baby Lettuces with Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Merryvale Carneros Chardonnay

 

Second course

Mushroom Bourguignon over Polenta

Merryvale Carneros Pinot Noir

 

Main course

New Mexico’s Four Daughters Land & Cattle Châteaubriand with Simple Red Wine Sauce

Duchess Potatoes

Balsamic Glazed Beets and Greens

Merryvale Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

“Profile”, Merryvale’s Signature Bordeaux Blend

 

Dessert

Chocolate Caramel Tort

Merryvale “Antigua”

 

The Merryvale Vineyards Wine Dinner
Friday, January 29, 2016
6:00 pm
$125 per person plus tax and gratuity

The Blonde Bear Tavern
106 Sutton Place
Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico
575.737.6900

Reservations required

 

New York Times: “Mix of New and Old Enlivens Taos Ski Valley”

Skier near Kachina Peak Lift. Photo courtesy The New York Times
Skier near Kachina Peak Lift. Photo courtesy The New York Times

Writer Christopher Solomon pens a terrific article in today’s New York Times Travel Section about Taos Ski Valley’s transition, thanks to Louis Bacon’s investment in our ski resort.

The article also features beautiful photography by the paper’s Kate Russell.  The first thing that struck me about the photos was our famous Taos Light.

Also striking was the author’s mention of our two restaurants here at the Edelweiss Lodge and Spa:

“Perhaps the best food is at the Blonde Bear Tavern in the Edelweiss, with entrees like whole rainbow trout with red grapes and balsamic sauce ($25) or flatiron steak with Italian salsa verde ($28).”

Our flatiron steak, of course, is from New Mexico’s Four Daughters Land & Cattle ranch.

Plus this:

“For breakfast, go to Café Naranja in the Edelweiss, which serves entrees like pancakes made from organic Hopi heirloom blue corn and whole piñon ($7).”

Blonde Bear Tavern server and bartender Kelci Pike toasting with Hano Blake, grandson of founder Ernie Blake

The author has several quotes from our own Matt Gorman, who is a massage therapist here at the Edelweiss.  He’s been in Taos Ski Valley since 1999.  I liked this quote:

And everywhere, Matt shouted greetings to people he knew. Everybody knows everybody here. He said hi to Gary Johnson, a former governor of New Mexico who is a die-hard skier and who has a house in the area. “I joke and say that it’s not a season pass, it’s a membership card,” Matt told me on the lift. “It’s like a working-class country club. It’s not snooty. The locals are here, working hard, because they love to ski.”

And this quote from Louis Bacon:

“We established three goals: to upgrade the infrastructure and experience, to safeguard Taos’s unique character and to earn a return on our investment. Any two of these are doable, but accomplishing all three will be a challenge. I’m confident that by focusing on the first two goals now, we’ll get them all right for the future.”

 

 

 

Further Reading:

The New York Times:  “Mix of New and Old Enlivens Taos Ski Valley”

 

 

Related:

“On the Menu: Four Daughters Land and Cattle”