The Blonde Bear Tavern and Merryvale Vineyards will be hosting their eighth annual wine dinner in conjunction with the 34th Taos Winter Wine Festival on Friday, January 31st at 6:00 pm.  Merryvale proprietor René Schlatter will be on hand to guide guests through his portfolio of estate-bottled wines.

Merryvale Vineyards is a family-owned Napa Valley winery producing small production lots from select vineyard sources. For nearly 40 years Merryvale has been turning exceptional Napa Valley grapes into world-class wine. The winery is world-renowned for rich, powerful Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays, along with its iconic Bordeaux-style red blend, “Profile”.

Merryvale’s historic building was the first winery built in the Napa Valley after the Repeal of Prohibition in 1933, and has become a favorite destination for visitors to the Valley

Merryvale is committed to protecting and preserving the environment through conservation, renewable energy, and sustainable farming practices. It has received “Napa Green Vineyard”, “Napa Green Winery”, and “Bay Area Green Business” certifications.

The Menu (Subject to Change)

Hors d’œuvre 
Siberian Sturgeon Caviar | Russian Blini | House-made Crème Fraîche
Radis au Beurre (Radishes and House-made Butter)
Basque-style Croquettes | Béchamel | Serrano Ham
Starmont Sauvignon Blanc 2016

First Course
Dover Sole | Haricot Vert | Hollandaise
Merryvale Carneros Chardonnay 2015

Second Course
Pan-Seared Quail | Goat Cheese Polenta | Huckleberry Demi-Glace
Merryvale Carneros Pinot Noir 2015

Main Course
“Taos Cut” Bone-in New York Strip | Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Reduction | Porcini Risotto | Roasted Broccolo Romanesco
“Profile”, Merryvale’s Signature Bordeaux Blend 2013

Dessert
Apfelstrudel mit Vanillesoße
Merryvale “Antigua” NV

The Merryvale Vineyards & Blonde Bear Tavern Wine Dinner
Friday, January 31, 2020
6:00 pm
$135 per person plus tax and gratuity

The Blonde Bear Tavern
Located within the Edelweiss Lodge & Spa
106 Sutton Place
Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico
575.737.6900

Reservations Required

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The Blonde Bear Tavern and Merryvale Vineyards will be hosting their seventh annual wine dinner in conjunction with the 33rd Taos Winter Wine Festival on Friday, February 1st at 6:00 pm. Merryvale proprietor René Schlatter will be on hand to guide guests through his portfolio of estate-bottled wines.

Merryvale Vineyards is a family-owned Napa Valley winery producing small production lots from select vineyard sources. For nearly 40 years Merryvale has been turning exceptional Napa Valley grapes into world-class wine. The winery is world-renowned for rich, power Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays, along with its iconic Bordeaux-style red blend, “Profile”.

Merryvale’s historic building was the first winery built in the Napa Valley after the Repeal of Prohibition in 1933, and has become a favorite destination for visitors to the Valley

Merryvale is committed to protecting and preserving the environment through conservation, renewable energy, and sustainable farming practices. It has received “Napa Green Vineyard”, “Napa Green Winery”, and “Bay Area Green Business” certifications.

The Menu (Subject to Change)

Hors d’œuvre
House-cured Gravlax Crêpes, featuring crêpes from Molly’s Crepe Escape
Crostino of La Belle Farm Fois Gras Mousse | Pickled Onion
Scallop Creviche
Starmont Sauvignon Blanc 2016

First Course
Siberian Sturgeon Caviar | Avocado Mousse | Shaved Pistachio | Brioche Crisps
Merryvale Carneros Chardonnay 2015

Second Course
Seared Squab | Parmesan Polenta | Merryvale “Antigua” Reduction
Merryvale Carneros Pinot Noir 2015

Main Course
Beef Tenderloin Roulade | Wild Mushroom Filling
Pomme Darphin
Pea Purée | Carrot Mousseline
“Profile”, Merryvale’s Signature Bordeaux Blend 2013

Dessert
Baked Alaska | Crème Anglaise
Merryvale “Antigua” NV

The Merryvale Vineyards & Blonde Bear Tavern Wine Dinner
Friday, February 1, 2019
6:00 pm
$135 per person plus tax and gratuity

The Blonde Bear Tavern
Located within the Edelweiss Lodge & Spa
106 Sutton Place
Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico
575.737.6900

Reservations Required

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The 2nd Annual Taos Summer Wine Festival is only a couple of weeks away.  We will be participating again both for the Friday Roaming Dinner and the Saturday Grand Tasting.

For Friday’s Wine Dinner, we will be teaming with Chehalem Winery as one of the three participants in the Roaming Dinner.

On the Menu:
Amuse-bouche: Gravlax Crostino: Dill-cured Salmon Filet on a Crostino | Beet Relish | Crème Fraîche

Main Course: Tournedos Rossini: Medallions of Beef Tenderloin | Seared Foie Gras | Himalayan Black Truffle Sauce | Crispy Squash Blossom

Paired with Chehalem Winery Pinot Noir Reserve 2011

For more information, including lodging options and tickets, click here.

Here’s a short clip from Chehalem, one of Oregon’s premiere wineries:

And check out this short clip from last year’s Summer Wine Festival:

It was a great time, and this year will be even better!  Reserve now, tickets are moving fast.

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Luxury travel website Tripveel released its latest “5 Reasons to Visit . . .” feature today with 5 Reasons to Visit Taos.  We especially love #3: Yes, The Blonde Bear Tavern.

Located within Edelweiss Lodge & Spa—The Blonde Bear Tavern personifies the unique personality of Taos Ski Valley like no other. Chef Jon Mudder has transformed this once-sleepy restaurant into a world-class destination that is now known throughout the Rocky Mountains for its critically-acclaimed food.

Read the whole thing here.  Their Instagram post is here.

Tripveel is powered by Booking.com and OpenTable, part of the Priceline Group.

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Our Sixth Annual Wine Dinner with Merryvale Vineyards was thoroughly enjoyable.  The pairings seemed spot on (if I do say so myself!), the wines were marvelous, and the vibe was perfect:  lively, friendly, family-like.

Here are a few shots of the food as we plated it in the kitchen (photos courtesy Kim Pippinger):

A special thanks to René Schlatter, all our guests, and of course to our wonderful staff.  See you next year!

The post The Merryvale Wine Dinner – a Few Photos appeared first on BELLAVITÆ.

The Blonde Bear Tavern and Merryvale Vineyards will be hosting their sixth annual wine dinner in conjunction with the 32nd Taos Winter Wine Festival on Friday, February 2nd at 6:00 pm. Merryvale proprietor René Schlatter will be on hand to guide guests through his portfolio of estate-bottled wines.

Merryvale Vineyards is a family-owned Napa Valley winery producing small production lots from select vineyard sources. For over 30 years Merryvale has been turning exceptional Napa Valley grapes into world class wine. The winery is world renowned for rich, powerful Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays, along with its iconic Bordeaux-style red blend, Profile.

Merryvale’s historic building was the first winery built in the Napa Valley after the Repeal of Prohibition in 1933, and has become a favorite destination for visitors to the Valley.

Merryvale is committed to protecting and preserving the environment through conservation, renewable energy and sustainable farming practices. It has received Napa Green Vineyard, Napa Green Winery and Bay Area Green Business certifications.

The Menu (Subject to Change)

Hors d’œuvre
Crostini
– Wild Mushroom | Hazelnut Pâté
– Gravlax | Beurre Maître d’Hôtel
– Grilled Shrimp | Avocado Pico De Gallo
Arancine | Rumi Afghani Saffron
Merryvale Carneros Chardonnay 2015

First Course
Coriander-Seared Yellowtail Tuna | Citrus Suprême | Fennel
Starmont Sauvignon Blanc 2016

Second Course
Seared La Belle Farm Foie Gras | Fresh Mission Fig Brûlée | Pancetta Crème Anglaise | Gastrique of 1996 Château La Tour Blanche Premier Cru Sauternes
Merryvale Carneros Pinot Noir 2015

Main Course
Porcini- and Rosemary-Crusted 1855 Tenderloin of Beef Medallions with Starmont Cabernet Sauvignon/Merryvale “Antigua” Sauce | Duchess Potatoes with Smoked Onion Soubise | Winter Vegetable Napoléon
“Profile”, Merryvale’s Signature Bordeaux Blend 2013

Dessert
Grilled Bosc Pear | Caramel | Queso de Valdeón Blue Cheese | Piñon Crunch | Elderflower Coulis
Merryvale “Antigua” NV

The Merryvale Vineyards and Blonde Bear Tavern Wine Dinner
Friday, February 2, 2018
6:00 pm
$125 per person plus tax and gratuity

The Blonde Bear Tavern
Located within the Edelweiss Lodge & Spa
106 Sutton Place
Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico
575.737.6900

Reservations Required

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Hey Blonde Bear Tavern admirers. The rumors are true. This ski season you’ll be able to book tables exclusively on our Yelp page.  #bookonyelp

We’re excited to announce that The Blonde Bear Tavern will be accepting all reservations exclusively on Yelp, our website (coming soon), this blog (see column on the right side) and our Facebook page (Click the BOOK NOW button).

Now when you make reservations at The Blonde Bear Tavern you’ll enjoy a simplified, faster reservation experience and receive confirmations through text and email. Also, on busy nights, you’ll be able to add yourself to the waitlist and receive a notification when a table becomes available.

We’re looking forward to seeing you soon!

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Freeskier magazine has just nominated The Blonde Bear Tavern as one of the top Après Ski venues in North America. From October 1st to November 4th the magazine is inviting readers to vote once daily for the après destination they think is “most deserving of the esteemed throne.”

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Once the contest is over they will announce the big winner. Then they’re going to hit the road and throw “the best après parties you’ve ever been to.”

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From New England to the Rockies, they will kick off their Elevated Après Tour. So help us get recognized by voting every day and just maybe they’ll throw a party at The Blonde Bear Tavern!

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To vote, click here.

To view the Leaderboard, click here.

Set a bookmark and return daily. And many thanks!

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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).”

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”

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