Lamb Competitions, Wine Dinners, and a Mountain Top Picnic Headline Taste of Vail

Taste of Vail, a popular spring food and wine festival showcasing local chefs and the nation's top vintners will take place this week, between April 3 and 6. It is high season for spring skiing and this four-day culinary event adds a reason to head up to the hills mid-week. The festivities open with the inaugural Nordic Wine Sampler on April 3, followed by the 8th Annual Colorado Lamb Cook-Off & Apres Ski Tasting on April 4. Highlights also include the popular Mountaintop Picnic on April 5, a luncheon at the top of Vail Mountain and the Grand Tasting and auction on Saturday, April 6.

Among other attractions, on Friday, April 5, guests can enjoy a special wine event at Restaurant Kelly Liken where Henriot Inc., a 200 year old Champagne producer, join chef Kelly Liken for a four-course paired dinner. The menu will feature spring-inspired dishes that incorporate the earliest of the season's ingredients including ramps, nettles, morel mushrooms, and foraged spring greens. The wines will include: Champagne Henriot, Bouchard Père et Fils, William Fèvre Chablis and Villa Ponciago.

· Gifts From Denver's Restaurants and Chefs [EDen]
· Cochon 555: Swine, Stollen Kisses, Tears, and Whining [EDen]

Taste of Vail Mountain Top Picnic [Photo: Vail Resorst]