Recently, I took part in the annual Chef–Sommelier Throwdown Luncheon that kicks off the first day of the Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta. The fiesta is a five-day event held in Santa that celebrates the city’s restaurants and wines from around the world, with emphasis on the local culinary heritage including the region’s famous chile. In short, it’s one of the best small food and wine festivals in the country. This year marked the fiesta’s 30th anniversary.
The throwdown luncheon is the hottest ticket of the entire week. Over 120 seats sell out in less than 15 minutes when tickets go on sale on the website months before. If you’re unfamiliar with a so-called “throwdown” meal, the concept is simple. Here are the rules of engagement:
- A multi-course meal with a different chef preparing each course
- The chefs also pair wines with their respective courses
- A group of sommeliers also pair wines with the meal, with each sommelier choosing a wine for a course
- A crowd sits for the meal
- Each course is served with the two wines
- Attendees are not told who chose which wine
- After tasting the dish with both wines, the attendees votes on their favorite wine
- The votes are tabulated and a winner is announced for each course
- Ultimately, the chefs or sommeliers are declared winners of the entire affair
If the throwdown concept sounds like fine dining crossed with reality TV, it is. But at least there’s no monster truck pull involved. Regardless, planning for this year’s luncheon started weeks before when good friend Greg O’Byrne, the festival’s ops director, contacted four local chefs to submit their ideas for the menu. Once Greg had all four dishes, or at least the first iterations, he sent the menu to the four of us sommeliers who would also be choosing wines. This year’s MS team included Jesse Becker and Joe Spellman from Chicago, June Rodil from Houston, and your humble author from the teeming megapolis of Rio Rancho, just 55 miles down the pike from Santa Fe.
Having done the throwdown rodeo over 20 times, I’ve learned to watch for Greg’s email and jump on it, picking a course as quickly as possible. Otherwise, to delay was to get stuck with dessert or a busy dish with so many ingredients that finding a wine that paired well was like playing darts blindfolded. Needless to say, when I got Greg’s email some weeks back, I took a quick look, chose the second of the four courses, and responded.
The dish I chose was submitted by Chef Kathleen Crook of Market Steer, and listed as “Head on Prawn with Crispy Coconut rice cake and Aji Amarillo Adobo.” My initial take on Chef Kathleen’s dish was that regardless of how the prawn was prepared, the Aji Amarillo Adobo would call the shots with the wine pairing. The reason sums up what sommeliers do when it comes to food and wine pairing: find the most dominant flavor or preparation on the plate that dictates the pairing. In this case, the Aji Amarillo Adobo would add spice and heat to the dish.
The combination of shellfish and adobo immediately made me think of Grüner Veltliner from Austria and Riesling from Germany. Having just been to Austria a few months ago, I decided to go with Grüner. I immediately emailed Jesse Becker, MS, who had helped with our trip to Vienna and Austria wine land—and who would also be at the luncheon. In a quick exchange we settled on the 2023 Grüner Veltliner Gottschelle Erste Lage from Stift Göttweig in Kremstal. Stift Göttweig was one of the wineries we visited during our trip and I remember the wine as being superb. While it was dry, it had more than enough fruit to handle the spice components of the dish. At least that was my logic.
The week before the fiesta, Greg sent a copy of the menu for everyone to proof. First, the food is really busy. No surprise as it’s a festival meal with multiple chefs wanting to show off their best. But there’s also a cosmetic flaw about the entire exercise in that the chefs have a distinct advantage when it comes to pairing wines with their dishes. After all, they get to tinker with the food in their kitchens and know exactly what the dish will taste like. They can also rope in the sommelier or wine buyer on their staff to help with selecting a wine. We sommeliers, on the other hand, are left with looking at a description for a dish and then using our experience to come up with what we think would theoretically work. It usually does—unless the dish changes on game day. Which sometimes happens. Speaking of game day.
Game day
I arrived at the private dining room at the top of the La Fonda Hotel fifteen minutes before show time. In short order, my MS compadres appeared. Big hugs all around for June, Jesse, and Joe. We took our seats the middle table closest to the front of the room. Then the doors were opened and over 120 people filed in and found their assigned tables.
Next, Greg O’Byrne fired up the microphone and welcomed everyone to the luncheon and start of the 2025 Wine & Chile Fiesta. He then explained the premise for the lunch and how two wines would be served with each course. Further, how the diners had to vote for their favorite with a show of hands and count taken. Then the big reveal of who had chosen which wine.
One final note before providing a play-by-play of this year’s soiree. The wine selection was the most eclectic ever. Methode ancestral, Grüner, Feinherb Riesling, GG Pinot Noir, Grand Durif, etc. In short order we’d see if choosing wines off the beaten path would prove successful—or not.
Course I
Chef Angel Franco, The Palace Restaurant
Bison Tartare with Tonnato, Harissa, Olive Jam, Tarragon, Feuille de Brick
The wines
NV Raphael Bartucci Bugey Cerdon Rosé, Methode Ancestral: chosen by Chef Franco
One of the two most obscure wines of the flight. Methode ancestral is probably the original way sparkling wine was made, as in a single fermentation in the bottle. Somehow, the residual yeast left over from fermentation has to be removed, meaning that fermentation is stopped so the wine can be filtered—which leaves residual sugar. In this case, the wine was medium sweet. It was also brownish pink-colored, fizzy, cloudy, and a bit funky.
2023 Skouras Moscofilero “Salto” Wild Yeast, Peloponnese: chosen by Joe Spellman, MS
Moscofilero is a full-on aromatic grape meaning it’s seriously floral like Gewürztraminer. It also typically has plenty of fruit, phenolic bitterness, a touch of residual sugar. However—and this is a common malady with these food and wine pairing affairs, the distributor shipped the wrong wine. What Joe ended up with was a sleek, uber-modern version of Moscofilero done in stainless steel completely lacking the usual exuberant flowers, fruit, and touch of sweetness. Like the boring child in an otherwise loud family.
The pairing
The dish was delicious. Savory and slightly gamey bison tartare with a rich/umami laden tonnato (tuna) sauce. However, the richness and complexity of the dish rendered the sparkling rosé simple, sweet, and cloying. But the dish also didn’t do any favors for Joe’s Moscofilero. Suddenly, the wine lacked fruit and became neutral. The only thing helping it was the acidity.
In the end, the sparkling Bugey Cerdon Rosé won by a comfortable margin. I immediately wondered if cheap and cheerful would rule the day. I would soon find out.
Score: Chefs 1 – Sommeliers 0
Course II
Chef Kathleen Krook, Market Steer
After the hoopla over the results of the first course subsided, I took up the mike and extolled the virtues of both wines chosen for the second course. Curiously enough—and this has never happened before—I’d actually been to both wineries. I described them and their respective wines to the group, making sure to note the classifications on both, particularly the Feinherb designation on the Riesling.
Head on Prawn with Crispy Coconut Rice Cake and Aji Amarillo Adobo
The wines
2023 Stift Göttweig Grüner Veltliner Gottschelle Erste Lage, Kremstal (my wine)
The Stift Göttweig Grüner was superb. Old vines dense, rich, and complex with the hallmark white pepper, radish, lentil, and celery savory notes. But it was also dry and that would prove to be its undoing.
2021 Schloss Lieser-Thomas Haag Riesling Braneberger Juffer Feinherb, Mosel: chosen by Chef Krook
The Schloss Lieser Riesling was reductive, sulfur-stinky on the nose, and drier than I expected, but still with a touch of residual sugar. The Feinherb designation usually signifies a wine will be “delicately” off dry. Regardless, the wine in my glass didn’t show well at all.
The pairing
The prawn was roasted, the rice cake crispy as advertised, and Aji Amarillo Adobo brought a lot more heat than expected. Immediately, I knew the Riesling even with its really funky nose might be more appealing to the crowd because of the residual sugar. That turned out to be the case. The Schloss Lieser won by a comfortable margin. After the fact, I was asked why I chose the Grüner. “It’s a better wine,” I answered, which was met by protests from the crowd, as in sore loser. But then I asked how many people got the buttload of sulfur and garden hose thing on the nose of the Riesling. At least 90% of the crowd looked at me mystified, while about 10 people waved their hands wildly, agreeing. One guy in the front said, “the wine absolutely stinks on the nose.” Which was also met by a collective mystified expression by the crowd. Funny thing is that in a recent blog post I wrote about how Schloss Lieser uses a lot of SO2 with their wines. Also, how few people are sensitive to sulfur on the nose of a wine. C’est la vie.
Score: Chefs 2 – Sommeliers 0
Course III
Chef Israel Castro, Julia
Pork tenderloin with Poblanos, Pomegranate, Apple Picadillo, Pear, and Cream
The wines
2017 Heitlinger Pinot Noir Königsbecher Grosses Gewächs, Baden: chosen by Jesse Becker, MS
Jesse’s wine was a completely gorgeous Pinot Noir. To me, it was the best wine of the flight. Incredibly layered, complex, silky, and seductive. A glass would have been delicious with anything.
2021 Caymus-Suisun Grand Durif, Suisun Valley: chosen by Chef Castro
Despite the fancy Grand Durif name, this is Petite Sirah from near the Sacramento Delta. Full disclosure that I am not a fan of Petite Sirah. I’ve had too many wines that were alcoholic and brutally tannic. The Caymus proved to be just that with 15.2% ABV and serious tannins.
The pairing
Chef Castro’s pork tenderloin was delicious. The richness of the sauce made it a good match for either a rich unoaked white like Pinot Gris or dry Riesling from Alsace, or a lighter red like Pinot Noir. No surprise the Heitlinger Pinot nailed the pairing—the best of the entire meal. As for the Caymus-Suisun, the richness of the sauce took the edge off the tannins but still left the wine with more than a bit of Rottweiler to it. However, given how the kids took to sweet wines for their first two choices, I wondered how the Pinot would do, given the beauty and the beast situation. As it turns out, my faith in wine humanity was temporarily restored when the Pinot won by a significant margin.
Score: Chefs 2 – Sommeliers 1
Course IV
Chef David Sellers, Horno
Braised Rabbit al Latte with Chanterelles, Fontina, Polenta Grassa, and Gremolata
The wines:
2023 Thomaine Unfer d’Arvier, Valle d’Aosta: chosen by Chef Sellers
Aside from the Bugey Cerdon sparkling rosé, this was the free electron of the flight. It’s made from an obscure red grape called Petite Rouge grown on steep vineyards in the Valle d’Aosta, Italy’s most northerly wine region near the Swiss alps. Also noteworthy is that that Chef Sellers decided to serve the wine slightly chilled as you’d do with Beaujolais. Chilled or not, I described the wine as “feral” and “unwashed” in my notes. It was funky with a touch of Brett not to mention a curious mix of mountain herbs, reminding me of Braulio, an amaro also from Valtellina.
2022 Taupenot Merme Auxey Duresses Rouge: chosen by June Rodil, MS
June’s wine was an Auxey Duresses—a red Burgundy from a secondary appellation. But in this case, from a very good producer. It was earthy, rich, and had just the right amount of oak. Given how well rabbit and Pinot Noir work together—and how its competitor was beyond strange—it should have done well. It didn’t.
The pairing
As expected, there were a few jokes about Bugs Bunny turning left at Albuquerque when it came to the dish. Regardless, Chef Sellers’s braised rabbit was a home run—my favorite course of the luncheon. The rabbit was fall-off-the-bone tender, the polenta had so much butter and Fontina cheese it had the density of anti-matter, and chanterelles added just the right touch of earthiness and texture. Needless to say, the Auxey Duresses was perfect with it. As for the Unfer d’Arvier, the richness of the dish did it a lot of favors in that it brought out the fruit and played down the Brett-funkiness. But maybe the crowd liked the idea that the wine was slightly chilled. Whatever the case, the Thomaine won meaning the chefs would rule the day.
Final score: Chefs 3 – Sommeliers 1
Concluding thoughts
As always, a multi-course meal prepared by four chefs with eight different wines has a lot of moving parts. Perhaps too many in one sitting. However, over 120 attendees definitely had a grand time. And god knows they should have given the fact that most of them downed eight half-glasses of wine with lunch. Nap time, perhaps? Regardless, it was all for a good cause. Sometimes, that’s all that matters. Bon Appetit!