Aspen food, wine event truly a classic

This year’s Food & Wine Classic in Aspen was filled with delicious foods and beverages, interesting speakers and tasty workshops all set against the backdrop of summertime in the Rocky Mountains.

Founded in 1983, this annual event brings people from all over the world to Colorado in June. Hundreds of amazing volunteers and many sponsors help make this experience possible.

I had many wonderful bites and sips while I was in Aspen, including at the welcoming party within the St. Regis Hotel where the winner and finalists of Bravo’s Top Chef Season 22 were cooking replicas of their finale dishes.

All the food was terrific and chef Shuai Wang’s pani puri with pickled shrimp, cilantro chutney and salsa matcha kept me coming back for more.

A pani puri is an Indian snack food featuring a small, hollow, deep-fried semolina “sphere” that is open at the top and filled with deliciousness inside. One of the most fun parts of eating it is that you pop it into your mouth and eat it in one bite. It is a texture and taste explosion!

I always feel like a giggling little kid while eating one because it is just so silly, and I love it.

Another highlight for me this year was receiving an invitation to attend a magnificent feast by the incredible chefs Michael Solomonov, Sarah Grueneberg and several others.

Set in a meadow near the Maroon Bells at the T Lazy 7 Ranch, it was a culinary delight in a beautiful setting with live music. The outdoor buffet featured a spectacular redfish, silky hummus and other mezze, challah garlic rolls, barbecue and more. It was an experience I didn’t want to end. One of my favorite things about the Classic was all the great conversations. Everywhere you looked, there was someone interesting to talk to, such as hospitality great Sheila Johnson, professional photographer Eugene Galdones and others.

It was a treat for me to hang out with Maneet Chauhan and Vivek Deora, a wonderful couple and both chefs. These two are genuinely warm and caring.

I met them almost five years ago at the Classic when we talked about family and India and how my dad studied there in 1961 while in college.

Throughout the three days, the Classic featured more than 80 cooking demonstrations, panel discussions, wine seminars and more. In addition, more than 150 winemakers, chefs and distillers showcased their creations during the daily Grand Tastings.

Among the presenters were Stephanie Izard, Tiffany Derry, Claudette Zepeda, Padma Lakshmi, Mark Bittman, Phil Rosenthal, Andrew Zimmern, Kwame Onwuachi, Nancy Silverton, Ray Isle and Nyesha Arrington.

I had fun at a creative seminar by wine expert Amanda McCrossin. She makes learning about wine accessible and easy to understand. In one seminar, she focused on sparkling wines and even paired them with popcorn and fun movie clips from around the world. You can find her online for interesting content and information.

Another terrific wine workshop was with Bobby Stuckey and Carlin Karr titled, “Terroir, Tradition & The Sea: The Great Island Wines of the World.” Karr is the director of wine and beverage and Stuckey is a partner and master sommelier of Frasca, a Michelin-starred restaurant

in Boulder. Frasca won a 2025 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant. It focuses on wines and foods from the Friuli- Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy, and I would love to try it someday.

In addition to all the tastings and seminars, I enjoyed getting to watch the thoughtful and inquisitive Kat Kinsman host a live interview for her Food & Wine podcast, “Tinfoil Swans.”

Kinsman spoke with the kind and talented chef and television personality Antoni Porowski, and there was much discussion about global cuisine, family memories, children and hope. I definitely left the session feeling better about the world.

Closing out the Classic, vivacious chef Mawa Mc-Queen and the charming chef Shota Nakajima battled it out in a fun breakfast sandwich competition. Food & Wine’s Justin Chapple was the engaging emcee for this lively event.

McQueen took home the win for Colorado! She has a Michelin Guide recommended restaurant in Aspen, Mawa’s Kitchen, which showcases Mc-Queen’s Afro-Mediterranean cuisine.

In addition, she is rebranding her downtown Crepe Shack and opening another one in Boulder. Both will be called Crepe Therapy Cafe because crepes are delicious and can certainly be a type of therapy. Right? Yum!

Food & Wine’s Editor- in-Chief Hunter Lewis noted, “We spend 12 months of the year thinking of ways to surprise and delight our guests at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen through unique culinary experiences, world-class chefs and wine experts, educational seminars and tastings, and new ways for participants to discover the biggest culinary trends and innovations.”

They absolutely succeeded!

Next year’s Classic in Aspen will be June 19–21. In addition, the newest Classic will be happening for the second time this Nov. 14–16 in Charleston, South Carolina. It is also a stunning location and promises to be a fabulous event. Cheers!

Email Christine Gallagher at allthingsfoodchristine@gmail.com.

Christine Gallagher, center, enjoyed catching up with the lovely chef couple Maneet Chauhan and Vivek Deora on a beautiful June day at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.

CHRISTINE GALLAGHER/Special to the Sentinel

Chef Shuai Wang’s shrimp pani puri was one of Christine Gallagher’s favorite bites at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen in June.

CHRISTINE GALLAGHER/Special to the Sentinel

Delicious challah garlic knots graced the table at a beautiful outdoor lunch by chefs Michael Solomonov, Sarah Grueneberg and others at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen in June.

CHRISTINE GALLAGHER/Special to the Sentinel

These mini lemon honey cakes by Dang Sweets in Vail were part of the Grand Tasting at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.

CHRISTINE GALLAGHER/Special to the Sentinel