What inspired you to launch Tahoe Wine + Feast?
Well, let me go back in time. I did a radio show for 16 years, interviewing winemakers and vintners. I got to know a lot of them, and got to know the business very well. I even owned a wine bar at one point in time. And I’ve done a lot of wine dinners. So I have those one-night stands – pardon the expression – in my background. And when my [out-of-town] friends come out to visit us here in Tahoe, we always take them over to Napa. So like the saying goes, I know a thing or two because I’ve done a thing or two.
One of my friends – who used to be my co-host on the radio show – said to me, “T.K., Lake Tahoe is gorgeous! Why don’t you do one of those Pebble Beach Food and Wine kind of things up here?” I said, “You know, my wife and I have already been talking about it!” So here we are a year and a half later, and we’re going to launch a big four-day event here in Lake Tahoe.
What are your objectives for the event?
First of all, it’s always that three-letter F-word: fun. I want people to have fun. I enjoy wine. It brings people together; always has, always will. And I think it should be fun. While I love my sommeliers – trust me – I’m not here to be a proscriber of wine to people. We’re going to have about a hundred wineries pouring four wines each.
There are only about eight of these big events around the country. I’ve studied them all, and the big one – the granddaddy of them all – is in Aspen. It’s every June, and I think they’re on their 42nd year. And all of those events around the country are outdoors, pitched in tents.
But here in Lake Tahoe, we have the Tahoe Blue Event Center. Doing it there makes sense for a lot of reasons: I don’t have to build a tent, rent chairs, tables, stages and all that. I’ve done that before; I used to run professional golf tournaments.
I just want people to come and enjoy really good, phenomenal wine and food without it being fussy. I want it to be fun. That’s our goal.
Do you plan to make Tahoe Wine + Feast an annual event?
Oh, yes; it’s going to be annual. I’ve got a three-year deal with the Tahoe Blue Event Center, with options for the future. This is our first year, and it’s been a real learning curve putting it together brick by brick. Because what I’ve come to understand very clearly is that – even among my friends who love wine – not a lot of people have been to big four-day events. They’re much different than a one- or two-day event.
When I just mentioned that there are 400 wines to taste, we’ll have four hours on Saturday and four hours on Sunday at the grand tastings. And if you divide the 400 wines by the eight hours, see how many wines you can get to! You’ve got to have a plan to do these things. I tried it at Pebble Beach one year; it’s impossible. Because if you talk more than 30 seconds with anybody, you’ll never make it around to all the wines. So you’ve got to prioritize what you want to taste and how you’re going to get there.
One of the phrases that’s used a lot in the wine business is, “What was your aha moment of getting involved in premium wine?” I want people to walk away saying, “Wow.” That’s what I want!; I want to give them their aha moment.
We have three feasts during this four-day event: Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. They’re all special dinners with special chefs and special wineries.
The Thursday and Friday dinners are going to be at the Tahoe Blue Event Center. It’s a really good spot to host a dinner; it’s a little different than going to a restaurant.
The culmination is on Saturday night. We’re doing it at the Idle Hour wine bar on the lake, which is gorgeous. A good friend of mine – a multiple James Beard award-winning chef from Fort Worth – is coming to do a game dinner. My favorite winery in the world is Chappelet from Napa. And we’re pairing those two together on Saturday night.
What are you projecting as far as attendance?
It’s our first year, so this is a real swag. But we think for the four days it’ll be between 700 and 1,000 people, with the bulk of that being on Saturday and Sunday.
What are some of the highlights of the overall program?
My original thought was, “We’ll just do a golf tournament over here at Edgewood.” But I I got to thinking about that, and realized, “What’s that going to draw: 100 people?” So I decided, “No, I don’t need a golf tournament.”
The first event is going to be what we call WOW: Women of Wine. We’re honoring about 40-odd women, whether they’re a winemaker, a vintner, ordering person on the phone, or anybody who has exceeded and really understands and gets what customer service is. That will be the opening event at a brunch on Thursday. So that’s one of the highlights.
Following that, we’re throwing a big party at the arena. We’ll have spirits people, brewery people, wineries there. And it’s for all the VIPs, chefs and winery people to consume the good stuff that’ll be following the brunch. And that night is the first feast: a barbecue with lots of ribs and that kind of stuff. That’s the first day.
The second day on Friday is expansive; there are eight seminars lined up. One will feature a knowledgeable person talking about the difference between Champagne, Prosecco and cava. We’ve got wineries coming from all over, including France and Italy and Spain, and there are three seminars that deal with those areas. And there’s so much… [laughs] there’s another one I’m forgetting about at the moment.
We also have a very recognized master sommelier from Puerto Rico who – of all things – is now involved in tequila. He’s got a new product that’s coming out about the same time this event happens. He’s going to lead a seminar on tequila so people can understand all the differences. And of course this guy knows wine backwards and forwards, too; he’s a master somm, and he’s a great guy. So that’ll be a fun day for people who want to do more of a deep dive.
With all the chefs and wine experts that you’re going to have, it’ll be very much of an interactive experience…
People today like to use the word immersion. The VIPs will have the whole upper level at the center where they can be by themselves and enjoy special wine and special food. Each day over the weekend, Saturday and Sunday, they’ll have a chef assigned just for them to produce wonderful food. And then sommeliers will be wandering around with some wine that most of the people won’t see, because it’ll be for the VIPs.
Sometimes people make this wine stuff too serious; I feel like I’m listening to a chemistry professor. I know how to do this stuff very well, but you know, people don’t need to hear that. There are a lot of people who are not oenophiles; they haven’t studied how to make wine. They just want to taste something that they enjoy and say, “Hey, tell me a little bit about it.” I don’t want people walking out brain dead. Maybe a little looped, but don’t tell the police that!
The good news is that with the four casino hotels right there, it’s a walking event.
What are you most looking forward to about the event?
Smiling faces. That’s it. I want people to look around and say, “Man, what a party!” To have this much wine available to taste, and then have food every 15 steps, it’s like, “Wow, I’m king for a day!”
Tickets and more information at https://tahoewinefeast.com/