Judith Henderson’s Wine & Country Living

Greetings from another winter food and wine event, in glorious Aspen, Colorado! Yesterday it was demonstrations in Agra-Agra, the vegetarian red ocean algae made into a gelatin used in making liquid-dessert molds.

Tonight I cooked dinner for 16 private diners, my fifth year doing so, and tomorrow I am teaching a class in making flatbread and chutney.

This evening, I lugged a case of Walla Walla wines with me to show off at dinner. At this all wine and food officials' appetizer-dinner, I was particularly happy to hear an exceptional response to Joel Waite's Cavu '08 Petit Verdot. I paired this wine with a Tea Smoked Duck and Cherry Merlot Chutney, a Roast Serrano Ham and Cod Risotto, and a warm yeasty flatbread, smeared in whole roasted garlic, fresh chopped marjoram and Spanish Manchego cheese.

The Petit Verdot, riddled in boysenberry and black currant, swooshed its way with each bite of food. The tannins were so well balanced and deeply rooted in rich swaggering cedar that I thought I'd faint when letting the genie out of the bottle - people took this winemaker's name and phone number!

Earlier today at lunch I was busily pouring a bottle of Cadaretta '08 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, with its lime and tangerine fruits mingling at the back of your tongue. All loved this bottle, too. With this scrumptious dry white, I paired a salad of wild salmon lox and sopprasatta salami, dressed in a lemon-curry dressinghellip;sensational! Nothing like the Walla Walla bottles were present anywhere at this years' events, and believe me, once I was off duty, I tried everything! The hardest part of this yearly trek is the airport and the FBI. They checked my case of wine twice looking for a bomb.

To close I just want to say that to embody a Sauvignon Blanc in swirling ribbons of Semillon without creating a drastically dry white wine, Wine and Country Living gives Cadaretta winemaker Brian Rudin 98 points for his beautiful white wine.

Here's a little spread to put on roast vegetables, roast seafood, meats, even BLT sandwiches.

Icy Spicy Spread

6-tablespoons whole egg mayo

½-teaspoon lime juice

½-teaspoon white sugar

1-teaspoon ketchup

1-teaspoon minced garlic

Mix all ingredients and marinade for 1-hour. Remix and pass through a fine sieve. Pair with a chilled bottle of Walla Walla Cadaretta '08 Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon. Hear Judith Speak! @www.chefjudithhenderson.com