WineInk: Global Fire gets ready to ignite

As captivating as the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen may be, the buzz from the parties and events that surround it also play a significant role in making next weekend catnip for foodies and wine lovers. There are exceptional wine dinners at The Little Nell, Epicurean Passport happenings at Hotel Jerome, and an afternoon event at Dutton Ranch. And that’s just a taste of the off the main menu action.

But for those in the know, Global Fire, which takes place at the Smuggler Mine on Saturday evening, June 21, may be the most Aspen-centric experience of the entire weekend. Global Fire, which is presented by Aspen Collection in collaboration with Taste Network, benefits Aspen Public Radio and is an eco-conscious, community-centered gathering featuring live fire cooking and guided mine tours in what is becoming one of Aspen’s signature annual events.

Global Fire pairs top culinary talents with the finest in heritage meat, fish, fowl, and produce prepared primally over live fires. There is nothing like tasting the epic grilled tomahawk ribeye steaks, the smoked mussels, the wood-fired Colorado corn as it comes hot and fresh, straight off the chef’s infernos high above Aspen.  

This year’s stellar chef line-up includes 2024 James Beard Award-winners Matt Vawter and Kelly Whitaker. Also making his Aspen debut is 2025 Beard-finalist and 2024 Michelin Guide Colorado Young Chef Award-winner Johnny Curiel, who is Denver’s hottest restauranteur. And that is just a few in the cadre of fiery talents who will be cooking.

And the setting at the Smuggler Mine is as superb as the food. As Aspen’s oldest operating silver mine, Smuggler is on the National Register of Historic Places. During the Global Fire event, attendees don hardhats, take guided tours through the tunnels of the mine, and nibble on gourmet bites and sip cocktails (or mocktails) in the cool underbelly of the mine shafts. It is a once in lifetime, only-in-Aspen experience.

But it may be the opportunity to see the sun sink in the west beyond Aspen Mountain that is the true treasure of the Smuggler location. Arguably it is the best sunset watch in the Rockies. If you are a long-time visitor to the Classic, you likely fondly remember the “Wine at the Mine” parties. They were insanely popular, after-dark events for eight years in the teens that were hosted by Denver’s Infinite Monkey Theorem Winery founder Ben Parsons. Parsons is now proprietor of The Ordinary Fellow Winery in Palisade, Colorado.

Oh, and there will be wine at Global Fire. Guests will sip bubbles, including Ace of Spades Champagne by Armand de Brignac. Acclaimed producer Jessie Katz will bring coveted wines from Aperture in Sonoma County and offerings from two of Spain’s most prestigious wine regions, Ribera and Rueda, will flow. Look for inspiration from Ribera del Duero’s young phenom Francisco Barona and the show stopping “Las Suertes” old vine verdejo from Bodegas Ordonez Nisia in Rueda.

For those who love wines with a little maturity, Taste Network meets expectations by providing Spanish gems that define eras and revisit the decades through their partner Vinas Viejas (Old Vines). Cocktails and spirits from Carbondale’s Marble Distilling, Cincoro Tequila, and Glenfiddich all pair well with the fiery flavors.

The alchemist behind all this magic on the mountain is the founder of Taste Network, Brady Lowe. Iowa-raised and globally-inspired, Lowe is a culinary evangelist who brought the always spectacular Cochon 555 events to Hotel Jerome and changed Snowmass summers with his Heritage Fire cook-offs. He has made more Aspen memories for visitors than just about anyone who doesn’t call this place home. Though he could.  

“Four years ago, Global Fire was born from a desire to reimagine live-fire cooking — not just as a culinary spectacle but as a way to honor the earth, reduce environmental impact, and celebrate the deep traditions that connect us all through food,” he said about the genesis of Global Fire.

For the second-straight year, Aspen Collection is partnering with Aspen Public Radio to help the organization raise funds in their quest to replace the aging broadcast tower on Smuggler Mountain. Last year’s Global Fire raised $20,000 for the endeavor, and this year the goal is to double that.

“We are incredibly pleased to be a part of this awesome party and secure funds for the replacement of our Smuggler Mountain broadcast tower,” said Breeze Richardson, executive director of Aspen Public Radio. “We are so thankful to Aspen Collection for including us.”

Sound great? It is. But there is a catch.

There are no publicly available tickets to Global Fire. It is a by-invitation-only event. To be invited. you can do the feel-good thing and make a donation of $500 or more to Aspen Public Radio to support the fund for replacing the broadcast tower. In exchange for your donation, you’ll receive a special invite to attend this year’s Global Fire extravaganza.  

For more information go to aspenpublicradio.org to see how you can secure your invite while giving back to Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley. And for info on Global Fire, check out tastenetwork.com/events/global-fire.

It’s almost time to light it up.