WineInk: Prospect brings the sunshine

Generally, in Aspen, when you think of chefs visiting from different regions bringing their specialties to pop-ups to pair with great wines, you think of France, California, and maybe Australia.

But the Hotel Jerome, a property that is part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, is doing things a little differently this winter. They are bringing the best from our southern neighbor, Mexico, to Aspen.  

For four nights, Feb. 7-10, Prospect at Hotel Jerome will be hosting esteemed Baja California chefs David Castro Hussong and Maribel Aldaco Silva who will generate some sunshine by presenting the vibrant Latin American flavors that have made their restaurant, Fauna, a must-do dining destination for the world’s culinary cognoscenti. Billed “A Taste of Fauna,” the evenings are sure to sell out.

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Fauna, located in Mexico’s emerging Valle de Guadalupe wine region, was honored as Best Restaurant in Mexico in the 2023 World’s Best Awards. The “epicurean takeover” of Prospect, as the Jerome refers to it, by the husband-and-wife team of chefs will also feature pairing opportunities with some of Mexico’s finest wines provided by Wero Cham of Vinos Boutique, a provider and champion of the nation’s wine offerings.

Opened in 2017, Fauna has become a dining magnet in the region, which is the beating heart of the Mexican wine industry. Often called the “Napa of Mexico,” though it still maintains its early authentic charms, the Valle de Guadalupe is just 75 miles south of San Diego and is marked by a Mediterranean growing climate as it is 15 miles or so from the Pacific and the town of Ensenada. Cool winds blow off the coast, keeping the growing regions temperate and allowing grapes to flourish in the sun.

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The Valle de Guadalupe has both a long and short history of wine production. Centuries ago, in 1683, the Spanish, on their colonizing way up the west coast of North America, planted vineyards in the missions largely to grow grapes for ceremonial and sacramental wines. But most were abandoned in the 1800s as Mexico’s history evolved. For generations and centuries, the bulk of grape production in the Valle de Guadalupe was by locals for personal and local consumption.

Cut to the late 1990s and early 2000s, when a new generation of young visionaries began to recognize that the rugged beauty and the terroir of the Valle de Guadalupe could not only support a wine industry, but also become a mecca for outdoor tourism, as well. Less than 25 years later, avant-garde wineries and architecturally stunning hotels and restaurants are sequestered in the valleys and on the hillsides of the region. There is even a “Ruta del Vino,” or wine road, to explore. It is said that there are as many as 200 wine producers in the valle, and acreage under vine has grown from just over 1,000 acres to ten times that. Many believe the region is still in its infancy, and that the Valle de Guadalupe’s moment has just begun.

Indeed, this generation of winemakers is inventive, finding new ways to do things and new varieties to explore. While the history of emerging wine regions has seen adaptations of a particular grape variety to help define their winemaking (think Chile with Carménère or New Zealand with Sauvignon Blanc), there is much diversity in the wines being made in the Valle de Guadalupe. Growers and producers are planting Rhône varieties as well as Tempranillo, Zinfandel, and Nebbiolo. There are Rosé wines, sparkling Pet-Nats, and Vermouth being produced, as well.

Chef David Castro Hussong has roots in the region having been raised in the port of Ensenada where his family has the famed Hussong’s Cantina where it is said the first Margarita was concocted back in 1941. He and his wife, pastry chef Maribel Aldaco Silva (named Best Pastry Chef in Latin America), worked for many years in America at fine dining establishments like 11 Madison Park and Blue Hills at Stone Barns in New York, and Cala and Quince in San Francisco.

Noted winemaker Hugo d’Acosta, a pioneer in the Valle de Guadalupe, showed the pair plans for a resort development set among the vineyards and a winery, and a plan was conceived to launch Fauna. Today, the development and winery, called Bruma, is home to not just Fauna but a hotel and guest villas on the 200-acre parcel.  

The vibe at Fauna is casual and friendly with a long wooden communal table. Guests sit together and eat family-style. While the preparations and dining traditions encompass many elements of Mexican cuisine, the foods are sourced from the organic gardens of the surrounding community. There is an extensive patio, and the diners become acquainted with the beauty of the valley. While I have not been myself, a colleague, Natalia Chavez Felix, who is a top culinary writer from Mexico City, raved about Fauna, saying it was a revelation and a definite go-to spot for a taste of the Valle de Guadalupe.

These are heady times for Prospect at the Jerome. This past September, the restaurant was named to the “recommended” list in the initial Michelin rankings in the state of Colorado, and a new, locally-accented, all-Colorado sourced culinary menu was introduced.

“Our new dining concept at Prospect, led by Chef Connor Holdren, expresses innovation and aptitude, showcasing unique in-season ingredients available to us in the region,” says Ross Kilkenny, executive chef of Hotel Jerome..

What has not changed is the inspired wine program that sommelier and Wine Director Christel Stiver has curated for over a decade now. Diverse, unique, and full of both classic wines and innovative new offerings from the broad world of wine, the Jerome’s list is a local treasure.

The sun will shine on the culinary and wine pairings at Prospect when Fauna arrives in February.