Boulder Burgundy Festival Day 2: Scenes from the Paulée Lunch and Dinner with Eric Asimov

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Jenn and Brett Zimmerman welcomed New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov (above, right) last night to Frasca where guests dined with the wine writer and American legacy importer Danny Haas of Vineyard Brands, whose wines were featured at the gathering.

And the weather couldn’t have been more perfect or more picturesque for yesterday’s event at the Flagstaff House with its sweeping views. Here are a few glimpses from yesterday’s Paulée-inspired lunch.

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Festival founder Brett Zimmerman welcomes keynote speaker Eric Asimov

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What a thrill for the festival organizers to welcome wine writer Eric Asimov last night at the Exceptional Burgundy Dinner last night at PMG restaurant, where owner Emily Gold and her team served a truly superb French country-style meal.

That’s festival founder Brett Zimmerman MS (right, standing) presenting the wines and introducing Eric (left) to guests.

There are just a few spots left for Eric’s Sunday seminar on the wines of Chambolle-Musigny. He will be joined by sommelier Raj Parr for the discussion and tasting.

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Welcome sponsor, Boulder Lifestyle Magazine!

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The organizers of the Boulder Burgundy Festival welcome sponsor Boulder Lifestyle Magazine!

From the Boulder Lifestyle Magazine website:

Started in 2013, this monthly publication was created exclusively for and about the residents of Boulder, CO.

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce our vision for the magazine. Our mission is simple, we hope to play a small role in helping the community flourish, by producing a private magazine filled with news and special events that take place each and every month. On many levels we operate a little differently than your typical magazine. One of the most exciting facets of our publication is that it truly belongs to the community. Not only is Boulder Lifestyle exclusively for and about the residents, it is the true pulse of what’s happening and important to you.

Every month we will be highlighting different articles such as family spotlight, home of the month and a business spotlight. We will also inform you of the latest hot spots in the Boulder area. Special featured spotlights will include the history of Boulder, students of the month, hometown heroes, and how the community of Boulder “pays it forward”.

Festival kicks off with a “lights out” tasting of spectacular old Burgundy!

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What an extraordinary flight of wines to kick off the festival!

This morning Jason Smith MS, Jay Fletcher MS, Ashley Hausman Vaughters MW, and Brett Zimmerman MS (below, from left) presented a spectacular lineup of “old and rare” wines.

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It was also great to have acclaimed wine writer Jeb Dunnuck (below) with us for the tasting.

Most agreed, as Brett put it, that the 1988 Clos de Tart was a “lights out” wine. An unforgettable flight and tasting.

Stay tuned for more…

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Welcome back, sponsor Audi Flatirons!

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The organizers of the Boulder Burgundy Festival are thrilled to welcome back sponsor Audi Flatirons!

From the Audi Flatirons website:

Audi Flatirons is Colorado’s premier Audi dealership. We invite you to experience our brand new showroom in Broomfield, along with the latest from Audi. Our ultimate goal goes beyond just selling and servicing Audis. We are committed to building lasting relationships with our clients. We believe in the idea of delivering a truly exceptional customer service experience, from the first mile to the last.

For the third consecutive year, Audi Flatirons has been named to the exclusive Audi Magna Society. This distinction is awarded to a limited number of Audi dealers that achieve exceptional performance. To earn Magna Society recognition, dealers must demonstrate an exceptional level of customer service as well as strong business performance.

Image via the Audi Flatirons Facebook.

Welcome back, sponsor Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti LLP!

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Above, from left: George Berg (Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti managing and founding partner), Kathleen Alt (partner), Patrick Perrin (partner), and Brett Zimmerman (Boulder Wine Merchant).

The Boulder Burgundy Festival is thrilled to welcome back sponsor Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti LLP, one of our most cherished partners and friends.

From the Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti website.

Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti LLP is a full service law firm offering a wide range of legal services to both corporate clients and individuals alike. Since our founding in 2001 with 5 attorneys, we have grown to 40 attorneys specializing in a variety of different practice areas. The attorneys at BHGR offer a depth of experience and expertise in the law related to business, construction, criminal defense, the environment and water, litigation, public entities, real estate, trusts and estates. In addition to our main Boulder office, we also have an office in Denver to better reach and serve our clients along the Front Range and across the country.

Although we may have grown in size, we continue to provide the same personalized attention that we always have in a relaxed atmosphere. We pride ourselves on having legal knowledge and experience that matches our more expensive Denver-based and national competitors, but unlike these larger firms we treat our clients like the neighbors, business professionals, and friends that they are. We also know that one size doesn’t fit all. So, we offer advice tailored to meet to our clients’ individualized legal needs and goals. We place a premium on building long standing client relationships and on achieving our clients’ goals in a timely and cost effective manner.

Image via the Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti Facebook.

Welcome back, sponsor Jennifer Egbert Real Estate!

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The organizers of the Boulder Burgundy Festival are thrilled to welcome back sponsor Jennifer Egbert and Jennifer Egbert Real Estate, one of the Boulder area’s premier realtors.

From the Jennifer Egbert Real Estate website:

Jennifer Egbert is an award-winning, top-producing Boulder Realtor with over eleven years of experience. Her commitment to her clients, enthusiasm and determination, drive her to be at the forefront of the real estate industry. Jennifer is a licensed residential agent that specializes in the Boulder, Colorado market. She is the leading expert in Boulder Luxury neighborhoods, the best builders, and most current market conditions. Her advantage is not only her expertise and unparalleled marketing but also her ability to guide her clients through the transaction with the least amount of stress and anxiety as possible.

Welcome back, Jennifer and team! We are looking forward to tasting with you!

Image via the Jennifer Egbert Real Estate Facebook.

Taste more than 200 top wines from Burgundy at the Grand Tasting

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Each year our guests tell us that one of the most memorable events at the festival is the Grand Tasting, where more than 200 wines are poured by the distributors who represent these elite properties in the U.S.

Not only do you get to taste the 200+ labels at the same event (which, in itself, makes the ticket cost an excellent value) but you get to experience these wines with some of the most knowledgable wine professionals working in the U.S. today.

Like all of the festival volunteers, these women and men are among the top wine pros in the country and they literally live and breathe Burgundy. Most of them have traveled to the properties they represent and most are veterans of the Burgundy wine trade. And because they work so closely with the producers, they are intimately familiar with the wineries, the winemakers, and the vineyards where the wines are grown and raised.

There’s nowhere else in the world that such a simpatico group of Burgundy lovers convenes and there couldn’t be a better way to “wrap your mind” around Burgundy and its wines than the Boulder Burgundy Festival Grand Tasting.

Click here for registration details.

Welcome Front & Center Marketing, the festival’s newest sponsor!

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Above: Avi Scheinbaum is the founder and CEO of Front & Center Marketing, the festival’s newest sponsor.

Front & Center is a Boulder-based marketing firm that specializes in natural foods.

Its services include: In-store demos, field marketing, consumer outreach, trade shows, new product launches, go-to market strategy, consulting, and events.

Entrepreneur magazine called it one of “top 30 startups to watch” in 2015.

“Front & Center Marketing,” wrote the editors, “offers a flexible work environment for those people that are passionate about starting a career in nutrition, personal training or fitness, among other related industries. Most of the team works part time, with many being single moms. This sort of schedule helps build financial security while allowing the flexibility needed for child care. Because of this environment, Front & Center Marketing has tripled in size from 2012 to 2013.”

The organizers of the Boulder Burgundy Festival are thrilled to have Avi and her team on board for 2017.

Welcome, Avi! We are looking forward to tasting with you!

Sunday Chablis Brunch at Arcana: The perfect coda to a weekend of great Burgundy

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From the first year Master Sommelier Brett Zimmerman organized the gathering, the mission of the Boulder Burgundy Festival has been to offer its guests a value-driven Burgundian experience. And there is perhaps no event that better achieves that goal than the Sunday Chablis Brunch, to be held this year at one of Boulder’s favorite food-and-wine destinations, Arcana.

The caliber and breadth of the wines alone is worth the price of admission. And the homey touches that Arcana adds to its world-class food only sweeten the deal.

It’s also the last meal that guests share together before they head to the Sunday Burgundy Seminar (which features New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov and celebrity sommelier Raj Parr this year) and the Grand Tasting.

There couldn’t be a better way to catch up with fellow guests and trade tasting notes: A meal of Sunday-morning comfort food paired with a brilliant selection of mineral-driven, mouth-watering Chardonnay from Chablis.

Click here for registration details for this year’s Chablis Brunch at Arcana.

Image via the Arcana Facebook.