By Roger Naylor
When it comes to how you want to spend your days at Castle Hot Springs it’s almost impossible to choose. Hike or horseback ride across the magnificent Sonoran Desert. Challenge yourself with a climb up the via ferrata route. Riding E-Bikes, or doing paddleboard yoga, swimming, soaking in the mineral-rich hot springs, taking a farm tour, practicing tai chi, enjoying a massage, or engaging in any of a dozen other activities offered are all worthwhile pursuits.
Yet when the evening rolls around deciding how to end your day is a clear simple choice. You absolutely don’t want to miss a luxurious wine-paring dinner at Harvest.
Not only do you get to savor the exquisitely prepared dishes using ingredients grown just footsteps from your table. You also get to enjoy the company of the vivacious and knowledgeable Sarah Foote, Director of Wine and Service, who guides you through a most memorable experience.
While there is certainly an educational component to a wine pairing dinner it is even more of a celebration. Wine is about breaking bread and inclusivity. Sarah never loses sight of that. Soon as each course arrives, Sarah appears wielding another carefully planned gem from the resort’s vast cellar to amplify the experience.
“I often consider the wine to be the supporting actress at meal times,” says Sarah. “There is a technical science that goes into pairing food and wine. The main factors in food to consider are fat, acid, salt, spice, and heat. The main factors in wine to consider are tannin, acid, and alcohol. There is a dance, that when done correctly, the wine should put an exclamation point on your favorite thing about the dish.”
If it is a dance, you could not ask for a better partner than Sarah. She brings a boundless enthusiasm and a sense of humor to the table. Speaking directly to each guest on their level, she can break down the intimate details with wine connoisseurs while pulling novices into her shared confidence. It feels like you’re on a journey of discovery together. She spins stories and anecdotes about each chosen wine. It’s a subject she knows intimately as she travels to vineyards around the world selecting wines to delight guests of Castle Hot Springs.
“The world of wine changes quickly, and it is important to stay aware of the industry, trends, pricing, etc.,” says Sarah. “Having close working relationships with wineries, we may be offered featured wines that aren’t offered to others. It shows wineries respect and dedication to the craft when we visit for the purpose of growth and knowledge.”
Allowing staff to pursue their passion and vision is a centerpiece of the Castle Hot Springs experience. The farmers grow the carefully selected crops that thrive in this sunny location and then make their daily harvest in every season. The chefs assemble those fresh ingredients to create superb dishes, artfully prepared and presented in a multi-course dinner. The stage is set. Then Sarah dips into the cellar, pulling out the perfect wines to tie it all together.
Of course, her work starts long before that. The menu changes daily to reflect the garden’s seasonal bounty, so collaboration between Sarah and the chefs is a daily occurrence. She’ll talk with the chefs about preparations, sauces, and techniques. Her choices for wines that evening will be based on those conversations as well as tasting components from each dish.
A wine-pairing dinner at Castle Hot Springs is a chance to step out of your comfort zone, to try a new varietal or style of wine. Sarah loves leading guests on new adventures. Her favorite thing is to change someone’s perception.
“We all have preconceived notions about wine, and it is truly a joy to open a guest’s mind.”
When it comes to her own philosophy regarding wine and food pairing, Sarah keeps it simple. “Drink what you like! At its core, wine is about sharing what you love with friends and family. If you care greatly about perfectly pairing food and wine then you will take a lot of time researching. But if what matters more to you is drinking what you like even if it doesn’t pair, I think that is just as great.”
Sarah is quick to remind everyone not to take it all too seriously to begin with. “After all,” she says, “it is just grape juice at the end of the day.”
So lift a glass of exquisite grape juice and toast another day well spent at Castle Hot Springs.