WineInk: Highwater Farm and PARC Aspen

Harvest season is a time to celebrate the bountiful harvests provided by our farms and vineyards, and PARC Aspen is kicking off October with a special offering featuring the best of the fall season. In a unique collaboration with Highwater Farm – based in Silt, Colorado – PARC Aspen Executive Chef Mark Connell will create a 4-course tasting menu focusing on the farm’s regeneratively grown produce and welcome guests to sample them at next week, starting Wednesday, October 2. until Sunday 6.

Highwater Farm is a nonprofit agricultural organization known not only for growing organic, nutrient-dense produce in one of the most fertile places in the country, but also as a community resource that uses agriculture as a platform to train young people and provide them with access to fresh the food they grow. While the farm offers clients a traditional CSA (Community Supported Agriculture program), what sets them apart is their commitment to working with young people in the community to provide both experience and work. The 3.5-acre nonprofit farm donates 20% of its produce to fight hunger and also offers paid opportunities for local youth. PARC Aspen maintains a relationship with Highwater Farm and supports the organization’s positive values.

“By using ingredients grown and harvested locally from Highwater Farm, we not only offer a farm-to-table experience, but we also raise awareness of regenerative agriculture and the important contributions youth make to our communities,” said Maryanne Sefton, co-owner of PARC Aspen. “Since opening PARC Aspen almost two years ago, partnering with organizations that increase community engagement has been a top priority for us.”

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This is not the first time PARC Aspen has partnered with Highwater Farm as part of their mission to use sustainable agriculture as a way to change the lives of young people and increase access to healthy food in Garfield County. Last year, PARC Aspen — known for providing a fine dining experience below Hyman Ave. in the space formerly occupied by L’Hostaria — welcomed guests for a one-night Harvest Menu concept dinner. This year, dishes will be prepared by Chef Connell and offered to guests as tasting menus over five nights. While the standard PARC Aspen menu will also be available, guests are expected to prefer farm-to-table fare.

“We are thrilled to partner with PARC Aspen again and share this unique dining experience with an even larger audience,” said Sara Tymczyszyn, executive director of Highwater Farm. “This tasting menu is more than just a meal; it’s about nurturing our connection to the land, strengthening community relationships, and supporting the growth and development of our youth through hands-on agricultural education.

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And of course the wine will flow. To complement both the menu and the spirit of the season, PARC Aspen Wine Director and Chief Sommelier Jonathan Pullis selected Colorado wines from the PARC Aspen Wine Cellar to pair with local dishes.

“Having the opportunity to pour Colorado wines on the menu alongside Chef Connell’s dishes is a real pleasure,” he said of the wines.

Colorado wines featured will be from Gunnison’s Buckel Family Wines and Aquila Cellars in Paonia. Joe Buckel, a pioneer in producing minimalist, dry, low-intervention Colorado wines, will be represented by two special offerings. First, it will be a 2022 rosé made from a blend of Syrah and Viognier grapes grown on a single vineyard in Palisade, Colorado, in the Grand Valley AVA. This should be a great blend to pair with fresh produce from Highwater Farm. There will also be Pinot Noir from Buckel family wines from the Four Corners region of the state.

A collaboration between land manager and winemaker Brandt Thibodeaux and winemaker Courtney Gayer, Aquila Cellars, located high in the hills above Paonia, will also be represented with a blended red wine they call “The Monarch.” Committed to responsible land stewardship and simple, minimal cellar practices, the ethos of the Aquila Cellars team aligns perfectly with that of Highwater Farms.

“Producing wines at such high altitudes is extremely difficult,” says Pullis, “but both producers have produced high-quality wines that are up to the challenge.”

Pullis, one of Aspen’s most recognizable, knowledgeable and personable wine figures, took over the program at PARC Aspen this summer from Greg Van Wagner, who launched the wine cellar and built a world-class roster for PARC Aspen.

“People always leave very happy,” Pullis said of PARC Aspen wine clientele. “Chef Connell and his staff are amazing, and our list includes very broad categories of Burgundy, Bordeaux and California Cabernet wines that people expect. But we try to have something for everyone, and we also have affordable wines.

The varied by-the-glass program is phenomenal and represents the entire spectrum of world wines.

Last week, members of the kitchen and housekeeping staff at PARC Aspen put on their boots and took a tour of Highwater Farm. There they met the young farmers themselves, learned about the effects of the program and got their hands dirty in the field. It was a great way to connect with the source of the food they serve.

PARC Aspen’s expansion of its Harvest Menu concept this year gives guests the opportunity to participate over five evenings, indulging in the creativity of Chef Connell’s cuisine, enjoying wines from emerging Colorado winemakers, and experiencing Highwater Farm’s farm-to-table produce.

What could be better for an autumn evening?