The secret is out. During last year's Wine & Wagyu Weekend, every vehicle (trucks, trucks, and more trucks) at the Angel Fire Resort had a Texas license plate. Texans love to escape the heat in our little mountain getaway of Angel Fire, NM. And who can blame them?
This year, however, we saw license plates from Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, California, Arizona, Kansas, and even Florida. Florida!
When planning your own vacation to the Angel Fire Resort for 2020, be sure to book your Wine & Wagyu tickets in advance. Both of the 2019 dinners sold out! Despite this, it never felt crowded or rushed.
My husband and I are picky. When attending this event the previous two years, we have always been aware of little aspects of the food and wine festival that could be improved upon, such as the menu or the music volume or the timing of events. Well, not this time. Angel Fire and the Wine & Wagyu Weekend have really hit their stride.
Here's a taste of the fun you missed at the 2019 Wine & Wagyu dinner on Friday night and at the Sunday morning brunch, both held at the exclusive Angel Fire Country Club and overlooking one of the best golf courses in the state.
Boots Boogie & BBQ Dinner at the Angel Fire Resort
You can't beat the New Mexico mountains in August, dining with a view of deer on the Angel Fire golf course. That's Mojito Watermelon next to the wagyu prime rib on my plate, by the way. It's as scrumptious as it sounds.
No detail had been overlooked. The napkins were bandannas to complement the western theme.
This year, however, we saw license plates from Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, California, Arizona, Kansas, and even Florida. Florida!
When planning your own vacation to the Angel Fire Resort for 2020, be sure to book your Wine & Wagyu tickets in advance. Both of the 2019 dinners sold out! Despite this, it never felt crowded or rushed.
My husband and I are picky. When attending this event the previous two years, we have always been aware of little aspects of the food and wine festival that could be improved upon, such as the menu or the music volume or the timing of events. Well, not this time. Angel Fire and the Wine & Wagyu Weekend have really hit their stride.
Here's a taste of the fun you missed at the 2019 Wine & Wagyu dinner on Friday night and at the Sunday morning brunch, both held at the exclusive Angel Fire Country Club and overlooking one of the best golf courses in the state.
Boots Boogie & BBQ Dinner at the Angel Fire Resort
You can't beat the New Mexico mountains in August, dining with a view of deer on the Angel Fire golf course. That's Mojito Watermelon next to the wagyu prime rib on my plate, by the way. It's as scrumptious as it sounds.
The highlight of the dinner, tender wagyu beef, was served on an open-air balcony. You know there's a lot to choose from when two chefs are serving.
I think everyone greatly appreciated that for the Wine & Wagyu Weekend this year, the Grand Tasting event was not on the same day as the buffet-style dinner. Last year, my husband and I had been too full to enjoy all the delicious Boots Boogie & BBQ offerings. We still tried a little and sometimes a lot of everything though (because who can resist), then waddled back to our car feeling very foolish.
Even though the event was sold out, the Angel Fire Resort did a great job spacing their food stations apart so that guests never had to wait in a line.
No detail had been overlooked. The napkins were bandannas to complement the western theme.
We were seated with another couple, which initially made me apprehensive. They turned out to be great company. They live in Albuquerque and when I told them about our new puppy, Olive, they revealed that they have a granddaughter named Olive. Clearly, the universe wanted us to dine together. That's part of the magic of Angel Fire.
(Funny side story: Their other granddaughter is named Scarlett, so they joke that they are "red and green," just like our chile here in New Mexico. If you're a New Mexican, you surely love that. If you're from anywhere else, you surely think we're all nuts.)
With social anxiety, I've always hated dining with strangers. At dinners where I know we'll be seated in a group, I make arrangements with the restaurant ahead of time for a private table for two. (You can bet they looove that.) I had such a great time in Angel Fire though that now I'm questioning whether I've been making a mistake.
To be fair, I did have a little help this time. Three cheers for liquid courage!
I totally color-coordinated my outfit with the napkins.
The service at the Boots Boogie & BBQ Dinner, as well as every other Wine & Wagyu event, was impeccable. When we arrived, each table had a bottle of red wine and a bottle of white. The four of us preferred red, especially paired with beef, so we asked our server if it might be possible to swap out the bottle of white wine.
There were no extra bottles of red wine...but he hunted and searched and inquired and - ta da! - returned to us triumphantly with an excellent pinot noir.
In addition to new friends, great wine, and mouthwatering southwestern fare (jalapeno cheddar bread, bacon mac and cheese, wild boar sausage, smoked wagyu brisket...), the Wine & Wagyu dinner featured a silent auction with something for everyone. Proceeds went to Music From Angel Fire.
I spoke to a man who won a two night stay at the Angel Fire Resort plus two premium bottles of wine for less than $150! Honestly, I was a little jealous. Next year, I'm hitting that silent auction hard.
When everyone had finished their meal, Donnie Lee Strickland fired up his country music band and invited everyone out onto the dance floor. I don't even like country music and still had a blast.
Of course, if you know me at all, you already know my favorite part of the evening.
Dessert buffet!
Fun fact: I'm eating an enormous chocolate chip cookie as I write this. It's 7 am.
In my Wine & Wagyu review last year, I couldn't help being disappointed with the lack of chocolate desserts. Pies and cobblers are great, but they're not to everyone's taste. Angel Fire Resort made up for that this year with an assortment of ice cream flavors, cookie bars, brownies, lemon squares, bite-size cheesecakes, and more.
I was in sugar-holic heaven.
My husband's dessert
SN enjoyed the pie last year, but even he couldn't resist a chocolate treat.
(Not shown are the THREE other brownies he ate.)
The balcony overlooking the Angel Fire golf course was the perfect way to end the night. It had been such a special evening, one we will surely remember forever. Soon, guests were mingling over glasses of syrah and riesling. A cowboy tipped his hat to me and asked if I'd like a photo with my husband.
His shot was proof of a successful wine dinner.
Bloody Good Bacon Brunch at the Angel Fire Resort
After having such an amazing time on Friday night, we knew we were in for a treat at the Wine & Wagyu brunch on Sunday morning. Illuminated with sunlight, the room had been transformed from a western dance to a cheerful soirée.
This was the nicest brunch I've ever had the pleasure of attending in my life.
There were tables elegantly set for large or intimate groups. I was immediately drawn to the floral arrangements, which were stunning and perfectly accented the yellow napkins.
You thought they were real too, didn't you?
The Angel Fire Resort crafted such a perfect dining experience this year. The loud music from Wine & Wagyu 2018 was replaced with a string ensemble.
Diners could opt for a mimosa or try their hand at making the world's best Bloody Mary, complete with candied wagyu bacon, blue cheese-stuffed olives, pickled okra, and more.
The bartender happily honored my request for a mimosa without orange juice. It paired surprisingly well with a big plate of those Bloody Mary garnishes.
At the end of a weekend focused on wagyu beef and eating, eating, and more eating, this fruit platter was a welcome sight. I was still full from the other Wine & Wagyu events on Saturday and vowed to only consume light, healthy fare during the brunch.
My water glass is sneakily positioned to hide the sausage that somehow made it onto my plate. Plus, did you know there's something called Chicken and Waffles Casserole? The chef at Angel Fire Resort is a genius.
My husband agreed that berries and melon were the way to go, given how indulgent our meals had been the previous two days. Just look at all the wagyu pastrami hash on his plate though. We're both certain the fruit cancels it out.
After finishing our breakfast, I complained that I was so full, then went to get just a little more. "You're crazy," my husband scolded. "I don't know how you can eat another bite. You're going to make yourself sick."
Does that look like the face of someone who was not going to have at least one buttery pastry or chocolate muffin? You're not fooling anyone, SN.
Here's to Wine & Wagyu and the Angel Fire Resort! I hope to see you there in 2020.