Apr 14, 200804:41 PMThe Life

Palm Springs Food & Wine Festival Delights California Gourmets

Hundreds gathered in the Spa Casino's Cascade Room Friday, April 11, as VIPs sampled chefs' offerings and sipped examples of Chateau Montelena's vintages.

One of Montelena's vintages was a 1998 Chardonny. That year's late harvest and cooler vintage resulted in a fruit-flavor intensity. It is spicier than average, somewhat close to a Riesling. The color is golden with a hint of apple green.

It is a delight to the eye, nose, and palate.

Montelena also presented its 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaker Bo Barrett says 2004 was a difficult year — the exceptionally hot and dry weather forced a very short harvest.

The result was a wine of rich, deep color and a balanced flavor. In fact, both The Wine Advocate and International Wine Cellar rate this Cabernet Sauvignon "outstanding."

The wines, whetted the appetite for food.

Camelot Café Chef Hector Eschevarria prepared a dish from his native Argentina in front of the audience on Viking cooking facilities. This particular dish featured lamb and a specially prepared provolone dinner cheese, spiced with herbs purchased from the Palm Springs Certified Farmers Market.

The sizzle and aroma were as delicious as the taste.

Then, it was the turn of Paul Woods, executive chef of The Steakhouse at The Spa Casino. Woods prepared two Native American dishes, on of rabbit and the other venison. The dishes were spiced and augmented with local herbs and seeds.

The evening was capped with both a silent and live auction and entrainment by Dana Adkins.

A portion of the proceeds benefited The Culinary Institute of America.