Classic

The Food & Wine Classic is celebrating its 25th year in Aspen.

I'm volunteering for the first time in my 8 years in Aspen.

Volunteering is a pretty cool gig. I do some work and I get a pass for which people pay $1000.

I've been to the Classic once in my years here. My girlfriend used to manage the lodge here in Aspen where Andrea Immer stays and they had two passes which we got to use for a couple of seminars (we saw Steve Raichlen and Jacques Pepin and his daughter, Claudine) and a Grand Tasting.

This year I get to go to all of the Grand Tastings. There are five. I will definitely have to pace myself since I also have to work before and after the Grand Tastings. In addition, once I'm done with set-up for each of the seminars at Paepcke Park, I get to go to any of the other seminars on a space available basis.

I'm not sure but I think I got pretty lucky with my assignment. I've heard that not everyone who wants to volunteer gets chosen. They give seniority to those who have volunteered previously and there are some pretty sucky assignments.

This summer, I've been trying to focus on vacationing here at home and since I have a ton of time off coming, when I applied to volunteer, I basically said that I was available whenever they needed me and that I was willing to work enough to qualify for a full pass. I was supposed to hear in the beginning of May but when that time frame came and went without a peep, I assumed that I hadn't made the cut, only to get a phone call a week or so ago, asking if I was still available.

Hell, yeah!!

The seminars I'm setting up for are all wine seminars: #105 The Price is Right; #205 Sparkling Substitutes; #305 Like Wine for Chocolate; #405 and 505 Reisling Around the World; #605 The Artisan's Hand and #705 Perfect Food and Wine Pairings.

There's a Volunteer Party next Tuesday that I was thinking I would blow off until the volunteer coordinator mentioned that, in an Oprah moment, she gave Tiffany champagne glasses as volunteer gifts last year. She said she couldn't promise the same this year but that it is the 25th anniversary. I just might have to show up to that party . . .

I'm pretty excited. Someday maybe I'll pop for a pass and be an actual paying customer but until then, this is a pretty cool way to go.

In addition to all of the above, I picked up two tickets to go to the taping of the Good Morning America segment Friday morning at 5:45 am. Considering that it's ten minutes from my house at a slow walk, I figured it'd be fun to do once even if it is obnoxiously early.