hat happens when food and wine are paired for maximum taste and minimum environmental impact? At the St. Julien Hotel & Spa in Boulder, Colorado, the result is a Zero- Carbon Footprint Wine Dinner to be held on International Earth Day, March 20.

“People are increasingly conscious of the footprint created by airline and automobile travel, but are less likely to consider the footprint created by the food they eat,” says Jason Rogers, executive chef, St. Julien Hotel & Spa. “Our aim is to celebrate the availability and variety of seasonal produce here in the Boulder area, introduce guests to biodynamic wine, and enjoy a completely carbon-neutral dining experience.”

The menu gathers as many ingredients as possible from a 100-mile radius around Boulder, utilizing the area’s plentiful organic farms, which Rogers says cuts down the amount of travel needed to bring the food to the St. Julien and reduces the environmental impact as a result. He says about 80 percent of the menu falls into this category.

The remaining ingredients come from beyond a 100-mile radius due to seasonality and availability. Because of this, the environmental footprint created to transport those ingredients will be offset by a Boulder-based company called Sustainable Travel International, which will purchase the carbon credits necessary to keep the dinner a zero-carbon equation.

“If we have a late winter, it will be tricky, but we’re focusing as much as possible on certified organic and locally produced foods,” Rogers says. Sustainable Travel International will also offset the footprint created by the 75 diners who will use transportation to get to the St. Julien.

GREEN WINE
The dinner is in partnership with Benziger Family Winery, featuring their biodynamic wines paired with the first four courses. Benziger is one of the few Demeter-certified biodynamic vineyards in North America, using a heightened form of organic farming that eliminates all chemicals and pesticides while treating the land as a living organism and promoting diverse animal, bird, and insect populations that allow the grapes to grow within a natural ecosystem.

Rogers says he tasted the wines before the menu was created and allowed the flavors to influence which dishes would eventually end up on the table.

“When I drank the Pinot Noir, I said, ‘That’s Hoppin’ John—bacon, beans, and mushrooms.’ All those flavors came right to my mind,” Rogers says.

Another entrée uses one of the wines as an ingredient. The flat iron beef is macerated overnight in several bottles of Benziger Tribute, a blend of 85 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 10 percent Petit Verdot, 4 percent Cabernet Franc, and 1 percent Merlot, which gives the meat a distinct taste and unique color.

“It’s almost purple when it comes out, and it’s an excellent roast,” Rogers says.

The dinner is the first of what Rogers hopes will be a regular feature at the St. Julien, and he says Boulder is a great place to debut a zero-carbon footprint dinner.

“Boulder has a kind of hippie chic going on, and it’s always been on the organic forefront. The overall message of this dinner is to promote the idea of a greener culture for everyone.”