I only recently learned to ski and confess that, in comparison to sporting a beach towel and sunglasses, the prospect of lugging heavy skis, boots, jackets, and bags of other equipment up a mountain in freezing temperatures never really appealed to me. Nevertheless, when living in Switzerland surrounded by world class ski resorts and luxury accommodations, hitting the slopes is what one does in order to maintain any semblance of a social life between January and April.

Since early December the snow has been falling hard and fast in the Alps and cold temperatures above 3600 feet have kept it light and airy – just what true ski connoisseurs seek, or so I am told. So, as ski season reaches its apex and an assortment of new luxury properties open their doors, there has never been a better time for powder-junkies to consider a visit to the region.

On a recent weekend, I experienced the season’s picture-perfect conditions first hand. Along with friends, I was staying in the Portes du Soleil, a wide reserve of 12 ski resorts spanning two countries between Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc and, immediately, I was impressed by both the quality and quantity of snow as I hit the slopes with relish.

En route to the first run of the day, my fingers tingled from the cold as I sat in contemplative silence on the lift worrying if I my choice of layers would prove sufficient. “Should have worn thicker gloves,” I anxiously whispered under my breadth. My attire anxiety was, however, quelled by listening to the sounds around me: the tension in the thick cable squeaking above my head, the contrail of ice crystals as metal skis cut into frozen snow below. Then, as I gained altitude, the mountains opened around me – white peaks, evergreen trees and granite colored rock appeared. Finally pushing off my lift chair and letting gravity take control, I snapped out of my torpor. I became oblivious to anyone around me, completely intoxicated by the freshness of the snow, the crisp air rushing through my nose and the feeling of total freedom at a brisk 25 miles per hour.

For your own ski season getaway this season, Geneva is a perfect gateway to both the Swiss and French sides of the Alps. With direct flights from Newark Liberty and Washington Dulles on United and from JFK on Swiss, it is also surprisingly easy to reach. While those mountain-bound can reserve shuttle transfers direct from the airport to a variety of ski stations, savvy travelers take a moment to catch their breath and enjoy this often underrated city.

The newly opened Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix is an ideal spot for international travelers to recover from jet lag before hitting the slopes. After a multi-million-dollar renovation and the addition of some signature Ritz-Carlton touches, the 152-year old property has quickly asserted itself as one of the hottest additions to the lakefront hotel scene. It’s also within easy walking distance of premier shopping along the Rue du Marché and smart cafés in the medieval Old Town.

From Geneva, stylish skiers can opt for a short 2-hour train ride to the glamourous ski retreat of Gstaad. Relive the glory days of Swiss luxury rail travel along the way by picking up the GoldenPass train in Montreux and ride in a fully recreated classic car from the Belle Époque to the brand new, 5-star Huus Hotel. Putting a modern touch on classically alpine interiors, the hotel reinvents chalet-style decor. And with nearly 22,000 square feet of spa, indoor pool and fitness facilities, is there any better way to recover from a long day on the pistes?

Though not accessible by train, a short drive of just over an hour from Geneva opens a wonder of other skiing possibilities on the French side of the Alps. One of the most widely anticipated new properties in this region is the 55-room (including 14 sumptuous suites) Four Seasons Megève. As the only hotel located directly on the slopes of Mont d’Arbois the Four Seasons particularly spoils jetset skiers and snowboarders by offering ski-in, ski-out opportunities.

And for those who may be more into the après-ski than the ski itself, the Four Seasons is also the new home of one of the finest 2-star Michelin restaurants in the region, Le 1920. On my most recent visit to the restaurant, succulent Brittany lobster cooked in lightly salted butter and slow-cooked pork with black truffle were some of the standout dishes that would send me down a double-black diamond in a heartbeat.

For those looking for some heart-thumbing club beats and choreographed dance routines, the epic après-ski parties of La Folie Douce on the top of Mont Joux in Megève will make you lightheaded in the thin mountain air. Just don’t forget after your fourth or fifth cognac-spiked apple cider that you still have to actually descend the mountain.

Back in the Portes du Soleil, as the last rays of February sun pierced through the chilly sky at the end of a successful ski weekend (any weekend with no broken limbs is a successful weekend on the slopes in my book), I no longer felt neither a chill in my body nor trepidation in my mind. To my surprise, I was actually keen for more. “Where to next weekend?” I asked my travel companions. Gstaad? Megève? Verbier? Zermatt? The Alps are calling and we are all spoiled for choice this season.

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I just touched down back in Los Angeles early last week after a whirlwind weekend in Colorado, where I attended the third installment of the Beaver Creek Food and Wine event, which annually draws scores of food and wine aficionados from around the country, along with a more than a fair amount of celebrity chefs.

Shortly after checking in at the Park Hyatt, I made a quick change and then took a dash around the property and the heated sidewalks of Beaver Creek, where I was greeted by live entertainment in the lobby (Antler Hall, as it is called), warm chocolate chip cookies and the aroma of S’mores being freshly made with Lindt chocolate and marshmallows of all varieties. (In fact, I saw a lavender-flavored marshmallow that looked rather intriguing.) I also noted the Veuve Clicquot tent at the bottom of the mountain as well. But, as delightful as it seemed outside, I decided that I would rather enjoy my champers inside in the warmth of the Hyatt’s 8100 Mountainside Bar and Grill with a colleague. One glass of Veuve Clicquot Rosé down and it was time to be off to the weekend’s kick-off event, a Meet the Chefs Reception at the Black Diamond Bistro in the Charter Hotel.

More Veuve followed at the reception as guests sampled a variety of Colorado hors d’oeuvres prepared by Beaver Creek’s host chefs. Topping my list of favorites was a deliciously hearty lamb stew (very Colorado), Hot Smoked Char, Foie Gras-Stuffed Twinkies, Colorado Striped Bass Carpaccio and Buffalo Tartar in Wonton Cups. As the nibbles wafted out of the kitchen on trays attached to waiters all dressed in black and wine from a battalion of winemaker sponsor, I had a chance to have a quick chat with Top Chef Season 2 finalist Chef Sam Talbot and Chef Alex Seidel, one of Food and Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs of 2010.

In between chatter about farms and such, I learned that Talbot is opening a new restaurant in Montauk soon. No name yet for Talbot’s latest venture, but expect it to be a small and intimate eatery where the food will be the star and the scene much more mellow than his previous endeavors at Imperial No. 9 at the Mondrian in NYC and Surf Lodge, which was also located in Montauk. As for Seidel, his Fruition restaurant continues to be a major hit in Denver, as does his 10-acre farm, which supplies not just his own restaurants but dozens of others in Colorado. A big ‘hoorah’ for the farm-to-table movement.

On day two, as Food and Wine‘s Gail Simmons hosted a cooking demonstration, I hit the slopes for a ski lesson, which is terribly convenient at Beaver Creek, because the slopes and gondolas are literally at the doorstep of the Park Hyatt. Hours later, I popped into the cozy Golden Eagle Inn Restaurant in the Village for a steaming bowl of Elk Chili before heading off to the Aprés Ski Beer and Burgers event where Top Chef Season 4 contestant and GoodStuffEaterymastermind Spike Mendelsohn, along with his crew, turned out a Wild Boar Burger that explained with each flavorful bite why the Obamas are such a fan of his Washington, D.C., burger joint.

Right next door, Ft. Worth’s Chef Tim Love of the Love Shack left tongues wagging with his skirt burger topped with lamb bacon and dressed with roasted red pepper hollandaise. Meanwhile, Stella Artois, Hooegaarden and Leffe were on tap to wash down the burgers, a band played and the chefs mingled. A lovely casual afternoon was enjoyed by all.

Later that evening, there was a fundraising dinner for the Bright Future Foundation at Splendido Restaurant, where Chefs Sam Talbot and David Walford took the reins in the kitchen as the winemakers behind Layer Cake and Cherry Pie poured the wines. While Walford delivered a Parsley Root Soup with just-smoked trout, guanciale, leeks and fried bread that started the meal off on a high note, Chef Sam Talbot brought the whole menu home with a rich pairing of Braised Clams and an 18-hour Pork Shoulder, served with white beans, white sesame and pink grapefruit caviar. It was spectacular, as were the wines paired with each course. I sat with the winemakers that night and was blown away by their product. Word to the wise—If you haven’t tried the Hundred Acre 2007 “Ancient Way” Shiraz or the If You See Kay 2010 Rosso, then you’re in for a real treat. I would categorize both as “highly recommended.” You read it here, maybe not first but most certainly with emphasis.
On the final full day of Food & Wine weekend, I attended a “Ski.Eat.Ski.” luncheon with the amiable John Besh, a James Beard award-winning chef who was named one of Food and Wine magazine’s top new chefs early on his career and whose flagship restaurant August was featured on the late great Gourmet magazine’s “Guide to America’s Best Restaurants” and “America’s Top 50 Restaurants.”  As Besh meandered around from table to table talking and laughing with guests at the luncheon, a silky Cauliflower and Lobster Bisque with shaved white truffle was served as the first course. That course was followed by a Chestnut Cavatelli with a ragout of elk shoulder and wild mushrooms that had just the right kind of warmth and robustness that a day of skiing requires. The meal closed with a Warm Gateau Basque that cemented Chef Besh’s reputation as one of the most visionary chefs working in the Southeast and indeed in America.

Later that evening, after a quick steam and soak at the Park Hyatt’s massive, 30,000-square-footAllegria Spa, it was time for the premiere event of the weekend—The Grand Tasting, where all of the chefs put out brilliant bites for the capacity crowd as a live band played jazz and R&B classics. Again, Chef Tim Love was a standout with a layered Smoked Lamb Posole Stew possessed of that rare quality that makes each bite better than the last. Another standout was Chef Daniel Joly of Mirabelle Restaurant with a cheesy, gooey Lamb Bacon Tarte “Sifflette” that was just perfectly decadent. Ditto for Chef Alex Seidel with a tender Braised Short Rib and Chef David Gutowski of Grouse Mountain Grille, who prepared a deconstructed Bologna Sandwich with housemade bologna, rye bread and ramp slaw that added more depth than you can imagine to a familiar favorite. Alongside the bites, Beluga Vodka, Capture Wines, Schweiger Vineyards, Veuve Clicquot and The Hess Collection poured as the band played on and on into the night.

On the final day of the weekend—”Sunday Funday” as it was called—the celebrity chefs and Beaver Creek favorites competed in a downhill ski race to raise money for their favorite charities. Four spots were allotted to each chef’s team, and each was auctioned off to the highest bidder. Following the race, the winner was announced at a Champagne Brunch at Beaver Creek Chophouse, where good-byes were said over bottomless mimosas, omelets stuffed with prime rib and cheese, steak and egg wraps, pancakes fruit, pastries and all sorts of other delicious breakfast treats. It was a fitting end to a weekend that had lived up to its purpose of showcasing Beaver Creek as a true food and wine destination. Bravo, Food and Wine. Bravo Beaver Creek!

For more information about Beaver Creek, go to beavercreek.com.

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