Jenny's View
September 2022
Dear Friends,
After one heck of an August, we are cheering on chile season! For those of you that made La Fonda your home base for Indian Market last month, you likely witnessed the epitome of team work as our La Fonda crew pulled through once again! After tackling the challenges of COVID head-on for the past two years, our team didn't miss a beat when dealing with a disruption to our internal software systems. I'm so incredibly proud of the way our employees rallied together to overcome the interruption and managed to keep our outlets up and running for our guests. It's a sad reality that there are bad apples out there trying to bully businesses with cyber threats. Given the complex nature of the intrusion, we have issued a public notice about the incident here. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta is right around the corner! To mark the event at the hotel, we’re hosting a not-to-miss wine dinner. On Wednesday, September 21st experts from Ridge Vineyard of California join our food and beverage team to pair the rich flavors of Sonoma wines with New Mexico’s most celebrated crop. The event will take place in La Terraza, our rooftop dining room, open to our garden patio boasting some of the best views in Santa Fe. Space is limited, so book your spot now! Call (505) 995-2313 to make a reservation.
Did you know that red chile is green chile that’s had a chance to fully ripen? More characteristic to Santa Fe and the northern reaches of the state, red chile is a staple in local households. But, this time of year, the entire state embraces the annual ritual of roasting the latest harvest of green chile. The scent lingering from local roasters is distinctly New Mexican. Grown at high elevation and in sandy soils, our signature chiles produce rich flavors sought after the world over. No wonder there’s an annual festival to celebrate the harvest!
400 years ago, grapes were first introduced along the Rio Grande, beginning a wine culture that is celebrated throughout the state. Next time you visit, explore our 45+ wineries and sample some of my favorites – Gruet’s bubbly tops my list. Check out this wine tour map and get ready for your next wine tasting adventure!
As you know, we’ve been celebrating 100 years of hospitality this year with amazing events to commemorate our historic achievement. Our Centennial Speaker Series has been such a wonderful way to honor the rich stories that are part of this landmark property. Last month’s panel discussion touched on something near and dear to my heart: the art of La Fonda. We invited Indigenous artists, Marla Allison (Laguna Pueblo), Cara Romero (Chemehuevi), Cody Sanderson (Navajo), and Jordan Craig (Northern Cheyenne) to participate in a panel discussion about Native American Art. Moderated by Brian Vallo, form Governor of the Pueblo of Acoma, the event was an astounding success. It was such an honor to highlight the work of these talented artists and learn more about their process and inspiration. For those of you that could not make it to the event, you can watch a recording of it on our YouTube channel.
Here’s just a few interesting facts that came up about these amazing artists:
- La Fonda’s Collection features over 10 pieces by the talented visual artist, Marla Allison – most recently a gorgeous river serpent painting surrounding the signature fireplace in La Terraza. Marla took home a first-place ribbon for her painting, “Heartbeat of the People,” inspired by her friend, mentor, and renowned Native American photographer, Lee Marmon, at SWAIA’s 100th Indian Market!
- Cara Romero (whose award-winning art is on display at the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, New York) won “Best of Show” in the Class III category (Painting, Drawing, Graphics & Photography) at SWAIA’s Centennial Market for her archival pigment print, “The Zenith.”
- Cody Sanderson’s work is sought after worldwide, and he is especially popular in Asia! He successfully launched his brand “Cody Sanderson, Santa Fe, USA” in Taiwan and Japan.
- La Fonda holds 10 large format paintings by the wonderful artist, Jordan Craig. Apart from being a successful painter, Jordan has partnered with her sister, Madison Craig on a new endeavor: lingerie. Her company, Shy Natives features compelling designs that have been featured in Vogueworld, a daily online news site of Vogue Magazine.
I can’t wait to see wait they do next. Please join me in raising a toast to these stellar artists!
Now more than ever, it’s time to indulge in the flavors of New Mexico. From Chimayó to Hatch, discover why we’re known as the Chile Capital of the World!
Salud!
Jenny
