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Colorado Mtn. Winefest uncorked as best wine festival in U.S.
As if you really needed another reason to visit Colorado Mountain Winefest….
Thanks to the many fans who voted for Colorado Mountain Winefest presented by Alpine Bank, the annual celebration of Colorado wine and food, has been named the Best Wine Festival in the U.S. by USA Today.
Winefest came out on top of the other finalists in the USA Today’s 10Best website, which enlisted a panel of wine and travel experts to nominate 20 of the best festivals “celebrating wine, wine culture and wine tourism across the country’s top wine-making regions.”
“Thank you to all who voted, and for those who continue to make Colorado Mountain Winefest everything it has grown into for over 25 years.” said Cassidee Shull, Executive Director for Colorado Association for Viticulture & Enology (CAVE) and Colorado Mountain Winefest.
The 2017 Colorado Mountain Winefest presented by Alpine Bank runs Sept. 14-17 at Palisade’s Riverbend Park.
You can see the entire press release, and updated information about Winefest events and tickets, here.
Make it official: Colo. Mtn. Winefest is the best in the USA
A smile says it all. Join your fellow Cellar Dwellers at the 2017 Colorado Mountain Winefest’s Festival in the Park on Sept. 16 at Palisade’s Riverband Park. Tickets are limited. Story/photo by Dave Buchanan
It’s hard to argue with success. In its 25 years, Colorado Mountain Winefest has grown from four wineries to more than 50, from fewer than a thousand guests to more than 6,000 and from a small-town fall gathering to this state’s largest and probably most-eagerly awaited showcase for all facets of the state’s wine industry.
But we already knew that, didn’t we? Now we know we haven’t been alone all those years, talking up Colorado Mountain Winefest presented by Alpine Bank to anyone who would listen (and maybe a few who wouldn’t).
Our locavore festival of wine, food, music and general good times (this year Sept. 14-17) has been named one of the 20 best winefests in the country by USA Today and is in the running for the title of Best Winefest in the U.S.
Well, boy howdy….
Competition is stiff. Other nominees include Big Sur, Napa, Charleston, Chicago, even the Aspen Food & Wine Classic is there, and right alongside is our own Palisade, Colorado.
The contest is by popular vote and truly every vote, your vote, counts. It’s your opportunity to share the love with the wine-loving world and vote for Colorado Mountain Winefest by clicking the link here. But please do it soon, the voting ends Monday (that’s this Monday, Aug. 14), which is like really soon….
Also, don’t forget to purchase your tickets to Colorado Mountain Winefest events on the Winefest website. Winefest has sold out the past several years, some of this year’s individual events already are maxed out and it’s likely the ever-popular Festival in the Park also will sell out again this year. As Winefest executive director Cassidee Shull loves to say, “We would not be where we are today without your support.”
West Elks AVA celebrates the summer with wine trail Aug. 4-6
This weekend (Aug. 4-6) marks the ninth annual mid-summer West Elks Wine Trail, celebrating the wineries, cideries and meaderies of the West Elks AVA and the North Fork Valley.
Featured venues include Alfred Eames Cellars, Azura Winery and Gallery, Black Bridge Winery, Delicious Orchards (Big B’s), Leroux Creek Vineyards, Mesa Winds Farm and Winery, Stone Cottage Cellars, Terror Creek Winery and 5680’ (winery contacts here).
Visitors begin their tour by obtaining a West Elks Wine Trail map from any of the West Elk wineries in the Paonia/Hotchkiss area. Each winery will feature food and wine pairings, with a focus on local foods.
The winemakers have selected two favorite foods to complement their wines and will give you the recipes just for stopping by. The nine wine tasting rooms will offer a wide variety of activities from vineyard tours, art displays, barrel tastings, winemakers’ dinners, food pairings, mountain views and more.
Complimentary wine glasses will be given to those who travel along the wine trail and collect recipes from at least five wineries.
Winemaker Dinner Update (as of Tuesday, Aug. 1): Leroux Creek has a few seat open for its French Affair winemaker’s dinner on Friday, August 4, at 6:30pm. Reservations: 970-872-4746.
– Alfred Eames Cellars has limited seats (as of Aug. 1) for its Multicultural All American Culinary Experience dinner on Aug. 4. Details: 970-527-629.
– Black Bridge will have Wood-Oven Pizza and Barrel Tastings on Saturday, August 5.
– Big B’s at Delicious Orchards will be having a BBQ on Saturday, August 5, 12-8pm. Plus they will have live music by Zolopht, a progressive, reggae-rock band. Just drop in – no reservations will be taken.
– Azura Cellars and Stone Cottage Cellars dinners are sold out.
Wine Openers 