Enjoy Local Food and International Wine at 9,500 Feet

From August 20-24, wine and food lovers will gather in picturesque Breckenridge to experience some of the best local cuisine and international wines at the Breckenridge Wine Classic.

The centerpiece for the weekend is the Grand Tasting — an event that features over 200 wines and ten chefs. It takes place at the base of Peak Nine at the Beaver Run Resort.

Event director Kristen Slater says that the wine-focused fest, first held in 2016, is expanding its gastronomic experience this year. “We have a really great focus on food this year that has been upped from the previous years,” she says.

Attendees can expect a wide variety of producers to be represented at the tasting, hand selected by Team Player Productions. The eight person team works hard to curate a special feeling at the fest. “We have wines from Argentina, Spain, Italy, as well as domestic wines,” says Slater. A range of different producers will be featured, from larger wineries like Daou Wine Estate, to smaller producers like DeLille Cellars, and local boutique wineries like Carboy.
Slater says that Argentinian winery, Piattelli Vineyards is one of the team’s favorites. “There’s a wide variety and that is part of what makes the event so much fun,” she says. “You get to try a huge number of wines.”

A notable participant among the chefs is James Beard-nominated Paul C. Reilly from Coperta. Reilly was a Best Chef: Mountain semifinalist in 2025, bringing a bite of Denver's acclaimed dining scene to the mountains.

Slater says that it’s important to have a variety of food for the guests and that expanding that has been a focus for 2025. “We have some fun and funky [bites] and we’re highlighting local everywhere we can,” she says. Slater notes that working with the chefs one-on-one allows people to see the passion behind the cooking. “The setting allows chefs to go back to the roots of why they got into cooking and draw on that experience that they might not get to showcase day to day,” she says. This collaborative spirit extends to the winery side.

While the ancillary events throughout the weekend are more focused on specific food and wine pairings, the Grand Tasting is more of a choose-your-own adventure. Slater says that while there aren’t specific pairings for each wine and food offered at the Grand Tasting, there are suggested pairings.

Each table also has a QR code that links to their full wine list of what is pouring that day. There’s a link to any local liquor stores it’s sold at, as well as how to order it online.

Breck’s elevated dining scene is also featured throughout the weekend, with chefs like James Beard award winner Matt Vawter. Vawter opened up Rootstalk nearly five years ago, and later opened Radicato. Vawter and Coperta’s Reilly will team up with master sommelier Damon Ornowski, as well as Radicato and Rootstalk sommelier Madison Church for a 5-course Italian wine dinner on Friday, August 22, titled Prestige & Pours.

Prior pairings have usually been on Thursdays, but Vawter says that the festival team approached him about doing something a little larger on Friday at Radicato this year. "I thought it'd be really fun to cook with Reilly," says Vawter, adding that he has a lot of respect for Reilly and that the two have been friends since Vawter's days in the Denver dining scene. The two are in the final stages of menu design—they will alternate courses that pair with selected wines from all over Italy.
The event takes place as Rootstalk is having its guest chef series. Chicago's Michelin-starred Lee Wolen will be collaborating with Vawter beginning August 13 at Rootstalk, creating a special five-course tasting blending the best of Midwest cuisine with Colorado's seasonal ingredients.

The Breckenridge Wine Classic's footprint extends across the town, creating an expansive experience for visitors. "We have events in different pockets of Breckenridge, both on Main Street and several of the hotels," Slater says. She says that for those who want to get out in the high-altitude environment, there are opportunities to hike on the mountain with wine tastings. Alternatively, for guests who prefer a more relaxed outdoor setting, there are plenty of patio-style events.

The timing is an important aspect of the festival, one that Slater says most ski-season focused people aren’t able to experience. “The leaves are just starting to change, it’s a beautiful time to get up there.”

The Breckenridge Wine Classic runs Thursday, August 21, through Sunday, August 24; tickets start at $134.55 after fees. For more information, visit breckenridgewineclassic.com.