Colorado Brands Pour Big at the Vail Wine Classic

The Vail Wine Classic returned to the Rockies August 7-10 with more than 1,200 attendees over the three-day festival. The fifth annual event featured a wide range of activities, including lunches, wine hikes (yes – wine hikes), and dinner pairings; but the star of the show was Saturday’s Grand Tasting at Ford Field.

“The [Vail Wine Classic] is primarily a big tourism draw. It was started in partnership with the town of Vail to bring visitors here, fill hotel rooms, and create a really cool event that people come to annually,” said Kristen Slater, CEO and owner of Team Player Productions, the event organizer.

Over the years, the Classic has grown into a fixture on summer calendars, attracting visitors from across the country and even abroad, many of whom return year after year.

“There’s a group over there with a big candelabra on their table – they’ve come every year since the festival began, and each year their setup gets more elaborate. It’s been so cool to see it become an annual tradition for people,” she continued.
During the Grand Tasting, wines from a mix of international, national, and Colorado-based producers poured under the white tents – including California producers like Napa-based 7Cellars by John Elway and Paso Robles' Daou Vineyards; Spanish wines from Zamora Wine Company; and the globally curated portfolio of Fraîche Wine Group. Amongst the global participants, the Centennial State was well represented with a diverse selection of products ranging from estate-grown Grand Valley wines to craft beer, nonalcoholic beverages, and small-batch spirits.

“It’s been really cool to highlight Colorado brands,” Slater added. “Carboy and Outer Range are two of our favorites. It’s fun to have them alongside the international selections.”

Carboy Winery, based in Littleton with additional tasting rooms in Denver, Breckenridge, and Palisade, has been steadily building a case for Colorado wine’s unique identity. Its still wines are produced in Littleton, while its sparkling wines come from Palisade, using 100% Colorado grapes.

“Out here, you get to do what you want as a winemaker,” shared Kellen Brewer, wine club manager for Carboy. “We don’t have to be what Napa is, we get to be uniquely Colorado.”

At the Classic, Carboy poured blends like Blanco (white) and Colorado Red, along with sparkling releases from their estate vineyards like its CO.SECCO and Native Fizz Rosé. For Kellen, events like this aren’t just about selling bottles, they’re about planting seeds. “There are plenty of people who live here and don’t realize there are over 150 wineries in Colorado. This is a chance to surprise people with something different,” he shared.
Another brand repping Colorado was Mom Juice, known for its low-sugar, lower acidity clean wines specifically made for “every kind of mom – dog mom, soccer mom, rich auntie,” according to the company's Courtney Compoz. While the woman-owned brand uses grapes from California, it's headquartered in Denver, a target market for the winery.

“We're really trying to hit the Denver market, get into a ton of new locations and get our word out there and our name known,” Compoz continued.

Grape-based beverages weren’t the only products featured from the Centennial State. Frisco’s Outer Range Brewing (which also has a location in the French Alps) drew a steady stream of visitors to sample pilsners, lagers, and IPAs. “By hour two, people were coming up saying how excited they were to see a brewery here,” said Outer Range's Alex Peirano. The brewery's Alpen Pils was a hit at the festival.

For Outer Range, proximity to Vail is part of the pitch, as Peirano told festival-goers to stop at the brewery which is just off I-70, on their way back to Denver.

Another non-wine presenter was Woody Creek Distillers from Basalt, pouring its potato vodka, purple gin, Straight Bourbon, rye whiskey and High Rye 70/30 Bourbon Whiskey. According to Warner Perkins, there’s been a renewed interest in spirits. “Gin is super popular, but creative whiskey cocktails are having a moment, too, thanks to the creativity of bartenders around Colorado,” he expressed.
Increasingly popular zero-proof options also made an appearance, like Denver-based Gruvi, which offered booze-free sangria, dry seco, and rosé, catering to the growing demand for booze-free options.

For Slater, who purchased Team Player Productions with her husband earlier this year, the festival’s appeal is in its variety. “If you’re at a restaurant, you’re committing to a bottle. Here, you can try so many different things, one ounce at a time, and let the reps guide you,” she noted.

In its fifth year, the Vail Wine Classic proved to not only be a showcase for global wine, but a reflection of Colorado’s evolving beverage scene.