What’s Trending in Wine: Inside the Denver International Wine Festival
The Omni Interlocken Hotel in Broomfield will be buzzing with wine enthusiasts through the weekend. The 9th annual Denver International Wine Festival Kicked off Wednesday. The Grand Tasting of International Wines delighted palettes yesterday with more than 400 wines, beers and spirits to sample.
Here are 5 Trends winemakers and exhibitors at the festival shared
- People Taking Classes to Learn About Wine
You don’t have to work in the industry or be aiming for a degree to further your wine knowledge. Places like the International Wine Guild, in LoDo, offer classes for wine enthusiasts. “There is a greater demographic of people that want to learn about wine. We teach about old world and new worlds wines.” said Matthew Yoss, a wine instructor at the International Wine Guild.
- Women Winemakers on the Rise
- Lisa Martin of Washington Based Olympic Cellars
“Women can be more approachable and bring new perspective to the business,” said winemaker Lisa Martin of Washington Based Olympic Cellars. Martin is not afraid to mix things up, especially when it comes the Working Girl Wine Line. She experiments with different blends. Take the working girl white for example, which is a mix of Pinot Grigio and Riesling. “You try new things and if tastes good why not?” Smiles Martin.
- Smarter Consumers
“People are more educated and do their homework first,” said John Moeller, Former White House Chef. “More wineries are paying attention to growing better grapes and finding the best soil conditions to work with because of that,” continued Moeller, who was selling his latest book “Dining at the White House“ at the festival.
- Carri Wilbanks with Former White House chef John Moeller at Denver International Wiinefest
Denver based Balisterri Vineyards agrees that consumers are paying more attention to the winemaking process. “I think a lot of people are more conscious about what is in their wine. We don’t make blends, only varietals so our wine is very pure. And we don’t have to add sulfites in the winemaking process,” said Ray Domenico.
- Ray Domenico of Balisterri Vineyards at Denver International Wine Festival
- Chocolate and Wine Pairing Goes Direct
Veree Chocolate Denver International Wine Fest
Denver based Veree Chocolate makes a flavorful line of artisanal chocolates with flavors that include blackberry lavender, raspberry lime and espresso. The company is partnering with Opus Restaurant in Cherry creek North to offer chocolates that match wines served by the restaurant. “More attention is aid to matching chocolate with the complexity of wine. Prosecco or white wine is being paired with white chocolate and darker wines with dark chocolate,” said chocolatier and owner of Veree Chocolate, Patricia Chapman,
- More Mead Please!
- Glenn Foster, owner and winemaker at Palisade’s Meadery of the Rockies
Mead, an ancient wine made from honey, is a drink of choice for anyone who loves a sweeter take. “They have been picking up for the seven years. I think people are looking for something fun and different,” said Glenn Foster, owner and winemaker at Palisade’s Meadery of the Rockies. Flavors from Redstone include Blackberries ‘n Honey and Apricots ‘N Honey.
The wine festivities continue tomorrow with the Julia Child Tribute Champagne Luncheon, where some of her top menu items are paired with selections from the great Champagne Houses known throughout the world. A friend of Julia Child, Madeleine, will lead the afternoon activities with a Sabering demonstration and stories of Julia’s love of food and Champagne. Madeline was the former ambassador and director of Sales for Champagnes: Veuve Clicquot, Gosset, Laurent-Perrier, GH Mumm and Perrier-Jouet. Tickets start at $79.
