The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center will present the 17th Annual Wine Festival of Colorado Springs Friday and Saturday, April 18 - 19, 2008. Among the most prestigious wine events in the state, the Gazette calls the Wine Festival of Colorado Springs “an amazing experience,” touting it as “the best way to learn about wines…from the winemakers themselves.”

The weekend-long Festival kicks off at the Broadmoor Hotel on Friday evening with a blind tasting seminar: Making the Most of Your Senses - How to Taste Wine Blind. Conducted by master sommeliers, this tasting seminar is the perfect warm-up for the Grand Tasting. This event will feature over 300 varieties of wine as well as culinary delights from a wide assortment of the region’s finest restaurants and caterers, a silent wine market auction and live music.

During the day on Saturday, educate your palate at the Sonoma Valley Winemaker Seminar held at the Garden of the Gods Club. In a very relaxed atmosphere, learn about the complexities of winemaking from the vintners themselves. And, back by popular demand on Saturday is the lunch-time Food and Wine Pairing Seminar at the Paragon Culinary School. You will learn to pair exquisite food with the perfect wine at this delicious sell-out event.

The culmination of the Festival is the Gourmet Winemaker Dinner and Live Auction held at the Garden of the Gods Club on Saturday. This magical evening begins with a five-course, world-class gourmet dinner, each course paired with the elegant wines of our distinguished guest vintners. Things get even more interesting when our auctioneer takes the stage to lead you through the bidding of rare and one-of-a-kind collectible wine and wine related lifestyle packages.

Read about the basics of wine tasting from the Gazette’s Teresa Farney...