What: The Denver Food and Wine Classic
Where: Metropolitan State University of Denver
When: September 3-8
Don’t Miss: The Grand Tasting Event, September 7, 12:00-4:00 pm, $95.00 person
Summer might be nearing its end but Denver’s culinary scene is heating up. This week the 9th Annual Denver Food and Wine Classic comes to town and tickets are still available. The event kicks off Tuesday with a four-course food pairing dinner by Chef Troy Guard of TAG Restaurant. At $125 a ticket, this is the Classic’s most expensive event, but the menu looks enticing. I’m also intrigued by the September 6th Art of the Cocktail Party event, held at the Ritz-Carlton Denver. For $50, food lovers can vote for their favorite local bartender or chef in this competition style format. If you want to learn more about wine, check out the Reidel Wine Glass Seminar on September 6 ($75). This hour long class will show festival goers how the shape of a wine glass enhances and changes the taste and aroma of wines. Tickets also include a set of three Riedel Vinum XL wine glasses. The event I am most looking forward to is the Grand Tasting on September 7. With cuisine from 40 of Denver’s best restaurants and beverage professionals pouring over 600 different wines and spirits, it’s sure to impress. And if sipping delicious wine wasn’t reason enough to buy tickets, the event also serves to raise funds for the Denver Post Community Foundation, the Colorado Restaurant Association Education Foundation, and the Metropolitan State University of Denver. The festival winds down on Sunday, September 8 with a wine pairing dinner at Panzano restaurant. Your $100 ticket includes a charcuterie demonstration by Brian Polcyn and a five-course dinner. Whichever event you choose, festival goers can expect delicious drink and food as the mile high city pays homage to all things wine.