A playfully illuminated maze with contemporary art displays, satisfying small bites and of course — wine — took over CTRL Collective above Denver’s Milk Market on Saturday, April 27. Vinochromatic, an explorative yet approachable wine festival by experiential events agency, Two Parts, proved you don’t need to be well-versed in varietals to celebrate vino in style. The seductive setup offered a variety of vendors hidden throughout the dimly lit halls with colorful neon-accents where attendees could enjoy unlimited pours of red, white and many new world wines. Guests could opt for an educational experience or simply take advantage of the fun opportunity to mingle and indulge for a ticket cost of $75.
“Wine tasting doesn’t have to be a high-brow activity for experts to sip and flaunt their wisdom, pinkies up. Vinochromatic appeals to the casual wine drinker looking to learn a little more and have a good time doing it, ” said Two Parts Founder, Casey Berry.
Divided into two sessions — the first from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the second from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. — there was a slight variance in the range of palate-pleasing small bites to be enjoyed in between sips. During the evening session, lighter bites included chilled pea soup with rhubarb sorbet from The Way Back, duck confit with fava bean relish and black radish in Belgian endive from The Kitchen Bistros and a refreshing ceviche composed of scallops, albacore, mango and avocado by Kachina. Additionally, Cirque Kitchen and Eclat Culinary showcased a flavorful mouthful of red wine strained risotto with garlic herb shrimp, smoked preserved cherry tomatoes and ramp pesto, while baked bites from Leven Deli and dressed-up deviled eggs by Bar Helix kept roaming wine drinkers satiated throughout the evening. For those seeking desserts aside from sweet wine offerings, The Dapper Doughnut provided an assortment of fresh made mini “cake style” doughnuts and Bistro Georgette served up a crowd-pleasing brown butter honey tart with apple compote, oat streusel and mint.
Notable wineries included Blanchard Family Wines — the artisan, family-owned Sonoma favorite which opened its first outpost outside of California in Dairy Block this past winter — along with the effortlessly cool, RiNo-based urban winery, Infinite Monkey Theorem and Colorado craft winery, Kingman Estate — bringing class to boxed wine culture. Berkley’s Broc Cellars delighted drinkers with an exceptional, straightforward red and rosé and Union Wine Company was one of several wineries representing Oregon with its approachable yet thoroughly pleasurable selection. Bold reds and bubbles were enjoyed from Rioja’s Campo Viejo and Copper Cane‘s luxurious collection of brands drew crowds throughout the night.
READ: Dairy Block Gets a New Wine Joint This Week With Blanchard Family Wines
With wine being poured in every direction from brilliantly displayed bottles, cans and unpretentious yet surprisingly sophisticated boxes — guests were also given the opportunity to escape the grape with alternate beverage options such as Stranahan’s single malt whiskey, GT’s Kombucha, QC Cider, Dram’s infused sparkling waters (some with CBD) and Lifted Libations’ flavored vodka sodas, among others.
Art pieces could be admired and purchased throughout the venue while winemakers eagerly engaged with everyone from advanced sommeliers to individuals whose wine vocabularies only extend to “red” or “white.” Ultimately, Vincochromatic exceeded in its mission to separate the intimidation factor from wine-focused events and create a comfortable, consumer-friendly atmosphere to be enjoyed by a full-spectrum of enthusiasts.
It was such an awesome event! Huge shout out to Jose de La Torre and Two Parts Co. for pulling off such an incredible experience!