Press Room
Getting ‘winey' in Palisade
Grand Junction Free Press, September 15, 2010 – This weekend, Palisade hosts the 19th annual Colorado Mountain Winefest, Colorado's oldest and largest wine festival. Better Homes and Gardens magazine in the September issue included Colorado Mountain Winefest in its “5-to-try Fall Wine Festivals” list.
One of the best run fairs and festivals that we participate in, the Colorado Mountain Winefest attracts wineries from all over the state — 56 this year — and of course, highlighted by our own from right here in the Grand Valley and western Colorado.
The events kick off Friday with wine seminars and celebrity chef Kelly Liken, from this year's TV competition, “Top Chef.” There will be a reception, a chef demo, followed by dinner at The DoubleTree Hotel.
Saturday brings the “Festival in the Park” at Riverbend Park in Palisade, from 10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Winemakers, cheese makers, ice carvers, artists and yes, even cheesecake makers, fill the park! Don't miss the Grape Stomp! For more information, visit www.coloradowinefest.com.
For the sixth year, we will be part of the First Class Pass — VIP Tent. This is where we started to get our first recognition of our products and one that we are very proud of! And yes, we do have a booth too, featuring our line of “Vineyard” cheesecakes.
This event also signifies the beginning of the end of the summer season out here in Palisade. Yes, the town does have a few other events later this year, including the Oktoberfest and the Holiday Faire, but the town starts to return to the semi-normalcy that I moved out here for and that I have come to love. But for a few months, Palisade is the Peach and Wine Capital of our world!
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Lee is the founder and owner of Decadence Gourmet Cheesecakes and Catering. He can be reached at decadencecheesecakes@mindspring.com, through their website at www.decadencecheesecakes.com, on Facebook or by calling 256-4688!
Wine events this weekend Sept. 17-19
Winemaker Dinners: Meet the winemakers and share a lively evening starring Colorado wines expertly chosen to enhance the flavors of each course. It's fun for all. Ticket prices vary and reservations are essential — seating is limited. Ten Grand Valley restaurants and venues are hosting this year's Winemaker Dinners. A list of the restaurants are available at www.ColoradoWinefest.com.
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Sept. 17
“Re-setting your Taste Buds: How the Components of Food and Wine Interact”: Join Enologist Steve Menke during his seminar and learn how food and wine elements like acidity, fruitiness, sweetness, astringency, bitterness, and dominant flavors and spices can either match or fight each other. This seminar is designed to teach the methodology that will help attendees match foods and wines.
Time: 10 a.m.–noon
Location: Wine Country Inn, Palisade
Tickets: $49
“Same grapes different wine!”: Attendees will learn how to appreciate and understand the winemaker's touch by tasting wines made from the same grapes with different wine making techniques or wines made by different winemakers from the same grapes.
Time: 1:30–3:30 p.m.
Location: DoubleTree Hotel, Grand Junction
Tickets: $49
Celebrity chef Kelly Liken Evening Event: Join Chef Kelly Liken of Restaurant Kelly Liken in Vail, Iron Chef America and Bravo TV's Top Chef D.C., as she demonstrates how she takes fresh seasonal ingredients and brings out the best flavors for every meal.
Time:
4 p.m.: Liken reception at the DoubleTree Hotel begins for attendees of the cooking demo and/or dinner
4:30-5:30: Chef Kelly Liken Cooking Demo
6: Dinner with Chef Kelly Liken
7:30-9:30: Enstrom's Chocolate and Wine Tasting
Location: DoubleTree Hotel, Grand Junction, Colo.
Tickets:
Chef Kelly Liken Cooking Demo: $50
Dinner with Chef Kelly Liken: $75
Enstrom's Chocolate and Wine Tasting: $54
Package for all 3 events: $170
Enstrom's Chocolate & Wine Tasting: Event attendees savor a bountiful array of Colorado wines and ports paired with Enstrom's Candies and Guittard Chocolate Company's super premium chocolates.
Time: 7:30 –9:30 p.m.
Location: DoubleTree Hotel, Grand Junction.
Tickets: $54
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Sept. 18
17th Annual Tour de Vineyards: Tour de Vineyards is a 25-mile bicycle tour through the wine country and orchards of the Palisade area. Tour de Vineyard tickets do not include admission to the Festival in the Park.
Time: 7 a.m.
Tickets: $40
“Tasting with Riedel Glass”: Riedel brings 250 years of glass-making skill to the finest wineglasses in the world. During this seminar's guided journey, attendees taste how the flavors and aromas of wines are enhanced when a glass shape is designed according to the character of the wine. Participants take home four Riedel glasses retail valued at $116.
Time: noon -1:30 p.m.
Location: Riedel Tent at Riverside Park, Palisade
Tickets: $94
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Sept. 19 “Introduction to Grape Growing”: This is a seminar that gives an overview of growing wine grapes on a commercial scale, economics of the business, market forces, and a tour of the CSU vineyards. Time: 9 a.m. - noon Location: CSU Agricultural Station
Tickets: $43