Everything is on the menu this week in Durango as the Wine Experience returns with seminars, tastings, pairings, fine dining, spirits, small businesses and, of course, people in fancy clothes drinking a lot of wine. While not much has changed with the format, the event partners rotate and so do the seminars and showcases associated with the experience.
The two mainstays – the Walkabout on Friday and the Grand Tasting on Saturday – will go off as usual, but there are four tastings or pairings Thursday, with a picnic and a pairing Friday, and a new send-off brunch Sunday at Graze Colorado. There is no all-inclusive option as the Walkabout and Grand Tasting bundle is sold out, so everything is a la carte, which might help those who tend to get overwhelmed with a constant stream of food, booze and sun.
Event organizer Kiki Hooton said if you’re stuck trying to decide between the two main events, it’s about which vibe you prefer: food or freelancing.
“I think it more comes down to the vibe that you’re looking for, so the Walkabout is really fun because you get to go into 10 businesses downtown, and a lot of times they’re businesses that you, if you’re local, don’t always spend a lot time in,” she said. “It’s fun to hang out, get to know the business owners and move around a lot.”
The Walkabout provides attendees the opportunity to peruse Main Avenue, eat some small bites, drink wine and see downtown. While there isn’t a dress code, Hooton said, it’s spring and Friday night could be a fun opportunity to find an outfit for Saturday’s happenings.
“The Grand Tasting is really great if you’re a foodie. That’s a thing that people don’t quite realize is we partner with typically 10 restaurants,” she said. “This year we have 11 restaurants participating and that’s included in your ticket price.”
For those who want to maximize – in moderation – the food and wine aspect of the Experience, the Grand Tasting, in its second year at Buckley Park, will feature 33 vendors of wine and spirits, 11 local restaurants, live music and a photo booth.
This year, there will be three tents, but the two spirits tents will be separate from the main wine big top. One first-time Grand Tasting restaurant is SUP Craft BBQ, which recently relocated from Taos, and that variety of new and established names helps the Experience stand out.
“The mix of local vendors like Sutcliffe (Vineyards) being there and bigger national and international brands, I think that kind of mix makes the event really fun and unique,” she said. “So there’s going to be vendors that people recognize and some that they maybe have never tried before.”
For newbies, Hooton said be prepared for Durango weather, wear comfortable shoes, pace yourself, take advantage of public transportation and drink responsibly. There will be water stations set up Friday and Saturday, and the Experience encouraged vendors to provide non-alcoholic options for the emerging nondrinking crowd. That said, this is the same city that puts on Snowdown every year, and the Experience has not seen a drop-off in ticket sales.
“Nationally, if you look at the wine industry it’s a little bit imploding right now because I think nationally there’s a huge trend in a decline in drinking,” she said. “We were a little worried this year that we wouldn’t get enough vendors, or we wouldn’t have as many as normal, but last year we had 36 vendors; we only have 33 this year so only being down three I wouldn’t say that is a significant change in the event, and I think it’s because Durango maybe doesn’t meet that national trend.”
The event also partners with local nonprofits, and in addition to a silent auction at The Grand Tasting, locally decorated bottles of Champagne will be on sale with proceeds going to charity.
A full list of times and costs can be found at DurangoWine.com, including seminars and tastings like the rose picnic at Seasons, or the whiskey and chocolate tasting at Animas Chocolate Co.
“Even if you’re not the biggest fan of wine, there’s still a lot of other products for you to enjoy, and seminars and tastings that are relevant,” Hooton said.