As I entered the Grand Tasting at Town Park in Telluride, I had no idea what to expect. Hundreds of people packed under two huge tents, all sampling some of the greatest wines from around the world. This is the first time I had ever experienced something so unique in a festival and as I walked from vendor to vendor, I noticed the excitement radiated from everyone. This is truly an experience that all of the attendees & vendors enjoy and their love for wine was palpable. You understood why they flocked from around the world to our tiny & beautiful mountain town.

Each wine maker was very courteous and thrilled they could share their art with the massive crowds that had gathered for the festival, even though the weather conditions were quite adverse at the beginning of the day. As for the wine? It was amazing. I had no idea about the multitude of differences between the varieties and had never sampled so many different makes. There were literally hundreds of bottles, from white to red, Cabernet to White Zinfandel, some aged for 20 years or more & produced mere days before the festival. 

I found that my favorite wine by far was Anarchy, a zinfandel made by Four Vines. In addition to the enormous assortment of wines, there were many other beverages and fine food to be sampled but I did not spend much time utilizing those options. I was simply too busy enjoying the company of the vendors & attendees, not to mention the terrific wine.

The weather finally cleared and the sun began to descend behind the western mountains as Citizen Cope emerged on the main stage. Excitement spread through a packed Town Park as Cope began to play. He played until the sun had disappeared and a star-filled sky emerged, and attendees & vendors, with wine still in hand, danced until the last song had been sung.

As I walked home, I realized how amazing the Telluride Wine Festival was and I'm positive I will return for the 2010 festival, as you should too.

(View Photos from The Telluride Wine Festival & Citizen Cope