Uncork & Eat Well at the Crested Butte Land Trust Wine & Food Festival

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (June 30, 2009) - The second annual Crested Butte Land Trust Wine & Food Festival, July 23 - 26, will showcase hundreds of wines and amazing cuisine in the stunning surroundings of Crested Butte, Colo.  All events during last year's festival sold out, which led organizers to add new opportunities to indulge in great food, drink and a biking winemaker trails. 

The festival, produced by Colorado Mountain Events, LLC, benefits the Crested Butte Land Trust, which has a mission to protect open space and wildlife habitat, preserve the valley's ranching heritage, and provide access via trails.

Festival Favorites Returning

Wine seminars allow wine novices and aficionados alike to learn the nuances of wine during classroom-style sessions.  These 10 seminars, either 60 or 90 minutes in duration, will be held all days of the festival and are sold a la carte from $35 to $50 each.  Each event is limited to approximately 24 guests and is conducted in the intimate environment of local restaurants.  Examples of seminar topics include Wine 101 and Blue Chip Wines of Italy, with winemakers and master sommeliers leading all the seminars.  A complete seminar schedule (with more being added as they are booked) is available at http://www.crestedbuttewine.com/.

The most exclusive happenings during the four-day event are chef dinners, where nationally renowned chefs are invited to Crested Butte and paired with distinguished local chefs to create a series of intimate dinners in private homes. The four dinners each allow 12 guests to enjoy a masterfully prepared, multi-course dinner that is paired with some of the finest wines in the world selected by the chefs and master sommeliers.  The cost is $500 per person.

July 23             Chef Mat Smith of Lil's Sushi Bar & Grill (Crested Butte) and Chef Troy Guard of TAG (Denver)

July 24             Chef Kent Rathbun of Abacus (Dallas) and Jasper's (Houston) and Chef Keegan Gerhard of D Bar Desserts (Denver)

July 25             Chef Kate Ladoulis of django's (Mt. Crested Butte) and Chef Frank Bonanno of Mizuna (Denver)

July 25             Chef David Wooding of Maxwell's (Crested Butte) and Chef Tyler Wiard of Elway's Cherry Creek (Denver)

The Grand Tasting will feature hundreds of wines from around the world and hors d'oeuvres from more than a dozen local restaurants.  Scheduled for Saturday, July 25 from 4 to 7 p.m., the Grand Tasting will be held in the Lodge at Mountaineer Square's Grand Ballroom, located at the base of Crested Butte Mountain Resort.  Tickets are $65 in advance and $80 day of event (21 years of age and older only), and $15 for children and designated drivers.  Only 400 tickets will be sold.

What's New

Due to an outstanding response to the Grand Tasting in 2008, an Evening on Elk Avenue will feature a similar format on Friday, July 24, from 5 to 8 p.m.  From First Street to Second Street on Elk Avenue, guests will do a wine walk, enjoying wine sampling and hors d'oeuvres prepared by local eateries.  "This gives patrons another chance to sip and savor the hundreds of wines also available at the Grand Tasting on Saturday," says Margaret Ebeling, event organizer.  Tickets are $45 (21 years of age and over), and  those under 21 are welcome to stroll with parents at no cost.  A package price of $100 is available when purchasing an adult ticket for both the Grand Tasting and Evening on Elk Avenue.

Participants who want to add the world-class mountain biking of Crested Butte to their weekend can explore some of the most beautiful rides on Earth with a few grapes and gourmet food as part of the mix.  Winemaker Trails are rides led by professional guides at both beginner/intermediate and intermediate/advanced levels.  Bicyclists will convene afterwards for a gourmet picnic prepared by notable local chefs in a remote yurt in a beautiful mountain valley.  A winemaker will bring favorite wines to share and discuss with each group, limited to 24 participants for each Friday, Saturday and Sunday rides.  Each rider will receive a custom festival cycling jersey.  The cost is $175 per person.

Tickets for all festival activities may be purchased at http://www.crestedbuttewine.com/ or in person at the Crested Butte Land Trust office (308 Third Avenue, Crested Butte).

Vacation Packages & Visitor Information

The Crested Butte Land Trust Wine & Food Festival and Crested Butte Mountain Resort ski area have teamed up to offer a terrific way to enjoy the festival and choose from four lodging properties in Mt. Crested Butte.  Packages that include two night's lodging and tickets for the festival's Evening on Elk Avenue on July 24 and Grand Tasting on July 25 for two people start at $486.  The same package for four people staying in a two-bedroom condominium runs $818.  Prices do not include taxes or fees.  Call Crested Butte Vacations at (888) 280-5724 or visit www.skicb.com/wine.   

To find out more about the area's summer calendar of events or to book other personalized vacation packages, visit http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/.  During the summer, air access to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is provided by United Airlines.

About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado

Gunnison-Crested Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness in southwest Colorado.  Winter sports enthusiasts know the area for its world-class alpine skiing and snowboarding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing.  Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a haven for outdoor summer activities.  In the warmer months, visitors can choose from recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, boating, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback riding.  Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and stimulating cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options - from rustic inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resort hotels. 

Recognized as the "Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado" by the Colorado Legislature and one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in 2008, Crested Butte is the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.  Only three miles up the road is the resort village of Mt. Crested Butte, home to the ski area, an active base area, the area's conference center, and outstanding hiking and biking trails. 

Gunnison, a real western town located 28 miles from Crested Butte, is home to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison Whitewater Park, Gunnison Valley Observatory, Pioneer Museum and Western State College, a four-year institution offering majors in the liberal arts and sciences and professional fields.  Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities. 

In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado's largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country's newest national parks.  Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte.  Gunnison County is part of the West Elk Loop and Silver Thread Scenic & Historic Byways.

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For the Media

For working members of the media, there are discounted lodging rates available. Please contact Erika Sauerwein at Erika@larimerassociates.com for more information and to receive media credentials.  Visit http://crestedbuttewine.com/media_room.htm for information about how to obtain high-resolution photography of the event.

PHOTO by Marc Piscotty For a Word version of this press release, click on the link below.

Contacts:         

Erika Sauerwein, Colorado Mountain Events, LLC, 303.625.3874 (m), 303.685.8154 (w) or erika@larimerassociates.com, http://www.crestedbuttewine.com/ 

Beth Buehler, Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association, 970.349-1168 (w) or bethbuehler@qwestoffice.net, http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/