15 WAYS TO GET EVEN MORE OUT OF KEYSTONE’S WINE & JAZZ FESTIVAL
WINE, BEAUTIFUL VIEWS AND SMOOTHE JAZZ
Do you love wine? If so, we have a festival for you! Keystone’s Wine & Jazz Festival is a great way to explore over 300 varietals of wines, all while enjoying a summer weekend in the glorious mountains that are only an hour west of Denver.
APPROACHABLE YET SOPHISTICATED WINE TASTING
Wine tasting can be intimidating, but at Wine & Jazz, you can have fun, learn, and feel comfortable tasting with wine experts. Here are our 15 best tips to get the most out of your festival weekend and become the wine connoisseur you’ve always dreamed of being.
Let’s start with some wine tasting 101 and then we will talk about the ways to enhance your weekend in Keystone for the festival!
#1 DO YOUR HOMEWORK ON WINE TASTING IN KEYSTONE
Wine tasting is a great way to explore the many kinds of wine and to learn which varietals you enjoy most. At Wine and Jazz, you will have the chance to taste over 300 varietals and dig deep into what flavors and styles are your favorite. Taste is an essential way to identify whether the wine is salty, sweet, bitter, or sour.
#2 WHITE WINE BASICS
Chardonnay is the most popular white wine, but there are so many other kinds such as Gewurztraminer, Muscat Blanc (aka Moscato), Vinho Verde, Pinot Gris/ Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier. The flavors in white wines tend to be lighter than in red wine, but the taste can also be bold and dry, herbaceous, sweet, and zesty!
#3 ROSÉ ALL DAY BASICS
It is summer, after all, so rosé is a must! Rosé wine is somewhere between red and white wine because the skins of the red grapes touch the wine for just a short period, creating the beautiful pink color you tend to see. Just like red and white wine, rosé varietals can range in flavors that scale from fruiting and sweet to floral or even zesty.
#4 RED WINE BASICS
Red wine is made from red grapes (duh), but there are many varieties available. If you love wine, you probably have a red wine that you love already, but there are tons of different varietals of red wines out there. Some of the most known red wines are Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. Red Blends are created by mixing different kinds of grapes to create a balanced and unique flavor.
#5 SPARKLING WINE & CHAMPAGNE BASICS
Did you know that Champagne is only allowed called Champagne if it is grown, fermented and bottled in Champagne, France? All other sparkling wines are just that, sparkling wines! Different kinds include prosecco from Italy, Cava from Spain, and Sekt from Germany. All of them are delicious, however.
MORE TIPS FOR MORE FUN
Now that you know some wine basics, here are some fun tips to enhance your Wine and Jazz festival weekend in Keystone, CO.
#6 MAKE IT A THREE-DAY WEEKEND
On Friday night, Keystone Neighbourhood Company has brought a Reserve Wine Tasting to their Warren Station location in River Run at Keystone Resort. This event allows you to experience an evening with wine specialists and sommeliers, exploring exclusive wines while eating gourmet appetizers.
Plus, if you stay Friday, there are some great lodging deals right in the heart of Keystone, CO. check them out:
- To book Keystone Lodging Package visit: keystoneresort.com
- To schedule Summit Cove Lodging Package visit: (970) 368-7023 or reserve a property online here.
#7 EXPLORE LOCAL WINERIES & ACTIVITIES
Although summer seems like it may never come in the high country, it will be here by July, and there will be lots of fun summer activities to do! We recommend taking a bike ride around Lake Dillon or cruising over to Breckenridge and exploring some of our local wineries, such as Carboy Winery at the Gold Pan .
#8 DOWNLOAD THE APP
One of the coolest parts of this festival is that you can use your phone to scan your favorite wines so that you can buy them at the liquor store later! The app is officially amazing and keeps you from having to try to remember all the wine you try. It also includes the maps, seminar information, and performance times for the bands! Check it out here: Wine and Jazz Festival app. Download the app by visiting the App Store or Google on your phone.
#9 EXPLORE THE FOOD OPTIONS
Food and wine are a match made in heaven! Good thing because there will be some exquisite food to pair with your wine at the Keystone Wine Festival 2019. New this year there is even a raw oyster bar called the Shuck Brothers to check out. (Hint white wine like Muscadet or even Champagne would go great with tasty cooked or fresh oysters!)
The food vendor list includes Alpenglow Stube, Craig’s Subs, Kickapoo Tavern, Labonte’s, Lemonade Stand, Luigi’s Pasta House, Mountain Top Cookie Shop, New Moon Cafe, Pizza on The Run, Shuck Brothers – Raw Bar, Ski Tip Lodge, The Snack Shack, and finally Zuma Roadhouse.
#10 PICK A WINE SEMINAR TO ENHANCE YOUR WINE KNOWLEDGE
Both Saturday and Sunday of the Wine Festival, there are additional opportunities to learn about wine and connect with wine pros. Starting with a talk from presenter Rudy Marchesi from Montinore Estate about creating a self-sustaining farm in Oregon and ending with a fun and educational “Name that Wine” blind tasting with Ben Fraley, there are plenty of opportunities to learn and explore the world of wine.
#11 PICK THE WEEKEND WINE PASS
For only $100 (that’s $50 a day) you can drink all the wine and explore all the vendors, plus get a commemorative 2019 Keystone Wine and Jazz tasting glass. Three hundred wines will be available, so this option gives you the best bang for your buck AND allows you to spread out your wine tasting all weekend. The best part of this is you get 15 gourmet food tickets for each day! TIP: If you get this package, don’t forget your lodging.
If you can only come one day, don’t fear, there is a one-day Saturday or Sunday package available as well.
#12 LISTEN TO SOME SMOOTHE JAZZ TO PREP
Some fantastic bands are going to be at Wine & Jazz in Keystone for the festival. The lineup includes Harold Rapp, Kirby Velarde Quartet, Stanley Jordan, Jackiem Joyner, Selena Albright, two-day headliner Dotsero.
Here are two videos you MUST check out. The first one is by Dostero and has some fun groovy dancing with beautiful Denver, CO in the background while the second one is more sensual and would be great to share with a loved one.
#13 SUPPORT THE SUMMIT LAKE DILLON OPTIMIST CLUB
Did you know that the Keystone Wine & Jazz Festival is teamed up with the Summit Lake Dillon Optimist Club? The club has been in Summit County, Colorado for over 40 years and creates youth programming for local kids!
You can support both the festival and the Summit Lake Dillon Optimist Club by volunteering. You also get a five complimentary food tasting tickets OR one complimentary drink ticket for your time. What a great way to help the community!
#14 CHECK OUT THE COMPLETE WINE & JAZZ SCHEDULE
Two days and three nights of events is a lot to remember. Either download the app or check out the complete Colorado Wine and Jazz schedule so you can ensure you make it to all the seminars, events, and live music performances that you love so much!
#15 THREE WORDS: PROSECCO AND PANCAKES
The best Sunday mornings start with one thing: brunch. Sunday morning of Wine and Jazz is the epic Prosecco and Pancakes brunch that you should not miss. Ruffino Prosecco will be featured, and you can taste delicious brunch items. This event is a great way to set yourself up for a Sunday of day drinking in the sunshine!
BONUS TIP: LEARN TO SWIRL YOUR WINE
Look like a pro and learn to swirl your wine! Fun fact, swirling your wine opens the aroma and increases the scent in the air. Besides that, it isn’t hard to swirl, and it will help you impress all your new friends in Keystone, CO.
Hot tip: be careful not to swirl any sparkling wine because it will take all the tasty bubbles away!
DON’T MISS YOUR WINE EDUCATION IN KEYSTONE
The Keystone Wine & Jazz Festival is more than just a chance to party! Explore new avenues and learn new things about wine while soaking in the sun, laughing with your friends and adventuring up to the mountains for the weekend. Relax after the Fourth with wine connoisseurs and adventure friends on July 13th-14th in River Run at Keystone, and you won’t regret it!