FRIDAY, SEPT. 16

• Dine, Wine and Vine Experience, noon-2 p.m. – Lunch and learn with state enologist Dr. Steve Menke. Lunch is paired with Colorado's best produce and wine. Tickets: $65

• Seminar: Vini, Vidi, Hybrid, 1:30-3:30 p.m. – Taste and learn about hybrid grapes like Chambourcin, Marechal Foch, and Cayuga from world renowned instructor, Max Ariza, sommelier and instructor at Johnson Wales University. Location: DoubleTree Hotel. Tickets: $45

• Farm to Table Wine and Food Demo with Kevin and Evan, 4:30-5:30 p.m. – Chef Kevin Kidd will take local flavors and create a meal that complements the flavors of the distinctive local wines. Location: DoubleTree Hotel. Tickets: $50

• Dinner with Kevin and Evan, 6-7:30 p.m. – Dinner and wine pairing served on the patio. Location: DoubleTree Hotel. Tickets: $75

• Enstrom's Chocolate & Wine Tasting, 7:30-9:30 p.m. - Colorado wines and ports paired with Enstrom Candies and Guittard Chocolate Company's super premium chocolates. Location: DoubleTree Hotel. Tickets $55 available online or over the phone - (800) 704-3667.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 17

• 18th Annual Bike Tour de Vineyards, 7 a.m. - A 25-mile bicycle tour through the wine country and orchards of the Palisade area. Register: www.tourdevineyards.com or (303) 635-2815. Tickets: $40 by Sept. 16/$50 day of event.

• Festival in the Park, 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. – Celebration of food and wine featuring 59 wineries and their winemakers. Meet winemakers, cheese makers, peach growers, painters, ice carvers, chefs, and Bacchus; and feel what it's like to stomp grapes. Location: Riverbend Park, Palisade. Tickets: General admission ($43 or $50 at gate), VIP ($185).

• American Culinary Federation Chef Demos, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. – Chef demos from the state's finest chefs. Location: Riverbend Park, Palisade (on the Festival in the Park grounds). Tickets: $10

• Seminar: Riedel Glass Tasting, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. – Taste how the flavors and aromas of wines are enhanced when a glass shape is designed according to the character of the wine. Guests keep their glasses. Location: Riverbend Park, Palisade (on the Festival in the Park grounds). Tickets: $95 (must be purchased in advance)

• Seminar: Farm to Table Food and Wine Pairing with Kevin and Evan, 2-4 p.m. – This will be the quintessential pairing seminar with two of the most fun food and wine specialists. Location: Riverbend Park (on the Festival in the Park grounds). Tickets: $30

SUNDAY, SEPT. 18

• Seminar: Introduction to Grape Growing, 9 a.m.-noon – An overview of growing wine grapes on a commercial scale, economics of the business, market forces and a tour of the CSU vineyards by Dr. Horst Caspari, State Viticulturist, CSU. Location: CSU Agricultural Station, Palisade. Tickets: $45

Palisade ceramist opens studio for winefest

Ceramist Tim Wedel will host his annual Open Studio and Sale in conjunction with the Colorado Mountain Winefest. The professional studio, located at 3813 North River Road in Palisade, will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18.

Wedel has operated a Clay Studio in Palisade since 1980. The uniqueness and craftsmanship of the pieces emerging from his riverside studio make them often the favorite of collectors. Large traditional vessels are decorated with atypical glazes that continue to evolve and reflect the colors and textures of Western Colorado lifestyle.

For more information contact Tim Wedel at 970-464-7795.