Manitou Springs annual festival supports local wineries

(MANITOU SPRINGS) — What better way to kick off the summer than with a wine festival? Manitou Springs hosted their annual wine festival on Saturday, and hundreds attended the event.

“I’m definitely a red girl, I love a good Pinot Noir,” says Julia Maguire, a local who attended Saturday’s event,

The Colorado Wine Festival in Manitou Springs kicked off on Saturday, June 1, with a fun-filled day, and good weather.

Large crowds of people gathered at Memorial Park to support more than thirty Colorado wineries that handed out free samples of their best products.

“I wouldn’t say that we go to them often because we don’t necessarily have a lot in Colorado, but I would say that this is a really wonderful, unique experience and a great way to kick off the summer,” added Ashley Maguire.

One of those vendors was Dave Aschwanden, the owner of Chill and Switch Wines, he says he comes from a family that has wineries in Switzerland and began his journey working for a winery when he was just a kid.

“I do an extended barrel age on all my reds. I do between 30 and 36 months and I age in French oak, about 50% new barrels, and I think that sets me apart from a lot of the other people because we’re in Colorado. We have a lot of acid in our fruit, and so I like to smooth that out by doing an extended bulk age on it,” says Aschwanden.

It was a great opportunity for people to expand their palate and find their wine preferences.

“My goal is a certain wine, and I’m getting closer all the time. If I never get there, it’s okay because I’m probably pretty close,” said Aschwanden

Whether it’s a red, white rose, sweet, dry, or bubbly there are thousands of options at the festival.

“I always drink wines, but I never really understood what I was drinking, so I made an effort to learn what I was drinking,” said Julia McGuire.

Manitou Springs prioritized the safety of each person by offering free shuttle rides and a discounted ticket for anyone who is a designated driver.

“I mean, that’s where I think Uber is a perfect scenario, where you can have somebody that comes in [and] drives you, or having a designated driver. I don’t know, I don’t know why you would come to this If you don’t have a solution or plan,” says Joshua Kolnity.

The annual festive will return next year.

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