Annual Manitou Springs Festival Supports Local Wineries

(MANITOU SPRINGS) – What better way to start the summer than with a wine festival? Manitou Springs hosted its annual wine festival on Saturday and hundreds of people 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 day full of fun and great weather.

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

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

One of those sellers was Dave Aschwanden, owner of Chill and Switch Wines. He says that he comes from a family that owns wineries in Switzerland and began his journey working for a winery when he was just a child.

“I do prolonged barrel aging on all my reds. I make it for 30 to 36 months and I age it in French oak, about 50% new barrels, and I think that sets me apart from a lot of other people because we’re in Colorado. We have a lot of acid in our fruit, so I like to soften it by applying long aging,” says Aschwanden.

It was a great opportunity for people to broaden their palates and find their wine preferences.

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

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

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

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 someone come (and) take you, or have 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 a plan,” says Joshua Kolnity.

The annual holiday will return next year.