This year, the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce’s annual wine tasting event is getting a classy rebrand — along with more booze.
Castle Rock Sip and Savor, known for the last 25 years as Winefest, will make its debut on June 28 at Philip S. Miller Amphitheater, 1375 W. Plum Creek Parkway in Castle Rock. From 5-8 p.m., attendees will have the opportunity to indulge in wine and bourbon tastings, sample a variety of foods and enjoy live music by local jazz group After Midnight — all included with the $100 ticket.
Kevin McHugh, vice president of the town’s chamber of commerce, said the new name reflects a changed event.
“We wanted to change it up a bit — make it a little more upscale,” said McHugh. “The idea was to make it less of a party atmosphere and more of an upscale wine and bourbon tasting.”
McHugh expects this event to be a far cry from previous iterations, during which grape-stomp competition winners were awarded bottles of wine.
“We just felt like it could be something different,” McHugh added.
With the addition of bourbon samples at this year’s event, aficionados and casual drinkers alike will have plenty of liquor to choose from. McHugh said that Bubbles Liquor World in Castle Rock was instrumental in finding vendors for the event, roping in six wine and seven bourbon distributors. Each vendor will have five to eight products available for sampling, and each will offer special event pricing for the their products.
This year, unlimited food from several vendors and caterers will be included with the cost of entry — a change that McHugh said was based on feedback from previous events. Each food vendor will be serving smaller hors d’oeuvre style dishes, such as stuffed mushrooms and chicken skewers.
People interested in attending the event are encouraged to purchase tickets soon, as the event may sell out. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit castlerock.org/castle-rock-sip-and-savor/. VIP tickets and packages are also available.