Celebrating Colorado’s Culinary Scene: The 2025 Denver Food + Wine Festival

The 2025 Denver Food + Wine Festival delivered four unforgettable days of culinary celebration in the heart of the Mile High City, bringing together chefs, beverage makers, and food lovers for one of the festival’s most dynamic years yet. From immersive tastings to interactive experiences, the festival showcased the creativity and community that define Denver’s food scene.

A Taste of Colorado

The Denver Food + Wine Festival Grand Tasting invited guests to sample inspired bites from some of the most talented chefs across Colorado. This al fresco, walk-around experience allowed attendees to enjoy offerings from more than 50 restaurants—all included with a single ticket—making it a true celebration of the state’s vibrant culinary scene. The Grand Tasting was proud to feature winners and finalists from the Colorado Restaurant Association Hospitality Awards (the HOSPYS). 

VIP Restaurants:

The Bindery, Coperta, Crepe Therapy Café, Flagstaff House, Il Mago (2024 HOSPYS Winner: Operator of the Year), Rootstalk (2024 HOSPYS Finalist: Restaurant of the Year), Safta, Sushi by Scratch Restaurants: Denver, Sweet Basil, Tavernetta.

First Taste + GA Restaurants: 

American Elm, bartaco, BearLeek, Black + Haus Tavern, Blackbelly, Bistro Mariposa at Monarch Casino Resort Spa, Bonefish Grill, Church & Union, ELWAY’s Downtown, The Fort Restaurant (2025 HOSPYS Awardee: Legacy Employee of the Year), Fox and the Hen, Glo Noodle House, Great Divide Belmar Brewery & Roadhouse, The Hampton Social, Harry’s at Magnolia Hotel Denver, Johnny Bechamel’s, Kawa Ni, Leven Deli Co., Lou’s Italian Specialties, Luchador Taco & More, MAKfam, Malinche Audiobar, Ms. Betty’s Cooking, Olive & Finch, Panzano, Reckless Noodles, Right Cream, Riot BBQ, Salt Water Social, Samosa Shop, Shin Myung Gwan Korean BBQ, STK Steakhouse, Summit Restaurant at The Broadmoor, Tacos Tequila Whiskey, Tamayo (2024 HOSPYS Awardee: Legacy Employee of the Year), Teacher’s Lounge Food + Drink, Ted’s Montana Grill, Toro, Trompeau Bakery + Cafe, Wild Taco

The VIP Experience

Highlights and Must-Try Bites

The Denver Food + Wine Festival Grand Tasting is known for the delicious, diverse lineup of restaurants and the signature bites they provide. This year’s festival included unforgettable bites like Foraged Mushroom Hummus with Sheba Butter from Chef Alon Shaya at Safta, Heirloom Tomatoes on Japanese Milkbread Toast from Chef Matt Vawter at Rootstalk, French Onion Tarts from Chefs Harrison Porter and Rema Maaliki at BearLeek, and Grilled Shrimp with XO Sauce from Chef Kenneth Wan at MAKfam. 

Building Up the Next Generation of Colorado Hospitality

The 2025 Denver Food + Wine Festival was proud to once again unite Colorado ProStart® students with acclaimed Top Chef alumni for an inspiring showcase of culinary excellence. Colorado Top Chef alumni Manny Barella, Carrie Baird, Brother Luck, Mawa McQueen, and Hosea Rosenberg each partnered with local high schools to mentor ProStart students through hands-on master classes, sharing techniques, insights, and their signature dishes.

Following the mentorship sessions, students worked side by side with the chefs to prepare and serve thousands of bites to festivalgoers at the Grand Tasting. This collaborative experience not only delivered unforgettable flavors to attendees, but also empowered and inspired the next generation of Colorado’s culinary professionals through real-world learning and creative collaboration.

Dining Out + Helping Out

The Dine Out Culinary Auction made an exciting comeback at the 2025 festival. This silent, online auction features unique culinary experiences that you won’t find anywhere else! Most of the experiences took place on the Friday night of the festival, with others occurring on future dates. 2025 experiences included Dinner + Reservations for two at Michelin-Starred Alma Fonda Fina, Quattro Piatti for Two at Michelin-Starred Frasca Food and Wine, Chef Tasting for Four at Marigold, a Guided Tour at The Block Distilling Co., a VIP Pasta Class at Restaurant Olivia, a Patries-of-the-Month Subscription from Poulette Bakeshop, and much, much more!

May the Best Bite + Sip Win: The Shake + Brake Showdown

The Denver Food + Wine Festival’s Thursday night event, the Shake + Brake Showdown, invites Colorado’s top mixologists and food trucks to go head-to-head in a friendly competition. During the showdown, attendees tasted and voted on the best bite from food trucks and the best drinks by bartenders. 

Food trucks brought their all with Green Chili Smashburger Eggrolls from Mile High Smashburgers, Indian-fusion “Na-cos” (tacos made with naan bread) from Mile High Tikka Express, Crab Rangoon Corndogs from Mukja Food Truck, Gorditas con Rajas y Queso from Maiz, Misir Wot Pinwheels from Konjo Ethiopian Food, Wagyu Brisket Sliders from H3SH3R BBQ Co., Crab Cake Sliders and Spicy Lamb Meatballs from Uptown & Humboldt Food Truck, and BBQ Pork Sliders from Mama Jo’s Biscuits & BBQ. Mile High Tikka Express took home the win for Judge’s Choice Food Truck, and H3SH3R BBQ took it for People’s Choice Food Truck. 

The cocktails were more creative than ever! Flames were torched to give garnishes that smoky flavor, corn and green chili were united for a savory tequila cocktail, and handmade infusions made cocktails that were bursting with flavor. Zachary King from Traveling Mercies, Sabrina Cookson from Call Me Pearl, Kyle Fanfoni from Room for Milly, Jordan Leggett from Nora’s Speakeasy, Evren Bora from Peckish Pizza & Wings, Christina Licata from Licata Libations, Becky Rose from Park Tavern, Stefan Spitaleri from Cocktail Kombi, Drew Stevens from Narrative, TJ Vong from Til Death Cocktails, Anna Westby from El Matador Bar, and Sebastian Zydek from Lazy Dog Bar & Grill were each assigned a different type of liquor and poured out their signature creations. Sebastian Zydek took home the Judge’s Choice cocktail with his “Life’s A Garden, Dig It!” creation — made with Mi Campo Reposado Tequila, Campari, lemon juice, and garden jam (yellow bell pepper, strawberry, habanero, cracked black pepper). Anna Westby took home the People’s Choice cocktail award with her drink “The Bloom After” — a break-up inspired pick-me-up made with Gray Whale Gin, honey-lavender-almond-orgeat, lime juice, lime tonic syrup, Topo Chico mineral water, fresh floral + a vanilla bean garnish.

An Intimate + Educational Wine Tasting: The Riedel Wine Glass Seminar

The Riedel Wine Glass Seminar was a standout educational experience at the 2025 Denver Food + Wine Festival, offering guests an engaging look at how glassware influences the way wine is experienced. Led by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits sommelier Shelley Sale, the seminar explored how the shape, size, and rim of a wine glass can dramatically affect aroma, flavor, balance, and finish—often surprising even experienced wine enthusiasts.

During the guided tasting, attendees sampled the same wine from different Riedel varietal-specific glasses, experiencing firsthand how each design highlighted different characteristics of the wine. The interactive format made the science behind wine tasting approachable and memorable, giving guests practical insights they could take home and apply to their own collections.

Blending education with enjoyment, the 2025 Riedel Wine Glass Seminar elevated the festival experience and deepened guests’ appreciation for wine. It proved that the right glass truly matters—and that a thoughtful tasting can transform every sip into something exceptional.

Supporting a Greater Cause

Beyond the indulgence, the festival serves a noble purpose by supporting the Colorado Restaurant Foundation. Proceeds help fund:

• Apprentice Program: Offers hands-on culinary training and career development for aspiring chefs.
• Angel Relief Fund: Provides financial assistance to restaurant workers facing hardships, such as illness or natural disasters.
• Scholarship Programs: Support students pursuing education in hospitality and culinary arts.
• Colorado ProStart®: High school hospitality education program serving 2,000+ Colorado students

These initiatives underscore the festival’s commitment to enhancing the local food industry and make it a meaningful choice among Denver events.