The Best of the ’Boat…and Wine

Steamboat Springs has everything you need for a great weekend adventure

By Chris Weiss

Though the reputation of “Ski Town, USA” may take Steamboat Springs off your summer vacation radar, there are many reasons to take a weekend trip there during the summer months. Steamboat is home to many great outdoor activities including hiking, camping, mountain biking, tubing and fishing. The Wine Festival at Steamboat, taking place from July 30 to August 2, provides the perfect excuse to treat yourself to a getaway and combine outdoor pursuits with innovative culinary creations and wines from around the world.

Day 1
Take the day off Thursday and Friday and get on the road early because the Wine on the Mountain Kickoff Celebration takes place Thursday evening from 5 to 7:30. Take a ride up to the top of the Steamboat gondola and talk to winemakers, sample reserve wines and enjoy appetizers and music. Breathe in the fresh summer air sweetened by the taste and scent of your chosen wine and look out and marvel at the mountains and valley below; snow is replaced by grass and green treetops, making for beautiful summertime views stretching as far as one can see. A charitable auction to benefit Steamboat Training Adaptive Recreational Sports (S.T.A.R.S), an organization dedicated to assisting handicapped skiers and visitors, will also take place at the event.

More Information
There are a variety of a la carte ticket options available for wine festival activities. Event prices start at $35. For tickets and festival information, visit www.steamboatwinefestival.com or call 877-328-2783.

Of course, if limited space or pricing bars you from the aforementioned wine festival activities, you can enjoy the great outdoors on your own and catch up with festival events later in the day. Enjoy mountain biking via gondola at Steamboat Ski Resort or head downtown for other local trails such as Emerald Mountain (off of 13th Street). The Yampa River, where you can enjoy fishing, tubing and a leisurely afternoon walk on the neighboring path, runs right through the heart of downtown and is never more than a few blocks away. A variety of other outdoor recreation including Routt National Forest, Stagecoach Reservoir and Steamboat Lake are short drives away.

Nothing quite soothes aching muscles like a delightful Cabernet washing down a beautiful mountain sunset. And at the Wine Festival at Steamboat you’ll find a wealth of different wines, from the United States and all points abroad. Each day of the festival, a variety of seminars address different types of wines and aspects of winemaking. Winemakers’ Dinners are available at participating restaurants around Steamboat; sample some of the diverse culinary offerings of Steamboat while continuing your exploration of reds and whites. Saturday night is the main event: the Toast of Steamboat Grand Tasting at Torian Plum. Sample from among the 800 wines, spirits and beer, and enjoy tantalizing displays of cooking, including one put on by Bravo Top Chef Season 5 winner Hosea Rosenberg.

Before heading home Sunday, cap off your weekend festivities with brunch at one of Steamboat’s most distinct restaurant locations, Rio Grande. Enjoy a rooftop brunch at the TexMex restaurant from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Don’t Miss
The Stroll of Steamboat on Friday evening from 4 p.m. to 7:00 is the perfect opportunity to enjoy browsing the quaint shops of downtown Steamboat, wine in hand. A rare chance to combine favorite American pastimes of shopping and imbibing, the Stroll is a delightful evening. Earlier in the day on Friday, catch Hosea Rosenberg putting on a cooking demonstration where he’ll provide tips and cooking insights and invite questions and audience participation; learn how to cook like a Top Chef. If you’ve ever stared blankly at the waiter as he poured that sip of wine for tasting, you won’t want to miss the Tasting the Master’s Way Seminar on Saturday, starting at 2 p.m. Master Sommelier Ira Harmon teaches participants how to assess six popular varietals with the senses of smell, taste and sight. You’ll leave the seminar on your way to becoming a knowledgeable connoisseur.

Day 2 through Day 4
After a relaxing evening, wake up early Friday morning and combine your wine with either fishing or mountain biking. The “Off the Hook” and “Tight Lines with Wines” packages allow you to take a guided fishing trip onto some of Steamboat Springs’ world-class private waters. The Off the Hook package is guided by winemakers who are as passionate about fishing as they are about the perfect grape. The event includes a breakfast of mimosas and pastries as well as wine tastings. It takes place Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and space is limited to just six lucky participants. The Tight Lines with Wines combines a morning of guided fishing with a ticket for Saturday’s Grand Tasting and is available each morning of the festival. It has a three-person limit, so purchasing tickets in advance is advisable.

If casting a line into the water isn’t quite active enough for you, consider Single Track, Single Vineyard. Mixing wine and mountain biking may not sound like a great idea on the surface, but there’s no reason not to enjoy a morning of fast, flowing Mt. Werner downhills capped off by a lunch with the Master Sommeliers and, of course, single-vineyard wines. The mountain biking, available on Friday morning, is guided by local experts like frame maker and Mountain Bike Hall of Famer Kent Eriksen and his wife Katie Lindquist.