(photo courtesy of Telluride Wine Festival)

Celebrating its 26th Anniversary, the Telluride Wine Festival will be held in its magnificent Colorado Rocky Mountain setting from Thursday, June 28th through Sunday, July 1st. The Festival features a four-day celebration of food and wine with an assortment of wine tastings and food parings; seminars taught by the nation’s most prominent sommeliers; cooking demonstrations by top chefs; raffle programs, and live and silent auctions.

One of the nation's pre-eminent wine auctioneers and sommeliers, Tom DiNardo, will preside over the event's live auctions. All proceeds from the Festival benefit local art, youth, and scholarship programs.

Chefs from the world-renowned Broadmoor are lending a culinary hand during the events, including the Patron Gala Dinner featuring Broadmoor’s Executive Chef Siegfried Eisenberger. Summit and Penrose Room Executive Chef, Bertrand Bouquin, will be leading Friday’s cooking demonstration and participating in Saturday’s luncheon.

Executive Chef Siegfried “Sigi” Eisenberger is part of an elite fraternity as only the fourth Executive Chef in the 89-year history of the resort. For more than 45 years, the Austria native has honed his culinary career across the globe. The Patron Gala will begin with a champagne reception after which guests will be seated to an amazing 5-course dinner. Dinner will be complimented with special wines selected by Wines from Spain and Steve Olson. An exciting live auction will follow dinner.

At Friday’s cooking demonstration Chef Bouquin will demonstrate that fine dining doesn’t have to be a daunting task, but one that is fun and approachable—leaving guests with skills and recipes that they can use at home. During the Saturday Winemakers Luncheon Chef Bouquin will team up with Michelle Bernstein, and Karen DeMasco to present a spectacular 5-course luncheon featuring a range of styles, ingredients and techniques. Each course will be paired with 2-3 wines to compliment the flavors of each dish. Guests will be seated with Winemakers, to complete this incredible experience.

Notable events taking place throughout the town of Telluride and Mountain Village during the Festival include a Spanish Influence Luncheon hosted by Steve Olson, Andy Nusser, and Alexandra Raij; and a reserve wine tasting program that is comprised of four tastings, led by winemakers and limited to 50 people.

To purchase tickets and to view a complete schedule of events, visit the Festival's official web site: 26th Anniversary Telluride Wine Festival