IF YOU GO

WHAT: The second annual Boulder Food and Wine Festival

WHEN: Saturday, June 28 from 4-8 p.m.

WHERE: Boulder's Central Park, Broadway and Canyon, downtown

HOW MUCH: Food and Wine tickets, $55, $60 at gate. Wine only tickets $35, $40 at gate. Profits from the event will benefit the Humane Society of Boulder Valley

ON THE WEB: www.boulderwinefest.com

When it comes to wine, a common myth is that all of the best national wines come out of California. Well, that’s just not true.

Colorado has about 65 wineries, all that produce delicious wines from the state’s own succlent grapes. In fact, Jackie Thompson, co-coordinator of this weekend’s second annual Boulder Food and Wine Festival, says in blind tests, Colorado wines “very often” beat California wines.

“Sometimes there are misconceptions that only good wines come out of California,” Thompson says. “It’s not true. People are starting to realize that Colorado makes very good wines.”

Also principal winemaker at Boulder Creek Winery, Thompson has a degree in plant and soil science (with a focus in wine grapes) and has taken numerous classes in wine making and wine chemistry at UC Davis in California. She knows her stuff.

When Thompson came to Colorado in 1992 and discovered grapes grew in this climate, her decision was easy.

“I always thought I would have to live in California to have a winery,” she says. “But when I discovered the vinifera grapes – which make the finer wine – that those grapes grow in Colorado, that’s when I decided I don’t have to move to California, I can do it right here.”

And right here is where she and her husband opened Boulder Creek Winery in 2003. With the help of their son and a handful of employees, the family business brings Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, as well as a Private Reserve blend of premium red varieties, from vine straight to the glass.

But, with Colorado’s irregular weather patterns and dry climate, it seems it would be difficult to grow grapes.

Actually, according to Colorado Wines Website, the daylight hours of intense high-altitude sunlight mature the grapes completely, as well as build the natural sugars. Then, the cool evenings and nights allow the grapes to retain the acids, which is vital to premium winemaking.”We have a really good climate for grapes in the small grape-growing region that we have,” she says. The difference between here and California, mainly is the soil. “Ours, in Colorado is more alkaline – it’s similar to France, more so than California. And, of course we have our very high elevation – intense sunshine and cool evenings, which is perfect for growing grapes. Probably another big factor is that our climate is so dry. We use a lot fewer pesticides for things like mildew and things that are encouraged by more humidity.”

Thirsy yet? Good, because this Saturday, the Boulder Food and Wine Festival will offer 26 wineries as well as Boulder’s finest restaurants, offering cooking and wine tasting demonstrations and classes.

Thompson and John Garlich, of BookCliff Vineyards, are the second-year co-coordinators of the Festival. Thompson says a major driving force for the event is to bring together all of the Colorado Wine Industry’s products for our tasting pleasure.

“(The wineries) are spread out all over the states,” she says. “When we do a Colorado wine festival, you can go to one spot and taste probably over a hundred wines that are made in Colorado, from Colorado grapes.”

Along with tasting delectable wines, Boulder restaurants like The Kitchen, Q’s Restaurant and Laudiso’s will be serving items such as fried green tomato with sheep chevre and roasted purchni, prosciutto wrapped shrimp with smoked pepper relish and goat cheese stuffed mushrooms. Don’t forget the dessert, too – watermelon sorbet, strawberry soup and cherry apple crisp, to name a few.

“Boulder has so many great restaurants,” Thompson says. “Not very many people actually get to go out to dinner at all of those restaurants – even over the course of several years. So, it’s really nice to be able to go to one place and have all these different tastes of food, of wine.”

The event takes place at downtown Boulder’s Central Park at Broadway and Canyon on Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. When do you have a chance to taste so much local goodness in one location?

“It’s really a celebration of Colorado,” she says. “Things that are grown here in Colorado: food, game and the grapes. Celebrate wines from your local wineries and celebrate your local food products. It’s a Colorado event.”