Sweet, bold or a little bitter, however you take your wine, Colorado Springs will be pouring it by the glassful next week.

The 34th annual Wine Festival of Colorado Springs returns Wednesday and runs through March 7, bringing four days of tastings, seminars, winemaker dinners and a grand gala to venues across the city. 

Since its founding more than three decades ago, the festival has paired world-class wine with a local cause, partnering with a regional organization and donating its proceeds to support the community. 

For the past 10 years, that partner has been the Colorado Springs Conservatory, an immersive program providing education and training in music, theater, dance and recording arts to youth in the Pikes Peak region. 

“It’s a cool combination that the money’s also being donated to encourage kids in the community to have access to arts and all the benefits that come with that kind of education,” director of development Ashley Greeno said. “It adds a lot to the community for people to get to try new wines and learn about new regions while they’re supporting a nonprofit at the same time.”

Last year’s festival drew more than 1,500 attendees across eight events, ranging from intimate five-course, wine-paired dinners to large-scale tastings and a gala featuring a live auction for rare wines and packages from local businesses.

This year, the festival uncorks vibrant Latin flavors by bringing “The Wines of South America” to Colorado Springs, with winemakers from Chile’s Lapostolle, Argentina’s Viña Alicia and Guachezco and Uruguay’s Garzón, among others.

“It’s really become a special event for the community as a whole,” Greeno said. “They’re very intentional about bringing in winemakers from all over the world. It’s this really special experience where people in Colorado Springs get to have this like world-class wine festival right at home.”

If your calendar could use a little less chaos and a little more cabernet, here’s how the four-day celebration will unfold.

Wednesday, March 4:

The festival kicks off with “Cocktails & ICONS!” at 5:30 p.m. at ICONS bar. The $75 event includes a cocktail class led by The Parlor and performances from Colorado Springs Conservatory mentors and alumni who double as ICON’s singing bartenders.

Thursday, March 5:

Wine lovers can explore the “Premium Wines of South America” at 4:30 p.m. in the Summit Room at SpringHill Suites by Marriott. The $100 tasting spotlights top selections from Argentina and Chile, including Don Melchor’s Wine Spectator’s No. 1 Wine of 2024.

Friday, March 6:

Friday offers a full-day lineup of events. At noon, the popular “Winemaker Luncheon” at Lumen8 Rooftop Social pairs five courses created by Colorado Springs chefs with wines from South American guest vintners for $115. Later at The Broadmoor, guests can attend a “Riedel Glass Seminar” at 4 p.m. for $95, exploring how glass shape enhances aroma and flavor, with a four-glass crystal set to take home. At the same venue, “The Wonderful Wines of South America” seminar provides a $55 guided tasting led by winemakers at 5:30 p.m. The evening culminates at 7 p.m. with “The Grand Tasting” at The Broadmoor’s Bartolin Hall for $125, featuring more than 300 wines, culinary offerings from regional restaurants, live music and dancing.

Saturday, March 7:

The final day begins with “Wine & Cheese: The Ultimate Match” at 11 a.m. at The Broadmoor for $85, where guests will sample curated pairings. The festival concludes with the “Gala Dinner & Live Auction,” beginning with a 5:30 p.m. reception in The Broadmoor’s Lake Terrace Room for $225. The five-course, wine-paired dinner is followed by a live auction featuring rare wines, travel experiences and lifestyle packages, serving as the grand finale to the four-day celebration.