While ski season is wrapping up in most of the U.S., Vail will have one last hurrah next week with Taste of Vail, held from April 2-6 in Vail Village, with seminars and dinners held throughout town, indoors and outdoors, and on the mountaintop, culminating in a Grand Tasting that celebrates “the best of the best” in food and wine.
Taste of Vail’s Nonprofit Mission
A nonprofit whose original mission was to establish Vail as a premier culinary destination, Taste of Vail was founded by a group of food and wine lovers in 1990, and it has become a destination festival not only for travelers interested in the Vail dining scene but also for locals and visitors who want to meet nationally known chefs and dive deep into specific topics of interest via daily seminars.
In 2019, Taste of Vail partnered with Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley, which helps local families get the housing resources they need, to mutually support each organization’s mission.
Taste of Vail 2025 Highlights
Taste of Vail, now in its 34th year, is a packed four-day event with daily signature events, wine seminars, and nightly dinners curated by top chefs and winemakers from more than 50 wineries across the Northern Hemisphere and 25-plus local Vail Valley premier chefs and national guest chefs. A few of this year’s headliners are Tom Branighan, Nick Goellner, Brandon Kerr, James London, Melissa Perello, and Ali Schlichter in the food department, and Alexander Valley Vineyards, Hall Napa Valley, Quivira Vineyards & Winery, Silver Oak, Santa Margherita, and many more wineries in the adult-beverage department.
Here’s a breakdown of the anchor events to look forward to each day of the four-day festival:
Debut of Rosé, Donovan Pavillion, Wednesday, April 2nd, 3-6pm
Après Tasting on the Streets of Vail, presented by Fitch Ranch Artisan Meat Co./Certified Angus Beef, Thursday, April 3rd, 3-6pm
Mountain Top Tasting, Eagles Nest, Atop Eagle Bahn Gondola, Friday, April 4th, noon-2:30pm
2025 Grand Tasting, The Hythe, Saturday, April 5th, 5-8pm
You can buy a Signature Event Pass that gives you access to all four, and this year, for the first time, you can add VIP access, which includes reserved seats, curated chef’s tastings, and a luxury gift bag.
Here are some of the highlights of the seminars and wine dinners offered each day that I’m most looking forward to. Find the full schedule on the Taste of Vail website.
Opening Celebration Wine Dinner, Wednesday, April 2nd, 6:30-8:30pm, The Sonnenalp Hotel
Winemaker Dinner with Alma Rosa’s Samra Morris, La Tour Restaurant, Thursday, April 3rd, 7pm
Toyota Snowshoe at Grouse Creek Trail with Taste of Vail, Thursday, April 3rd, 10:30am-12:30pm, The Hythe
Behind the Blind: A Tasting of Skill & Discovery, Friday, April 4th, 10:30-11:30am, The Grandview Room, Lionshead
Pinea & Hall Comparative Seminar, Friday, April 4th, 3-4pm, The Grand View Room, Lionshead
From Vision to Napa Grand Cru. The Enduring Impact of Robert Mondavi Winery, Friday, April 4th, 5:30-6:30pm, The Grand View Room, Lionshead
The Essence of Napa: A Deep Dive into Terroir, Saturday, April 5th, 11 am-12 pm, The Grand View Room, Lionshead
Pushing Boundaries: The Maverick Spirit of Paso Robles Winemaking, Saturday, April 5th, 12:30-1:30pm, The Grand View Room, Lionshead
Van Duzer: Exploring the Willamette Valley: A Deep Dive into Its Sub-AVAs, Saturday, April 5th, 2:30- 3:30 pm, The Grand View Room, Lionshead
Tickets and Packages
Whether you’re looking for access to individual events or a multi-event package, you’ll find the full Taste of Vail schedule and ticketing information on the official event website.
Oh, and if you like to ski or snowboard, you can carve out time in between morning seminars and dinner or hit the slopes first thing in the morning and join the afternoon seminars before each night’s winemaker dinner. Taste of Vail is a fun way to wrap up ski season with a gastronomic flourish.