A Great Wine Festival in Banff

One of the perks of being the web editor for a wine magazine is that you get to attend some great tastings and events. Over the May 7-9th weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival in Banff.

Now in its 3rd year in Banff, the festival was created to provide Albertans with a fun, approachable, and affordable way to learn about wine and food. On Saturday morning, I sat down with Festival Director Cathy Miller to learn more about the event.

Who Attends the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival?

This year, the festival had 70 exhibitor booths, a growth of almost 20%, 300 members of the industry in attendance, and roughly 4000 people total in attendance.

Last year, roughly 85% of attendees were from the Bow Valley region, and were generally considered to be "passionate consumers of food and wine." They are more likely to spend money in Banff than an average wine consumer.

Some Great Wines to Try

In the Grand Tasting Hall, vendors from all over the world were represented - from Mexican beer to Chinese wines. This year, 15 Canadian wineries manned a booth and poured for attendees.

Cathy Miller told me that Deerfield Ranch, Sumac Ridge, and Church & State wines were getting the most buzz. At Wine Access, we loved Sandhill, the Organic Wine Connection booth, and De Bortoli. We also were impressed by Taylor Fladgate.

There is plenty to do in Banff if you want to attend the festival, but don't want to spend the entire weekend drinking wine.

Get Outside at Banff

Walking and hiking are obvious choices that come to mind, Banff is in a national park after all. Sunshine Village is also still open for skiing during May - they have a package that incorporates the festival. You can take the Banff Gondola and ride up the mountain for a spectacular view. And there is always the Banff Upper Hot Springs for a relaxing soak in a natural hot tub.

Spas, Shopping, and Museums

If you want to stay closer to town, there are plenty of spas and shopping for a day of pampering and luxury. Banff is also home to many fantastic restaurants, including the Maple Leaf Grille and Lounge, where I had the opportunity to attend the Fetzer winemaker's dinner on Friday night at the festival.

If you're looking to learn a little bit about Banff and the area, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies is a great place to start. Tunnel Mountain is also host to some interesting history walks.

The Banff Springs Hotel

And last, but certainly not least, you can spend some time exploring the iconic and historic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Cathy Miller told me that staying at the Banff Springs is one of the great perks for the festival staff, and one of the reasons why they enjoy coming to Banff so much.

On the whole, there is a great sense of support for the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival. "The people in Banff are here to support it" and look forward to the weekend each year, says Miller.

And obviously, so do Alberta wine aficionados.