What to know about the 2023 Denver Food + Wine fest

The city's premier culinary extravaganza, the Denver Food + Wine Festival, begins Wednesday.

Driving the news: The festival kicks off on Wednesday with a seminar aimed at helping amateur sommeliers learn more about how wine glass shapes can improve your drinking experience. Tickets: $95.

• The program includes a four-wine glass kit valued at $178.
• A second class will be available on Thursday.

Zoom in: A cocktail and food truck competition called Shake + Brake Showdown will pit eight local food trucks and 12 bartenders against each other for a shot to be crowned the Best Food Truck and Best Cocktail at the festival. It takes place at the Tivoli Quad at the Auraria Campus in Denver.

• Participating trucks include Chile Con Quesadilla (last year's winner), The Ethiopian Food Truck, Fritay Haitian Cuisine, Lady in the Wild, Mukja, Simply Pizza and Urban Burma. Tickets: $70.

Of note: The festival's crown jewel, the Grand Tasting, will take place Saturday at Tivoli from noon to 4pm. It will feature more than 700 wines, spirits and other drinks.

• Food from 50 Denver-area restaurants will be available for sampling. Tickets start at $150.

Between the lines: The VIP lounge at the Grand Tasting will include wine and food from restaurants including The Bindery, Brutø, Le French, Noisette, Restaurant Olivia and Ultreia.

What's next: Tickets are still available online.

Editor's Note: Axios Denver is a media sponsor of Denver Food + Wine Festival