Sip this: The Manitou Springs Colorado Wine Festival uncorks tomorrow

If the nearly $1,200 Gucci price tag to attend the Food & Wine magazine Classic in Aspen, which kicks off later this month in glitter gulch, is too pricey for your pocketbook, take solace: Tomorrow, from noon to 6 p.m., 30 Colorado wineries are pouring stomped grapes at the Manitou Springs Colorado Wine Festival.

The sipping affair begins at noon at Soda Springs Park, and for a mere $25 per person, oenophiles can sample reds, whites and roses until 6 p.m. or until the bottles run dry - whichever comes first. The ticket price includes a wine glass and as many samples as you can swirl and sip.

And that's not all: There's also live entertainment and several food and wine vendors peddling their wares. And unlike at most wine events where you aren't allowed to buy what you imbibe, here you also have the opportunity to purchase bottles and cases of wines from the participating wineries.

Tickets are available at the door, but make sure you have cash; no credit cards are accepted. If you're a designated yourself a sober driver, there's no fee ... and you can keep cool by lubricating yourself with water from the town's springs. For more info, visit www.manitousprings.org.

For information on dozens of culinary events around town, visit our online Food & Drink listings.