Unlimited wine, endless food and an inside look at the adult beverage industry will fill Joy Burns Center this Saturday, May 23, from 1 to 4 p.m., as seniors in the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management bring the annual DU Vin Wine Festival to life.

The festival is the final project of Special Events Management, a course for hospitality majors with a concentration in events and sales marketing. From organizing vendors, designing the space, to building the timeline and locking in sponsors, every detail is carefully planned in order to execute the event that is cherished by the DU community year after year.

“We are tasked with starting from the ground up,” said senior Maia Halm, who is managing vendor coordination for the event. “We do everything from logistics like room layout and linen ordering to staffing needs such as getting volunteers from DU to help us pour wine.”

For Dante Sbarboro, who heads the vendor team, the experience goes beyond event logistics.

“It gives us real-world experience in putting on and managing an entire experience from start to finish,” he said. “The planning gives us such a great snapshot into what’s needed to effectively run an event to this scale and size, while also exposing us to connections in this industry.” 

This year’s lineup includes nine wineries and 10 beverage vendors. Wines are coming from all over the world — from Chile and Argentina to Italy and Spain and even local Colorado producers who navigate rising temperatures and high elevation. 

Not a wine drinker? No problem, this event has it all. Vendors like Surfside, Crispy Cocktails and Vok-It round out the beverage offerings and are ready to impress by bringing phenomenal products for students to sip, savor and learn from. 

Attendees will be welcomed with champagne and a plate of epicurean bites before immersing themselves in the beverage world. Participants can browse vendor tables, taste beverages and learn about each producer’s story and philosophy. 

The back-of-house team, made up of students, will be preparing charcuterie and the like, along with some unexpected bites designed to challenge guests’ assumptions about wine pairings. 

If tasting isn’t enough, the event will feature live music on the patio from a local student band as well as fun blind tasting activities, including a new world versus old world guessing game. 

Each ticket includes all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink access, along with two complimentary seminars: one on Spanish wine — which Sbarboro described as increasingly popular in the U.S market — and a “Rosé All Day” session covering how rosé is made and what grape varietals can be used.

No wine knowledge is required to attend this event. In fact, Sbarboro said it might be better to come without any preconceptions.

“You’ll be a wine pro by the time you leave,” he said. “This is a low-stakes, no-pressure opportunity to try everything, figure out what you like, what you don’t like and connect with people from the beverage industry.” 

The beverage industry can feel intimidating to break into, but Halm says the vendors are there to help.

“Their job is to educate you and sell wine,” she said. “They are excited to help you get into this world that is oftentimes daunting to get into. Have your palate ready and be excited and passionate to learn.” 

Beyond the experience, the event serves a larger purpose: all proceeds go back into the Fritz Knoebel School’s scholarship fund.

As Halm puts it, “This is a great way to support Fritz and it’s an incredible bargain. $45 dollars for an all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-drink event is not something you find very often. There’s no reason not to buy a ticket.”

Sbarboro agrees. “You certainly won’t be thirsty or hungry when you leave our event.”

Tickets are 45 dollars and include unlimited food, wine and an unforgettable experience — depending of course on how many adult beverages you consume. Attendees must be 21 or older.