JOIN US FOR WINEFEST’S GRAND TASTING 2025!
We are so excited for the Grand Tasting to return this year! We hope you will be able to join us as we celebrate the wine and culinary industries.
Throughout the year, our events feature food and wine seminars, tasting events, and pairing dinners, allowing for many possibilities for your involvement. We would love to have your participation in one of Winefest’s signature events – Grand Tasting on Friday, September 19, 2025. This event is a highlight of our festival and appeals to the wine aficionados of Central Iowa. We sell a limited number of tickets and pair high-end wines with gourmet foods from Des Moines’ finest restaurants and caterers. We ask that all wines served at the Grand Tasting have a minimum retail value of $30.
There is NO BOOTH FEE to participate in this event.
You might be asking yourself, “Why Des Moines?” There are hundreds of reasons why you should come to Des Moines, but here are a few of our favorites:
- Maytag Dairy Farms and La Quercia artisan meats are just a short drive from our metro area.
- We serve as a major hub for several large corporations including Dotdash Meredith (publisher of Better Homes & Gardens, Time and other well-read magazines), Principal Financial Group, Nationwide and EMC Insurance.
- We’ve received accolades from a number of publications and have been ranked as a “Wealthiest City in America,” one of the best “Midwest Food Towns,” and a “Top 10 City to Live in After the Pandemic”.
EVENT INFORMATION
- Grand Tasting: Friday, September 19 from 6 – 9 p.m at Hotel Fort Des Moines
- $90 / person with option to upgrade to the VIP Lounge for $50
- Includes unlimited wine and food sampling as well as live entertainment and a commemorative Winefest Riedel glass.
- NO BOOTH FEE
- Winefest anticipates 650 attendees at this event. Wineries should be prepared to provide at least six bottles for each wine poured.
- Wines poured at the Grand Tasting should have a retail value of $30 or more.
- Participation includes the following:
- Listing in official Winefest Weekend program
- Website listed in the participating wineries section of the Winefest website
- 10 x 10 booth space
- 8 foot table with covering and skirting
- Booth signage
- Bus tubs, spittoons, ice, water pitchers, water for rinsing
Vendor Registration - Wine / Beer Vendor Grand Tasting
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Natasha Sayles at 515.244.0039 or natasha@winefestdesmoines.com.