Raise a toast to the fruit of the vine at the Vid Forum International Wine Festival, scheduled March 4 and 5 at the Club Náutico yacht club.
The venue is located on Paseo de la Huerta in lower La Floresta, a short distance west of the Hotel Real. Hours are 1 to 11:30 p.m. on Saturday; 1 to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Organized by the Chapala government’s Grandes Eventos office, the fair is designed to bring together connoisseurs and merchants showcasing more than 35 fine labels from vineyards in Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Spain and California’s Napa Valley.
Visitors will enjoy roaming the club’s lush lakefront grounds to sample the various wines on exhibit and purchase bottles of preferred brands to consume on the spot or carry home.
Several high-end lakeside and Guadalajara restaurants will set up stands to serve gourmet dishes at modest prices (under 100 pesos) to hungry patrons. There will also be tasting and sales exhibits of artisanal cheeses, quality cold cuts and breads.
Upon arrival on opening day, guests will be given a complementary crystal wine goblet plus ten tickets allowing them quaff selected samples of the labels on promotion. They will be entitled to ten additional free tasting tickets on Sunday.
Each day the program will feature one or more catas – formal tastings – conducted by Antonio Laveaga, Francisco Acosta or Daniel Lonnverg who rank among Mexico’s most prominent oenologists. A variety of musical entertainment is also lined up.
Tickets for Vid Forum are priced at 450 pesos per person, valid for admission on both days. They may be acquired at Ajijic’s La Mesa Restaurant, located on the north side of the highway, one block past the western-most traffic light, or at the gate.