Utah Food & Wine Events: Festa Italiana, Terra 5047 Winery, and Snail Fest

Utah’s food and wine scene is buzzing this September with Festa Italiana at The Gateway, the debut of Terra 5047 winery in Pine Valley, and Slow Food Utah’s Snail Fest.

Festa Italiana SLC returns this weekend for its 10th anniversary, hosted by The Gateway.

Founded by members of the Italian American Civic League, the two day festival highlights include live Italian entertainment, food booths highlighting the regions of Italian cuisine, Italian beer and imported Italian wine, arts & crafts, historical displays, children’s sections, exotic Italian cars, street performers, and much more!

Festa Italiana at The Gateway will take place this Saturday and Sunday, September 13th and 14th, 11 AM to 10 PM on Saturday and 11 AM to 7 PM Sunday. Admission is free.

Proceeds from the festival will support local and national non-profit charitable organizations supported by the Italian-American Civic League of Utah.

Utah’s Highest Elevation Winery Launches

In August, Terra 5047 winery launched near St. George, Utah. According to the winery, “Named for the altitude at which its grapes are grown, Terra 5047, a winery owned by respected Las Vegas hospitality entrepreneurs Cindy and Gary Ellis, is making a bold debut with the mission to craft the highest quality wines from Utah-grown grapes. Terra 5047 is Utah’s highest elevation vineyard located in Pine Valley Mountain, ten miles from St. George. The launch follows a recent blind tasting at Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley for Utah’s wine industry experts. Tasters were given the opportunity to rank five world-renowned Super Tuscan and five Cabernet Sauvignon wines with Terra 5047’s Sangiovese blend and Cabernet Sauvignon among them.”

“All 25 participants ranked Terra 5047’s Sangiovese blend as their first or second favorite among the five in competition, ultimately tying with Tuscany’s Antinori Tignanello. Terra 5047’s Cabernet Sauvignon received first place honors, beating out Chateau Lynch-Bages from France’s Médoc region. Terra 5047’s Winemaker and Vineyard Manager Kristian Lange was on site to help lead the tasting.”

“We were confident we had created something special, but we wanted further validation from Utah’s most sophisticated wine palates. A blind tasting during which our varietals went head-to-head with the world’s finest Super Tuscan and Cabernet Sauvignon wineries seemed like a sensible albeit risky approach,” said Gary Ellis. “The results astonished the participants and confirmed our belief that our boutique Utah vineyard has the terroir to create exceptional fruit and our powerhouse team the skill to create first-rate wine.”

“Further validation of Terra 5047 comes from Sonoma wine icon Pete Seghesio, the founder and managing director of acclaimed Seghesio Family Vineyards before selling it to Crimson Wine Group. Seghesio first visited Terra 5047’s site in 2022 and became an advisor to the Ellis family who owned the land.”

“No one could have been more surprised than I was to discover this diamond in the rough in Southern Utah, of all places,” said Seghesio who was on hand at the blind tasting. “The vineyard’s higher elevation creates favorable conditions for growing high-quality grapes with more desirable flavor characteristics. The fact that it’s typically ten degrees cooler here slows the pace of ripening which generates a more refined flavor. The increased sun exposure produces grapes with thicker skin that contribute to the deeper color and more robust tannins in our wines.”

In the wake of the blind tasting, which served as a catalyst to launch the Terra 5047 brand, five varietals are now available. Terra 5047 can be discovered at early adopters Glenwild Golf Club (Park City), Montage Deer Valley (Park City), Glitretind Restaurant at Stein Eriksen Lodge (Park City), Sugar House Station (Salt Lake City), Southern Spirits & Wine (St. George), and Silver Reef Brewery (St. George), which is owned by the Ellis Family.

“No one could have been more surprised than I was to discover this diamond in the rough in Southern Utah, of all places,” said Seghesio who was on hand at the blind tasting. “The vineyard’s higher elevation creates favorable conditions for growing high-quality grapes with more desirable flavor characteristics. The fact that it’s typically ten degrees cooler here slows the pace of ripening which generates a more refined flavor. The increased sun exposure produces grapes with thicker skin that contribute to the deeper color and more robust tannins in our wines.”

In the wake of the blind tasting, which served as a catalyst to launch the Terra 5047 brand, five varietals are now available. Terra 5047 can be discovered at early adopters Glenwild Golf Club (Park City), Montage Deer Valley (Park City), Glitretind Restaurant at Stein Eriksen Lodge (Park City), Sugar House Station (Salt Lake City), Southern Spirits & Wine (St. George), and Silver Reef Brewery (St. George), which is owned by the Ellis Family.

Terra 5047 wines include:

Rosé – A blend of Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir, this high elevation Rosé is 100 percent fermented and aged in concrete egg tanks. A nice, bright acidity paired with its floral nose and hints of strawberry and watermelon make for a well-balanced wine perfect for a warm afternoon.

Chardonnay – The 2023 Chardonnay comes from grapes picked at the peak of maturation and partially fermented in concrete egg tanks. It has a nice minerality accompanied by flavor stone fruits and white blossoms.

Alessio – The old-world style Zinfandel blend is blessed with thick skins and a rich deep ruby color. This jammy and fruit forward blend offers flavors of cherries and plumbs balanced out by structured tannins.

Chanela Super Tuscan – Predominantly Sangiovese, this blend shines with a bright freshness with a fruit forward nose and tastes of dark cherry and red currant.

Cabernet Sauvignon – captivating notes of blackberry and red cherry mingle with a balanced and smooth tannin structure that dance harmoniously on the palate.

Slow Food Snail Fest

Slow Food Utah’s annual gathering/fund raiser, Snail Fest 2025, will be held on Sunday, September 21st from 5:30 to 8:30 PM at The Neighborhood Hive.

The folks at Slow Food Utah said, “You are invited to the second annual Snail Fest hosted by Slow Food Utah! Join us for an evening at the Neighborhood Hive to sample small bites and drinks curated from Utah businesses that do it best – our Snail of Approval awardees!”

“This celebration honors both emerging and established awardees who continue to bring the remarkable flavors of Utah to their products, while raising money for the Slow Food Microgrant.”

“With each ticket purchase, you will receive two drink tickets, good for either cocktails or mocktails, and 5 small bites from local vendors. Stay tuned as we continue to announce vendors!”

The costs for Slow Food Utah’s Snail Fest is $55.20 per person, with tickets available at EventBrite.