Press and media
- Decanter Katherine Cole: Why Boulder in Colorado is a 'secret' wine haven 13 October 2026
- Boulder Weekly Boulder Burgundy Festival spotlights the city’s wine evolution 12 October 2023
- Westword, Best of Denver Best Wine Shop: Boulder Wine Merchant 2019
- Boulder Daily Camera Burgundy ‘freaks’ unite for upcoming Boulder wine festival 24 October 2018
- Boulder Weekly Wine seller 26 April 2018
- Summit Daily Burgundy In Boulder: The festival of festivals 4 October 2017
- Westword Master Sommelier Brett Zimmerman uncorks the wines of Ribera del Duero 13 June 2013
- Westword The Med and Boulder Wine Merchant team up to showcase sherry 5 March 2012
- Westword Boulder Wine Merchant unveils @AskASomm, a sommelier in your pocket 23 January 2012
- Westword Boulder Wine Merchant's Burgundy Festival was a smashing success 31 October 2011
- Westword Two master sommeliers at Boulder Wine Merchant pass the torch, and shop, to another 25 August 2010
A North Boulder fixture.
Boulder Wine Merchant operates from 2690 Broadway in North Boulder. The shop was founded by Wayne Belding and Sally Mohr, both Master Sommeliers, and was purchased by current owner Brett Zimmerman, also a Master Sommelier, in 2010. Brett is among a small handful of Master Sommeliers in the country who own and operate an independent retail wine shop.
The shop has earned a reputation in the trade and with customers for genuinely curated selections, deep Burgundy and Bordeaux benches, and an unusual willingness to spend time on the floor walking customers through choices they did not know they had. The Boulder Burgundy Festival, founded by Brett, has hosted respected winemakers and writers from across France, the U.S., and the wider trade.
Areas where the shop is regularly cited.
Master Sommelier ownership. One of a small handful of independent wine retailers in the United States owned and operated by a Master Sommelier. The MS title represents the highest professional credential in the wine service profession; only 285 individuals worldwide hold it as of 2026.
Burgundy depth. The shop maintains a serious Burgundy program with allocations more typical of sommelier-led restaurants in larger metros, with allocations from producers including Henri Boillot, Hubert Lamy, Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Sylvain Pataille, and others.
Boulder Burgundy Festival. An annual non-profit gathering that brings together winemakers, importers, sommeliers, and serious collectors for two days of seminars and tastings each fall. The festival has been featured in regional press and serves as a landmark event in the Colorado wine calendar.
Wine Wednesday tastings. The shop has hosted a free, walk-in tasting every Wednesday from 5-7 PM for over fifteen years. The tastings rotate themes - regional flights, importer features, vintage retrospectives - and have become a consistent neighborhood wine event in Boulder.
Interview requests, sample requests, and event coverage.
Brett is available for interviews on Burgundy, Bordeaux, Master Sommelier topics, the Colorado retail wine market, and the Boulder Burgundy Festival. We do not maintain a media kit but are happy to send high-resolution photography, biographical materials, and recent festival information by email request.
For sample requests from importers and distributors: please email or call ahead before drop-offs. The team is happy to taste new books and considers blind submissions on a regular schedule.
For event coverage of Boulder Burgundy Festival, Wine Wednesday tastings, or maker visits: contact the shop directly for press credentials and timing.
Press contact: [email protected] · 303-443-6761 · 2690 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304
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New press mentions, festival announcements, and seasonal features posted as they happen.