Press, recognition, and conversations.
Forty years of bottle stories, and a few interviews along the way.
A North Boulder fixture since 1980.
Boulder Wine Merchant has been operating from 2690 Broadway in North Boulder since 1980, making it one of the longest-running independent wine retailers in Colorado. 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.
Over four decades, 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 in 2012, 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 — and one of a very small handful in the country — 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 typically reserved for Sommelier-led restaurants in larger metropolitan areas.
Boulder Burgundy Festival. An annual non-profit gathering founded in 2012 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: info@boulderwine.com · 303-443-6761 · 2690 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304
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New press mentions, festival announcements, and seasonal features posted as they happen. We rarely email more than once a month.
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