One year ago this month, Colorado’s Proposition 125 went into effect, allowing grocery stores across the state to sell wine.
Local wine and liquor stores said the impacts were immediate, as customers shifted their spending elsewhere. Clif Louis, owner of Cherry Creek’s The Vineyard Wine Shop, said his sales over the last year are down 36% compared to before the change.
Elevation is everything in Colorado. The state boasts an average altitude of about 6,800 feet above sea level, making it the highest contiguous state in the United States. It follows that wineries in the Centennial State are similarly elevated—in both the literal and figurative sense.
The year is 1860. Thousands of miners are pouring into Colorado each week, perhaps pausing on arrival after an arduous journey to look out upon the Rocky Mountains. But these miners aren’t here for the scenery. Instead, they are hoping to get lucky, find gold, and strike it rich
Each year, The Colorado Association for Viticulture & Enology (CAVE) presents an Award of Excellence for Winery of the Year. This year, Restoration Vineyards in Palisade earned the distinction. “We are honored to be recognized by our peers, many of whom have inspired us. It’s great to be contributing towards increasing the visibility of Colorado wine,” says Gary Brauns, owner and “chief restoration officer.”
Each year, a panel of 15 highly acclaimed wine industry members — including sommeliers, chefs, writers and wine experts from around the country — participate in a blind judging event to determine the 12 wines that make up the 2023 Governor’s Cup Collection. These are world class wines with Colorado terroir.
You know what’s wild? For all the wine “holidays” and dedicated months celebrating specific wine regions, there is no Colorado Wine & Spirits month (yet)! Having lived in Denver for nearly a decade, and having tried numerous wines and spirits from across the Centennial State, I’m on a mission to bring more awareness to the many fine producers from there.
Colorado Mesa University’s Viticulture & Enology Program has received a $50,000 grant from ETS Laboratories in St. Helena, California, marking a significant boost for western Colorado’s winemaking industry. The grant, to be distributed in annual installments of $10,000 over five years, will extend ETS Laboratories’ sophisticated analytical services to CMU Tech and, by extension, the Colorado winemaking community.
Colorado is known for its iconic natural destinations and the opportunity for outdoor recreation it provides, but it’s also home to a growing wine scene. Here are eight of Colorado’s local and noteworthy wineries you’ll find off the beaten path.
The Colorado Association for Viticulture & Enology (CAVE) just finished their annual VinCO & WCHS Conference and Trade Show, which took place January 15-18 at the Grand Junction Convention Center. VinCO is the region’s premier grape growing and winemaking conference and brings together top experts in enology, viticulture, and marketing.
Marla Yetka of Bigsby’s Folly Winery likes to use a Julia Child quote when it comes to wine and food: “Wine is meant to be with food – that’s the point of it.” As the co-founder and chief experience officer, Yetka has adopted that idea at her craft winery and restaurant in RiNo. “Food brings out the best in wine and wine brings out the best in food. They simply go hand in hand,” Yetka says.
