When Kaibab Sauvage started farming at 20, he wasn’t thinking about disrupting preconceptions of Colorado wine. He was simply following an instinct. “I believe that you don’t pick farming. I think farming picks you,” Sauvage said. “You’re either bitten by the bug or not.”
A Washington winemaker is countersuing Carboy Winery that has accused it of unsanitary wine practices, arguing those are “pretextual” allegations meant to justify a contract breach. In its countersuit, Alexandria Nicole Cellars of Prosser, Wash., claims that Carboy Winery has raised “supposed quality concerns” to renege on bulk wine and grape supply agreements.
Colorado Association for Viticulture and Enology (CAVE) recognized the Winery of the Year, Grape Grower of the Year, and Friend of the Colorado Wine Industry at its annual awards banquet. Aspen Peak Cellars, owned by Julie and Marcel Flukiger, was recognized as Winery of the Year for 2025. Palisade winemaker Kaibab Sauvage took home the Grape Grower of the Year award.
Colorado native Jesse Katz, who sold a single bottle of wine for a record $1 million in 2021, has accumulated 41 perfect 100-point scores for his wines and was named Winemaker of the Year. Colorado is known for its many breweries, but a favorite son has made his mark in another liquor-related pursuit: winemaking.
If you want a true taste of Colorado, make a point to dine at Ludwig’s at the Sonnenalp Vail during Toast & Table, a winter dinner series that blends Colorado chefs and Colorado wines in celebration of the Centennial State. “Our goal was to highlight the quality of Colorado wine by pairing each event with well-known local Colorado chefs whom guests recognize and connect with.
