This program recognizes restaurants that truly exemplify the grape-to-glass movement by supporting local Colorado wines. We want to recognize both cozy neighborhood bistros and expansive fine-dining cellars for their commitment to Colorado wine, so these awards are not based on raw numbers of wines offered, but by the subjective quality and proportion of Colorado wines available on wine lists.

A federal judge is allowing a Washington winemaker to proceed with allegations that a Colorado winery has raised claims of unsanitary practices to evade its contractual obligations. Last year, a complaint filed by Carboy Winery of Colo., alleged that it’d been supplied with “polluted” wine produced with unsanitary methods by Alexandria Nicole Cellars of Prosser, Wash.

Opened to the public in June 2002, The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey is celebrating 25 years of winemaking this summer, though this summer may also be its last. After operating the winery for the past 21 years, owner Larry Oddo plans to retire at the end of September.

The Storm Cellar is hoping to weather another storm this summer. After the vineyard survived the spring heat and one wicked night of freezing temperatures, the work is now focused on making sure an additional 8 acres of vines will make it through the summer.

It might feel like things have gone quiet on the tariff front since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled many of the Trump administration’s tariffs illegal in February. But Colorado’s small businesses are still trying to make sense of the administration’s trade policies and, in some instances, get their money back.

Although wine might not be the first thing that comes to mind when Colorado is mentioned, the Centennial State has some great vineyards with the Western Slope town of Palisade being a great hub for lovers of wine to explore. According to Visit Palisade, Colorado’s ‘wine country’ has more than 30 places to check out.

There are a few places in the North Fork where the views can stop you in your tracks, even if you’ve seen them before. Azura Wine Cellars is one of the best. From the terrace, the valley opens wide beneath the West Elk Mountains, with a still pond below and long stretches of vineyards and orchards fading into the distance.

There is something about wine – how the grapes are grown, how the wine is made, the diversity of tastes and styles, how it complements food, how it promotes sociability – that generates a passion among so many. Marshall Vanderburg and I included.

Jessica Chevalier has been painting for most of her life, but recently, her work has taken on a more public presence, shaped by both place and persistence. Based in Delta and originally from Cedaredge, she draws heavily from the landscapes of the Western Slope, translating familiar ground into something more interpretive without losing its sense of place.

Sometimes, we get tough assignments. This isn’t one of them. State of Play: Yesterday, I had the opportunity to taste dozens of Colorado wines and talk to the makers behind the bottles at a private showcase in Denver. The following are my takeaways.

Within the dramatic landscape of Colorado’s North Fork Valley, the West Elks Wine Trail offers an elevated take on wine tasting. Between 4,500 and 7,000 feet above sea level, this small but mighty region is one of the highest wine-growing areas in the Northern Hemisphere.