Centennial State wineries keep winning international awards and landing on prestigious and selective wine lists. Colorado is becoming the next California, but our wineries remain unpretentious and welcoming. Travelers can meet the winemakers and growers while relaxing by the vines.

Let’s get this out of the way at the start: I grew up in Colorado, and when I departed for California, I left a little bit of my heart behind in my home state. Despite my affinity for the Rocky Mountains, it took decades before I learned that Colorado has been a wine-producing state since the late 1960s.

The Abbey Winery in Cañon City has won three international awards from the U.K.-based Decanter World Wine Awards. The Abbey, which was originally founded by Catholic monks in 2001, is the first in the state to win a silver award from the Decanter World Wine Awards, according to its database of past winners.

Team Thirst took a whirlwind trip through Colorado Wine Country last week, visiting old friends and making new friends in Palisade, Grand Junction, Hotchkiss and Paonia.

I remember the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen before it was a classic. It was more of a social gathering. It was started by longtime local, Gary Plumley of Grape & Grain local fame, whom I didn’t know at the time because I was only two years past age 21.

Snow Capped Cider, led by owner and head cidermaker Kari Williams, continues its streak of excellence by being named Midsize Cidermaker of the Year for the second consecutive year at the 2025 GLINTCAP. In an unprecedented achievement, Snow Capped Cider also took home 10 Best in Class awards.

WineAmerica, the National Organization of American Wineries, has released its 2025 Economic Impact Study of the American Wine Industry, which estimates the economic contributions made by the wine industry in each state. The Study concluded that the production, distribution, sales, and consumption of wine in Colorado generates nearly $5.72 billion in total economic activity.

“This isn’t an attack on the countries that it’s coming from, it’s a tariff attack on U.S. small businesses that are working very, very hard to make America a great country,” says Bobby Stuckey, Master Sommelier and co-founder of Frasca Hospitality Group, talking about how President Donald Trump’s tariffs have affected Denver’s wine importers and sellers.