“This was a very big project, and I’m proud of it,” says Snow Capped Cider owner Kari Williams. On July 4, the brand will celebrate the grand opening of its new taproom at 105 Grand Mesa Drive in the heart of Cedaredge, which Williams hopes will become a regional destination for cider and wine lovers alike.

It’s housed in a 1940s gas station where Williams’s grandfather once pumped gas for customers, and a photo of him posing with his first car when he was a teenager hangs on a wall. “It’s truly a blend of my family, my husband’s heritage, everything that Snow Capped Cider is,” she notes.

All the ciders and wines on offer at the taproom will be 100 percent Colorado-made. Williams dedicated over a year to this project, enlisting a sommelier to help select the highest-quality and most interesting wines from the state.

“I’m really proud to represent the Colorado wine industry; it has grown and developed so much,” says Williams. She has curated an array of distinctive wines, including a white Pinot from Qutori Winery in Paonia, and has thoughtfully designed wine flights that marry various styles and grapes.

Williams will also showcase her own wine brand, 6130, named after the elevation of her family’s original farms. “This gives me an opportunity to present 2018 and 2019 Malbecs and Cab Sauvs that I’ve made,” she says. Like her ciders, Williams allows the wine to dictate its release time, ensuring that each beverage feels purposeful.

“Real fine cider is wine,” notes Williams, highlighting her commitment to producing the finest cider possible. Her ciders reflect the unique terroir of the Grand Mesa, a quality consistently recognized in competitions.

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