It’s safe to say that Garrett Portra had never seen anything quite like Colorado’s Grand Valley AVA when he arrived there more than a decade ago. It was cold. The growing season was short. And, if that weren’t enough, much of it was as high as 4,500 feet above sea level, making it one of the highest wine growing regions in the world.
Nearly every state in the U.S. grows grapes and with grapes come wine. With hundreds of wine-producing regions throughout the country, we tasked a panel of wine industry experts to select their top nominees. Then, readers voted for their favorites. Grand Valley comes in 3rd, with around two dozen wineries/vineyards calling Grand Valley AVA home. Growing grapes in this terrain isn’t the easiest task, which makes for creative solutions and unique yields.
New summertime wine from Sauvage Spectrum and Spoke+Blossom ripens awareness of agriculture challenges amidst climate change. The collaborative effort has resulted in the creation of “All Day Verde,” a light and effervescent wine that promises to elevate your summertime experience. With each bottle sold, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to One Riverfront, a Grand Junction nonprofit dedicated to fostering community stewardship and enhancing the Colorado and Gunnison River corridors.
We are celebrating Alfred Eames as the Colorado Wine Journal Winemaker of the Year for his many years of making high quality wine and his dedication and leadership in the Colorado Wine Industry. Located in the West Elks AVA, Alfred Eames has been making wine for over 30 years, and his reds are renown.
When Colorado Cellars Winery’s Roadkill Red was first bottled, it was cutting edge for a Colorado wine. “Back then nobody made red wines sweet unless it was a sangria or a kosher-type wine,” said Richard Turley, owner of Colorado Cellars. But Turley knew that as people get to know red wine, they generally start with sweet, not dry.
The 2022 Governor’s Cup Wine Competition received 279 wine submissions from 38 Colorado wineries, all of which were judged by a panel of sommeliers, chefs, writers, and wine experts from around the country. The 2023 competition will be officially announced during the annual Colorado Uncorked Event on November 3, 2023. This event will be the first and only opportunity for the public to try all of the award-winning wines at the same time.
History Colorado and Carboy Winery are sponsoring an experience in Colorado’s Agricultural and Wine History event August 10, 2023. Colorado is known for its beautiful landscapes, outdoor activities, and diverse agriculture. One of the lesser-known aspects of Colorado’s agriculture is its wine production.
The Palisade Board of Trustees approved a conditional use permit at a meeting Tuesday evening for a proposed wine museum at the former Plum Creek location at 3708 G Road. The museum, which was proposed by Colterris Winery owner Scott High, will use located on the back side of the old Plum Creek building.
Since the early 1980s, winemaking has been a prominent craft in the Grand Valley. With the striking desert climate and lush green vineyards, the Grand Valley has gained recognition as a premier winemaking destination and is often referred to as “Colorado’s Napa Valley.”
Ben Parsons, owner/winemaker at Ordinary Fellow in Colorado’s Grand Valley AVA is anything but ordinary. Nor are his wines. To be honest, I’m moderately familiar with Colorado wines since I’ve spent plenty of time in the state at laid back college towns and ski destinations with glass in hand.
LaNoue DuBois Winery has only been open for two years, but it’s a family business decades in the making. It has been in Owner Lee LaNoue’s family for decades, since his maternal grandparents bought more than 250 acres in the 1940s. When LaNoue approached his grandfather with the idea of winemaking back in 2001, he was so excited to see the land put to agricultural use that he gave LaNoue an acre to experiment with growing grapes.
Ask 30 participants about the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and you’ll get 30 wildly varying, occasionally intersecting accounts of what it’s like to be a part of this legendary 40-year-old food festival. And we do mean legendary.
