In-Store Tasting 7/15

Stop by on Thursday, from 4:30pm to 7:00pm, to taste a collection of wines from our own state! We will be pouring a sampling of four fantastic Colorado wines. It takes a couple of decades for a wine region to develop top quality fruit and our Western Slope is really hitting its stride.

=> The chardonnay is a crisp, clean offering with notes of pear, pineapple, and baked apple. Great acidity with a floral, lingering finish.
=> The pinot gris is a fine example of this ubiquitous wine grape variety. Flavors of peach, melon, and honey fill the mouth. The wine is layered and a touch creamy. The option to name the wine pinot grigio was passed by, opting for the Alsatian version, pinot gris.
=> The first cabernet sauvignon is a plump, savory red with flavors of cherry, plum, and licorice. Soft tannins and balanced acidity make it a very tasty Colorado cabernet sauvignon.
=> Finally, the reserve cabernet sauvignon is a lovely polished offering. Flavors of cassis, plum, red raspberry, and sandalwood fill the senses. Fine tannins make for a soft, silky mouthfeel.

July 15, 2010
Colorado Wines
Garrett Estate Chardonnay $10.49
Stoney Mesa Pinot Gris $12.99
Stoney Mesa Cabernet Sauvignon $14.99
Cottonwood Cellars Reserve Cabernet $17.49

Stop by on THURSDAY to sample from 4:30pm to 7:00pm. Receive a 15% off discount, for any wine being poured as an in-store sample, during the tasting hours.

Read about the Colorado wine industry.

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Colorado Wines

According to Colorado State University most vineyard owners in Colorado do not see a profit until they have been in business for eight years. Those profits, when they finally arrive, are slim. Most grape growers in Colorado have a day job and own less than five acres. Many live on the Front Range and drive to the Western Slope to tend their vines on the weekends.
      If you consider these details, you might have to ask yourself, why would anyone want to make wine in Colorado? Perhaps the answer is not so much in the profits, as it is in the product. Colorado vintners make wine as an expression of their creativity and their passion for wine. When you calculate the cost of production, you won't find many $6.99 bottles in the Colorado section. What you will find is a labor of love.
      The Colorado Gold Rush of 1858 lured people west of Denver and eventually to the confluence of the Grand and Gunnison Rivers. Grand Valley's agricultural potential was recognized immediately. Soon orchards and vineyards covered the landscape. Towns emerged on Western Slope to accommodate the new need for labor. The founder of Grand Junction, George Crawford was one of the first to plant wine grapes in this region in 1890.
      Much like the history of California, temperance choked off the wine industry in Colorado. It was slow to flourish again until 1968-fifty-two years after the first wave of prohibition was initiated in Colorado.
      Grand Valley continued to be carpeted with fruit trees for decades after the repeal of prohibition. In 1990 there were only five wineries in Colorado. Today there are nearly eighty throughout the state. The wine industry here is growing and the quality of wine is keeping pace. Vines are getting older and the growers are becoming more skilled at growing quality fruit in the Colorado terroir.
      Since the Colorado wine grape growing regions are so new, it is no wonder it took producers a few years to figure out the environment. You don't just plant vines and then sit back and wait until their grapes are ripe. It takes thoughtful management of those vines, hand-in-hand with Mother Nature to produce quality wine. There is plenty of work done all year, even in the winter, which is when growers prune their vines.
      Growing regions in Europe have had a couple of thousand years to adjust their growing methods and grape varieties to maximize quality. Here in Colorado the wine grape industry is a new, complex puzzle. Fortunately for us, there are dedicated people willing to advance the wine industry here. Wine from our Western Slope is starting to really shine and will only get better with time.

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