Not sure if this is the correct forum for this–if not, let me know.
We’ve rented a house in Estes Park, Co. for a week in late June, and I’m wanting to know how to get some good wine to the house to drink while we’re there. I’ll be flying into Denver & driving from there. Are there any good wine stores that would be a reasonably easy stop for me en route from Denver (or even IN Estes Park)? I’d prefer to NOT have to drive into the heart of the city of Denver, since I’ll have two little kids with me (and will be sans wife at that point) and will want to get on the road quickly.
Another possibility (occuring to me as I type) would be to ship wine from a local (or not-local) retailer to the house. However, that poses its own set of problems given the potential for heat-damage, etc. Would the normal temperatures in Colorado in June prevent me from shipping two-day air? Is Colorado an easy state to ship to?
From DIA, the best route to Estes Park is E-470N Toll Road to Exit 47/ Fort Collins which is I25N/87N. Right after you get on 25 N, your first exit is Baseline Road / Route 7. There is a large shopping complex on your right, and in there is Daveco Liquors, which has a huge wine selection.
Daveco
Northglenn, CO 80234
(303) 280-7010
Then just jump back on the 25N to CO-66, head West.
Other than shipping a case on the plane with you, think this is your best bet on the way to Estes Park.
Outstanding, thanks for the info! If I weren’t travelling alone two kids (3 & 5), I would just check a case with me in a styro shipper. But the idea of manhandling the kids, our luggage, two “car seats”, AND a shipper of wine sounds pretty daunting…
Unless something has changed in last few years, pickings are pretty slim in Estes Park. My wife used to teach/play at a music camp there, and I’d drive to Boulder for wine (really!). Boulder Wine Merchant is pretty good, and doing the Denver/Boulder/Lyons/Estes route isn’t that long. There’s also Liquormart, which is big if not “wine specialist.” Boulder’s a fun town, but whether a stop is worth it for you might depend on how small your kids are.
After my initial post I discovered that I’m flying on Sunday (instead of Saturday as I had thought), so to some extent my plan is now changed. Assuming that no wine stores are open on Sunday (as is the case in Texas), I’ll need to turn around Monday morning and drive from Estes Park in search of wine. The “silver lining” is that I won’t have the kids with me at that point, so I can really “shop”…if I have to drive an hour or more to get to a good wine store, I guess that’s not a problem…
Our family spent a week last June in Estes Park. Pickings were slim. Later in the week we visited the Valley of the Wind Tasting Room. The winery itself is located in the Grand Junction area. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much. We did a tasting and were surprised. Some of the whites were very solid and food friendly. The reisling and gewutztraminer were ones I remember as being favorites. I remember one red as clearly being better than the rest but can’t remember which varietal. They make some interesting fruit wines if you are interested in that kind of stuff. They make a wine (although I would call it more of a liqueur) that is a pretty good version of a cherry cordial.
My advice is to buy reds elsewhere and give them a try for whites and desert wines.
I would just ship a case up there. I did that for our ski trip in Telluride last year. Your timing makes things a little tricky in that you arrive on Sunday. Assuming these aren’t trophy wines, I would ship it 2nd Day Air on Friday. Preferably some younger wines that could handle short term elevated temps if they happen to encounter them. You could always pack a couple of bottles in your luggage until the others arrive.
If you want me to send them out on that Monday, I would be happy to handle it providing I’m in town.
John, Daveco is indeed huge, but I like Total Beverage’s two stores better, which is along your route. There’s one just north of 36 on Sheridan (36 is the main drag between Denver and Boulder). I’d take Pena out of DIA to I70 to 270 which turns into 36 and hit the Total Bev off Sheridan. Pretty decent selection of Italian and French with good discounts on lots of stuff if you sign up for their frequent flier card which is free.
I would never assume that our archaic laws in Texas are typical for the rest of the country. It looks like Daveco is open on Sunday (http://www.davecoliquors.com/about.htm) … how civilized!
It’s been a few years since I lived there, but there is a large wine store off I-70 on the west side of Denver, but I can’t remember the name. I know they used to advertise a lot of Bordeaux futures if that helps with google. I think they had a few stores in the area.
Colorado Liquor stores are now open on Sundays so no worries there. You’ve got a couple recs to swing by on your drive and another is the Liquor Mart in Boulder which is pretty much on your way if you head a bit further West. They do have a web site although it isn’t particulary good.
Personally I just lug my own. Have 3 kids and various car seats and we just get one of those luggage carts and take the baggage to the rental bus. Then load up and load off. Seems more daunting than it ends up being if I just SLOW down a bit.
If you want to ship it here (Boulder) I could take delivery.
Weather is great here in June. Enjoy the Stanley if that’s where you are staying.
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