wineries to visit in Denver area?

WINE TALK
1

Celebrating wife’s birthday and want to some tastingz. Getting a rental car so we can drive out.

Thanks in advance for the suggestions

2

Denver? As in Colorado? I always thought of that area as more of a microbrew beer Mecca. Didn’t even know they had a wine region. You learn something new everyday.

3

Cannabis Cellars. [snort.gif]

4

Lots of wineries in the Front Range, but very few vineyards. Most Colorado grapes are grown in the western slope – where killer frosts don’t really occur – and then some are sold to Front Range wineries for fermentation, etc.

That said, I’ve never tried a Colorado wine, so I’m no help there.

5

Creekside Cellars in Evergreen. Infinite Monkey in Denver. There are some in the Boulder area, but I am not familiar with them enough to recommend. Most of the actual vineyards are in the Palisades area. Cab Franc grows well here. Creekside makes a good one along with a nice Petite Verdot and a Bourdeux blend called Robusto. Creekside also serves great lunches.

6

I think there is one in Grand Junction, but that’s kind of ‘not Denver’.

7

www.coloradowine.com

8

If you two are beer drinkers at all, you will be much happier with the breweries in Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, etc. Some really good names there like Avery, Oskar Blues, Fat Tire, etc…

9

Yes, there are obviously lots of good breweries and distilleries in and around Denver.

As for wineries, Infinite Monkey Theorem in the RiNo district is the biggest and hippest. He puts wine in cans, makes hopped perry, and kegs cold-brew coffee.

In Broomfield, Turquoise Mesa makes some really nice Rhône-style blends and varietal wines.

In Boulder, three wineries are clumped together at the Boulder Wine Studios. Bookcliff Vineyards, Settembre Cellars, and What We Love. Bookcliff has lots of labels, but the Bordeaux blends are tops. Settembre is very AFWE. Boulder Creek isn’t too far away and they’re sadly winding down operations. They made some very nice wines. Bigger, richer styles and a Syrah that Bedrock would be proud of…

Creekside in Evergreen is also a must visit. Beautiful bistro overlooking Bear Creek. Dynamite wines, too. Tell Michelle I sent you (in fact you can mention my name at all wineries if you feel like you want to take a chance on being forcibly removed;).

On the south side of town, you can try to get an appointment at Allis Ranch or Ruby Trust. Neither are generally open, but will meet people. Both are big, oaky, fruity red wines heavy with Syrah.

10

Take Amtrak from Denver to Grand Junction-it’s a beautiful trip through the mountains. Rent a car and drive to the wineries you want to see. If you can, drive to the West Elks AVA near Paonia and visit some of the wineries there-much more scenic than the Grand Valley.

11

I’ll toss in a vote for Creekside in Evergreen, where I lived for 30 years. The wines are excellent, but the lunch eats and setting are both killer. On a warm summer day, try to get an outside table overlooking Bear Creek. Either before or after, take a drive up Bear Creek Road to the west of downtown. Beautiful and relaxing.

12

If you happen to be in Denver Aug 1., the Governor’s Cup Wine Tasting is being held at the History Colorado Center. The top 16 wines (12 grape and 4 mead, cider, fruit) are being poured along with small bite pairings. Should be a good way to taste a decent representation of CO wine…

13

Another vote for Creekside Cellars. Food is really good, the Antipasto platter is amazing. My go to wines are the Viognier and Robusto.
Tried the Bookcliff in Vail’s farmers market a few weeks back and liked the Cab Franc. Will have to work in some of the wineries that Kyle mentioned.

14

The Antipasto platter is the best thing on the menu. [cheers.gif]