Mountain Towns Represent

Oh, those confusing wine labels! For me, one of the biggest difficulties I had when I first started my exploration into wine, and I have to admit sometimes even now, was understanding everything listed on a wine label. Each wine region has their own set of rules, regulations, and designs, so continuity is not on the side of the consumer. What I have personally discovered is the more and more wine you drink from a particular region, the more and more you begin to understand what that wine bottle is telling you. Practice does make perfect after all. Living in Colorado, and taking advantage of the numerous wineries throughout the state, I feel like I have developed a firm grasp on the information on these wines and their labels.

               What my Colorado wine drinking legwork has taught me is there are three basic labels for this area. A label with a grape variety or wine name, followed by a vintage and region, means the winery used grapes from a specific area and year to make their wine. An example of this would be Ten Bears Winery 2019 Grand Valley Petit Verdot. Occasionally, with this style, you will get one without a year, and this simply means it contains a blend of still wines from various vintages using grapes from that particular place.

The next common wine label seen in Colorado will list the wine name and say Colorado on it; it may or may not have a vintage. An example of this is Blue Mountain Vineyards Colorado Christie’s Blend. What this tells us is the grapes used to make the wine were either grown in an area of Colorado without an AVA (American Viticultural Area) designation, or the winery used a mixture of grapes grown in different AVAs or areas throughout Colorado.

The final wine label will only contain the wine name, or the wine name and the word “American.” This means the wine was created using grapes or concentrate from regions outside of Colorado. These wines were made in the Colorado winery, but not with Colorado grown grapes. A label like this will read, Fountain Creek Winery Bodacious 5 Red Wine Blend American. You will see this many times from tasting rooms located in a place where it is difficult or next to impossible to grow grapes.

So, why I am rambling on about wine labels when the title indicates that I will be discussing mountain towns? Because during two of my last tasting room visits, both located in mountain towns, I was pleasantly surprised to find that both used grapes from Colorado, giving wine enthusiasts a true taste of the region.

Pulling up to Vino Salida Wine Cellars, located near Salida, “The Heart of the Rockies,” is like finding a hidden gem. A beautiful, tented patio is available for anyone wanting to enjoy their wine outdoors, the tasting room is decorated with art and elegance yet still maintains an air of welcome, they have a delicious small bites menu, including an option that tasted like a cross between bruschetta and a muffuletta, and they also make vermouth. But, the real treasure here is their wine.

Offering three different wine flight options, one for those who like dry wines, one for those who like sweet, and one for those who want to try Vermouth, I opted for the dry wine flight. This included their Vino Bianco di Salida, Dry Riesling, and Cabernet Franc, all made with grapes from Colorado’s Grand Valley AVA, and their Vino Rosso di Salida, made with grapes grown throughout Colorado. Each of these wines earned at least an eight on my personal ten-point scale, but it was of no surprise to me that the one I was completely transfixed by was the Cabernet Franc. Having had my share of Colorado wines, I have found that my favorite varietal from this area is Cab Franc. Dark fruit, oak, dark chocolate, and cinnamon, sipping this wine was a real delight, and I just had to purchase a bottle of it. It not only tantalized my tastebuds but was further proof of just how good Colorado Cab Franc is. Along with this red beauty, I also had to have the Riesling and Vino Bianco. I was very pleased with my experience at this jewel of a winery and the quality and uniqueness of their wines. This place was a perfect representation of the Colorado wine industry.

About a week later, after a morning of hiking, I found myself in quirky Nederland. This little town had it all, shopping, the famous Carousel of Happiness, and Augustina’s Winery. Using all Colorado grown grapes, this tasting room, located directly across the street from the carousel, had an impressive wine list with wine flights consisting of five selections of your choosing. After pouring over the options, I selected the WineChick White-Edelzwicker, a blend of Riesling and Gewürztraminer, the Boulder Backpacking Wine (Cab Franc), WineChick Blues, a blend of undisclosed grapes, WineChick Red, a mix of Shiraz and Chambourcin, and Bredo’s Blue Diamon (St. Vincent’s grapes), named after the infamous frozen dead guy, Grandpa Bredo. I, of course, loved the Cabernet Franc, and the WineChick White was phenomenal, but the real palate pleaser was the smooth, peppery, fruit bomb, WineChick Red. I could not believe the quality of this wine, and how you could really tease out the Colorado Shiraz notes. It was such a beautiful blend. All three of these excellent examples of Colorado wines came home with me, and I am already planning future hikes in this area, simply so I can stop back by for another happy wine tasting.

Learning everything there is to know about wine, from varietals to labels, is so challenging and exciting. Getting to learn about wine in an area that is slowly but surely becoming a famous wine hub has been such a rewarding experience, and I look forward to seeing what new wine treasures my home state will make, and what hidden wineries will showcase these Colorado grapes.