The Changing of the Seasons Brings a Goodbye

It’s never easy to say goodbye. This fall, as I drove through the gates of Blue Mountain Vineyards for the last time, I did so with teary eyes. I was saying goodbye to the place that had given me my start in the wine world, and it was the end of an era for me.

               I first discovered Blue Mountain Vineyards located in Berthoud, CO in the spring of 2018. My wine journey was in full swing, and I wanted to experience anything and everything I could. This included going to every winery within driving distance. At that time, they were only offering guided, group tastings, so I gathered up a handful of friends, made a reservation, and excitedly drove towards my future.

               Situated between Longmont and Loveland in a rural community dotted with ranches and small farms, visiting Blue Mountain Vineyards was like entering a wine lover’s paradise. It was created as a retirement project by Bill and Christie Prewitt, who took a large plot of dirt and turned it into acres of breathtaking gardens and lush vineyards, along with a fully functioning winery and tasting room. No matter the season, there was a tranquil beauty in the vines Bill slaved over, and the gardens Christie poured her heart and soul into.

               As most do, I instantly fell in love with the place during that first visit. Sip after sip, I enjoyed the wines and stories Christie told of the business and their family. That love grew as we wandered the gardens and vineyards, witnessing all of the new spring growth stretching their sleepy limbs. I could only imagine what it would look like in full summer glory. As the tasting drew to a close and everyone was savoring the last of their wine and conversations, I got to talking to Christie and one of the workers. I happened to mention how interested I was in the winemaking process and learning all there was to know about the industry, and upon hearing this, they encouraged me to contact their winery manager, as they were always looking for help. I eagerly took the manager’s card and promptly sent in my resume and cover letter the following day, hoping for at least a volunteer opportunity. Imagine my surprise and excitement when a few days later I was contacted to come out for an interview and meet the manager. Was my dream of working at a winery possibly coming true? It was.

               I spent four years at Blue Mountain Vineyards. Originally hired to help at the open tastings they were beginning to offer on weekends, I spent my days working on their marketing, social media and website, and helped plan specialty events. I also had the opportunity to learn how to bottle and label the wine. I had a lot of fun there and learned so much about the wine business and myself. And, though there are an abundance of memories that I took with me, there are three that will always stand out.

               The first was the harvest season. I always loved this time of year. Towards the end of August, Bill and the vineyard manager would be out in the vines daily, checking the sugar and pH levels of the grapes. This could go on for days, or even weeks, and then the declaration would be made, it was time to harvest. I would hastily send out invites to our mailing list and get on our social media platforms inviting any and all who were interested to join us for our annual harvest party. Depending on the crop, we would host one or two of these events each year. Friends, family, customers who had been loyal fans for years, and folks who were simply interested in wine and grapes would join us on a weekend morning for a light breakfast and demonstration on how to use a harvest knife. After breakfast, we would all head out to the fields equipped with buckets and tools and start working. It was always a magical feeling listening to the light chatter and plop of falling grapes scattered throughout the vineyard, while birds tweeted away and Bill hauled endless crates of freshly harvested grapes up to the tasting room in his small tractor. The event would end with smiling people lounging in the beautiful sun, a complimentary glass of wine in hand. And, for the next few weeks, the little office I worked in upstairs would smell of fermenting grapes, and it was always a joy listening to and watching the bubbling juice turning into wine. I do have to admit, though, as much as I loved the harvest parties, my absolute favorite part of the harvest season was at the end when we were collecting the last bit of the crop, and it was just one or two of us employees out in the vineyard. These were the most peaceful of times.

               Another set of memorable moments for me were the times we spent discussing potential wines and tasting notes with the owner. Bill had a particular house style he attempted to achieve for each variety, but as each vintage brought different grapes with different styles, tasting notes had to be tweaked. As a wine was nearing ready for bottling, or had just been bottled, Bill would gather a group of us into the tasting room or barrel room to sample and discuss the wine. This was always enjoyable because I found it so fascinating how different taste buds could be, where I would get one note, and the winemaker would pick up something different. Along with that, it was always incredibly interesting how some of us would notoriously taste the same thing, which was the case for Bill and myself. We had such similar palates that we would typically pick out the same notes and prefer the same wines, while other groups would taste or prefer something different. Another part of this I enjoyed was listening to Bill and the winemaker talk about the steps they took to make the wine. They would discuss the fermentation process they utilized, what they should do differently next time, all of the little nuances that turned grapes into the delicious beverage I was sipping on. It was such a great way to get an insider’s look into the winemaking process, and I truly enjoyed every aspect of it.

               The third of my notoriously happy moments out at Blue Mountain Vineyards was an event I helped to create. As it is apparent from other blogs I have written, I love Halloween, so, of course, I had to plan some sort of Halloween event. That event became our Blue Mountain Vineyards Halloween Candy and Wine Pairing. Each year, we would pick a handful of popular trick-or-treat candies, pull all of the wine we currently had on hand, and get to tasting. Each of us would suggest three or four candy and wine pairings we really liked, and then all of us would try each of them out and select the majority winners. These candy and wine duos would be introduced during a guided tasting on an evening close to Halloween. Customers and staff alike would dress in their costumes, the tasting room would be decked out in Halloween decor, and Bill would regale everyone with stories from his Halloween pasts while they indulged in our version of tricks-or-treats. It was such a simple event, but it was always so much fun. Fall at the winery was the most beautiful season with the trees and other foliage changing colors, and it just added to this delightful time. It also gave me the opportunity to dress up like a wine bottle and get semi-talented at carving a wine glass into a pumpkin. I will never forget these evenings.

               In the summer of 2022, I chose to start a new adventure and leave my position at Blue Mountain Vineyards. It was a difficult decision to make, but I knew I would always be welcome, and I took full advantage of that by continuing to help at harvests when I could or simply going out there to enjoy a glass of delicious wine. Though I didn’t work at the winery anymore, it was a nice feeling to know it was there whenever I needed it. Which is why it was such a shock to my system earlier this year when I learned that Bill and Christie were officially retiring and closing their doors at the end of September - they ended up staying open through the last weekend in October.

               Luckily, I managed to make it out there twice before they closed. In July, while my mom and dad were visiting for the Fourth of July holiday, we made a last-minute decision to head out to one of the Friday afternoon open tastings. My mom, who loved their Syrah and Sangiovese, as well as the beautiful property, wanted the opportunity to experience it one more time. She obviously didn’t have to twist my arm. While out there, we each enjoyed a flight while basking in the coolness of the tasting room. After we finished our wine samples, my mom and I split a glass of Sangiovese while the three of us wandered through the gardens, admiring all of the colorful flowers and lake views. At that time, they had two of their incredible estate bottlings available for purchase, their new Colorado La Crescent, and one of my annual favorites, the Marquette Blush. Knowing that I was sad about the upcoming closing, my dad treated me to a bottle of each to take home. These two special wines from my dad will be bottles I will treasure long after they are empty. During this trek, I managed to get most of my tears out, and knowing that there was a chance I would not make it back, said a proper goodbye to the place that had given me a shot.

               Happily, I managed a second trip out there this fall. My best friend loved Blue Mountain as much as the rest of us and wanted to say her goodbyes, so during the last weekend of September we sat on the patio for the final time, under trees just beginning to show their orange, and got one last look at the vines slowly making their way towards winter sleep. We started off by splitting a flight, and upon hearing that they were down to one single bottle of Malbec, always a favorite, we quickly purchased it to sip on while enjoying the lovely fall day. During this visit, Bill let us try a wine he would be releasing in October as a final treat to his customers, I got to chase the wild turkeys through the vineyard – they always loved munching on the grapes and I always loved chasing them, and I got one final walk through the vines and the gardens. As I had my good cry the previous time around, this time was more of a trip down memory lane, and I was so grateful I got this final hurrah.

               Blue Mountain Vineyards will always have a special place in my heart. My time there gave me the confidence to push myself further into the wine world and helped to guide me in the direction I wanted to go. Without Bill and Christie taking a chance on me, I don’t know if I would have ever found my place in the most fascinating of industries, and I will be forever grateful for that, and the numerous wonderful memories. Though it pains me that the Blue Mountain Vineyards I know and love will no longer be there, I am so excited for the Prewitts’ next adventure in this crazy thing we call life, and I raise my glass to them and the beautiful business they built. Cheers and goodbye to Blue Mountain Vineyards.