Lucky me! I got the hell out of Texas in August and headed to Colorado, joining the throes of other Texans that escape our oppressive heat and humidity and head north to enjoy this year-round outdoor playground. I had two reasons to go to Colorado: to ride my bike around pristine lakes and over daunting mountain passes and to serve as a judge for the Colorado Governor’s Cup Wine Competition.
Given how many Texans visit Colorado not only during the summer, but also during the winter ski months, I thought I would share a few favorite wine places in Denver and Colorado wineries to check out.
Denver Wine + Food
Super stoked to finally visit Sunday Vinyl wine bar and restaurant in the Union Station development. If you love vinyl and wine, this is your place (and I wish we could transplant it to Austin!) I was on the same judging panel with Sunday Vinyl sommelier Clara Klein who leads the team that builds and presents the extensive and fabulous wine program for guests.
Both run by the Frasca Hospitality Group, Sunday Vinyl is across the street from sister restaurant Tavernetta that features fresh handmade pastas and an Italian-directed wine and spirits list. Run, don’t walk to these places!
Our Colorado Governor’s Cup Wine Competition dinner kicked off at Terra Denver, a restaurant that celebrates the Terra of the American West. We enjoyed local farm greens with goat yogurt vinaigrette and bird seed, farfalle with seasonal veggies, and herbed crusted prime rib. The wine list offered terrific options including a 2020 Aedes Etna Bianco from I Custodi, a 2017 Refosco from Friulli Colli Orientali and a bright Cave Mont Blanc 1187 Extra Brut from Vallee d’Aosta.
Colorado Wineries
It was an honor to join the group of some 20 sommeliers, writers, winemakers and retail experts to judge nearly 300 Colorado wines as part of the Colorado Governor’s Cup Competition. My biggest takeaway: there has been a bit of a shift in the grapes that are making great wines in Colorado. When I first started tasting Colorado wines, the top wines were Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Riesling. This go-round, I was really excited about the experimentation underway that is producing really beautiful wines from Nebbiolo, Syrah, Teroldego, Petit Verdot and Gruner Veltliner, to name a few.
Here are some of the gold medal winning wines from the competition and wineries to seek out next time you are in Colorado:
Carboy Winery
Denver, Littleton, Breckenridge and Palisade
A relatively newcomer to Colorado wines, this winery is definitely making its mark, winning three out of the 12 top spots at this year’s competition: 2019 Blanc LaLaLa sparkling Grüner Veltliner; 2020 Teroldego from Grand Valley; and 2019 Petit Verdot Reserve, also from Grand Valley.
Let’s start with sparkling Grüner (this is my kind of wine!) – spicy, bright and racy bubbles. I would seek this out every day.
The Teroldego was another big hit this year, after winning Best of Show last year with the 2019 vintage at the Governor’s Cup. This big red with origins from northeast Italy has cranberry, blackberry and spicy notes.
The Petit Verdot Reserve was a big boy with grippy tannins enveloping red and black fruit notes.
The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey
Canon City
Located on the grounds of the historic Holy Cross Abbey, the winery is nestled against the backdrop of the Wet Mountains.
My judging panel got several flights of Syrah and this beauty ended up making the list. The 2019 Syrah has notes of black cherry, black plum, violets, spicy pepper and toasty oak.
Red Fox Cellars
Palisade
I was excited to see Italian varieties hitting their stride including a Nebbiolo from small, family-owned Red Fox Cellars with notes of cherry, raspberry and tobacco with grippy tannins.
Peachfork Orchards and Vineyard
Palisade
Often the stepchild that gets no respect, hybrid grapes such as Chambourcin are proving to be important players in the wine industry as climate change continues to wreak havoc with vitis vinifera grapes. Peachfork grows not only Chambourcin but also Traminette, a French-American hybrid.
The Peachfork Chambourcin was one of my favorites with notes of tart red plum and cherry, spice and black pepper. Would recommend giving it a slight chill!
Mesa Park Vineyards
Palisade
Relative newcomer and family-owned Mesa Park Vineyards proved that Colorado’s history of growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties still reigns. The Equilibre red blend has so much going on – floral, cola, ripe red and black berry, leather, earth and just a hint of green notes. Nice complexity and really balanced.
Many thanks to the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board for the opportunity to judge and the excellent organization of the wine competition. Click here for a complete list of the 2022 Governor’s Cup Collection and the other award-winning wines.
Denise Clarke is an avid wine enthusiast who loves sharing and teaching people about wine. She is a Certified Wine Educator, Certified Sommelier, WSET Advanced graduate and an expert on Texas wine. Owner of Denise Clarke PR, she currently represents Texas Fine Wine and the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Wine Marketing Program. She has lived in Austin for more than 30 years and when she is not swirling and sipping wine, she can be found on her bike, climbing every hill she can find.
Follow Denise on IG at @deniseclarkeTX for more wine recommendations.
