Visiting Colorado Wineries?
Intro to Colorado
What makes Colorado wineries unique? A century old vineyards in Colorado are mostly positioned in the temperate, high elevation river valleys and mesas of Mesa, Delta counties, and Montezuma county. Colorado's grape growing regions range in elevation from 4000 to 7000 feet and are thus among the highest vineyards in the world, resulting in hot days accompanied by cool nights.
The continental climate in these regions create day to night temperature spikes from 25 to 30 degrees during the grape maturation months of August and September. The long warm daylight hours of high altitude sunlight mature the fruit completely and build the natural sugars.
The cool evenings cause the grapes to retain the acids so vital to premium winemaking. However, the high altitude can also present a challenge to grape growers, in that the average frost free growing season ranges from 150 to 182 days.
Colorado Wine Trails
Over sixty Colorado wineries are spread all over the state. You can plan a trip to almost every part of Colorado and find a wine trail to follow. Just look for the blue information signs with the "Colorado Wine Trails" logo.
The Front Range Wine Trail around I-25 to the east of Continental Divide, hosts over twenty wineries and tasting rooms. You can plan a day trip from the nearby cities (Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs or Fort Collins) to taste wines from Caņon City to Estes Park, a gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.
If you head west on I-70, you will cross the Continental Divide and enter enchanting Rocky Mountain villages such as Georgetown, Dillon, Aspen, Snowmass, Steamboat Springs, Minturn and Salida.
Keep following I-70, and you will hit The Grand Valley, the region where Colorado's wine industry was born and how hosts over a dozen of wineries. Taking US Highway 50 South will open up a scenic vista, and will lead you to the corn capital surrounding wineries near Olathe.
Going East from here onto hwy 92 that follows Gunnison River, you can go either north or keep going east along the river. To check out wineries in the Surface Creek area, take hwy 65 N. It's a great place to stop for a picnic since you will be passing Grand Mesa, the largest flattop mountain in the world with it's hundreds of lakes.
Enjoy the views, then turn onto I-70 which takes you to Grand Junction/Glenwood Springs. If you, however, keep following hwy 92 instead, take hwy 133 toward Hotchkiss and Paonia. You can stop by for Reisling and Pinot Grigio tasting at West Elks at the base of the mountain. From here, you could can turn around and go back over Grand Mesa to complete the Heart of Colorado Wine County Loop.
Colorado Wineries' Maps
Check out maps prior to starting your trip. Browse through
Colorado Wineries.
List of Colorado Wineries by Region
Most of Colorado's wineries offer complimentary tours and tastings. You can visit a few at a time, and make a great day trip out of it.
Grand Valley
Amber Ridge Vineyards
Canyon Wind Cellars
Carlson Vineyards
Colorado Cellars Winery
Confre Cellars, INC.
DeBeque Canyon Winery
Garfield Estates Vineyard & Winery
Grande River Vineyards
Plum Creek Cellars
Rocky Mountain Meadery
St. Kathryn Cellars
Winery & Gift Shop
Two Rivers Winery
Delta & Montrose Counties
Alfred Eames Cellars
Puesta del Sol Vineyards
Cottonwood Cellars
Mountain View Winery
S. Rhodes Vineyards
Stone Cottage Cellars
Stoney Mesa Winery
Terror Creek Winery
Front Range
Augustina's Winery
Avanti Winery
Balistreri Vineyards
BookCliff Vineyards
Boulder Creek Winery
Creekside Cellars
Old Town Winery
Pikes Peak Vineyards & Winery
Redstone Meadery
Spero Winery
The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey
Trail Ridge Winery
Four Corners Region
Guy Drew Vineyards
Honeyville Tasting Room
Sutcliffe Vineyards
McElmo Canyon Wines
Rocky Mountains
Alfred Eames Cellars (Tasting Room)
Baharav Vineyards
Barton Creek Cellars
Canyon Wind Cellars (Tasting Room)
Minturn Cellars
Mountain Spirit Gallery (Tasting Room)
Snowmass Creek Winery
Steamboat Springs Cellars
Colorado Attractions
There are plenty of thigs to do along the wine trails and in the cities. To learn more, click
here.
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