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 by: Jim Bruce

Announcing! One of the Best Kept Secrets in the World of Wine...

Do you remember hearing that the best wines are now coming from California?

Forget everything youve heard about California wine and listen, on my

summer vacation I discovered one of the best wine growing areas in the

United States. And its not on the West Coast.

As it happens, my daughter asked me to take a trip with her to look at a

piece of property on the Western Slope of Colorado that she and her husband

were interested in. She needed my expertise with evaluating the condition of

the business that accompanied the house and land.

"Just what is this business?" I asked her. She replied that it was a

vineyard. I had to think of that for a moment. I have my college degree in

horticulture and a vineyard has always been my dream. But I would have

never expected this of my daughter.

She knew that I have planted grapes wherever Ive lived. A few grapevines

in the backyard, one or two growing up the side of the house, or a couple

hundred to experiment with when Ive had the land to do it.

Now, I was being told that she wanted to live my dream come true. I

questioned her as we drove across the Rocky Mountains towards her new dream.

Things like, "Do you know what this is going to take?" "Have you seen me

struggle to get my grapes to grow under the Colorado Front Range

conditions?"

As we came down in altitude, entering the Western Slope fruit growing area,

I began to understand her desire to own a vineyard and expand it to support

a small winery.

This area is truely a fruit growing delight. Vineyards and orchards flowing

over the mesas of the Colorado Western Slope region. Cherries, peaches,

apples, and of course grapes.

Unlike the eastern side of Colorado, the Western Slope has a climate that is

conducive to growing all sorts of fruit crops. The noble European grape, V.

vinifera, is well adapted to this fruit growing region.

Now listen closely! The wines I found being made in the small family

wineries of the Colorado Western Slope turned out to be pure gems! Why?

Because of the warm days and cool nights of this region. This climate is

perfect for growing grapes and making award winning wines.

There are also two American Viticulture Areas: the Grand Valley AVA and the

West Elks AVA along the Colorado Western Slope. Each producing distinctive

wines because of their slightly different climatic conditions.

In Delta County, a cooler climate, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir,

Gewrztraminer and other colder-climate German varietals work best. In the

warmer Mesa County, Rhne varieties like Syrah and Viognier, as well as

Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varieties, are suitable.

Ive sampled the wines from both regions and I have to tell you that Im

love struck with what I found. While the West Elk AVA between Paeonia and

Delta seems to produce the best whites, there are also Cab Franc, Pinot

Noir, and Merlot wines from that region which are "to die for" wines.

The Grand Valley AVA from Grand Junction to Palisades produces red wines

that rival any California reds. The recent trend in this area is to grow

more Rhone varieties like Syrah and Viognier and these compliment the

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that has long had a reputation in that area.

This region also boasts some of the best Chardonnays in the state.

Many wineries have vineyards in both viticulture appellation areas. Ive

found that the top wines are blends of grapes grown in both counties.

Reisling is a good example of this blending. It can get it fully ripe in

Mesa County, with some non-traditional peach and apricot flavors. In Delta

County, its hard to get it to 20 Brix, but it has this really good acidity

and spicy flavor. The blend of the two together gives a hypnotic sensation

to your palate.

Its truely up to the wine makers abilities to make the most of the grapes

grown in this unique winemaking region.

Just picture this for a moment... The Colorado wine industry is in its

infancy. New vineyards and wineries are being added each year as its

reputation spreads. The wines made in Colorado are only going to get better

as the wine makers learn more about the grapes they are growing and perfect

their trade.

Youre probably wondering where you can find out more about these exciting

wines. It just so happens that the Colorado wine industry has a web site at:

http://www.coloradowine.com that can lead you to all the Colorado wine

information you want.

The next time youre looking for something new in wine, consider one of the

enchanting wines from the Western Slope of Colorado. You wont be

disappointed.

Now that youre at the end of this article youre just minutes away from

wanting to jump in your car and run down to get a bottle of some wonderful

Colorado wine.

Unfortunately, most wines made in the state are sold locally and are not

found in your local liquor store. But the good news is that most can be

bought online. Take a look at the coloradowine.com site and find the

wineries and the wines you are looking for.

About The Author

Jim Bruce

Discover how you too can grow your own grapes for making wine. Jim Bruce has been growing grapes and making wine for years in various areas across the United States. He now has a grape growing book out at: http://www.grapegrowingbook.com.