| Announcing! One of the Best Kept Secrets in the | | | | you know what this is going to take?" "Have you |
| World of Wine...Do you remember hearing that | | | | seen me |
| the best wines are now coming from | | | | struggle to get my grapes to grow under the |
| California?Forget everything you've heard about | | | | Colorado Front Range |
| California wine and listen, on my | | | | conditions?"As we came down in altitude, entering |
| summer vacation I discovered one of the best | | | | the Western Slope fruit growing area, |
| wine growing areas in the | | | | I began to understand her desire to own a |
| United States. And it's not on the West Coast.As | | | | vineyard and expand it to support |
| it happens, my daughter asked me to take a trip | | | | a small winery.This area is truely a fruit growing |
| with her to look at a | | | | delight. Vineyards and orchards flowing |
| piece of property on the Western Slope of | | | | over the mesas of the Colorado Western Slope |
| Colorado that she and her husband | | | | region. Cherries, peaches, |
| were interested in. She needed my expertise | | | | apples, and of course grapes.Unlike the eastern |
| with evaluating the condition of | | | | side of Colorado, the Western Slope has a climate |
| the business that accompanied the house and | | | | that is |
| land."Just what is this business?" I asked her. She | | | | conducive to growing all sorts of fruit crops. The |
| replied that it was a | | | | noble European grape, V. |
| vineyard. I had to think of that for a moment. I | | | | vinifera, is well adapted to this fruit growing |
| have my college degree in | | | | region.Now listen closely! The wines I found being |
| horticulture and a vineyard has always been my | | | | made in the small family |
| dream. But I would have | | | | wineries of the Colorado Western Slope turned |
| never expected this of my daughter.She knew | | | | out to be pure gems! Why? |
| that I have planted grapes wherever I've lived. A | | | | Because of the warm days and cool nights of |
| few grapevines | | | | this region. This climate is |
| in the backyard, one or two growing up the side | | | | perfect for growing grapes and making award |
| of the house, or a couple | | | | winning wines.There are also two American |
| hundred to experiment with when I've had the | | | | Viticulture Areas: the Grand Valley AVA and the |
| land to do it.Now, I was being told that she | | | | West Elks AVA along the Colorado Western |
| wanted to live my dream come true. I | | | | Slope. Each producing distinctive |
| questioned her as we drove across the Rocky | | | | wines because of their slightly different climatic |
| Mountains towards her new dream.Things like, "Do | | | | conditions. |