Colorado pride and wine were both flowing during the Colorado Uncorked event on October 18th.

Rugged class, passion to pursue something new, and authentic expression, from fine dress to cowboy boots and jeans. Guests were welcomed into the History of Colorado Center, greeted by excited winemakers and chefs from around the state, who came together to pair the new Governor’s Cup award-winning wines with expert food tastings.

Everyone was there to wine and dine.

It was a gorgeous evening out in Denver, a rare date night in the city for my husband and I, an elegant way to experience the state’s food and wine scene. Colorado Uncorked is the public’s only chance to taste the 2025 Governor’s Cup Collection in one place, at one time, all paired with small bite menu items prepared by some of Colorado’s most celebrated chefs.

The 2025 Governor’s Cup Collection consisted of the top-scoring Colorado wines – seven red and five white – from nine different wineries. In total, there were 251 wine submissions from 53 wineries, including 43 Colorado wineries and meaderies.

“People are surprised when I say there’s over 150 wineries in the state,” said Kyle Schlachter, Executive Director for the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board (CWIDB) at the Colorado Department of Agriculture. “That is way more wineries than what I thought we had when I first started, too. They’re all very small, all family-owned. Our entire state’s production is probably smaller than one wine made at a medium-sized winery in California.”

Schlachter, originally from Wisconsin, moved to Colorado to attend the University of Denver. “My degree is in geography,” he explains. “I became fascinated with how wine changed depending on where it was made—the different regions and countries. I wanted to explore how a Cabernet Sauvignon grape tasted in California versus Argentina versus France.”

Schlachter also serves as the mayor of Littleton, having been directly elected in 2021. He’s been involved with the CWIDB for 12 years and has served as director for three years.

Eight Idaho wineries, one Arizona winery, and one New Mexico meadery submitted for the first time this year. In total, 22 Double Gold medals, 17 Gold medals, 131 Silver medals, and 68 Bronze medals were awarded. Colorado is unique in that there are two grape-growing regions: the Grand Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) and the West Elks AVA.

“The wine industry in Colorado is changing,” Schlachter says. “We had a few cold events that wiped out some of the traditional grape varieties here a few years ago. Growers said, ‘We need to plant things that are more resistant to cold.’ So now about 20% of our vineyards have those cold-hardy varieties, and they make fabulous wines.”

Global wine production is at a 60-year low, Schlachter explains. “The best way to support winemakers is to drink more wine. Try anything that interests you. These 12 wines should excite all wine lovers in Colorado and beyond.”

It’s also an opportunity for wineries to work with restaurants from around the state and make it onto their wine lists. “We give the restaurants a bottle of the wine that they’ve been paired with so they can taste it and perfect that pairing,” Schlachter says. “Some of the restaurants actually are associated with the wineries, like this year Carboy is working with Angelos or Mesa Wines Farm and Winery has their Sips restaurant. There’s good coordination there.

“We’ve actually had wineries decide not to submit to the competition because they’ve said if they did well, they would sell out immediately. Which I always find fascinating because that’s the whole point. It’s a good opportunity, from the wineries’ perspective, to connect with top-tier restaurants and reach more consumers.”

The CWIDB uses the Governor’s Cup Collection to represent Colorado wine around the state and across the country. The award-winning wines will also be used for educational purposes at winemaker roundtables to recognize and improve the overall quality of Colorado wines.

Overall, it was a great night at the 2025 Colorado Uncorked event. Guests had skyline views of Denver and an opportunity to connect with winemakers and chefs. The History of Colorado Center opened their 90s exhibit, reminding folks how we were all part of a certain vintage. Everyone was kind, gracious, and eager to talk about wine.

The Best In Show White was awarded to Ignacio’s Fox Fire Farms 2024 Aromella, characterized by notes of honeysuckle and citrus peel, truly representing the snowy peaks of the San Juans. Both the Best Red and Best in Show were awarded to Sauvage Spectrum in Palisade for their 2024 Zweigelt, which was dynamic and well paired with Denver’s The Wolf’s Tailor. They served bison tongue with a watermelon red braise, black vinegar glaze, and pickled goji berries.

“Our winemakers really are connected to the state and want to support our local farmers,” Schlachter says. “It’s the kind of adventurous pioneering spirit of Colorado.”

This year’s Colorado Uncorked event was an inspiring example of Colorado’s creative means to make the most of our climate, with mountain-made wines, locally sourced foods, and a true sense of community.

Our favorite wine was the Pinot Gris by Stone Cottage Cellars in Paonia—a surprise since we’re both red wine lovers—and it opened up daydreams of going back to Verona to experience more wine, like when we first got together. It was a great opportunity for us to be present together, and reminded us why we love Colorado so much—for our community, perseverance, and heart.

Consider checking out next year’s Colorado Uncorked event and be sure to try this year’s Governor’s Cup winners. Learn more at coloradowine.com.

The post In the Cups: Behind the Scenes of Colorado Uncorked — What Wines to Check Out This Holiday Season appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

With so much attention going to the local beer scene in Colorado, I felt that it was time to check out the emerging and growing winery scene that is slowly spreading through Boulder County. I spent seven, pretty fantastic hours of my Saturday meandering from tasting room to tasting room, sampling some of the best locally produced wines, gaining some much needed knowledge on the wine front and putting together this list of the best of the best features that each of these wonderful local wineries has to offer:

Ciatano Winery                  
16858 North St. Vrain Drive  
Lyons, CO 80540                      

Tasting Room Hours
Open Year- Round | Friday – Monday | 11 am – 5 pm
Summer Hours | Open Daily through October 31st
Features:

• 5 Tastes for $5
• Shipping Available
• Spa On-Site
• Plenty of Seating in the Tasting Room and Around the Property
• Best Ambiance
• Guests are encouraged to bring their own food or create a mini picnic from a selection of cheese, fruit and smoked trout for sale in the tasting room
• On-Site Lodging (Click here for more info on the Rockin’ River Day Resort)
• Best Event Venue Rental (From weddings and rehearsal dinners to birthday and anniversary celebrations, Ciantano has a beautiful location to host your event at)

Summary:
Unless you live in the Lyons area, I would suggest making Ciatano the first stop on the tour. You’ll probably spend the most time here, wandering around the resort grounds that offer beautiful views, sounds of the nearby river, ponds filled with fish (note: fishing is allowed on the property, free of charge, unless you catch one of the monster trout and decide to take it home—in which case you’ll pay $1 per inch), and all of the makings for a romantic afternoon.

Boulder Creek Winery         
6440 Odell Place                   
Boulder, CO 80301                     

Tasting Room Hours:
Open-Year Round
Thursday – Sunday | 1 – 5:30 pm     
Features:

• 9 tastes for $3
• Informative Self-Guided Tours of the Facility
• Great Benefits for VIP Club Members (Including invites to winery parties, winemaker’s dinners, barrel tastings and more
• Event Venue Rental (Including Already Created Party Packages)
• Best Place to Purchase a Bottle

Summary:
Make this Gunbarrel Winery the 2^nd stop on the tour. Boulder Creek has the best “tasting” price and very reasonable bottle prices. The tasting room doesn’t have seating available, but you’ll be on the move for the most part anyway as you take yourself on a self-guided tour of the winery. Of all of the wineries, Boulder Creek definitely has the best tour system in place with easy-to-follow arrows highlighting the wine making process and detailed and informative signage on every piece of equipment. Be sure to buy a bag of the chocolate covered espresso beans to fuel the next two stops on the tour.

Bookcliff Vineyards                
1501 Lee Hill Road, Unit #17     
Boulder, CO 80304                    

Tasting Room Hours:
January – May | Friday – Sunday | 1 – 6 pm
June – December | Thursday – Sunday | 1 – 6 pm
Features:

• 5 tastes for $5
• Plenty of Seating in Tasting Room
• Wine Sold by the Glass and the Bottle (Bottle Prices Range from $10-$25)
• Wine Made In-House
• Knowledgeable Staff
• A Complete Online List of Restaurants, Bars and Liquor Stores Where Bookcliff Products are Sold
• Wine vs. Beer Dinners (with Upslope Brewing)
• Receives Scheduled Visits from the Comida Food Truck
• Best Tasting Room to Visit on FridaySummary:
  Plenty of seating in the tasting room makes Bookcliff the perfect place for the 3^rd stop of the tour. Sit down in spacious tasting room and enjoy one of Bookcliff’s many award-winning wines. Winery tours are available on request and provide a great deal of knowledge on the wine making process and what really separates the reds from the whites.

Redstone Meadery                          
4700 Pearl St., Unit 2 A                         
Boulder, CO 80301       

Tasting Room Hours:
Open Year-Round
Monday – Friday | noon- 6:30 pm
Saturday | noon – 5 pm             
Features:

• Free Tastings
• Plenty of Seating in Tasting Room
• Gluten-Free Product
• Live Music Beginning in October
• Knowledgeable Staff
• Guided Tours
• Best Place Sit Down and have a Glass

Summary:
End your Boulder County Winery Tour at Redstone Meadery. The tasting room offers plenty of seating, a mellow vibe, an informative staff to educate you on the history of mead and take you on a tour of facility. Tastings are free, which is great, because Redstone offers a variety of flavors and delicious products. Be sure to try the Black Raspberry Nectar and save some extra cash because you’ll definitely want to bring a bottle home.

The post The Bolder Life: Best of BoCo Winery Tour appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.