A Taste Of The West Slope - Colorado Wines

Guy Drew vines beyond the winery grounds

As a result of being new to Colorado, it is necessary to learn about the region's agriculture that has provided an opportunity to engage the specialty crop industries - specifically the grape growers and wine makers. Unlike the relatively near sea level production areas in California, the Pacific Northwest, and France, one needs to realize the the lowest elevation in Colorado is greater than 3,000 feet. The high elevation vine production areas on the western slope at the foot of the Rocky Mountains ranges from 4,300 to 6,200 feet. It is not the summer dryness, but the winter cold that greatly increases the risks of crop failure - not just lost yield, but death to vines that cannot withstand minus 10 or less low temperatures.

Guy Drew vineyards label and icon

A side benefit of learning the industry is being able to taste and purchase the wares of the trade when visiting different wineries. There is a definite twists specific to the geography of the industry - the West Slope region landscape features, artifacts of earlier inhabitants, the prevalent mesas - thus the names of wineries such as Mesa Park Winery and the arrowhead icons that adorn bottle labels from the Guy Drew Vineyards.