Living in California has it’s perks… an ever changing restaurant scene, music concerts, art galleries, museums, the mountains AND the beach! 🏖 🌊
If that wasn’t enough, it also happens to have the most vast wine country region in America… 🍇 Hard to believe this place is not the whole package… Hmnn 🤨 think traffic 🤯
Our early 20’s were spent in a small, quaint town, situated on the Western Slope of Colorado.
Wine tasting was not something we were super interested in, until our late 20’s; however; it was hard to ignore these scenic vineyards against the dramatic juxtaposition of the high desert cliffs of the Rocky Mountains. 🏔
You see, Grand Junction happens to be the gateway to Western Colorado’s AVA – which stands for American Viticultural Area. 🧐
This means it is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, distinguishable by certain geographic features … 🤔
In English please? The area is primo growing soil for grapes! 🍇
Even more interesting, most of these vineyards are located at relatively high altitudes, 🏔 but the unique weather patterns coupled with the lush and fertile region of the Western Slope, make it possible to produce grapes that can be turned into high quality, 🎖award-winning, tasty vino!
This beautifully intoxicating crimson beverage, is by most accounts responsible for overseeing momentous occasions, worthy of vast social media documentation. 📸🍷🤳🏽
Cheers to that! 🥂
The cherry on top? The tasting rooms – which often offer free or inexpensive tastings – form part of a legacy of family-owned and operated vineyards, some established over 3 decades ago, and they make you feel right at home. 😊
OK! Great! So, when do I book my flight?🛫
Well, while this region is great to visit almost year-round, there is a major – and by major, I mean sold out months in advance – festival in September. It’s called Colorado Mountain Winefest. 🙌🏽
Get there by flying directly into Grand Junction, or take the metropolitan detour by flying into DIA (Denver International Airport) and heading West through one of the most scenic routes along the Continental Divide- 🏞 about 4 hours and definitely worth it!
Want to learn more about the history, winemakers and innkeepers? ☝🏽Check out the perfect coffee table book for the wine aficionado in you: Winelands of Colorado. It’s a page turner 😉
*🙌🏽 Special thanks to our good friend Marc Hoberman, who was kind enough to allow us to showcase a few of his stunning images. 📸 You can follow him on IG @hobermanbooks.
The Sabbatical 