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Wine may not be the first thought that comes to mind when someone mentions Colorado, but the dedicated vintners in this region are working to change that.

The climate is tough on the grapes and the soil can be unfriendly with plenty of clay to keep water from penetrating through to the deep grape vine roots. All this is incidental to the new breed of winemakers forging a name for their wines in the international wine world.

During the past 25 years the number of Colorado wineries has grown from one to more than 50... and there's more where they came from. Along with the increase in numbers comes an increase in experience that makes for better grape harvests and higher quality wines.

Wine experts are beginning to take notice. Art Siemering wrote in Trendwire, "Western Colorado is producing a number of world-class wines & the two federally designated American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in this region are producing world-class wines from premium vitis vinifera varietals. Some of the outstanding properties I visited there during my recent trip show serious potential for the emergence (even though it may seem remote right now) of another Napa Valley."

Richard Leahy of Vineyard & Winery Management said, "...It's unusual for a single state to show so much potential with chardonnay, pinot noir and riesling in addition to the red Bordeaux varieties as well as dessert wines. For Colorado with 66 wineries, to tie with New York in winning three double gold medals in the International Eastern Wine Competition, with 200 wineries in New York, is very impressive...."

The premium grape and fruit wines produced by Colorado wineries have begun to bring home the acclaim and awards in national and international competitions that they've earned. Find out what you've been missing or plan your own wine tour to get a real taste of the wines grown here...

Colorado Wine Industry Development Board - The official state wine industry site with event information, winery links, maps and tours, tips and recipes, and a guide to growing grapes in Colorado.

Grand Junction, Colorado - Wine Country - Everything you need to know if touring the area, with info and links to wineries, tour guides, restaurants and accommodations, slideshow, weather, event calendar.

Colorado Wine Country - Top picks from The Wine Man.com with an online map, contact details, wine tasting hours.

Colorado Mountain Winefest - The annual event that includes bike tours, seminars, dinners and tastings at participating wineries across the state, with ticket and schedule info.

Weekend Winery Listings of Wineries in Colorado - A comprehensive list including links to wineries websites or contact information are the main offering in the Colorado section of this site. Check the articles for fun facts about wine and other areas to explore.

A Colorado Wine Tour - Front Range Living's article explores the beauty of the landscape and the challenges of wine growing in the Grand Valley regions. Informative and complete with pictures to whet your appitite for a visit to the area. Links to B&Bs and other tourist info sites complete the resource.

Rocky Mountain Association of Vintners and Viticulturists - The RMAVV site needs a bit of work, but the areas that are functional are very helpful. The events section is up to date and chock full of industry information with a few public promotional events included - very nice for local vintners and worth a look for tourists. The business members area lists wineries with links to web sites for those that have one. All listings include contact info - many with e-mail addresses. The awards are a good source for tips on the top wines, weather is helpful if you are planting or planning a trip and useful links are really extremely useful.

also see -> Colorado Beaches | Colorado Tourist Attractions

Colorado Fall Foliage