TRAVEL Cheers To The Weekend
—COURTNEY HOLDEN
GRAND VALLEY AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREA (AVA) Nearly 85 percent of Colorado’s grapes come from this growing region near Grand Junction known for its hot, dry climate.
FRIDAY 4 p.m. Hospitality interns from Colorado Mesa University hone their be-our-guest energy at Grand Junction’s Hotel Maverick. thehotelmaverick.com 6 p.m. Sneak over to Moody’s for wagyu steak in a speakeasystyle lounge. moodyslounge.com SATURDAY
12 p.m. Savor the Barbera and
Sémillon wines at Restoration Vineyards, named for the owner’s Mercedes-Benz refurbishing hobby (spot 14 on the property). restorationvineyards.com 3:30 p.m. At Plum Creek Cellars,
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Restoration Vineyards
a nine-foot-tall metal sculpture lovingly dubbed “Chardonnay Chicken” gets a giggle out of visitors even before they start sipping the off-dry Palisade Festival white blend. plumcreekwinery.com SUNDAY
9:30 a.m. Rent a board from GJ SUP for a float at the new Riverfront at Las Colonias Park, which hosts a dog park, a concert venue, trails, and more. gjsup.com 12 p.m. Devil’s Kitchen, on Hotel Maverick’s patio, serves beet salad with hops-infused vinaigrette and a side of Colorado National Monument vistas. devilskitchenrestaurant.com
WEST ELKS AVA AND THE NORTH FORK VALLEY Delta County’s cool climate produces dainty white grapes for dry Rieslings and Gewürztraminers. FRIDAY 5 p.m. The chefs at Flying Fork
celebrate the bounty of their agricultural surrounds by blanketing handmade pasta with local produce. flyingforkcafe.com 7:30 p.m. Rocking chairs on the front porch of the 115-yearold Bross Hotel Bed & Breakfast might just be the comfiest spots to relax after a day of wine tasting— though the on-site hot tub offers stiff competition. paonia-inn.com
SATURDAY 1 p.m. Owner Dave Aschwanden explains his Old World fermentation techniques during prearranged personal tastings at Chill Switch Wines in Cedaredge. chillswitchwine.wordpress.com 3:30 p.m. Stone Cottage Cellars’ sweet Alpine Dessert Wine pairs divinely with the raspberry pistachio cheesecake the winery sources from Paonia’s Coquelicot Pastries. stonecottagecellars.com SUNDAY
11:30 a.m. Sample lemon-
chive chèvre and a goat cheese Manchego at Western Culture Farmstead. Don’t leave without giving the goats a thank-you pat. westernculturefarmstead.com
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION Artisans, spread over several counties west of Rocky Mountain National Park, harness high elevation to turn imported grapes into complex blends. FRIDAY 3 p.m. Salida’s Manhattan Hotel’s self-service model expedites check-in so you can get to watching kayakers on the Arkansas River from your balcony. manhattanhotelsalida.com 5 p.m. We dig the cheesy jokes on Moonlight Pizza & Brewpub’s menu (“Make Mom happy, add
some veggies”) as much as the scratch-made dough that cradles the toppings. moonlightpizza.biz SATURDAY 10 a.m. Hike among rock spires in the newest member of Colorado’s club of national monuments, Browns Canyon. blm.gov 5 p.m. At Vino Salida Wine Cellars, order mead made with local honey and settle in for live blues or rock. vinosalida.com SUNDAY
9 a.m. Zip through Four Mile
Recreation Area’s hilly deserts and lush woods on a side-by-side from Rocky Mountain Adventure Rentals. rmar1.com 3 p.m. The thin air at Continental Divide Winery’s Fairplay production facility (elevation: 10,361 feet) slows fermentation, highlighting each grape variety’s floral notes. breckwinery.com
Visit 5280.com for more wine country itineraries.
Clockwise from top: Courtesy of Kathleen Favier; Courtesy of Moonlight Pizza & Brewpub; Courtesy of Hotel Maverick
Visitors pour into Colorado’s various wine-making regions each September for grape stomping and other harvest festivities—so we suggest waiting until October, when dwindling crowd sizes give vino makers more time to spill their stories (and an extra splash in your glass). Use our weekend itineraries to savor the dregs of the season.
