Wine resources
To sign up for a wine class or learn more about Colorado Wine, please visit this official link:
Western Colorado Research Center, A State-Funded Viticulture Program
(http://www.colostate.edu/...).
When to go
Late March is usually when the fruit orchards blossom, with the days averaging about about 60 °F 16 °C, the nights about 35 °F 2 °C. Spring barrel tastings happen at many of the vineyards in April and May, and are accompanied by food and wine pairings. High season occurs during the summer months of June, July and August. Late summer can range around 90 to 100 °F 32 to 37 °C in this desert biome, but is well worth the visit because the peaches and other fruit crops fill the fruit stands throughout the region. The West Elks AVA is best visited June-September, before the mountain passes become snowy. Autumn weather is mild and sunny during September, and the perfect time to visit. September is harvest time for the grapes, and home to Colorado Mountain Wine Fest (http://www.coloradowinefe...), the official wine festival of the Colorado Association of Viticulture and Enology CAVE (http://www.rmavv.org). This increasingly popular four day festival is the Oktoberfest of Colorado's wine industry, so book your rooms early. It is the biggest event of the year in the Grand Valley, and hotel rooms fill quickly. The Wine Fest is accompanied by Tour of the Vineyards (http://www.emgcolorado.co...), a bike-a-thon and chance to cycle to Palisade and Orchard Mesa wineries and sample the fare. The third week in September is also the height of the fall color season in Colorado, when the aspen and cottonwood trees change many brilliant colors of yellow, red and orange. October is a shoulder season where the weather is usually decent, but minus the crowds and high hotel prices. November through February are the slow months, when the Grand Valley shuts down for the winter. Bargain hunters can still book hotel rooms at drastically reduced prices, while a majority of the wineries and tasting rooms remain open. Be sure to call ahead, however. Western Colorado is home to an oil shale and natural gas boom, and many hotels are already full of energy workers needed to work the fields.
Understand
A visit to wine country is an indulgence of the senses. Savor complex flavors at a spring barrel tasting. Smell the bouquet and aromaof a Colorado Pinot Noir. Taste fresh Palisade (http://www.palisadecoc.com) peaches or Colorado rack of lamb at a food and wine pairing. See historic Victorian towns at cherry blossom time. Stay at quaint boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts. All of this can be enjoyed while surrounded by amazing scenery, ranging from red rock mesas to snow covered mountains.