On a shimmering, sunny day earlier this week I traveled west over
McClure Pass toward Paonia, to the North Fork Valley, for a meeting
with West Elk area winemakers to tour their vineyards and wineries, to
taste their wines and to hear their stories.
Through my assistance at the Woody Creek Winery for the past few
seasons, and through tasting some of the area’s wines, I already had a
lay of the land and a sense of things. I’ve heard that before the Great
Depression, the North Fork Valley had the highest concentration of
grapevines in the world. And I have heard that there are 135-year-old
Portuguese vines growing on hillsides somewhere. But this tour put
things into a much clearer picture. I was able to see the continuity
and community that the area winemakers share. They all have an
attachment to storied properties with stunning views. It is quiet. And
they have small, modern wineries that produce wines to match that
spirit.
Full Story »
