Good Morning!

I am freshly back from the beautiful state of Colorado and I worked pretty hard but I also had a chance to play and explore. I normally go to CO several times a year but the last 2 years I have not been able to fit it into my schedule, so it was great to go back. When I think of a Colorado vacation I always think of rafting and skiing. But I have volunteered at several wineries in the past and I normally I am in the Rocky Mountain state in the fall, but this trip was to Salida, CO to take care of some business with family. The weather was warm and dare I say hot, but since I left Texas to go to Salida, Texas is really hot, so I will just say it was great leaving the humidity. Salida is known for the ski resorts and the town is filled with art galleries and fun loving folks.

When we landed in Denver it was 7:30 AM and we had a 3 hour drive ahead of us through the mountains, some still had a little snow on the peaks. It is such a pretty place, God might have done some of his best work on their landscape. As we drove to my Aunts’ home I see a building that says Vino Salida and I said you guys have a winery? We have two! I knew I would make time for a visit to each while I was there, I could not possibly be stuck with lawyers and realtors all day. My Aunt said they make only Colorado wines and I don’t know if they are any good.

When my Aunt was young and in good health she was a wine rep in Ann Arbor, MI. She stopped doing that type of work at least 30 years ago. She is really kind of a wine snob and only drinks the big Napa Cabs and once in a great while she will have Pinot Noir from Oregon. I knew if I wanted to really have an unbiased opinion, I would have to check it out for myself.

One afternoon I pulled into the place and when I walked in, it was my Utopia! The place was a long metal structure building and on one end is a car repair business and several other service businesses were also in the strip of this building. The outside was painted a bold color of pinkish and in big letters said Vino Salida and they had a bright red door. When I stepped inside, you could have been anywhere in the wine making world. I looked around the wall and saw they were manually filling wine bottles and the energy was buzzing and a tall, young bearded man stepped out and said Hi and we started talking and pouring and his name is Steve Flynn, the winemaker. The place is probably about as big as a 4 car garage and everyone helping had volunteered and before we knew it we were all barrel sampling and getting to know each other.

Steve has worked for several other winemakers and this is his first vintage released! The really great story Steve told was about how Colorado wines are trying to stay true to the areas, you know, eat local, drink local and make wine from grapes from the state. I know the Texas winemakers feel the same way! Steve makes some awesome wines! I loved his labels, loved his Syrah and the Merlot straight from the barrel. I found Steve’s wines to be true to the fruits of the area and he is not over oaking (at least in my opinion) and the place was neat as a pin. He is using all new barrels and I am sure the more he makes the more he will tweak his processes and really become a destination stop for skiers and travelers. I have to head back to CO in a few months and I am hoping to bring home more Merlot for my personal enjoyment. Steve makes about 1000 cases per year.

Steve has an ecletic tasting area and just a couple of steps away from the bar, you are standing in the production area and surrounded by barrels. Nothing too fancy, just good winemaking and surrounded by friends! The wines rocked and the experience of watching another winemaker kick off his career gave me goosebumps! I am so thrilled I stopped to see the operation and taste the wines. I bought a bottle of the Vino Blanc and Vino Rosso….They are both young, fun and pretty wines, the white is unfiltered and the Chardonnay in the blend has spent some time in oak, so I liked it with some tangy goat cheese and Wheat Thins….yes, I know that is not a very extravagant pairing, but it’s what I had and the Vino Rosso, has not been consumed yet, so I will keep you posted.

A few days later I was walking the streets of Salida and they had a Friday night art walk going on and in one of the shops I see people tasting wine and loving it and I looked up and Steve was standing there, pouring wines and having a ball. People love his wines and love his love for Salida, I am super excited for his success and I hope I create fun wine experiences for my friends, family and soon to be clients!

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi