Colorado Wine Room's Latest News

Winter Doldrums?

Happy New Year to all our friends and customers!  We hope you had a wonderful Christmas season.  We offer our sincere wishes for a prosperous, fun-filled, satisfying year, punctuated by great meals with great friends and of course great Colorado wines!  So far the year looks to be a good one.  We continue to see new faces and returning customers.  People seem to really enjoy bringing their out-of-town family and friends in to see our place, taste some wine, talk about the growing Colorado Wine Industry and buy some nice things to commemorate the visit.  Another pattern that seems to please everyone is the giving of Colorado Wine Room gift certificates.  They are available in any amount and allow the recipient to find the wine or gift of their own choosing.  The photo at right was taken at Grande River Vineyards the day after our first decent snowfall this winter.  Many of the area viticulturists were very pleased about this much needed moisture because they've seen what can happen around here in a warm dry winter.  With insufficient water in the ground, the buds and root systems can really suffer.

Mid winter is the time for winemakers to implement plans for the new wines.  Not much is happening in the vineyard, but the white wines from last harvest  are likely to require some attention.  For those wines that don't need any barrel aging, it's time to get them ready for bottling.  Take our very own Talon Viognier for example. It's now in its 2nd month of cold-stabilization.  This process simply involves keeping the wine as cold as possible.  This minimizes the amount of tartrate that might precipitate in the bottle should the customer put it in the refrigerator for an extended period of time.  Potassium bitartrate, or cream of tartar, is also used in baking.  The substance is completely harmless and merely a cosmetic flaw.  It has no impact on the flavor of the wine. Cold stabilization is a procedure that requires both time and energy.  It's hardly a perfect science and not all wineries bother with it, but it is somewhat expected of modern wineries to prevent unneccessary complaints or questions on the part of uninformed consumers.  Stable or not, in a few weeks we'll call it good, filter and bottle it for release in March.

What a Night!

Fifteen panelists, blinded by brown paper bags (on the bottles, not their heads) tasted 27 wines on Friday the 13th under a full moon - brave souls every one!  There were 6 flights of 3-5 wines each for our panelist to experience and provide critical analysis.  There were very nice wines, some tight groupings and difficult decisions to make, but we did the job.  We're still analyzing the results, but you should know that several of the wines we've been carrying are just about gone and it's time to bring on some new characters to freshen up our offerings.  Also know that some of our old standbies are still available, but all will eventually go the way of the rest of them:  no longer available.   The good news is that Colorado winemakers are gaining experience and skill in their craft, so a new crop of great Colorado wines is on the way!

High Class

It's time to learn!  Sign up for either one or both of our classes coming up.  We have our ever more popular Wine Tasting 101 Class offered through GJ Parks and Rec Department.  Do you find wine intriguing? Want to learn more? Join us as we sip and swirl our way to a better understanding of wine and its complexities. We will discuss such wine concepts as dryness, fruitiness, tannins and acidity. Come spend an evening sampling a variety of fine Colorado wines followed by light hors d'oeuvres.  Classes are Feb. 3, 2006 and Mar. 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.  Cost is $32 for GJ residents and $40 for non-residents.  Click Here to sign up online or call the GJ P & R Dept. at 254-3866.

Also offered through Grand Junction Parks and Rec Department is Wine & Cheese Pairings.  If you love cheese and enjoy wine then this class is for you! Join us for a fun and tasty evening with cheese purveyor Alice Haberkorn of B. Finicky's Fine Foods. Artisan and farmstead cheeses will be paired with delicious local wines for the ultimate tasting experience. You will learn about the various categories of cheese and differences in milks, rinds, textures, flavors and aromas. Participants will receive a handout featuring the artisan cheese and wine pairings served during the class, as well as compatibility guidelines useful for hosting your own wine and cheese party. Sign up early, this one will fill up fast!  Classes are February 24 and March 3 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.  Cost is $40 for GJ residents and $50 for non-residents.  Click Here to sign up online or call the GJ P & R Dept. at 254-3866.

Attention Wine Lovers!

If you enjoy wine and want to have a steady supply of GREAT Colorado wine, the Colorado Wine Club is just for you.  You get two bottles of specially selected wine each month, along with a welcome gift and information about the selected wines.  You can even select the types of wines you receive, whether it's dry wines only, sweet wines only, or a combination of sweet and dry, we have a wine club for you.  There's no cost to join and you get 10% off everything in the store, including the wine.  Furthermore, you get unlimited complimentary tasting.  The Colorado Wine Club is also an ideal gift for those interested in learning more about wine.  We ship to several states, including California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, New Mexico.  Although we're unable to ship wine within Colorado, area Club members enjoy coming into the shop each month to pick up their wines.  Click Here for more information about joining the Colorado Wine Club.

Cheers!

 Want More News and Info?  Check out our E-News Back Issues

November 2005 E-News

October 2005 E-News

August 2005 E-News

July 2005 E-News