by Diana Rowe Follow @dianarowe
Keep it local this holiday season with the gift of Colorado wine. Read on for the Colorado wine holiday pairing and gift giving ideas.
When checking your holiday gift list, why not add a Colorado wine this season, and keep your gift giving local? Colorado’s warm valleys and plateaus, watered by mountain runoff, are home to some of the best vineyards between the West Coast and the Mississippi River. Colorado wines offer hints of the majestic mountains, bright sunshine, and brilliant blue sky that make Colorado such a beautiful state.
Giving the gift of Colorado wine is like giving a taste of the Rocky Mountains. It’s time to raise a wine glass to Colorado, reduce holiday stress, and finish your holiday shopping.
Here are some Colorado wine gift-giving ideas (courtesy of the Colorado Wine Board) to pair local Colorado wine with seasonal foods and events:
Colorado Wine Pairing
- The Big Game: Cabernet Sauvignon will go great with the rich flavors of Sliders, wings or BBQ. Suggestion: Cabernet Sauvignon at Two Rivers Winery (one of 21 wineries in this most established of Colorado wine country).
- Wines to Pair with a Colorado lamb: Syrah is a wine with big flavors –black pepper, black fruits– and it handles the intense savory elements of lamb perfectly. Suggestion: Whitewater Hill Vineyards Syrah or Bookcliff Syrah
- Best Holiday Dessert Wines: Try a fruit flavored mead or a unique fruit wine in place of traditional sweet wine with chocolaty desserts. Suggestion: Meadery of the Rockies Strawberry Honey Wine or Colorado Cellars Elderberry
- Wines to Bring to a Holiday Party: Impress your friends with your knowledge of Bordeaux. Bordeaux red wines are blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.Suggestion: Book Cliff Vineyards’ Ensemble
Keep it Local: Wine Gift Giving
- For the Wine Lover: A true wine lover will know that Riesling comes in many different styles ranging from bone dry to super sweet. Suggestion: Plum Creek Dry Riesling or something they probably have never tasted, Fox Fire Farms’ Traminette
- For the Beer Snob: Cider is legally wine, but bridges the gap between wine and beer. Suggestion: Colorado Cider Company’s Radl’ah Session Cider
- For Your Boss: Cabernet Sauvignon is still king in the wine world.Suggestion: Kingman Estates Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich bold Cabernet sure to impress your boss
Unique Colorado Wine Gift Giving Ideas
- Colorado Wine B&B gift card: With so many vineyards, Colorado is also home to several B&Bs. Give your special someone a Colorado wine escape. One of my favorite destinations is a Western Colorado escape, Leroux Creek Inn & Vineyards, a secluded B&B surrounded by vineyards, and the valleys and mesas of the Grand Mesa.
- Colorado Wine Festival: Give the gift of wine tasting with tickets to the Denver International Wine Festival,