While I enjoy Colorado wines all year, I especially appreciate them during the holidays. And that includes California wines with a Colorado connection.
What’s more of an auspicious Colorado connection than John Elway? His 7Cellars winery was founded in 2015, along with Napa Valley’s One Hope winery and Napa winemaker Rob Mondavi, Jr.
Elway’s Reserve wines (Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon) are, not surprisingly, ideal steakhouse wines. But I suggest introducing yourself to the winery with The Farm Collection. The line of three varietal wines ($20) – Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir – celebrates Elway’s college days (“The Farm’ is the nickname for Stanford University) and is intended to be more approachable (in price and drinkability).
“We are continually trying to improve our wine by sourcing the highest quality grapes from the finest wine regions in order to bring my home state of Colorado a wine they can be proud to call their own, said John Elway.” The Chardonnay is sourced from Arroyo Seco, the Pinot Noir from Monterey, and the Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles.
For each bottle purchased, 7Cellars makes a donation to Team Rubicon, a nonprofit organization that supports, trains and deploys U.S. veterans on disaster relief missions around the world.
“My desire to contribute to Team Rubicon stems from my personal adulation for the people who are serving, and have served, in the armed forces. They are the true heroes of our country and deserve our utmost respect. Giving back to Team Rubicon through our sales of 7Cellars is just one way that we can show our gratitude.”
The wines are available in local shops and online at www.7cellars.com.
For something different, I am excited to introduce atōst – a brand of creative, wine-based apéritifs founded by Cindy and Kyle Pressman and crafted in Golden. After they became fascinated with European aperitifs and aperitivos, they decided to develop American versions. From sourcing to mentorship, local partners have been critical to atōst.From local ingredients to Chad Yakobson, founder and brewer of Crooked Stave Brewery in Denver, who has partnered with the Pressmans to build the production facility and assist with the fermentation and blending process.
The process begins with a California Chardonnay base. Colorado honey is added for a light sweetness. Then, fresh, (often locally sourced) fruits, botanicals and herbs are macerated in distilled Sonoma grape spirits to create the flavors and colors of atōst. The two are blended to create the four aperitivo styles. Kyle adds, “It’s a hands-on, delicate process which ultimately produces an extremely fresh and aromatic apéritif.”
- Citrus: California lemons and oranges, Colorado juniper and peach; light and fresh
- Bloom: strawberry, candied orange, rose; succulent with rich texture
- Woods: whiskey-barrel-aged, vanilla, cherry, orange; aromatic, coconut, savory
- Roots: ginger, lemon, anise; combine for an intense, spicy cocktail
They also are less sweet & less bitter than most traditional aperitifs and cocktails, while being lower in alcohol (21%) than common distilled spirits. Expect the freshness and elegance of a glass of white wine and the boldness and complexity of a spirit-based cocktail. They are available in four distinct essences.
Cindy Pressman shared, “While the apéritif category is largely unknown in America, the qualities of our light & fresh spirits align with so many modern-day trends including the desire for lower proof options and farm-to-bottle ingredients.”
“Everything we created was centered around the mission to pour it over ice and enjoy without the need to mix a complicated cocktail,” Kyle explained, although he adds that Atōst can be taken with a splash of sparkling water or incorporated into mixed drinks.
The aperitif’s are available for purchase at their website (www.atost.co), which also has cocktail recipes. Each 750 ml bottle is $35, with free shipping on 2 bottles or more and $50 for a sampler pack of all four. If you are in the metro area, stop by their tasting room in Golden.
NOTE: Featured image courtesy 7Cellars.