The last weekend of April, Colorado was the center of the “drink local wine” world. “What’s that?” you say. If you live in Tuscany, drinking Chianti is drinking local. If you live in northern California, drinking Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley is drinking local.
Well, four years ago wine writers Jeff Siegel (WineCurmudgeon.com) and Dave McIntyre (Washington Post and dlwine.com) had an idea. They noted that most of the wine Americans drink come from the West Coast (not to mention Europe, Australia and so on). So, they decided to start an organization to promote wine from “the other 47 states.”
According to their website, drinklocalwine.com, the original idea was simply to get a handful of wine writers to blog about regional wine on the same day. That idea has grown to include the website, an annual Regional Wine Week in October, and an annual Drink Local Wine conference. This year, the fourth conference was held in Denver.
Siegel and McIntyre, their staff and the folks at the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board, especially Doug Caskey, put on an impressive event. It began with a dinner at the Colorado Governor’s Residence featuring fantastic food from Black Cat Farm Bistro of Boulder and Root Down of Denver. These two restaurants are leaders in sourcing local foods for their menus.
The point of the dinner was not lost on attendees – drink local wine with local foods, and not just because it’s good to support local producer but because both can be really good. Highlights of the dinner’s wine pairings included a 2010 Muscat Blanc from Bookcliff Vineyards, 2011 Creekside Cellars Rosé, and 2010 Anemoi Zephyrus (a petite verdot, cabernet franc blend). Especially impressive with the desserts were the 2011 Whitewater Hill Riesling Ice Wine and the 2010 Winery at Holy Cross Abbey Divinity (a Port-style wine made with merlot).
The next day featured seminars on Colorado’s terroir and the challenges in getting local restaurants to serve local wine. By many accounts, Saturday’s Twitter Taste-Off was the highlight of the event, three hours in which around 100 tasters and 23 participating wineries shared instant feedback about the wines.
I moderated a consumer panel on consumer perceptions of Colorado wine. I enjoyed questioning Jennifer Broome (the morning meteorologist on KDVR 31), Chris Anthony (a professional skier who leads “wine and dine” tours to Italy), and Jay Leeuwenberg (former University of Colorado All-American and NFL lineman, now a third-grade teacher). It was a great discussion of the good and the not so good of the Colorado wine experience, and how it can be better.
The panelists suggested ideas for restaurants to entice diners to introduce them to Colorado wines, such as featured specials and flights. They also lamented what they considered to be a lack of selection at area wine shops. In both cases pricing was an issue but each said they are willing to be “adventurous” and try more Colorado wine. They added that it helps a lot when restaurant and retail staff are knowledgeable and enthusiastic and can make informed recommendations.
For wineries and winemakers, the panelists suggested focusing on the best grapes for each region and highlighting the unique features of a particular region or winery. Basically, continuing to improve quality and marketing – good advice but, of course, we could say that about any product.
Despite the constructive criticism, the consumers were clear they had tasted good Colorado wine and they saw a bright future. They encouraged Colorado wineries to sharpen their identities and take advantage of the state’s natural beauty and the personal touch still available at most Colorado wineries.
Both McIntyre and Siegel subsequently have written about their favorable impressions of Colorado wine, saying this was the best DLW conference yet. Even George Taber, the man who first reported on California wine’s victory over French wine in a famous 1976 blind tasting and author of “The Judgment of Paris,” which tells that story, was duly impressed.
And kudos to The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey for winning the Colorado Wine Competition. Clearly, some of Colorado’s best wine is made in our own back yard.