Put Some Altitude in Your Glass

Jenne Baldwin-Eaton started her career in winemaking with Plum Creek Cellars in 1994. For 22 years, Baldwin-Eaton made award-winning wines from 100% Colorado grown grapes and was involved in all aspects of running a commercial winery. The success and growth of the Colorado wine industry is very important to Baldwin-Eaton and as an instructor her goal is to pass along years of accrued knowledge and practical experience. She is currently developing and teaching the first Colorado AAS in Viticulture and Enology program, at Western Colorado Community College. She teaches courses in fermented beverage, sensory analysis, fermentation science, winemaking and viticulture.

Baldwin-Eaton teaches the courses through a combination of ground work fundamentals and hands-on experience. Students have an opportunity to work at the college vineyard, and make wine and gain knowledge from folks in the wine industry.

This week, Brad Page from Colorado Cider Company in Denver joins Paul to try ciders from his esteemed cidery. Colorado Cider Company is the oldest operating cidery in the state. Owners Brad and Kathe Page have also been planting cider and heirloom variety apples and pears at their property in Hotchkiss since 2012. Some of their most well-known products include the Glider, Dry Glider and Ol' Stumpy, produced in 2011, but they're also known for our unique lemon grass/dry hopped Grasshop-ah as well as other botanical favorites such as Pome Mel (Cyser with rosemary and Lavender) and their session cider Radl'ah.

The first cider on the list is the Colorado Cider Company's Block One Radler. This cider is made from the first planting (2013) of eleven plus cider and heirloom apple varieties at their orchard in Hotchkiss, Colorado. CCC are trying to determine what traditional apples will grow at altitude and produce unique flavorful ciders. They are happy with this first Block One harvest and think you’ll like it too! The 11 heirloom apple varieties are: Yarlington Mill, Golden Russet, Ellis Bitter, Major, Michelin, Kingston Black, Dabinett, Northern Spy, Foxwhelp, Brown’s Apple, and Wickson Crab. For more info and purchase options, click here.

The second option Paul and Brad tasted in this week's episode is Colorado Cider Company's Grasshop-ah. Aromas of lemon zest and cut grass lead to flavors of light hops and a citrus kick of lemongrass. An award winning gateway cider for beer lovers and unique thrill for cider adventurers. A hoppy cider! For purchase options, click here.

Third on this week's tasting list is the Kingston Black Cider. The classic single variety cider apple is considered a ‘bittersharp’ - it has the right balance of tannin and acid. No need to blend with other apples! This is the first single varietal from their orchard in Hotchkiss, Colorado. For information and purchase options, click here.

This week on Denver Wine Radio, Jacob Harkins joins Paul to taste four wines from around the world (of course one is from Colorado) in another episode of Colorado vs. the World. Jacob Harkins is a self-described wine geek, former wine journalist, and recovering ski bum. His current gig is running the marketing efforts of VintageView, the world leader in metal wine rack manufacturing. Paul has a VintageView set up in his winery!

The first wine tasted is the 2020 L'ESCALE SAUVIGNON BLANC, which is ripe, fresh and thirst-quenching. Showing notes of ripe stonefruit, gooseberries, nettles, and dried grass with hints of stony minerality. Click here to purchase.

The second wine tasted in this episode is the 2020 Cono Sur Organic Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. It's a very green-forward, flinty wine that goes well with greens. Click here to purchase.

The third wine on the docket is Colorado's Buckel Family 2020 Sauvignon Blanc, made in Gunnison. The Buckel Family Wine Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp white wine with notes of Palisade peach, grapefruit, melon, and apricot with hints of green pepper and a long mineral finish. Click here to purchase.

The final wine of the episode is the Manu Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. Powerful, exotic and varietal aromas of Sauvignon Blanc with tropical fruits of mango and passion, then apple and grapefruit. Click here to purchase.

Click here to view the documentary Jacob Harkins had a hand in making that was mentioned in the episode!

After graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Management and Human Resource Management from Colorado Mesa University in 2011, Cassidee was hired in 2012 as the executive director of Colorado Association for Viticulture & Enology (CAVE), the only non-profit dedicated to the winemakers and grape growers in the state. Since then, she has restructured the organization into one of the premier wine-related associations in the USA. As the director of CAVE, Shull is responsible for organizing their regional trade conference, VinCO, as well as Colorado Mountain Winefest, the largest fundraiser for CAVE. Mountain Winefest has received national acclaim, being named the Best Wine Festival in the Nation by USA Today as well as receiving the Outstanding Community Tourism Initiative Award from the Colorado Governor's Tourism Conference. Each year, Colorado Mountain Winefest brings in attendees from all over the world, as well as over one million dollars of economic revenue to the Grand Valley.

Shull is active on many boards and committees including the Palisade Tourism Advisory Board, the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board, the Western Colorado Horticultural Society Board, and the Colorado Tourism Destination Development Advisory Board. She received the inaugural Young Alumni Who’s Who award from Colorado Mesa University in 2018 and was participant in the Colorado Tourism Office Leadership Journey Class of 2019.

Outside of work, she enjoys supporting live music, D&D and spending time with her one-eyed Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Ruca – all over a glass of Colorado wine!

Blanchard Family Wines is the story of how wine can bring people together, build bridges and ignite passions that make dreams come true. This boutique winery expresses the vision of two brothers and the uniting qualities of great wine shared among friends and family.

A first-generation wine venture, the roots of the company are grounded in a family concept. The founders, Mark and James Blanchard, follow the tradition of two Blanchard brothers that can be traced back to at least the last four generations in the family.

Blanchard Family Wines is dedicated to the creation of limited production, hand-crafted, artisan wines, sourced from the top vineyards in the Sonoma Valley. They showcase the world-class appellations of Russian River, Chalk Hill, Dry Creek and Alexander Valley and most of their wines are either 100% varietal or single-vineyard products. Their family roots blend into the company philosophy, from the logo to the product names.

The first wine tasted in this week's episode is the Blanchard Family Wines Rosé. This wine is the winery's very first Colorado-made Blanchard rosé. Made from grapes grown in Palisade, Colorado, this wine is a juicy, fruity upfront tasting, heavy red-based varietal wine. Its distinct colour and flavour profile make it a rich, juicy, full bodied rosé that catches you off guard in the best way. To purchase this wine, click here.

The second wine of the episode is Blanchard's Dairy Block Blend. This wine also happens to be their first Colorado-made red wine! This wine is a delicious blend that would fit in any line-up in a Sonoma winery tasting. It's a unique varietal blend of Petite Pearl and Verona, which produce bold, rich, delicious red wines. Click here to purchase.

Jayme Henderson + Steve Steese of The Storm Cellar Winery join Paul this week to try two more of Colorado's finest wines. The Storm Cellar is a collaborative vision between Steve and Jayme; during their many years in the restaurant industry, whether for business, study, or pleasure, they spent most of their time away from work in wine country, and fell in love with it. Steve and Jayme traveled the world’s wine regions in search of their next home and adventure for years, only to finally realize that it was just over four hours west of their former home in Denver, on Colorado’s western slope. The Storm Cellar is a project founded upon a love of Colorado, a desire to make great wine in this great state, and a goal of helping to put a relatively unknown, yet up-and-coming region, on the national map.

For more info on The Storm Cellar and what Jayme and Steve are up to, visit their website, or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

This week, ChaCha Chavez (re)joins Denver Wine Radio to try two fantastic Colorado wines. ChaCha is a radio personality who has spent 30 plus years on the air in Denver, Colorado, as a Program Director and on air talent at these legendary radio stations: KS104, KS107.5, Alice 105.9, Jammin 92.5, Kool105, Jammin 1015.

The first wine on the docket for this episode is the 2018 Riesling by The Storm Cellar based out of The Redstone Vineyard on Sunshine Mesa. "The alpine desert climate, along with a compact growing season, at nearly 5,900 feet above sea level, produces grapes of high concentration and vibrant acidity. Silky in texture, the off-dry style of this Riesling is brimming with notes of ripe peach and starfruit, and it pairs perfectly with a multitude of cuisines, especially spicy dishes." - The Storm Cellar Official Website

Wine Specs:

To purchase The Storm Cellar's 2018 Riesling, click here.

The second wine of the episode is the BookCliff Vineyards 2016 Ensemble Red. This award-winning wine has black pepper and baking spice aromas which are 'inviting on the nose, with a ripe blackcurrant tone adding levity to this blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. On the palate, a black cherry flavour is bright, balanced by dry tannins and oodles of spice, tobacco, oak and cinnamon. The finish is spicy in notes of peppercorn and bay leaf.' - F.A.

This wine is unfortunately sold out, but for more delicious wines offered by Bookcliff, click here.

Doug Caskey will be the first to tell you that he has one of the best government jobs in Colorado. At one point Doug was the store manager at the Boulder Liquor Mart. Now the executive director at Colorado Wine Industry Development Board, Doug shares thoughts about this week's wines, his thoughts on sake being considered a wine, and makes many recommendations on some delicious new drinks to try. If you want to know what's what when it comes to Colorado wines, hangout spots, the technicality of making wine at Colorado wineries, or just where the good grape growing areas are, ask Doug.

This week's first wine is the Carlson Vineyards NFSW white wine. People who rave about this wine note its lightly sweet, acidic, fresh and refreshing taste, but you'll have to listen to what Doug and Paul have to say for a metaphorical taste of this wine, since it's currently sold out.

This week's second wine is another red table wine from Whitewater Hill Vineyards, the 2018 St. Vincent. As described by Whitewater Hill Vineyards, 'This wine boasts red currant and raspberry notes on the nose, with delicate flavors of cranberry and apple on the palate. This wine has a subtle aftertaste of pecans and walnuts.' This wine was recognized by both the Colorado Governor's Cup and International Eastern Wine Competition (East Meets West) in 2021. To buy this wine, click here.

Blues guitarist Jack Hadley drops by to talk about his new CD, Daybreak In Alabama The Langston Hughes Project. A two year project in the making that features the poetry of Langston Hughes and Jack's music.

Show Notes:

[0:44] Who is Langston Hughes?

[4:44] How did you get the idea for this project?

[7:59] Any obstacles along the way?

[11:27] What's your favorite track?

[13:30] Listen to a sample of track 1: As I Grew Older

[17:00] What did you learn during this process?

[22:46] Giving credit to The Estate of Langston Hughes

Buy a CD at https://jackhadleymusic.net/ or stop by Bonacquisti Wine Company.

This is the final part of our meetup for C.A.V.E., Colorado Association for Viticulture and Enology.

Marcel and Julie Flukiger of Aspen Peak Cellars have the most incredible story of starting and rebuilding their winery not once, but twice. 

Show Notes:

[1:46] Lightning strikes the winery

[3:10] An 18 Wheeler ran over the winery

[4:45] The Whack-a-Mole Winery

[6:51] Snowshoe and Fondue

[8:32] Tasting 285 Fusion