Amid the state’s wine season, the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board recently announced the 12 winners of the Colorado Governor’s Cup Collection. The state’s 170 winemakers not only celebrated a bountiful harvest this season but were also happy to toast to the new and repeat winners of the 2022 collection.
This year’s competition included 279 wine submissions from 38 local wineries. Each of the wines was blindly judged by a panel of sommeliers, chefs, writers and wine experts from around the country.
12 winning wines make up the Governor’s Cup Collection for 2022 and will be available for sampling on November 4 at the Colorado Uncorked event and are the public’s only chance to taste the award-winning wines at the same time. This is also where the best of the show will be announced.
“We are thrilled to welcome three new wineries to the Governor’s Collection for the first time,” said Doug Caskey, executive director of the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board. “They join seven returning wineries, all showing an outstanding array of styles and varieties, and as always, extremely high quality. Congratulations to all our participating wineries!”
Highly respected wine icons from the industry made their way to Denver to sit on this year’s 19-person judging panel. Notable returning judges included Doug Frost, Master of Wine and Master Sommelier; Ashley Hausman, Master of Wine; and Clara Klein, Sommelier at Sunday Vinyl. New notable judges on this year’s panel include Zach Lewison, Sommelier at Sonnenalp in Vail; Drew Dinh, Sommelier at newly opened Terra Denver, Matty Carroll, Beverage Director at The Kitchen Restaurant Group and Nathan Gordon, manager at The Vineyard Wine Shop in Cherry Creek.
“I was honored to be a judge in the ’22 Colorado Governor’s Cup. It was fascinating to get such a hands-on, diverse look at what is happening in Colorado Wine, and to see the progress that is being made in our state,” said Matty Carroll, Beverage Director for the Kitchen Restaurant Group. “Perhaps even better than tasting the wines was sharing the experience with so many talented wine professionals. There are some really delicious wines being made in Colorado and I’m stoked to watch as the caliber of the industry continues to grow.”
The Governor’s Cup Collection is meant to reflect Colorado’s high-quality wine industry while showcasing the best in the state. While most of the winners hail from the popular Palisade and Grand Junction area, some close-to-home wineries such as Carboy Winery in Littleton and Aspen Peak Cellars from Bailey make up a portion of the winners as well.
Seven wineries are repeat winners this year such as Aspen Peak Cellars, Carlson Vineyards, Vino Salida Wine Cellars, Whitewater Hill Vineyards, Red Fox Cellars, Carboy Winery and The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey. New to the collection this year are wines from Mesa Park Vineyards, The Peachfork in Palisade and Slaymaker Cellars in Idaho Springs.
Below is a list of the 2022 Colorado Governor’s Cup Collection:
- Aspen Peak Cellars (Bailey) – 2021 Pinot Gris, American
- Carboy Winery (Littleton) – 2019 Petit Verdot, Grand Valley AVA
- Carboy Winery (Littleton) – 2020 Teroldego, Grand Valley AVA
- Carboy Winery (Littleton) – 2019 Blanc LaLaLa (Sparkling Gruner Veltliner), Grand Valley AVA
- Carlson Vineyards (Palisade) – 2021 Sweet Baby White Blend, American
- Mesa Park Vineyards (Palisade) – 2020 Equilibre Red Blend, Grand Valley AVA
- The Peachfork (Palisade) – 2021 Chambourcin, Grand Valley AVA
- Red Fox Cellars (Palisade) – Non-Vintage Nebbiolo, Grand Valley AVA
- Slaymaker Cellars (Idaho Springs) – Traditional Wildflower Mead
- The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey (Canon City) – 2019 Syrah, Colorado
- Vino Salida Wine Cellars (Poncha Springs) – 2017 Tempranillo, Grand Valley AVA
- Whitewater Hill Vineyards (Grand Junction) – 2021 Dry Rose of St. Vincent, Grand Valley AVA
From the list above, the Best of Show winner will be officially announced during the annual Colorado UnCorked event on November 4 at The History Colorado Center. This event will be the only opportunity for the public to try all of the award-winning wines at the same time.
Guests will be able to sample the collection of wines paired with small bites from some of Colorado’s finest restaurants including Terra Denver, River Bear Meats, Bezel at Sheraton Downtown, The Kitchen, Logan Street, Suti + Co, The Chocolate Therapist and many others.
Tickets are $65 for General Admission and $130 for the VIP experience and can be purchased at Eventbrite. Ticket purchases include a $5 donation split evenly between History Colorado and Zero Foodprint. For more information visit coloradowine.com/uncorked.