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 Colorado's more than 60 wineries are spread all over the state. You can plan a trip to almost every part of Colorado and find a wine trail to follow. Just look for the blue information signs with the “Colorado Wine Trails” logo.
Drink in the brilliant sunlight, the fresh mountain air and the magnificent scenery that combine to make Colorado wines so special.
The Front Range Wine Trail, or the corridor around I-25 on the east side of the Continental Divide, is home to almost two dozen wineries and tasting rooms. Short day trips from the major metro areas of Denver/Boulder, Colorado Springs or Fort Collins allow you to sample wines from Cañon City to Estes Park, gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Heading west on I-70, the wine traveler crosses the Continental Divide and discovers wineries in enchanting Rocky Mountain villages such as Georgetown, Dillon, Aspen/Snowmass, Steamboat Springs, Minturn and Salida. Wineries at this altitude may not be able to grow grapes, but they can sure tantalize the taste buds-and occasionally wow the other senses with diversions such as world class skiing and snowboarding, thrilling whitewater rafting and crystal clear mountain air.
West of Glenwood Springs' famous hot springs pool, toward some of the world's greatest mountain biking trails in Fruita, the I-70 corridor enters a loop that circumscribes The Heart of Colorado Wine Country. This wine trail traverses two federally designated American Viticultural Areas and some of the grandest scenery in North America.
Following I-70, The Grand Valley AVA, birthplace of Colorado's resurgent wine industry and home to more than a dozen wineries, runs along the Colorado River from Palisade to the foot of the spectacular Colorado National Monument just west of Grand Junction. Heading south on US Highway 50 from there, the wine explorer can continue a dozen miles past Delta to visit the wineries near Olathe, Colorado, sweet corn capital of the world.
The Heart of Colorado Wine Country Loop then doubles back, this time turning east at Delta onto CO Highway 92 following the Gunnison River. At this point you have two choices for scenic wine trails. If you turn north on CO Highway 65 you can stop at the wineries along Surface Creek, on the south slope of Grand Mesa, the largest flattop mountain in the world. The scenic byway across the top of Grand Mesa (with over 100 lakes on top stocked with very hungry fish) is one of the most beautiful drives imaginable. That route takes you right back to I-70 where you can head to either Grand Junction or Glenwood Springs. If, on the other hand, you follow the North Fork of the Gunnison River (along CO Highway 92 east out of Delta and then CO Highway 133) until you reach Hotchkiss and then Paonia, you will find yourself in the West Elks AVA. At the foot of the West Elk Mountain Range, this charming, high altitude mountain valley produces Riesling, Pinot Gris (or Grigio), Pinot Noir and other Central European varietals. From Hotchkiss, you can: visit the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park by following CO Highway 92; follow CO Highway 133 through Paonia and over McClure Pass into Redstone and Carbondale, and then to Aspen or Glenwood Springs; or you could can turn around and go back over Grand Mesa. Either way, you complete the Heart of Colorado Wine County Loop. For a full dose of Colorado history and scenery, start at Durango then head west to Cortez and the Four Corners region near Mesa Verde National Park. Here you can walk a vineyard and pick up ancient pottery shards at the same time. Returning to the Front Range over Wolf Creek Pass then north to US Highway 50 through the storied San Luis Valley, you will pass through Salida and Cañon City, two more fountains of liquid adventure either in a wine glass or on the whitewater wonderland of the Arkansas River. And then you are in position to embark on the Front Range Wine Trail all over again.
For information about lodging and attractions in each of these areas, contact the information centers here. 
New! Macromedia Flash - Interactive Colorado Winery Map
 NEW! Front Range Wine Tour Brochure
Printable map of All Colorado Wineries
Printable
map of Grand Valley Wineries
Printable
map of West Elks Wineries
Printable
map of Front Range Wineries
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