Farms and Wineries

North Fork Valley Wineries & Breweries 

Click on links below to visit winery websites.
As recently as the mid-90’s there were no wineries in the North Fork Valley at all.  Now there are over a dozen and the interest in their output is growing fast!  Winery visits (and agriculture in general) are now a big part of the reason visitors come to the North Fork Valley.  While it may be tempting to question the wisdom of grape growing at elevation, the fact is that warm days and cool nights help to concentrate sugars in the wine grapes, resulting in a superior end product!  All of our wineries are relatively humble in size.  Some are not even open to the public, while a notable few produce not only very fine wines, but also offer a memorable experience to the visitor.  Paonia also sports two well-regarded breweries.  Below is a list of wineries and breweries with links to their websites.

Hotchkiss:
Mesa Winds Winery - Lovely farm location west of Hotchkiss.  Noteworthy food offerings too!
The Storm Cellar - Tasting room on site.
Jack Rabbit Hill Winery & Peak Spirits

Paonia:
Stone Cottage Cellars - Picturesque stone cottage serves as tasting room.  Small plates served.
Black Bridge Winery - Sip wine and enjoy their orchard fruit while sitting on the banks of the North Fork River.  
Qutori Wines & Root & Vine Market - Attractive location on the highway right outside Paonia.  Nice patio and food offerings.
Puesta Del Sol: Alfred Eames Winery - Tastings by appointment only - and worth it!
5280 Winery - Tastings by appointment only.  970-527-6476
Big B's Hard Cider - Two miles west of Paonia right off the highway.  This is a destination!  Cafe and farm store too plus weekend live music.
Chrysalis Brewery - Well liked brewery just off the main street in Paonia.
Clear Fork Cider
Painted Vineyard
​
From the West Elks American Viticural Area Website:
The West Elks American Viticultural Area (AVA) spreads through Delta county on the Western Slope of Colorado. It boasts of some of the highest vineyards in North America and some of the best Colorado wine. This high mesa area in the Colorado Rockies seems an unlikely place to grow grapes and make wine. But here you will find some of the best wine produced in the state.

West Elks AVA is noted for its production of white wines. Riesling and Gewurztraminer grow extremely well here as does Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. Here they produce some terrific wines. The high elevation and low humidity coupled with cool nights help retain a high degree of acidity as the grapes ripen. This is a positive for all varieties grown in the region, but it makes for especially perfect Riesling and Gewurztraminer.

Reds aren’t neglected either. Pinot Noir has found a home on the mesa slopes too. Those cool nights and warm days have been especially kind to this variety. Outstanding Merlots can be found here as well.

Vacationers traveling to the West Elks American Viticultural Area will not only enjoy tasting some of the best wines that Colorado has to offer, but will also enjoy the mountain and mesa scenery viewed from the wineries they encounter.

For information on the West Elks AVA - the official wine region designation, click here.

 

Farming and Ranching

From North Fork Visitors Guide:
A longtime home to the Ute Indian people, the first Anglo settlers of the valley immediately recognized its agricultural promise. With its potential for irrigation, rich bottomlands and mild climate, they set about planting extensive orchards. The first fruit trees were planted in the early 1880’s and by the 1892 Chicago World’s Fair, Paonia fruit was already winning top prizes.

While much has changed in the past 130+ years, the importance of “the land” remains a constant. As with the early settlers, those pursuing agriculture today pay close attention to what best “fits” the land…the determining factor, often being altitude, soil quality, terrain and the availability of irrigation water.

Since the 1880’s, agriculture and animal husbandry have been not only a means of making a living, but have become an important part of the communities identity. While cattle and sheep still dominate, some diversification is taking place into Buffalo and Elk. Along with the expansions in livestock ranching, there’s been a strong trend in crop and fruit farming towards “organic” methods. Early settlers would be surprised to see the quickly growing local wine and organic fruit & vegetable operations.

For those new to the area, who happen upon a cattle drive along our roadways, here is a helpful brochure to help you navigate through these semi-annual drives. 
For information regarding the Valley Organic Growers Association, visit their website here.

 

North Fork Valley Orchards

If you are craving fresh peaches, apples, cherries, apricots, pears, berries and much more, then there are two orchards that top the list for a visit.  The First is Big B’s/Delicious Orchards just about two miles west of Paonia on Highway 133.  This is a charming, funky & agri-hip destination.  There’s a very nice farm store featuring goods from the farm along with at-the-source farm fresh ciders and hard ciders.  If you arrive in September or later make sure to get the unpasteurized “cold pressed” cider – hard to beat!  Big B’s has a hard cider following big enough to warrant a hard cider festival in October.  There is a sweet little on-site café with tasty and creative food and outdoor seating under a canopy of trees - even tire swings for the kids (or playful adults).  Big B’s has regular Friday night live music events during high season (summer & fall) featuring regionally and nationally known touring acts.  Fruits and veggies are available pre-picked or pick-your-own. Worth the stop for several reasons.

Our second excellent orchard suggestion is Orchard Valley Farms & Black Bridge Winery.  Accessed a quarter mile south of Highway 133 just east of Paonia.  Orchard Valley Farms is  a good pick for “pick-your-own” goodies… they have it all and the peaches are amazing!  There’s a great farm store with local fruit and veggies, culinary treats, as well as a tasting room for the wineries’ output.  One of the nicest features is the location on the banks of North Fork of the Gunnison River.  There are Adirondack chairs right by the riverbank – a great place to sip wine or eat a peach!  There are plenty of other orchards in the area that are less focused on direct sales, but may be worth checking out.

And don't forget farmer's markets!  Every Saturday in Summer and through October, there is a farmer's market hosted at the Creamery Arts Center in downtown Hotchkiss.  The market runs from 10am - 2pm.  In Paonia, check out Arbol Farmer's Market Tuesday evenings (5-8pm) from mid-May to mid-October at Paonia Town Park.  Markets feature live music, wine tasting and a community meal in the shady park!  Crawford Farmer’s Market is due to debut in the summer of 2022 in downtown Crawford next to Crawford Creative Gallery.