Colorado wine may not boast the reputations of other grape-growing regions like Napa Valley or Sonoma County, but one area on the Western Slope has curried enough favor with drinkers that it recently landed near the top of a list of the country’s best regions.
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The West Elks American Viticultural Area, which encompasses Paonia and Hotchkiss, is the No. 2 wine region in the U.S., according to USA Today’s 10BEST ranking. The company’s recurring best-of lists are essentially popularity contests where the public gets to decide the winners. But the publication still tasks a panel of experts to develop the original list of contenders.
Experts selected wine regions based on “the collections of wineries and vineyards within each region, as well as the climates and terroirs that lend themselves to distinctive flavors,” USA Today wrote. “Then, readers voted to decide the winners.”
The West Elks AVA ranked second behind Rogue Valley in Oregon, and came in ahead of several notable wine regions including the Texas Hill Country (No. 3), Paso Robles, Calif. (No. 4) and the Willamette Valley in Oregon (No. 8). In 2025, voters deemed West Elks AVA the 6th best in the nation on USA Today’s 10BEST, so it got a significant boost this year.
Maybe Coloradans showed out in force to vote in the competition or, perhaps, Colorado wine is getting better. Where locally made vino was once regarded as too sweet and too fruity, experimentation with new grape varietals has helped elevate the industry, experts say.
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Considering the bulk of local grapes are grown in the North Fork Valley, which includes Paonia, Hotchkiss, Crawford, as well as Palisade, it makes sense that the wineries there are becoming increasingly sought out. Some like Mesa Winds Farm and Winery in Hotchkiss also have an agritourism component that allows drinkers to both experience the products and get a peek at where they come from.
Looking for more recommendations? Bookcliff Vineyards in Palisade, which also operates a Boulder taproom, was also recently named the “absolute best” in Colorado by Tasting Table.
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