{"id":3355,"date":"2026-08-03T21:03:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T21:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=3355"},"modified":"2026-08-03T21:03:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T21:03:20","slug":"western-slope-area-voted-second-best-wine-region-in-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=3355","title":{"rendered":"Western Slope area voted second-best wine region in the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"
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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\u2019s best regions.<\/p>\n

Read more Coloradans bet a record $6.4 billion on sports in the last year<\/a><\/p>\n

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\u2019s 10BEST ranking. The company\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Experts selected wine regions based on \u201cthe collections of wineries and vineyards within each region, as well as the climates and terroirs that lend themselves to distinctive flavors,\u201d USA Today wrote. \u201cThen, readers voted to decide the winners.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s 10BEST, so it got a significant boost this year.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Read more Trump stands to profit off US policy announcements by selling fast access to his social media posts<\/a><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Looking for more recommendations? Bookcliff Vineyards in Palisade, which also operates a Boulder taproom, was also recently named the \u201cabsolute best\u201d in Colorado by Tasting Table.<\/p>\n

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox. <\/em><\/p>\n

Read more Aurora police officer indicted on murder, manslaughter charges in Black man\u2019s death<\/a><\/p>\n

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The West Elks AVA ranked second behind Rogue Valley in Oregon, and came in ahead of wine regions in Texas Hill Country, Paso Robles, Calif. and the Willamette Valley in Oregon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3354,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,7,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-restaurants-food-and-drink","category-things-to-do"],"yoast_head":"\nWestern Slope area voted second-best wine region in the U.S. - Colorado Springs Moverss<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=3355\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Western Slope area voted second-best wine region in the U.S. - 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