2009 Summer/Fall Seasonal E-Newsletter

farm-to-table fresh Cuisine
Farm-fresh food is more than a fad, it’s a great way to experience the tastiest produce Colorado has to offer. The state’s mild climate is ideal for a number of crops, including peaches, cherries, melons and corn. Pull up a chair and let the state’s award-winning chefs serve up an assortment of delicacies grown right here in Colorado.

Across Colorado, chefs are passionate about fresh foods and flavors, using local ingredients to create memorable dishes. Some chefs are taking their commitment to local products to the next level by growing the produce used at their restaurants on their own farms. Ryan Hardy, Executive Chef at Montagna at The Little Nell in Aspen, grows produce and raises livestock on his 15-acre farm, Rendezvous Farms. He also produces masterful cheeses used in his recipes. Chef Eric Skokan at Black Cat Bistro in Boulder uses his farm to grow produce incorporated into an ever-changing menu at his restaurant. At The Kitchen in Boulder, Chef Hugo Matheson changes his menu daily, based on deliveries from local farmers, and always reflects the best seasonal fare available.

Organically Minded
The state’s bounty of just-picked produce is one reason the farm-to-table movement is so prevalent in Colorado. In Boulder alone, for example, there are more than 70 entities actively involved in this dining trend. Not surprisingly, Colorado ranks number two in certified organic acreage, nearly one quarter of the nation’s total.

Olathe sweet corn, Paonia cherries, Rocky Ford melons, Lyons apples, Palisade peaches and sweet Pueblo green chilies are local and international favorites. Savor these flavors by visiting the orchards, stopping by farmers’ markets, roadside fruit and vegetable stands or u-pick farms. For more on Colorado cuisine, visit Colorado.com.

 

 

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Novel Ways to Explore AUTUMN'S Colors
Colorado’s aspens will be donning their exceptional fall colors in a few months. If you’re looking for a new approach to viewing these iconic trees, we’ve put together a number of options for adding inspiration to your colorful vacation.

Let's talk about the quintessential Colorado tree. The beautiful aspen. We've named towns, streets, dogs — even beer — after this glorious tree. In the summer, the aspens provide shade for our state flower, the columbine, and in the fall, Coloradans rejoice when the aspens' quaking leaves turn their vibrant shades of gold. The month of September is the ideal time to witness this gilded spectacle, but you have to time it right — the color is fleeting, lasting only a few weeks in different areas of the state. Often, when one portion of the state’s color fades, another section of Colorado is just beginning its seasonal change. The best strategy: select your travel dates in advance, but not your destination. Then go wherever the color is. Consider these somewhat different approaches to aspen peeping.

Hot Air Ballooning
Ballooning in Colorado provides new perspectives on the state’s ubiquitous granite pinnacles, rocky spires and the tawny-hues of fall aspens. When you find yourself in a thatched basket, hundreds of feet up in the crisp Colorado air, the colors unfold below in a seemingly unending canvas of yellow and gold. The landscape becomes increasingly intriguing and inspiring while drifting from this high altitude angle.

Reserve your spot on a hot-air balloon adventure at Colorado.com.

Horseback Riding
Few activities embody the West like an old-fashioned horseback ride through Colorado. Somehow, aspen viewing, wildlife watching, sightseeing and simply enjoying the outdoors are a different experience when sitting astride a saddle. Consider a trail for the day or book a vacation at a Colorado dude ranch.

Explore more horseback riding options on Colorado.com.

Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV)
Travel deep into aspen-covered backcountry while riding a mountain bike, four-wheeler, or 4x4. Forest trails, often explored by just a handful of visitors, abound in Colorado. Find yourself surrounded by speckled aspen bark, as a golden canopy of color rises above you.

Find an OHV operator at Colorado.com.

 

 

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A Ghostly Old West Adventure
Ghost towns in Colorado may have long been uninhabited, but their lasting history and eerily quiet streets are still here. Find some of the most easily accessed ghost towns throughout Colorado, and get a sense for what it was like to live in a frontier mining town.

Some of Colorado's most interesting and scenic towns are missing one key element: people. Colorado's ghost towns make for fascinating exploration, as well as terrific photo opportunities, and many of them are easy to reach. Here are a few of the state's intriguing ghost towns.

St. Elmo, Vicksburg, Winfield
One of the state's more accessible ghost towns is St. Elmo, west of Buena Vista. It's also one of the best preserved sites. The nearby Mary Murphy mine produced millions of dollars in gold before closing in 1926. Among the 24 buildings that still stand are private homes and a mercantile and courthouse, some dating back to the town's origins in 1879. To get there, take US 285 south from Buena Vista to County Road 162 and follow it west for 19 miles.

North of Buena Vista, you'll find two more ghost towns, both accessible by most vehicles. From US 24 at Granite, go west on County Road 390 to Vicksburg. With a handful of existing buildings, it's maintained as a museum by a local historical society. A little further on, you'll come to Winfield, where scant remains tell of disappointed miners; it went from boom to bust in only three years.

Independence, Ashcroft
Independence is one of the most easily reached ghost towns in summer. Colorado Highway 82 actually goes through what remains of town - which is quite a bit. Unfortunately, its altitude (almost 11,000 feet) made it inaccessible most of the year. Even today, nearby Independence Pass is closed nearly nine months of the year – generally from Labor Day to Memorial Day.

The Aspen Historical Society looks after Ashcroft, also near Aspen, and its nine remaining buildings. Once home to two newspapers, 20 saloons, a school and many private homes, the town faded when gold mining played out. To get there take Castle Creek Road about 10 miles south of Aspen.

Dearfield
The only all-African American pioneer settlement in Colorado was situated on the eastern plains in the town of Dearfield, east of Greeley. More than 700 African Americans settled here in the early 1900s, but the town failed during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl years. Three buildings still stand: a gas station, a diner and the founder's home. Long neglected, preservation is now being undertaken by the Black American West Museum in Denver, with help from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Colorado Historical Society. To get there, take CO 34 east of Greeley about 25 miles.

Contact:
For more information on Colorado's ghost towns, visit Coloradoghosttowns.com or Ghosttowns.com.

 

 

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FEATURED EVENTS
Tours of Colorado’s Vineyards
In late summer, wine grapes hang heavy at Colorado’s vineyards. True wine lovers have taken serious note of Colorado’s varietals and wine-tasting events - we divulge where and when to sample some of the most sought-after Colorado wines.

In Colorado, local vintners are eager to let you sample wine from their casks and tour the rows of fragrant grapes in their vineyards. The perfect pairing with your wine are the scenic backdrops that complement every glass.

Where the Grapes Grow
Northwest: Located on the western side of Colorado, the Grand Valley incorporates the towns of Grand Junction, Fruita and Palisade. Here, the scenery is as beautiful as the wine is delicious. Vistas abound with sandstone cliffs and lush valleys that are constant companions to the abundant vineyards. There are more vineyards in this region than any other in Colorado—it’s here where the wine revolution in Colorado began, and where many of the state’s oldest labels can be found.

Featured Area Event: The Wine Festival at Steamboat;
July 30-August 2, 2009
Come celebrate the senses at the 6th Annual Wine Festival. Almost 800 varieties of wines, spirits, and beer are available for tasting, as is the cusine from many of the region's finest restaurants.
2300 Mt. Werner Cir., Steamboat Springs, CO 80487
877-328-2783

Featured Area Event: Colorado Mountain Winefest; September 17–20, 2009
Toast the grape harvest and raise your glass to Colorado's finest vintages at the state's longest running, largest wine festival, and the only festival held in the heart of Colorado's wine country.
Riverbend Park, Palisade, CO, 81526
800-704-3667

Front Range: Abutting the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains is the Front Range region of Colorado’s wine country. Here, the largest cities in the state are only short drives away from the complex and inventive tastes of wine made from local grapes. Tasting rooms and wineries are plentiful and easily accessible from these urban areas.

Featured Area Event: WineDown the Summer at Centerra; August 28, 2009
Fine wines and savory food will complement acoustic live music.
Chapungu Sculpture Park, Loveland, CO 80538
970-962-9990

Southwest:

• Four Corners Region: Steeped in cultural history dating back thousands of years, this region provides a unique setting among wine-growing locations. Here, grape vines grow from the same earth that supported Ancestral Puebloan culture for hundreds of years. Fill your glass with a subtle cabernet and reflect on the arid landscape where grapes are harvested in the backdrop of American Indian history.
  
  Featured Area Event: Mesa Verde Country® Food, Wine & Art Festival; August 21-23, 2009
  Colorado artists, local producers and vintners gather in Cortez to sample outstanding wines. Winemaker dinners at fine restaurants will also be held in the area. 928 E. Main, Cortez, CO 81321
  800-530-2998
  
  
• Delta, Gunnison and Montrose Counties: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park spreads its immense grandeur through these three counties, giving much of the land its defining characteristics. Wines here tend to share this grand spirit and beauty as winemakers convert local grapes into well-balanced fermentations.
  
  Featured Area Event: Crested Butte Land Trust Wine & Food Festival; July 23-26, 2009
  The affair features innovative cuisine from top chefs and an outstanding variety of wines.
  Throughout Town, Crested Butte, CO
  303-809-0404

South Central: While in this region, glance into your glass of wine and you might just see the reflection of the jagged peaks surrounding you. In this part of Colorado's wine country, the towering behemoths of the Rockies lend their inspirational awe to the variety of wines. Merlots, cabernet francs, chardonnays and Rieslings are among this area’s many varietals. Consider visits to wineries in Keystone, Steamboat Springs, Georgetown and other nearby locations.


Colorado Wine: A Brief History
Colorado’s wine industry first took solid root in the early 1980s and has grown exponentially. Since the formation of the Rocky Mountain Association of Vintners and Viticulturists was created in 1982, nearly 70 wineries, vineyards and tasting rooms have sprouted in Colorado.

Today, a governing body known as the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board handles much of the promotion and oversight of the wine industry as a whole. And under its stewardship, Colorado has found its place on the map for discerning palates throughout the world. In fact, of the 100 master sommeliers in North America, Colorado has 10.

Colorado is well versed in the aging of classic wines and the growing of local grapes, but the state’s vintners also enjoy expanding on tradition and embrace a variety of blends and bouquets. Plums, peaches and cherries are among some of the fruits creatively incorporated into the state’s fermentations. For an aperitif, give one of these sweeter varietals a taste. Or, build your menu around their unique and sophisticated flavors and let the wine complement your entree.

Find a Colorado vineyard or winery at Colorado.com.
 

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