Colorado Wines was Should you bring your wife to the liquor store I just got back from Colorado, where I sampled some of the local wines. I had wine from "Two Rivers", "Bookcliff", and "Canyon Wind" wineries. I went to the "Canyon Wind" tasting room and the owner-winemaker for "Bookcliff" was hawking his wares at the farmer's market in Vail. I had "Two Rivers" at a restaurant. I would agree that the wine is "surprisingly good" in that it is quite drinkable. The varietals that tend to do best there are cab franc and cab sauvignon, although some of the Rhone varietals like viognier and syrah do okay, too. In the colder AVA (there are only two in Colorado) they claim to make nice riesling, but I never got to sample any. Some things I learned: 1. A lot of vines die. In the spring it is not a given that all the vines will leaf out. It can get very, very cold! 2. Colorado does not have phylloxera. In fact, it does not have a lot of problems with pests and disease, because the cold winters are unforgiving. They grow vines own-root. In fact, one winemaker was telling me that grafted plants are not really an option, because they always die back in the cold. This would worry me as a Colorado winemaker. I hope they can stay phylloxera-free! 3. Most Colorado wine doesn't make it out of Colorado. 4. You must purchase wine in Colorado at a liquor store or wine shop, unless it is being served at a restaurant or bar. All alcohol in Colorado (even beer) is subject to this. You will not find liquor at the grocery store, for instance. Further, these wine shops and liquor stores are not allowed to be open on Sundays. What a drag! However, there is an exception for wineries! Wineries and tasting rooms are allowed to be open and pouring on Sunday. This is because the State is trying to promote its wine industry. Dimitri 
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