Colorado Uncorked is an annual event that celebrates the best wine in Colorado! Wineries from across the state can submit their wines to be blind-judged by a panel of sommeliers, restaurateurs, and critics from across the country. Each wine is given a gold, silver, or bronze medal. Then all of the gold-medal wines are judged against each other and the top dozen or so (this year was 14) earn a double gold medal and are featured in the Governor's Cup Collection.
This year, a wide variety of styles of wines were included in the Governor's Cup from wineries all across the state. The dry white wines were Gewürztraminer from Restoration Vineyards, Albariño from Snowy Peaks Winery, and Sauvignon Blanc from The Storm Cellar. The Storm Cellar made the only rosé in the competition; a Rosé of Pinot Noir. Single-varietal dry red wines included Chambourcin from Carboy Winery, Teroldego from Sauvage Spectrum, and Cabernet Franc from Snowy Peaks Winery. The dry red blends were Collage and Sangre del Sol from Alfred Eames Cellars, and Colorado Red from OBC Wine Project. Rounding out the list were a variety of semi-sweet and sweet wines: Fox Fire Red from Fox Fire Farms, Sarge's Sweet Red Blend from The Peachfork, Bodega Dessert Wine from Sauvage Spectrum, and Moscato from Whitewater Hill Vineyards.
At Colorado Uncorked, the public is invited to sample all of the wines in the Governor's Cup as well as small bites prepared by participating restaurants and catering companies. We had an absolute blast celebrating with some of our partners while enjoying the amazing wines and delicious food. We loved Fidel's Cocina and Bar's mole paired with Snowy Peaks Winery's Cabernet Franc. One of the most unique food pairings we found was a horchata custard from Pancho Poncho paired with the Sauvage Spectrum Bodega Dessert Wine.
Perhaps the highlight of the evening is the announcement of the winner of best in show. Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera presented this year's award.
The winner of the Governor's Cup was OBC Wine Project for their 2023 Colorado Red, a blend of Colorado-grown Teroldego, Chambourcin, and Cabernet Franc. Many people may not be familiar with this winery, and perhaps for good reason. OBC Wine Project is a spinoff of Odell Brewing Company, which launched in 2020 under the direction of head winemaker Travis Green. We were very excited to see this cross-pollination of the beer and wine industries come together for such an amazing result!
To all of the winners of this year's Governor's Cup, congratulations! We are already looking forward to next year.
Cheers,
Jason and Sarah
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