Does the state of Colorado have wineries? Yes, many! There are many wine regions in Colorado--click this link Colorado Wine--to see their locations within our valleys and plateaus, fueled in summer by mountain snowmelt and three hundred days of sunny weather and cool dry nights.
Please click on to enlarge
Last summer my husband and I visited Balistreri Winery located at 1946 E. 66th Ave, in Denver, Colorado.
John Balistreri’s ancestors immigrated from Sicily to the United States in the early 1900s. They eventually found their way to Colorado, where they worked as “truck farmers” producing local vegetables in the North Denver community. In 1964, John Balistreri built greenhouses and started his own business growing carnations. During this time, John continued the Sicilian tradition of producing wine for family and friends. In 1998, John’s daughter Julie and his wife Birdie encouraged him to make his wine production a commercial endeavor. On the very same land that the family had once grown carnations, stands a new facility equipped with a wine cellar, tasting room, event center, and restaurant.
Although located in what is now a very industrial area of Denver, the winery is a green oasis with beautiful grounds and is often used as a reception or wedding venue.
Inside is a large seating area that also can be used for receptions and other events.
We enjoyed a few sips of different wines in their tasting room. Among the wines they produce are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Muscat, Cherry Wine, Viognier and Port.
We decided to stay for lunch in their tasting room cafe and we were very impressed with their menu selection and quality of food! We both enjoyed a very delicious lobster risotto. It was presented so beautifully with a scattering of edible flower petals on top.
* As of this writing, because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, they are not offering in-house wine tasting or food, but have online ordering available for curbside pickup of take-out food and wine, and hope to be able to return to normal as soon as they are allowed.
We really enjoyed our visit to Balistreri Vineyards. We purchased a few bottles of their wine we enjoyed the most during our tasting, to enjoy at home. One of the bottles we picked up was "Little Feet Merlot" wine--more about that extra special wine in my next post!
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38 comments:
Pat - it is wonderful to imagine that this enclave exists in the sprawling metropolis of Denver. And what a terrific story of pioneering success and innovation! I can almost taste the wine and risotto (one of my favorite dishes) here at Mosaic Monday! (By the way, I am deeply grateful for your faithful participation in MM - it means so much to me!)
Ballistren Vineyards looks like a fabulous place to visit, I think I could spend all day there and it would soon become a favourite place to go.
Happy MM, Maggie @ turning the page
a winery is such a fun place to visit - lovely place and photos!
Hello Pat,
The winery looks beautiful. The lobster risotto sounds yummy too. It is sad they can not have the in-house wine tasting now. Maybe soon?
I wonder if they wine is available in stores near me. I would like to try their Little Feet Merlot. Lovely photos. Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week!
I love visiting wineries and this one looks great. That lobster risotto sounds yummy!
Sounds like a great place to visit and eat. One time we went to a resort in Oregon where they served and sold local wines. We bought two bottles to take with us. We were traveling in our small airplane so I wrapped them in towels and put them in our clothing bags so they wouldn't break. They didn't break, but they popped their corks at altitude. At the next place we landed to camp we had to hang our "laundry" to dry, but couldn't wash it. We smelled like wine for days after that. Good thing it was white wine and not Burgandy! - Margy
Little feet Merlot....that sounds interesting! How nice to visit a vineyard and it will be something we look forward to in the future. We have a Blueberry winery nearby. Enjoy your week!
The grapes look so juicy and delicious!
I liked this tour a lot and did not know much about Colorado wines -- enjoyed learning. .... We have taken more than a few winery tours (Oregon has great pinots -- white and red -- and years ago we toured Napa Valley -- back so long ago that tastings there were free -- I understand that they are very expensive now! But Oregon's are still free of charge, except of course we always buy at least a bottle, but after all that's why we're there!. a couple of ours have good restaurants too and I agree that is a special way to dine out. ... Some of ours here in Lane County are now about to open up again, so perhaps with luck we will be able to enjoy a visit this summer.
I'm not a wine drinker but have always wanted to visit a vineyard.
Dawn aka Spatulas On Parade
What a beautiful outdoor spot!!
It certainly looks a lovely winery.
Your lobster risotto sounds delicious.
I look forward to learning more about 'Little Feet Merlot' …
Happy June Wishes.
All the best Jan
I adore visiting a good winery. This looks lovely.
Wine and food! It doesn't get much better than that!
Those clusters of grapes look wonderful and tasty.
Glad you enjoyed your time at the vineyard! Looks like a nice place to visit.
Amazing to hear about the entrepreneurial spirit and the story behind the scenes. Covid has certainly changed so many things for everyone.
Damn I wanna go there heheh! I enjoyed the pics :-)
Have a vinetastic week and stay safe 😷😷😷
Great post.
It's been a while since I've been at a vineyard. You give me the "itch" to visit once again!
Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2020/06/more-quarantine-baking.html
That's beautiful. I would love to go to Colorado. Never been there!
How can you do Red wine from Blue berries? Would like to taste Your Red thou. Peace out!
That's nice they have curbside pick up for both food and drink. There are some places that have Brandy Old Fashioned kits, a big drink around these parts.
I wonder if your CO wine tastes like the OR wine I tasted way back when. It was very good.
Now you've got me thinking about lobster risotto.
Balisteri, not Balistreri is a name a I hear a lot, especially in Milwaukee. Wonder if one of those spellings got jostled around.
There are a few wineries around here, actually one practically down the road that I've never been to.
Pat, The grapes inthe first photo look delicious and the risotto also. Have a great week. Sylvia D.
I suppose any kind of soil will give a unique taste to wine and I'm glad you found some good stuff!!!
Thanks for being a part of 'My Corner of the World' this week!
Well, you know I like wine so this ticks all my boxes! It looks like a beautiful place and wonderful dinner and the wine must have been quite good if you decided to get some to bring home! Thanks for this one.
mmmm - wonderful!
That looks like a nice winery, we love wine tastings.
Looks like fun, and the property looks beautiful!
This looks like a fun place to visit. I love wineries and vineyards. This one is so pretty! Thanks for taking us along!
I should say that good wine is one of my favorite things. Nothing like a nice trip to a winery and some good food, too! Thanks for linking up and continue to stay well.
Sounds like the perfect climate for wine grapes. I love visiting wineries. Must do it again soon. Thanks for taking me to a Colorado winery.
We have wineries here here I need to visit.
I didn't know that Colorado had wineries. You learn something every day. Would have thought it was too dry there for grapes.
A beautiful place.
Oh to be able to enjoy a visit to a winery now. How much we take for granted, but I know you don't, Pat. You and Vinny have always lived life and enjoyed all that is out there - from mother nature to good dishes like that lobster risotto.
...from a festival standpoint, this will be a quiet summer around here!
Hi Pat, We were just talking about this Italian festival. I was showing property to clients on Sunday! We have good friends who go to festival every year and we were sad to hear it was canceled. I love your blog and your love for your adopted state!
Heather from OUr life in a click is one of my longest "blog friends."
Laura !
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