No mention of the Winery at Holy Cross Abbey in Ca�on City, where prisoners from the Colorado Department of Corrections harvest the grapes to make chardonnays and Rieslings; Westword's article on the abbey can be accessed by clicking here. It's not the best wine we've ever sipped, but if you're looking for "amazing" -- or at least bizarre -- experiences, this qualifies. Or what about Z Cuisine's outstanding French wine list, which received a Best of Denver award this year? Everywhere else in the country scored a mention for some cutesy wine bar-this or �ber Francophilic bistro-that, so why not Z Cuisine's outstanding list?
Or if you want to get into actual vineyards and bottles, the Western Slope has become a beacon for grape growers, who have replaced much of the old fruit orchards with vines. The cottage industry isn't so nascent any more -- it's been more than ten years since wineries started opening in droves -- so there shouldn't be quite as much skepticism about the wines being produced. "I think it's getting better every year," says Duey Kratzer of Mondo Vino. "The older the vines get, the better the things that are coming out." He recommends the Rieslings -- "That's what most people really like; we get the most oohs and ahhs from those" -- and Plum Creek is the safe bet for a label. And while Colorado varieties haven't gotten over the holy-shit-that's-good-for-a-Colorado-wine hump to just holy-shit-that's-a-good-wine, what more could you ask for when seeking out "unforgettable wine adventures"? -- Amy Haimerl
