The grapes are Flowering in the BookCliff Vineyards

Last Thursday we visited the vineyards to see the progress the grapes are making. Due to the recent wave of hot weather the grapes are growing like weeks. Some of the varieties are flowering at the moment. One of them is the Merlot. As you walk down the rows you can smell the sweet scent. We keep our fingers crossed that it does not rain and that we won't have high winds while the grapes flower and set fruit. If everything goes according to schedule, we can expect ripe fruit in the middle of September.

2013 Colorado Governors Cup - BookCliff Vineyards

The 2012 Unoaked Chardonnay from BookCliff Vineyards received the Best Chardonnay award of all Colorado Chardonnays submitted to the 2013 Colorado Governors Cup Wine Competition. This is the first time BookCliff Vineyards made an unoaked Chardonnay. Every year our Chardonnay spent less time in oak barrels. The 2012 grapes also produced a rich flavor full of fruit. The wine shows a smooth, buttery finish. This is a wine to enjoy on its own. Cheers!!
Ron Carlton, deptuty agriculutral commissioner and Doug Caskey, director of the colorado wine development board, present the award to John Garlich, owner/winemaker at BookCliff Vineyards.

BookCliff Vineyards Winemaker Dinner at Arugula Boulder

Join us right near the summer solstice for a wonderful nearly all local meal.  All the wines are made right here in Boulder by BookCliff Vineyards.  100% of the grapes come from their own vineyards in Palisade, at the head of Colorado’s Grand valley.  All grapes are grown using sustainable farming practices; never using pesticide and herbicide and only using compost as fertilizer.  Founders, owners and winemakers John Garlich and Ulla Merz will be at the dinner to present and discuss their wines.  Chef’s Alec Schuler and Sven Hedenas created the adeptly paired menu using Italian culinary inspiration and as many local products as possible.

Date: Tuesday 6/25/13

Time: 6:30pm

Location: Arugula, 2785 Iris Ave, Boulder, CO 80304

Cost: $40/person for the meal with an additional $29/person for the wines (+tax & tip).

Reservation: 303.443.5100

  

THE MENU

Smooth hakurai Japanese turnip* soup topped with pea shoot* puree,
 walking onions* and toasted hazelnuts

Muscat Blanc 2010

Pan seared King salmon with spicy braising greens*, smoked apricots*
 and Italian style parsley* salsa verde

Zinfandel 2011

Handmade potato gnocchi with pulled duck confit, kale*, bing cherries*,
 orange zest and Greek feta cheese

Ensemble (Bordeaux blend) 2011

Long Farm pork belly* & pork tenderloin* porchetta with roasted yellow beets*, spring
 radishes* and garlic scapes*; with Dijon-Cabernet wine sauceCabernet Franc Reserve 2010

Strawberry-rhubarb* pie with short bread crust and lemon sorbet

Late harvest Muscat Blanc

*denotes local products

2013 Crop at BookCliff Vineyards has a Rough Start

The 2013 crop had a rough season so far. January 2013 recorded the coldest temperatures in Grand Junction. The average high for January 38 degrees Fahrenheit and the average low is 17 degrees Fahrenheit. This January the daily high often did not reach 20 and the daily low dipped below -10 degrees Fahrenheit.
In addition we had three freeze incidents in March and April this year. All crops saw some damage. There will be no apricots or cherries this year. Peaches are between 40% and 50% crop depending the location and our vineyards on average will be only 50% productive in 2013. There is not much positive to report, except the crop count was faster and harvest will require less labor.

East Meets West

East Meets West is a wonderful opportunity to drink local wines, meet and interact with the winemakers. At BookCliff Winery, we will be tasting our own wines and also wines from Whitewater Hill. Not only will you drink fantastic wines, but you can learn more about them from the

winemakers, John Garlich of BookCliff Vineyards and Nancy Janes of Whitewater Hill.
This event will be Thursday June 6th, 2013 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Heirloom Food Truck will also be there. You can have your choice of tasting six wines (three from Whitewater Hill and three from BookCliff Vineyards) for $5.00 (tasting fee is refunded on purchase of two bottles). You may also indulge in a food and wine pairing (a glass of wine paired with a dish from Heirloom Food Truck) for $12.00. Or just enjoy a glass of wine of your choice for $6.00. So come in and enjoy everything that local has to offer. Hope to see you all there! Cheers!
RSVP here.

Double Gold Award for the 2010 Cabernet Franc Reserve

The BookCliff Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Franc Reserve received a double gold medal at the 2013 Colorado Governor's Cup. 225 wines were submitted and four double gold medals were awarded. We are reserving some cases for the Urban Winefest on June 8th, 2013 at Infinity Park in Gendale, Colorado.
Come and celebrate with 35 Colorado wineries and taste some of the fabulous wines. List of awards click here.

Longmont Farmers Market

Come one, come all! BookCliff Vineyards has been represented at the Longmont Farmers' Market for many years. It's a wonderful place to come on a Saturday mornings and support local agricultural producers whom sell their products to the public themselves. You will find a variety of Colorado-grown produce, all the way from conventional methods of growing down to those who are certified organic growers. The farmers markets have opened their doors to not just large farmers, but local food vendors, wine vendors, and even local artists. There is always a little something for everyone.

Every week BookCliff Vineyards sets up our tent with various wines for you to taste. Since we take great pride in being 100% Colorado-grown, farm table wine the Longmont Farmers Market is a great place for us to showcase our product. We have up to five different wines every week to taste, a couple of reds and whites, and even a sweet wine. Be sure to come early as most wines do sell out pretty early on, such as our Touch of Red (a local favorite). Doors open at 8:00am and go till 1:00pm. So come on down and support local! Cheers!