Colorado Terroir Similar to Argentina

It is all in the soil. And the climate. And not to forget the elevation. When we visited the vineyards in Mendoza, Argentina we were surprised to find similar growing conditions. Sandy loam soil with rocks embedded and a dry, arid climate requiring irrigation during the entire growing season. Argentina, especially in the Uco valley can boast more rocks, through the rocks are fewer in Colorado they are bigger. Both areas depend on the run off from the snow pack in the mountains, which feeds into the Colorado river and flows right through Palisade. In Mendoza the consensus is that grapes grown in higher elevations make better wine. The highest locations in the Uco valley, 45 minutes South of Mendoza are at 4900 feet. The BookCliff Vineyards in Palisade are at 4600 feet. As a result Colorado wines taste more like the wines in Mendoza than in California and the same grape varieties are used to make world class wine - Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot.

What Makes Colorado Wine Unique

BookCliff at Vina Cobos in Mendoza

It sounds boring, but the answer is what is in the soil and the climate, in other words the famous terroir. Colorado's Grand Valley AVA has its unique terroir, located in the former riverbed of the Colorado river characterized by a continental, arid climate and high elevation. During the summer and fall it is typical to experience high temperature swings between the daytime high and the nighttime low.
The higher elevation creates grapes with a thicker skin, especially noticeable in red grapes. The low night temperatures preserve the acidity in the fruit. The result is wine with some grit, more structure, tannins especially when young and higher acidity expressed in a crisp finish. All of this contributes to wine that ages well in the bottle and cellar. And can complement food very well.
I had to visit Argentina and specifically Mendoza to get a better understanding what makes Colorado wine taste different from Californian wine. Mendoza has a similar climate and soil as Colorado's grape country, high dessert, arid climate and similar soil. The highest elevation vineyards in Mendoza (Uco valley) are 4,900 feet, Palisade, CO is at 4,600 feet. All vineyards are irrigated in Mendoza, just as in Palisade. No wonder the red wines from Mendoza and Colorado taste similar.