Winter Locavore in Boulder

By Katie Lazor

Boulder County Farmers' Markets

BookCliff wines are made from 100 percent Colorado grapes, grown sustainably near Palisade. (Katie Lazor / Courtesy photo)

Barrels in BookCliff Winery in Boulder. (Katie Lazor / Courtesy photo)

On my list this week: Colorado wine. Here's a little-known fact about Colorado: More than 50 vineyards can be found across its landscape, with two-thirds of the acreage concentrated in Palisade alone.

Where to find it: Head to North Boulder Thursday through Sunday for a wine tasting at the charming BookCliff Vineyards Winery or Settembre Cellars, conveniently located a grape's throw away, with Augustina's Winery just down Broadway. If you can't make it directly to the source or you'd like to taste a different local flavor, ask just about any wine or liquor store to see their Colorado selection. You'll find other local producers such as Jack Rabbit Hill (made with organic Colorado grapes), Blue Mountain Vineyards, St. Vrain Vineyards, White Water Hill Vineyards and many others. Also check out Modena a new wine caf in downtown Longmont with 12 Colorado wines on its list.

A grape-growing story: Two engineers, Ulla Merz and John Garlich, bought 10 acres of peach orchard in Palisade Colorado's fruit-growing capital in 1995, and BookCliff Vineyards was born. BookCliff is one of Boulder Farmers' Markets' longtime vendors, just finishing its 14th year.

Over the years, the vineyards have expanded to 37 acres on four separate properties. Merz and Garlich are not just passionate about grape-growing and winemaking; they also are good stewards of their land.

They practice sustainable operations by using compost instead of chemical fertilizer, refraining from pesticides and herbicides, and growing grass between rows to keep a natural habitat for insects. The season starts for the BookCliff team in February with the pre-pruning of plants. Fine pruning continues into April, as well. Buds push out in early May, and after flowering, the clusters are counted for a crop estimation. Months are spent watering, repositioning shoots for optimal sunlight, thinning the fruit as needed, netting for bird protection and caring for the plants. Grape harvest starts in September and typically finishes in late October.

The winemaker says: "From the start, it was important to us to be in control of the source of the grapes, as the quality of the grapes determines the quality of the wine," Merz says. 'We proudly produce wine from 100 percent Colorado-grown grapes. In a regular year, we sell 40 to 50 percent of our grape harvest to other Colorado wineries."

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Winter Locavore in Boulder