Around Crested Butte & Colorado
Having first met in Crested Butte, fallen in love in Colorado, and cultivated our passion for making really good wine here in Colorado, there’s no place we’d rather be. There’s something about this land, the people, and the way time passes here. You can see it in the vibrant sunsets, draping the sandstone cliffs that tower over the Western Slope’s orchards and vineyards, feel it while shaking hands and exchanging laughs with a farmer as you load up the season’s harvest, and taste it while taking that first sip of a new vintage, as fall’s cooler air funnels into the valley and golden aspens glow in the low-angled afternoon sun.
Colorado is truly a special place, and we aim to share as much of it with you as possible. From the terroir, to the history, and the adventures that await, come back here often for our family’s favorites of Colorado and Crested Butte.
Artist John Fellows
If you joined us for First Fridays Art Walk in July or August, you may have noticed a series of linoleum block prints adorning the walls. These are just a few of the pieces that local Crested Butte artist John Fellows has created throughout his carreer. Inspired by his international travels as well as his home in Colorado, John calls on motifs of nature, folkloric characters, and his sense of adventure to create layers of shapes and imagery that come together in his hand-cut block prints. Each print is created by first sketching an image, then tracing it backwards, then cutting and etching each and every line into linoleum, and finally sculpting them together into a block. The linoleum block then serves as an exquisitely detailed rubber stamp which is used to print the final image onto paper. Fellows loves using found objects including antique maps and letters that date as far back as the 1880's as the backdrops for his block prints. Once printed, the layers of the linoleum block come together for a clean finish, but in fact the piece is far more multidimensional than the vintage paper it is printed on. The process is long and sometimes tedious for the artist, but - as you'll see next time you visit our tasting room - the result is intricate and beautiful. John's work has been featured on festival posters, and on products by companies such as Smartwool, Element Skateboards, and other major outdoor brands. We are pleased to exhibit his work in our Gunnison tasting room throughout the summer and fall.
Aug 17, 2020 at 4:29 PM
PermalinkSolstice Celebration
To celebrate the Summer Solstice this year, I attended a backyard wine tasting. I am so grateful for the generosity and creativity of my friends who hosted the occasion - what a fun evening! Buckle Family Wine brought their entire catalog of Colorado wines, ranging from a refreshing and flavorful rose to a deep, bold cabernet blend. At the request of the host, each guest brought a dish to pair with one of the seven varieties. Joe Buckel and his wife Shamai guided us through our tasting, describing the varietals and the creation of each wine, and each guest then presented their paired dish. Over the course of about three hours, we ate and drank, chatted and learned about the incredible variety of wine that is possible with 100% Colorado-grown fruit.
I was impressed by the affordable price point of Buckel Family Wines, which seems to average about $20 per bottle. In the past I have been disappointed to purchase a bottle at other tasting events, only to bring it home and realize that the ambiance and company of the event had added flavor to an otherwise flat-tasting glass of wine. This is not the case here! Last night, paired with slow roasted pork spare ribs from Calder Farm and a crisp salad from our backyard garden, we opened a bottle of the Cabernet Franc that I purchased at the Solstice tasting. The bright cherry color was equally as vibrant in my glass at home, and the bold yet mellow flavor profile was just as delicious in my kitchen on our mix-matched dinner plates as it was outdoors, surrounded by good friends, on the longest night of the year.
Consider having Buckel Family Wine at your next event... virtually or in your backyard!
Keeping the Soul of our Valley alive!
This is shaping up to be a tough month for our little valley in the West Elk Mountains of Colorado. One of the most profitable months for our businesses in the winter was cut short by a global pandemic. We have been impacted further by the spread of the COVID-19 virus in our community. We are a hot spot in CO.
Lately in the news, I am seeing CEO’s from across the nation lineup in Washington with hats in hand looking for free or no interest money. Again, we are back to the “too big to fail”. Back to the soulless corporations lining their pockets so their executives can maintain their oversized pay packages. Historically, our leaders have relied on giving money to the top, in the hope it trickles down through our economic system. This has been an inefficient solution at best.
What about the Soul of small communities? Back to our little valley, missing out on a profitable month can make or break a small business. And what about the employees that cannot be retained? We have already had the soul of our valley chipped away at by rising home prices and rent, and not a lot of high paying jobs to match. The current climate will only exacerbate our situation. We are seeing a lot of our small business do anything they can to stay open, keep a couple employees on, provide a few services. Basically, try to stay alive and survive!
THIS IS A CALL TO ARMS! Get out and support YOUR small local businesses! Order a lunch or dinner. Try to find your goods and services locally. And of course get a bottle of wine to create a relaxing moment in these stressful times. I want to see the diversity of our community and communities across the country remain intact and healthy. As a small community let’s support each other with the intention of building tighter bonds and feeding our Soul!
March Events
Unfortunately due to COVID19 our March events have been cancelled as of Friday March 13th. Check back for events in later spring or summer.
For this month, we have a variety of events happening around Colorado.
Saturday March 7th, Basecamp Tasting. For folks in the Summit County area, head on over to Basecamp Wine and Spirits for an in-store tasting.
4-7pm @ Basecamp Wine & Spirits, 223 Lusher Ct #1, Frisco, CO 80443
Click here for more information on Basecamp Wine & Spirits free tastings. https://basecampliquors.com/free-tastings/
Tuesday March 10th, Professional Women’s Network. Join us at the Urban Market in Durango for a women’s networking event. This is an opportunity to connect with fellow community members and to inspire growth in each other’s professional and personal lives. Tickets are $10 for PWN members and $20 for nonmembers, and can be purchased at the door. A portion of the proceeds go to the Women’s Resource Center!
5:00 PM to 6:30 PM @ Urban Market, 865 Main Ave, Durango
For more information and to get tickets: Women's Resource Center Durango http://wrcdurango.org/events/womens-history-month/pwn-event/
Wednesday, March 11th, Winemaker Dinner. The Palisade Café 11.0 will be hosting a multi-course meal, each paired with one of our delicious wines. Our winemaker, Joe Buckel, will be there to mingle and talk about our wines while Chef John Sabal serves up delicious food. This dinner is described as an intimate, relaxed, unpretentious, country casual event. Seats are limited, so go ahead and register now!
Doors open at 5:30pm @ The Palisade Café 11.0, 113 W 3rd St, Palisade, CO 81526
Click Here to register for this event. https://www.palisadecafe11.com/events-1/winemaker-dinner-5-buckel-family-wine
Friday, March 13th, Gunnison Valley Health Gala. The Gunnison Valley Health Foundation is hosting its Inaugural Gala event to honor Tough Enough to Wear Pink. Renowned Chef Jason Vernon of Speckled Goose Culinary will be serving a four-course menu paired with our fine wines to create a not-to-be-missed dinner. In addition, there will be live music and entertainment to bring you a fun filled evening.
6-10:30pm @ Center for the Arts Crested Butte, 606 6th St, Crested Butte, CO 81224
Purchase tickets here. https://www.gunnisonvalleyhealth.org/Events-Calendar/Event-Details.aspx?Event=56
Saturday, March 14th Science of Winemaking. Join us at the winery for part two of our winemaking courses through the Center for the Arts Crested Butte. Here we will guide you through the basic science behind the winemaking process, from testing grapes, juice and wine, to fermentation, equipment and corking. This will be a fun and interactive class whether you are wanting to know the basics of how wine is made or if you make wine at home and want to grow your knowledge. This event includes light hors d’oeuvres, and plenty of our delicious wine for you to taste.
3-5pm @ Buckel Family Wine, 1018 Hwy 135, Unit B, Gunnison, CO 81230
To register for the class, click here https://www.crestedbuttearts.org/The-Art-Science-of-Winemaking-Series
Tuesday, March 31st EAT Colorado Food Show. This event brings innovative Colorado food and beverage producers together with the buyers from restaurants, caterers, grocers, distributors, hospitals, municipalities, and school systems to foster a greater connection and understanding of our dynamic food system. We will be showing our fine wines along with many other producers of wine, beer, spirits, produce, grains, meats, preserves, condiments, honey, baked goods, and more. There will be a speaker series in addition, to provide further information on current Colorado food topics.
11am-3pm @ National Western Complex, 4655 Humboldt Street Denver, CO 80216
Registration and more information https://eatcolorado.org/
2020 VinCO
The 2020 Colorado wine conference featured speakers who offered information on a variety of winemaking and grape growing topics and techniques. From how yeast exactly works to wine flaws and faults, to how to make sparkling wine via the Charmat method, there was plenty of knowledge to absorb. The wonderful thing about winemaking is that there are so many variations in the process that affect your end product and display your style. Here at Buckel Family Wine, we believe in making old-world style wines that are able to show the true character of the grape and of the terroir. We achieve this by using minimal intervention in the winemaking process, meaning less additives and no filtering for our red wines.
One process that most people are familiar with however is barrel aging. Tim Donahue, Executive Director of the Institute for Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College in Washington State presented on the the influence of oak in winemaking. He explained the barrel making process from oak seedling to finished product (which takes a long time as you could imagine), and how barrels can be used to benefit your wine.
Specific species of oak trees are grown in different geographic areas, resulting in varying characteristics that they impart on the wine.The biggest difference is between French (or European) oak and American oak. These types of oak can influence wines quite differently, usually the French being more subtle and spicy and the American being more bold with notes of coconut. Once the oak is harvested, it is cut into staves and left outside to cure for up to two years. Once cured, the staves are assembled into the beginnings of a barrel and are then toasted. The toasting process is another key component of how the barrel influences the wine. The heavier the toast, the more intense the barrel imparts flavors on the wine. In their early years, barrels impart a stronger influence in the wine’s flavor profile. After a few years, the intensity of the oak dissipates. For bolder wines, one might choose a newer barrel. For more delicate, subtle wines, one might opt for an older barrel.
For our wines, we choose French oak barrels that have already seen a few years of use. This allows us to age our wines for up to 18 months without overpowering the wine’s inherent flavor profile, and allows the oak to gently smooth out the tannins over time. We end up with a wine that has balanced characteristics and is ready to drink or age gracefully in bottle. Upon receiving barrels new to us, we make sure to take good care of them so that we can use them well. This means cleaning, rehydrating, tightening up the leakers. Once the barrels are full of wine, we check on them and top them up regularly to prevent space for oxidation or for unwanted yeast/bacteria to take over.
February Events
February Events:
As the cold temps carry on, we have exciting events happening in February that’ll make you want to head back outside again!
We are pleased to announce that our Wine Bar in Gunnison will be officially open February 20, 2020! After the busy months of harvest came to an end, we took some time to revisit our 2018 Reds and get them into bottle. Now, we have been able to focus on creating a space where you can taste our wines, enjoy a glass, and purchase those bottles to take home! Our wine bar features a large communal table, comfy benches, and smaller tables as well. So, whether you are looking to connect and share experiences with new friends or have a cozy intimate evening, this is the perfect spot. In addition to our wines, we will be offering small bites of delicious food. Contact us about booking your next party or event at the wine bar.
Visit us Wedesday-Saturday 2pm-7pm. We are located at 1018 Highway 135, Unit B, Gunnison, Colorado 81230.
Feb 1st, Colorado Crafted. Join us at the Colorado Crafted event from 2-6pm at The Elevation Hotel & Spa in Mt. Crested Butte. This event is a great way to cap off your day whether you’ve been skiing around town in the Alley Loop or downhill at the resort. We will be there pouring our wines alongside other wineries, breweries, cideries, and distillers all from Colorado. In addition to the craft beverages, there will be small plates of food and live music by Coal Creek Connection. Purchase VIP tickets if you would like to participate in specialty tastings at 1pm with the chance to chat one-on-one with the vendors, and enter the Romp Skis giveaway!
Read more about this event and find tickets: Colorado Crafted
Winemaker Joe Buckel in conjuction with the Center for the Arts Crested Butte will be hosting a two-part series on the ART + SCIENCE of Winemaking on February 8th and March 14.
Learn more about this exciting series: Center for the Arts Crested Butte
Feb 28th Winemaker Dinner. Meet us in Grand Junction on Friday, February 28th at DinnerParty for our one of a kind Winemaker Dinner. Our winemaker, Joe Buckel, will be joining Chef Josh Niernberg of Bin707 to serve thoughtful pairings of expressive wines and spectacular food. The evening will include seven of our wines to accompany a passed appetizer followed by a six-course menu. Throughout the event, Joe and Josh will be talking about the wine and food, creating a fun and interactive experience. There is a limit of 30 seats, so be sure to reserve ASAP!
Info and tickets: Winemaker Dinner
Info and tickets:
Finally, we will be pouring wines to sip and sample at the following places:
Redlands Liquor Store @ 3-6pm Friday, Feb 7th
2518 Broadway B7, Grand Junction, CO 81507
Fisher Liquor Barn @ 4-6pm Saturday, Feb 29th
2438 Patterson Rd, Grand Junction, CO 81505
Nitro Coffee
THE BEST DRINK IN CORTEZ~
The Nitro Cold Brew Coffee craze is literally found in every Colorado town, much like cannabis dispensaries. The very best cup of nitro cold brew can be found in the southwest corner of the state. Not in the hip towns of Durango and Telluride, but in the drive through farm town of Cortez. This quintessential four corners town rests on the edge of Colorado, with Utah, New Mexico and Arizona all within an hours drive. Right smack in the middle of this town is The Pie Marker, a local favorite with amazing bagels, hand pies, cookies, cupcakes, and pecan pie. They also happen to serve up a cold brew that tops any I have tried in presentation and taste.
This Nitro Cold Brew is special, served up to look more like a Guinness then a coffee! It is delivered with so much foam that is tastes like it has cream in it! Try pairing it with the chocolate torte for an extra decadent treat,
Next time you head to the southwest corner of the state for a spin at Phil’s World and a lap on the Rib Cage, stop in for a Nitro Coffee @ The Pie Marker!
The Pie Marker ~17 N. Harrison Street~Cortez, CO~970.560.6039~http://www.piemakerbakery.com
Crested Butte Mountain Bike Trail
Choosing a favorite trail in Crested Butte, is not for the faint-hearted. The high alpine meadows, aspen forested hills, and rocky outcroppings provide endless opportunity. Weather and season will most definitely factor into your decision of where to roll on any given day.
One of our favorite bike rides is Snodgrass. When Joe and Shamai first met in Crested Butte eons ago, this was the backyard ride. The trail has just enough shade on hot sunny days, a couple gnarly root sections, fun flowy downhill, wildflowers galore, and tackiness after a rain. TIP: Check for season closures before you ride.
With so many trails to choose from do not get lost in finding the best one, just get out there and play!