Colorado’s First $100 Bottle of Wine
09/15/10 - 09:51 PM
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Wine is the talk of the valley this week, gearing up for Palisade’s Winefest.

Most of you probably by a $10, $20 or maybe $30 bottle of wine but now there’s a local wine that’s going for $100 a bottle.

It’s the first of its kind in the state. 

The wine is called IV and it’s from Canyon Wind Cellars in Palisade.

It’s called IV because it’s a blend of four of the five bordeaux wines.

“We are very fortunate to be the first winery in Colorado to enter the ultra premium category,” said Jay Christianson of Canyon Wind Cellars.

Christian is a second generation winemaker who has been in the business for 20 years.

“Well we were trying to figure out how much it should be priced because there is no way to actually figure out how much work went into it because it is hand worked,” he said.

So Canyon Wind Winery turned to an expert.

“Doug Frost who’s one of the three people in the world that’s a Master Sommelier and Master of Wine came in and tasted it and he said ‘It’s Colorado’s first $100 bottle of wine,’ and we said that’s it we’ll price it there,” explained Christianson.

And now winos are picking up the bottle at a hundred dollars a pop.

“If we continue to sell at our current rate for four, we’re going to sell out before I have another one,” said Christianson.

The winery was only able to make 120 cases which isn’t much but it’s the result of a lot of hard work.

“It’s 50% Petit Verdot, 32% Cabernet Franc, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Merlot, and four is 100% hand worked,” explained Christianson.

But the real question might be, can you taste the difference.

“The cost does come out in the wine, the elegance in the oak, the suppleness of the tannins, the softness of the body and the really bright beautiful forward fruit,” described Christianson.

One might think that other winemakers might be jealous of the wine’s price tag, but Christianson says that’s not the case.

“I don’t think there’s any animosity or any one-upmanship,  it’s all about what we can do together to succeed,” Christianson said.

Canyon Wind Cellars is offering a tasting IV at the VIP tent at Winefest, which is at Riverbend Park on Saturday.

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