North Fork Uncorked

Enjoy Tasting New Releases from the West Elks Wineries of Western Colorado

Father’s Day Weekend – June 15-17, 2018

Colorado’s summer season is here, and to celebrate, the winemakers of Paonia and Hotchkiss, CO invite you to come to the beautiful North Fork Valley and taste their newly released wines at North Fork Uncorked. Festivities, hosted by each of the wineries of the West Elks AVA, will be held throughout the area. North Fork Uncorked is three days of exciting events featuring wine and food pairings, barrel tastings, music, picnics, and winemaker dinners. Fun activities for everyone.

Alongside the area’s farmers, artisanal cheese-makers, micro-brewers, hard cider producers, chefs, bee keepers, and Slow Food-ies, local winemakers hand-craft limited quantity, artisanal wines. Because grape growing conditions in the mountains of Western Colorado are severe, production is extremely limited. This, combined with a tenacious devotion to quality, makes wine availability very limited. Many of the wineries offer their cuvees only out of their tasting rooms and sell out of popular vintages early each summer.

Notably, the West Elks AVA is home to vineyards planted at the highest elevation in the Northern Hemisphere. The intense sunlight, warm days and cool nights produce grapes that are ideally suited for creating distinctive Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cayuga and Chambourcin. Additionally, local winemakers craft wines from Colorado-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Carmena, and Tempranillo. Vintners produce wines in all styles from beautifully dry, crisp whites, to robust, meaty reds, sweet and delicious port-style dessert wines, and hard apple cider.

North Fork Uncorked Black Bridge Winery image

2018 Activities

Friday – June 15

6:30pm SkyHawk Winery: Winemakers dinner by Guest Chef John Garrison. Live Music. RSVP: skyhawkwinery@gmail.com. 970.527.3236. [SOLD OUT]

Classic Bruschetta
Panko Crusted Crabcake
Garden Salad
Rosemary Salted Pork Rib Roast
Nightshades Tower
Chocolate Pot de Creme or Vanilla Saffron Panna Cotta

Saturday – June 16

11am-5pm Black Bridge Winery: Wine wagon to barrel tasting. 970.527.6836.

11am-5pm Mesa Winds Farm & Winery: Featuring Western Culture Farmstead and & Creamery goat cheeses pairing with Pinot Gris, Meunier Noir and new release of 2017 Rosé.

7pm Stone Cottage Cellars: Winemakers dinner at the Cellar. Live music with the Scones. $80. RSVP: 970.527.3444. [SOLD OUT]
Antipasta
2016 Rose of Pinot Noir
Herbed Grilled Vegetables, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Italian Red Wine Salami, Greek Olives and Smoked Gouda Cheese

Pizza a Legna
2015 Merlot
“The Farm” – Smoked Chicken, Fresh Local Basil Pesto, and Fresh Mozzarella and Alfredo Sauce

“The Vineyard”- Local Organic Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, Parmesan, Fresh Feta, Greek Olives, Fresh Local Basil, and Local Roasted Garlic Chips, drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salad
2016 Pinot Gris
Salad Trio: Micro Greens with Citrus Vinaigrette, Blue Kale & Rainbow Chard with Sun-Dried Cherry Vinaigrette, Asian Vegetable and Nori with Sesame Oil, Pickled Ginger Vinaigrette with spicy Micro Greens

Entrees
2015 Pinot Noir
Italian Braised Pork Osso Buco with Caramelized Shallots, Roasted Garlic Red Wine Tomatoes, Lemon Peel and Roasted Mirepoix served over Amish Butter Sautéed Potato Gnocchi

2016 Chardonnay
Panko Lime-Crusted Alaska Halibut over Pancetta Roasted Three Color Potato Hash drizzled with Garlic Saffron Butter

Dolce
2015 Alpine Dessert Wine
Homemade Organic Lavender Creme Fraiche Double Chocolate Brownies with Red Wine Syrup and Roasted Sweet Chili Walnuts and Fresh Berries

Sunday – June 17

9:30am-2pm Alfred Eames Cellars: Pam’s Jammin’ Sunday buffet style brunch. ($18/adult, $7/kids – coffee, tea or one specialty coffee drink included) RSVP: 970.572.3269.
Breakfast Options

Jammin’ Sausage Biscuit Casserole: Kitchen baked sourdough biscuits topped with sausage and mushrooms in gravy, topped with melted cheese.
Steak/Veggie And Egg Scramble: All kinds of goodies scrambled up, served with biscuits or tortillas, grated cheese, sour cream, green chili.

Lunch Options

Pulled Pork / Stuffed Smoked Burgers / Smoked Brisket: Served with sourdough buns or GF bread and the fixings.
Veggie Mac and Cheese: The All-American favorite, with the addition of roasted veggies, yummm!!

Sides

Pam’s Jammin’ Baked Beans, Three Bean Salad, Potato Salad, Jammin’ Slaw

Salad

Jammin’ Cobb Salad

Breakfast Sweets or Desserts

Bourbon Apple Tarts, Green Tomato Mincemeat Cake with Pecan Frosting, Chocolate Chip Cookies; GF: Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake, Flourless Oatmeal Chip Cookies

Smoothie

Berry-Berry Yogurt

Coffee

Pam’s Coffee; Cappuccino with Caramel Drizzle, Cinnamon, Salt, Sugar Sprinkle

10am-2pm Delicious Orchards: Sunday Brunch Buffet.

11am-2pm Azura Cellars: Opening Day of the 2018 (remote control) yachting season. Complimentary sailing – no experience necessary. Just fun! 970.390.4251.

11am-5pm Black Bridge Winery: Wine wagon to barrel tasting. 970.527.6836.

Location

Just a stone’s throw from Grand Junction (1.5 hours) and Montrose (1 hour) a beautiful drive over Kebler Pass from Crested Butte (1.25 hours) or a foray over McClure pass from Aspen (2.25 hours), Carbondale (1.5 hours) Glenwood Springs (2 hours), and Redstone (45 minutes), North Fork Uncorked offers a refreshing food and wine getaway with plenty of additional diversions to leave you relaxed, rejuvenated and ready for summer. Join us this Father’s Day and celebrate our new, limited releases and enjoy warm, down to earth hospitality.

Download Winery Map. (Right click on image to save it.)

For lodging visit paoniachamber.com.

North Fork Uncorked