Wine judging sounds glamorous – swirling, sniffing and pronouncing winners and losers. The reality: a coat, a scarf and a very cold room. That sums up the weekend of Sept. 12, where 16 of us sipped and spit through 250 wines for the Colorado Governor’s Cup.
Saturday was the blind tasting – the 250 wines split between four panels of judges. On Sunday, we sorted the Gold medal winners and picked the 12 bottles that will become the 2026 Governor’s Cup Collection, which will be announced Oct. 17 at Colorado Uncorked in Denver. (You should go if you’re in Denver!)
To be clear, it’s not just 16 random judges who like wine. I’m talking serious wine professionals who were flown in from different parts of the country and have earned their Master of Wine, Master Sommelier and/or WSET Diploma. (Tonya Pitts, 2022 Wine Enthusiast Magazine Sommelier of the Year, and 2026 San Francisco Wine Auction Sommelier of the Year was in the house. Along with several other highly rated wine pros.)
I’ve judged in other wine competitions, but it was my first time with this group. For me, it was an exciting opportunity to see the wines coming out of Colorado and how they have evolved since my first trip to Palisade in the Grand Valley American Viticultural District (AVA) on the Western Slope. That trip was 20 years ago and marked my first experience with peach and lavender wine. 🤮An experience that kept me from drinking any Colorado wines for at least another 10 years until I went to lunch – and sipped a flight of wines made from grapes – at Creekside Cellars in Evergreen.
I became a convert, a true believer that Colorado can and does make good wine. Over the last 10 years I have been back to Colorado’s wine country, met winemakers, explored the grapes coming out of the state and fallen in love with my local wine region. This competition was a reminder Colorado has come a long way…and that I still dislike peach and lavender wine.
Not that you should need another reason to check out Colorado wines, but those who might, it’s worth noting the famed wine critic James Suckling and his team sampled wines from the region earlier this year, reviewing 53 wines from 15 Colorado wineries and found 36 of them deserving of 90-point ratings or higher, considered “excellent.” I admit it was a small sample size, we tasted more than his team during the competition but it’s James Suckling and his ratings and reviews do matter.
As for the wines at the competition that had me at first sip…
I always love Cabernet Franc and Malbec coming out of Colorado and the flights did not disappoint. What surprised me was the Riesling tastings. I’m not sure why since Colorado’s climate is perfect for it but I haven’t seen a lot of Colorado Riesling’s lately. Gold Medal Wines for Cabernet Franc go to Bookcliff Vineyards, Carboy and Colterris. And for the Riesling’s, The Storm Cellar, Continental Divide.
This year the Mourvèdre from had me doing a double take. (Bookcliff Vineyards took home a well-deserved gold. )This outstanding red wine stole the stage in my line ups. Mourvèdre is not commonly found as a single varietal as it’s usually the third wheel of GSM blends, it’s the grape that plays a supporting role to Grenache and Syrah in France’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Bandol regions. But here in Colorado, it can stand on its own, and totally flexed.
Of all the tastings from the weekend, it was the Teroldego (teh-ROL-deh-go) that after sipping and spitting, I wanted to pour a full glass and just enjoy. This is an ancient red wine grape native to Northern Italy that has proven an Old World grape can make it big in the very New World of Colorado. Teroldego pours a deeply pigmented red with bright notes of cranberry, pomegranate and tart red cherry, layered with cinnamon, allspice and pepper. Its bold fruit is driven by naturally high acidity, while softer tannins keep it smooth. Gold Medal winners include Balistreri Vineyards, Carboy and OBC Wine Project.
2026 Gold Medal Winners
For a quick recap or for those new to Colorado wine, click over to the Colorado wine guide for your Colorado Wine 101.
Elaine Schoch is an award-winning travel writer, wine judge, American Wine Specialist and certified by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET III). At Carpe Travel she shares wine travel destination guides for ALL WINE LOVERS – from novices to experienced pros – to help them plan their wine adventures, arming them with insider tips, must-visit spots, and things to see and do beyond the vines.