Fire Mountain Vineyard

The West Elks American Viticultural Area (AVA) spreads through Delta county on the Western Slope of Colorado. It boasts of some of the highest vineyards in North America and the some of the best Colorado wine. This high mesa area in the Colorado Rockies seems an unlikely place to grow grapes and make wine. But here you will find some of the best wine produced in the state.

West Elks AVA is noted for its production of white wines. Riesling and Gewurztraminer grow extremely well here as does Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. Here they produce some terrific wines. The high elevation and low humidity coupled with cool nights help retain a high degree of acidity as the grapes ripen. This is a positive for all varieties grown in the region, but it makes for especially perfect Riesling and Gewurztraminer.