The only Colorado winery using a special Californian grape won the top honors at the Colorado Governor’s Cup wine awards.
Alfred Eames Cellars, located at Puesta del Sol Vineyards three miles south of Paonia, won Best in Show on Nov. 4, for its 2019 Carmena. The wine beat 11 other contenders that participated in the 2023 Governor’s Cup Collection.
Carmena is made from the Carmine grape, which Dr. Harold Olmo of the University of California- Davis developed in 1946 by crossing Cabernet Sauvignon with Carignane, a common blending grape in southern France and Spain, and that grape was then crossed with Merlot. The variety produces full-bodied, tannic red wines in cooler climate regions, like Colorado. Alfred Eames Cellars’ wine is the only commercially available Carmine wine in Colorado.
Alfred Eames and his son Devin Petersen oversee the Paonia winery, established in 2000, and they’re known for their Pinot Noir. Their wines are available tasting rooms and liquor stores throughout Colorado. Alfred Eames won Colorado’s first wine competition, for its Sangre del Sol Red Blend, when it was called the First Lady’s Choice back in 2010.
Alfred Eames Cellars ended Carboy Winery’s winning streak at the Colorado Governor’s Cup. Carboy Winery has won the Best in Show award for its Teroldego wine over the past two years.
This year’s competition, organized by the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board, included 286 wines from 48 statewide wineries — all of which were judged by a panel of 15 sommeliers, writers, and wine experts from around the country, according to the board. The top 12 wines from the competition become the 2023 Governor’s Cup Collection. Here is the list:
Alfred Eames Cellars (Paonia) – 2019 Carmena, Colorado
Balistreri Vineyards (Denver) – 2022 Syrah, CSU Vineyard, Grand Valley AVA
BookCliff Vineyards (Boulder) – 2022 Syrah, Colorado
Dragon Meadery (Aurora) – Red Apple Cyser
Restoration Vineyards (Palisade) – 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, Grand Valley
Sauvage Spectrum (Palisade) – 2022 Teroldego, Grand Valley AVA
Sauvage Spectrum (Palisade) – 2022 Malbec, Grand Valley AVA
Snowy Peaks Winery (Estes Park) – 2019 Élevé (Syrah/Petite Sirah/Mourvedre), Grand Valley AVA
Snowy Peaks Winery (Estes Park) – 2022 Muscat Blanc, Grand Valley AVA
The Peachfork (Palisade) – Pear Apple
The Storm Cellar (Hotchkiss) – 2022 Albariño, Grand Valley AVA
The Storm Cellar (Hotchkiss) – NV Gewürztraminer, Grand Valley AVA
