For a family-owned winery experience, in which the vineyard is located right near the premises, try Balistreri Vineyards. The winery is located within Denver, just a few miles north of the city center. While some of the vineyards aren't located nearby, the one producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Muscat is. The winery offers tours and tastings on weekend afternoons, and they will also give you a tour if you call in advance to schedule for any other day of the week.
The sandy loam soil at the vineyard, which used to be a vegetable garden, produces well-balanced and full-colored fruits. The winery, in turn, has produced some award-winning wines, such as a 2004 Sangiovese and a 2003 Colorado Syrah, both of which earned gold medals in major nationwide competitions. An interesting pick among the white wines might be the winery's 2004 Colorado Chardonnay, which is fermented on the skins, stems like a red, and releases to the palate complex fruit flavors. Otherwise you can try the 2004 Colorado Merlot, a spicy and complex red with hints of dried cherry and chocolate.
Balistreri Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery dedicated to making high quality wine. The winery was licensed in 1998 and we released our first vintage in February of 2000. We are a small winery producing 2500 cases per year. Our wines are primarily made with vinifera varietal grapes purchased from growers in the Grand Valley Viticultural Area located in Western Colorado. Select wines of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Muscat are produced with grapes from our own Denver Vineyard. We also source some varieties not available in Colorado from the Central Valley of California.