The morning sunlight slowly washes over the Book Cliff mountains rising up in the distance; each ray painting every crack and crevice of the famed ridge line with a warm shade of orange. Envy creeps over me as I watch the landscape light up. Shaded by a flat-top rocky cliff, I stand in the middle of one of the Western Slope’s fruitful vineyards, hoping that the sunlight will soon light me up, too. Although the thermometer will eventually log numbers in the mid-90s later in the September day, the morning air is cool and still — only the rustling of a nearby winemaker gently lifting the netting from the vines to gather samples of this year’s crop breaks the quiet of the morning.
The sun finally conquers the the top of the cliff that looms above me as a pop a purple grape in my mouth and spit out the seeds. In only a few weeks time, all of the grapes in Colorado’s Grand Valley will be on their way to a wine glass or bottle somewhere, but today, with the sun unveiling a new row of vines with the passing of each minute, Colorado’s Wine Country is all mine.
Photo Location: Palisade, Colorado
Postcards From the Weekend is our weekly photo series showcasing images and stories from our adventurous and outdoor-loving contributors at Elevation Outdoor Magazine. Follow along and see where our team of adventure-seekers like to spend their weekends.
