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Highest Altitude Commercial Vineyard in the World
On Tuesday 3rd November 1998 John Mathewson stepped across the floor of
the Terror Creek tasting room, unfolded a surveyor's map and pointed at the evidence. The exact spot you are standing upon is 6,417 feet above sea level. The document proved that it is the highest commercial
vineyard currently on record. With that he pushed open the door on the south wall, revealing their vineyard with its majestic West Elk Mountain backdrop and also claimed, with some possible justification, the most
beautiful view from any tasting room in the world.
A share of the credit for this new information
must be given to the likeable Harold J. Baer Jr., Managing Editor of The Colorado Wine News, who had suggested to me that Terror Creek might be the highest altitude commercial
vineyard in the world. In my book Wine Talk that title had been awarded to the Etchart Cafayate Vineyard in Argentina at 5,560 feet, but clearly the information was out of date.
With BBC Radio journalist, Rob Underwood, I
had set out from Colorado Springs, at 6,100 feet, for the tiny village of Paonia in the Rocky Mountains of Western Colorado. To reach it we had to cross Monarch Pass at a breathtaking
11,312 feet. In the crisp clear night it was one of those never-to-be-forgotten magical moments, as the silver moonshine gleamed across the snow-covered summit illuminating the rugged
landscape. Descending rapidly we drove to the small city of Gunnison, which boasts a Holiday Inn Express and an altitude level of 7,400 feet. The following morning brought stunning views of lakes and mountains as
only the Rockies can reveal, before a sign promised Paonia. Then it was simply a matter of tracking down 1750 4175 Drive, a curious address for an isolated location
only accessible via a hair-raising set of mud-covered bends. But it was worth the effort!
Where else in the world does a vineyard need to be protected by a re-inforced high
wire fence to keep out brown bears, mountain lions, elk, deer and lynx, all of which apparently have a sweet tooth. So do the sneaky little racoons who stole nearly 20%
of the 1997 harvest and simply ran to the next row ahead and continued eating, whenever they were shooed away.
The Mathewsons purchased the property in 1987
and started planting vines two years later. They now have 7½ acres, which give them a production of 700 cases per annum, a figure they intend increasing to nearly 3,000 cases. Climatic
conditions range between winter and summer average daily temperatures of 12º F and 85º F, though 0º F and 100º F have been experienced.
Joan Mathewson, the winemaker, seemed more
concerned to demonstrate that they could make attractive wine at this altitude, and she proved just that when we tasted Terror Creek Colorado Riesling Dry 1997 (11.7% abv) and Terror Creek Colorado
Gewurztraminer Dry 1997 (11.5% abv). Both wines were fragrant and elegant with good backbone and were noticeably reminiscent of similar Alsace varietals. A 1994 Pinot Noir taken back to England
also displayed Alsace characteristics, being lighter than most Burgundian or American West Coast examples, but having a fine bouquet and good fruit on the palate. Small
quantities of Chardonnay and Gamay are also grown.
The judicious use of the term Highest Commercial Vineyard indicates that there are at
least two vineyards in the world at higher altitude, but they restrict their wine to private consumption. Neither of these has yet been visited by the Editor and the information
comes from the operators. The highest, at Thimpu in the kingdom Of Bhutan in the Himalayas, lies at 7,200 feet and Locke Mountain Vineyards, owned by Jean Laperrier, also in Colorado, claims 6,528 feet.
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Last updated on July 23, 2008