Drinking At High Altitude

Sure, I know that I’m technically supposed to be writing about the sights, sounds and happenings of a Russian River Valley tasting room, but the way I see it, my real assignment is to simply provide good wine tales. This month, it just so happens that my most interesting wine experience occurred in an altogether different valley – the valley floor of Telluride, Colorado.

My wife and I packed up the kid, four huge suitcases (three of which were his and included the Pack N’ Play and the long list of things that a 21-month old toddler requires on any excursion), four carry-ons, the stroller and a car seat for our week-long trek to Colorado. (The packing exercise alone was enough to drive a person to drink Two-Buck Chuck.)

The main quest of our trip – four days in Telluride, home of the famed Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Telluride Blues Festival, Telluride Wine Festival and, I can’t be certain, but I think there might even be a Telluride Festival Festival, which is dedicated to the few themes that don’t have their own festivals the rest of the year.

We were hitting Telluride at the close of the Bluegrass Festival and the start of the Wine Festival. By all accounts, this was the perfect time to be in Telluride (Unless, of course, you like Bluegrass music, in which case it was the least perfect time to arrive).