Is Boulder in the Wine Business?

Boulder Wines Make a Splash.
by Andres Ochoa

Boulder has never been synonymous with wine production, and probably never will be. But in East Boulder, one woman is shaping Colorado’s emerging wine industry. Jackie Thompson, of Boulder Creek Winery is pioneering an industry still in its infancy in Colorado.

In the past 15 years, Colorado has gone from a handful of winers to 65 fully operational wineries today. Over $40 million a year is pumped each year into Colorado’s economy with wine sales and tourism activity. Along the Front Range, wine production has shot up 5 fold in just as many years, according to the Colorado Wine Board.

According to Bill Musgnung, Colorado has seen a 14 years of increased wine production. What Colorado lacked was quality. “Young punks come in and think they know everything. They think they can buy their business, and it’s not like that. Money talks, but it doesn’t talk quality.”

That began to change when Thompson stepped into the game in 2003. The next year, her 2003 Chardonnay won a double gold medal at the Eastern International Competition, coveted as one of the premier wine competitions. Being the first wine that Thompson had ever made, the double gold sent shockwaves through the Wine industry, being that this honor is rare for a seasoned wine maker.

Thompson now produces 1,800 cases of wine each year, up from 200 in her inaugural season. And although she is still in the learning process, one myth she has done away with is that he needs to be in California to produce quality vino. (Boulder Cultural Directory)