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You can’t visit the Western Slope without experiencing the impact of its local agriculture. The North Fork Valley, roughly comprising the towns of Paonia, Hotchkiss, and Crawford, is an especially ripe area for agritourism (i.e., recreational activities on farms and ranches). The region’s wine production earns it one of Colorado’s two American Viticultural Area designations (the West Elks AVA, along with the Grand Valley AVA), and there are farms producing everything from fruit and flowers to steaks and wool. Follow this one-day itinerary to make the most of your time in the area.
9 a.m.
What better way to enjoy farm country than to wake up in it? Reserve a campsite or two-person glamping tent at Big B’s Delicious Orchards off Highway 133 in Hotchkiss. Big B’s U-pick season starts in July, so we recommend waking up before 9 a.m. so you can have your pick of the day’s harvest. Depending on when you visit, you’ll find apples, pears, stone fruit like peaches, plums, and apricots, as well as an assortment of garden vegetables. If you haven’t filled up on fruit beforehand, mosey over to the on-site cafe, which opens at 11 a.m. There, you can enjoy a menu of sandwiches and classic Colorado-Mex dishes, which you should pair with one of Big B’s own line of juices.
12:30 p.m.
Make an appointment for a wine tasting in Paonia at Alfred Eames Cellars, a specialist in full-bodied reds, or ZenZen Gardens, an event venue that exclusively pours bottles from Alfred Eames. Can’t decide which to visit? It all depends on your preferred environs. Zenzen Gardens offers sweeping views of the surrounding mountains to help you find your, well, Zen, while touring the winery itself lets you tiptoe among the barrels in the golden cellars where the magic happens.
2 p.m.
Just five to 10 minutes down the road, Western Culture Farmstead & Creamery is a goat farm and cheesemaking facility producing some of the tastiest goat cheese in the state. Say hello to the baby goats before heading into the miniscule shop, where owners David and Suanne Miller purvey their small-batch chèvre, Manchego, and feta, as well as homemade goods like goat milk bath products. As the Millers explain, the key to a not-too-funky goat cheese is keeping tight control on the temperature of the milk—something they can easily do with an all in-house operation.
3 p.m.
Dude ranches constitute their own form of agritourism, but there are easy ways to experience those Wild West vibes without the potentially wild prices. For example, book a horseback ride at 4 Leg Adventures, during which you can explore the trails surrounding Paonia atop a maned friend. Call ahead to arrange your one- or two-hour ride, which can be tailored to beginner, intermediate, and advanced riders.
5 p.m.
Open from noon to 7 p.m. from Thursdays to Sundays, the Storm Cellar is a white- and rosé-only winery in Hotchkiss boasting some of the best views you’ll find at an estate statewide. We recommend driving up the winding road to the hilltop winery in the late afternoon so you can dawdle over the dwindling sun—and if you’re lucky, get some food too. Every Friday, the Storm Cellar puts on a first-come-first-serve steak night from local chef Joseph Kerns. Owners Jayme Henderson and Steve Steese have both worked as sommeliers, so trust that their wines pair well with the meat, even if they’re not reds. If you’re not coming on a Friday, check for other dinner events that the couple puts on during the summer, or walk in for a reservation-free tasting and grab dinner at nearby Root and Vine Market.
7 p.m.
Admittedly, few spots in the North Fork Valley are open into the later hours of the evening. Check for local music performances like the August Pickin’ in the Park series in Paonia Town Park, or grab a round (or two) of beers at Paonia United Brewing. Otherwise, head back to your lodging and dip into your collected bounties of the day. Between a final glass of wine, a fresh peach, and a few wedges of goat cheese, you’ll be all set to call it a day.
Bonus: Buckel Family Wine in Gunnison
If your travel plans bring you anywhere near Gunnison (say, a stop in Crested Butte or the Curecanti National Recreation Area), take a quick sipping break at Buckel Family Wine, the only winery within an hour radius of the small but mighty mountain town. Its 2023 sparkling rosé, fermented according to the “ancestral” pét-nat method, boasts strong notes of strawberry, balanced with the yeasty notes of most pét-nats. Or, enjoy a six-glass, one-ounce tasting of all the minimal-intervention wines that owners Joe and Shamai Buckel are currently pouring. Buckel charges over $20 for shipping unless you’re in the area between Crested Butte and Gunnison, so it’s worth attempting to make it to the winery in person.
