Destinations for aspiring sommeliers (or simply, wine lovers) often include the sprawling vineyards of Spain, France, or even California, but the rugged landscapes of Colorado also host an unexpected treasure trove of vineyards. A new book from Christina Holbrook, a Breckenridge-based freelance writer, and photographer Marc Hoberman, Winelands of Colorado is the perfect coffee table gift for the wine aficionado in your life (even if that’s you).

Beginning with a foreword from Gov. John Hickenlooper, the photo-heavy book will tell you more than you ever needed to know about wine in the Centennial State. From in-depth profiles of the winemakers, innkeepers, and artists to snippets of Colorado history, one could peruse this 216-page book for hours (and through several glasses of wine).

Colorado-Cellars
Colorado Cellars represents the oldest label in Colorado and is nestled in Palisade. Photo by Marc Hoberman
Le-Roux-Vineyards
A horse trots through Le Roux Creek Inn Vineyards, a property shaded by apricot trees. Photo by Marc Hoberman

Winelands is organized into six sections, based on the six regions where vineyards and wineries can be found. Yes, you’ll find stunning images of the Western Slope within its covers—but you’ll also learn about the Ute and Navajo tribes that lived in Southwest Colorado, the climate challenges that winemakers face in Colorado’s varied terrain, and read stories of the families who have occupied the state for decades. As the introduction to the book—written by Warren Winiarski, founder of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in Napa Valley and advocate of Colorado wine country—states, Colorado’s grape-growers and wineries “have formed their lovely, authentic voice for the place that they are in.”

This comprehensive guide (so complete it looks at the wine-in-a-can style of Denver’s Infinite Monkey Theorem), is the perfect gift to pre-order this National Wine Day. At face value, the beautiful pictures will have you yearning for your next Colorado road trip, but as you read further into the book, you can learn a great deal about what makes each Colorado vineyard stand out. Cheers!

Get it: The Winelands of Colorado: An Intimate Portrait of Winemaking in a Rugged Land will be officially launched June 16 at a public party at the Wine Country Inn, 777 Grande River Dr., Palisade, and will be available for purchase July 1.

(Read more about Colorado wineries in 5280‘s Behind the Vines series)