OFM Travel – Voyage to the Mountains: Paonia

Nestled in the North Fork Valley on the Western Slope of Colorado lies a town called Paonia. This small, rural community is truly special and offers a plethora of unique experiences to both its residents and visitors alike. 

Being somewhat off the beaten path, Paonia, CO is a little-known gem of a town just a few hours away from the Front Range. With only about 2,000 residents, give or take, Paonia is the quintessential small town from one end to the other. During the summer months, which typically are from Memorial Day to the end of October, the multiple wineries and farm markets open their doors for the season and offer an endless array of wine, food, produce, arts, crafts, and more. What was once primarily a coal mining and agricultural valley has morphed over the years into a little haven of delightful exploration for the senses where winemakers, beer brewers, hemp growers, cheesemongers, artists, musicians, and world-class chefs hone their crafts and share the fruit of their labors with the community. 

What might a visitor do for a romantic and relaxing weekend in such a place? I’m glad you asked. Here are just a few of the activities and venues that might be on the menu:

Lodging choices are plenty and include motels, Airbnbs, and bed and breakfasts. The Bross Hotel Bed & Breakfast is located just a block from downtown and is a sure thing for a wonderful night’s sleep in a beautiful, historic building with an amazing breakfast. This lovely, old inn is as charming as they get and boasts a combination of vintage décor mixed with modern nuances and amenities for your comfort. Owners Suzanne Tripp and Mike Yengling make each guest feel at home and prepare delicious, gourmet breakfasts each morning. 

“Both Suzanne and I have backgrounds in historic architecture—I used to work in organic farming, and she’s a lifelong baker and cook, so the Bross and the North Fork Valley are a pretty natural fit,” Yengling says.

And the wine tasting! One of the more stand-out attractions of the area is its wineries. Of these, there are plenty of choices. Just a few miles out of town is Alfred Eames Cellar. These guys—Alfred “Eames” Petersen, his son Devin, and their family—have been winemakers and much-loved fixtures in the community for many years. Working side-by-side, they produce some of the best and most recognized wines in the state. Rob Kimball of 5680 Vineyards produces the highest altitude Syrah in the North Hemisphere with grapes he grows in his backyard vineyard.   

Root and Vine Market and Café is also home to Qutori Winery and Tasting Room, where you can have locally roasted coffee, taste wine, and enjoy lunch or a fresh-baked goodie while taking in the spectacular view from their front patio. Annie Stewart, Root and Vine’s head baker, says, “Forget cake–let them eat pie!” (She says this, even though they also serve cake.) Another great option is Delicious Orchards Café, which doubles as a tasting room for several local wineries, and also makes great hard apple cider. Delicious has an outdoor picnic that provides a true country atmosphere with music, a playground for kids and all. 

Just up the hill from Root and Vine on Garvin Mesa are two more wineries to visit. Azura Winery and art gallery are owned by Ty and Helen Gillespie, who bring with them years of passion for wine and food and who have created a scenic haven where one can enjoy a glass of wine on the patio or even sail miniature yacht in the pond down below. Stone Cottage Cellars a little farther up is owned by Brent and Karen Helleckson, formerly an aerospace engineer and a business/marketing professional respectively, and who now produce fine wines from their vineyard, which is one of the original plantings in the valley. 

Brian and Cyndi of Endless Endeavor Winery and Bed & Breakfast and Steve Steese and Jaime Henderson of The Storm Cellar wineries are two of the newer wineries in the area and are already producing outstanding wines and helping to further the appeal of the area and the rapidly expanding popularity of Colorado wine as a whole.  

The Black Bridge Winery and Orchard Valley Farms is a long-established farm market and winery owned by Lee and Kathy Bradley. The setting at Black Bridge is truly something to behold, with a gorgeous stretch of riverfront seating by the water. The tasting room and market offer a multitude of wines to try as well as olive oils, balsamic, vinegar, local honey, and treats galore. When in season, there are U-Pick fruits and veggies and just an endless array of delightful activities for all. Just across the Bridge from these guys is soon-to-be the newest winery and B&B in the area, The Painted Vineyard, owned by Jeff and Karen Schiros from the Vail area. 

Chef Kelly Steinmetz, who is the proprietor of The Flying Fork Restaurant and Corner Bar, hails from Aspen and has been serving up his world-class cuisine in an environment that is best described as “simple elegance.” Kelly focuses on using the freshest and most locally sourced ingredients in his Italian-inspired cuisine to create everything from his artisanal pizzas to dishes like shrimp in vodka cream sauce over homemade linguini, tasty chicken piccata, and vegetable lasagna to name just a few. An eclectic selection of wine, beer, and craft cocktails offer ample choices to pair with a meal or to enjoy at the cozy little bar where locals and visitors gather. 

Food trucks like 1-2 Thai, owned by Alm and Tyson Schneller, have been around town in various locations serving authentic, tasty Thai food since 2014. The culinary scene is ever improving and includes everything from Rio Bravo Mexican restaurant, Paonia Bread Works (where fresh baked bread and pastries can be enjoyed with a coffee), Louie’s Pizza, Edesia Community Kitchen, The Diner, Sweetgrass, and more. There is truly something for every taste. 

Paonia has two local breweries that offer both familiar favorites from the PUB (Paonia United Brewing) like IPA, stouts, and lagers to the sour beers of Chrysalis Brewery. Both breweries are always evolving and offering thirsty patrons new and exciting selections to quench the thirst of those who enter. 

The Arbol Farmer’s Market on Tuesday brings farmers, artists and food vendors and music to the town park where many festivities take place during the summer. A long-running favorite is Pickin’ In The Park, a summer concert series that not only brings people from all over to listen but brings a collection of musical talent from far and wide to this small town. The annual Fourth of July celebration Cherry Days is also in the park and offers the public three days of festivities that include a parade, live music, food, drink, dancing, and more. The wineries host several events each summer that include Wine Trail Weekend, which offers winery tours, tasting, winemaker dinners and more. Closer to fall, Mountain Harvest Fest is a combined effort of the community that features music, food, special events, and more and is meant to celebrate the abundant harvests of the season. 

In addition to all of this, the area offers an endless array of outdoor activities like hiking, biking, river rafting, fishing, paddle boarding, camping, boating, and doing all of these in one of the most breathtaking, tucked-away corners of the world. Paonia welcomes all and is an experience one will not soon forget and which most who come to once are sure to visit again.