Is Colorado wine maturing beyond its sweet and fruity reputation?

There was a time less than a quarter-century ago when judges would turn their noses up at wines from Colorado, said Julie Balistreri of Balistreri Vineyards, a family operation based in Denver.

The reputation of Colorado wine wasn’t always kind. It was too fruity. Too sweet. Compared to the more established wine regions in California, Oregon and Washington, the product paled.

It’d be difficult to make such a broad assumption of the state’s wines now. The last ten years have seen a proliferation of wineries on the Western Slope, while the last five have seen an explosion of grape varieties that have been tested and can survive the terrain, state viticulturists say.

In fact, some Colorado wines have left visitors and critics surprised, even shocked, according to state industry experts.