Berkeley Estate Cellars

Thirty-five acres of grapevines grow at 53582 Falcon Road, on the far western edge of Olathe. The winery’s listing with the state tourism office tells travelers where it stands: “You pass by us every time you drive to Telluride.” The vineyard lies in the Uncompahgre Valley at 5,000 feet, on what the winery calls rocky, sandy soil under variable weather. An earlier listing placed it on the California Mesa. By the winery’s account, Olathe is a Western Slope community known for apples, peaches and wine grapes. The winery also notes that the town shares a latitude with Napa Valley, and it credits the altitude and soil with wines it calls brighter and bigger in flavor.

The tasting room and the barrel room

The winery’s website announces a newly remodeled tasting room, open by appointment for private tastings. The same page, dated 2021, assures guests that COVID-19 guidelines are followed. The Colorado Tourism Office listing describes the room differently: open weekends only, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a tour and tasting at $10 a person and free to wine club members. It accepts tour groups of six to twenty.

The winery lists eleven wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Frontenac Blanc, Frontenac Gris, Gewurztraminer, Itsaca, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Riesling. The Colorado Wine directory adds a Syrah and files the Riesling among dessert wines.

The building also serves as a hall for weddings and parties. It seats 80 indoors and holds 150, and a one-acre yard lies outside. Concrete patios front and back look toward the San Juan range, the Uncompahgre Plateau, Grand Mesa, and the western edge of the Black Canyon. The barrel room serves as the bridal dressing room. The winery holds no beer or spirits license, so event guests bring their own.

Berkeley and Charlotte

David and Britney DeJesus run the place. They have two daughters, Charlotte and Berkeley. They named the winery for Berkeley and the property, “now a working farm and ranch,” for Charlotte. In their words they came “to bring a fresh new beginning to what is already a beautiful piece of Colorado!” Their website states that the vineyard was formerly known as Garrett Estate Cellars. It does not say when the change came.

Three acres and twelve experiments

Garrett Estate Cellars began in 2003 with three acres planted to 12 experimental wine varieties. The name appears in more than one spelling. A festival listing gives it as Garrett Estates Cellars, and a February 2019 application to the Montrose County commissioners spells it Garretts Estate Cellars. That application, from Mitch Garrett, sought a Colorado Liquor Sales Room Winery License.

The first wines came in 2008: a Riesling, a Chardonnay and a Pinot Gris. The Chardonnay took a bronze medal at the 2010 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. A Vino & Notes festival listing posted in March 2014 described the winery as family owned and operated. It said the vineyard had grown over the previous five years to more than 35 acres. Seven varieties were then on the vine: Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Merlot. The winery bought its Cabernet Franc and Syrah grapes.

A hayride through the vines

On a Saturday in the summer of 2017, the vineyard hosted the second annual Wine and Dine in the Vine, a fundraiser for the Valley Food Partnership. The Montrose Daily Press reported it on July 4. A large John Deere tractor pulled a trailer of guests through the rows. D. Mitch Garrett worked his way around the trailer, “bouncing around, quite literally,” in the paper’s words. He made sure that everyone who wanted wine had some in a plastic cup, and he touted a Sauvignon Blanc as he went. Steve Leady of the winery talked over the selection with guests.

“This event is all about farm to table and buy local,” Garrett said. “In addition to our wines, everything is local. We always support other local farmers like Homestead Meats.” Abbie Brewer, the partnership’s executive director, said the proceeds would go to its “Farmacy” program, a nutrition education program built on local foods and farms. She described the evening as “connecting local foods with local forks.”

Garrett made his case from the trailer: “I’ll put my wines up against any wine from any region for any price. I’m not saying I’m better, but we are as good as anyone. For some reason, Coloradans don’t like Colorado wines. I think it’s because they haven’t tried enough of them to find ones they like.”