West Elks is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the Rocky Mountains in western Colorado. The high-altitude mountain terroir here has proved well suited to viticulture, and bright, fresh, white wines are made from Riesling, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer. Pinot Noir has had some success in West Elks vineyards, with a small number of producers creating delicately structured but richly berry-scented wines – quite different from the heavier styles of California.
The West Elks AVA covers 48,000 acres (19,500ha) just west of the West Elks mountain range, a chain of mountains within the Rockies that effectively marks the eastern edge of Colorado's main wine-producing areas. Grand Valley, Colorado's oldest AVA, lies just to the west in Mesa County. West Elk's vineyards are some of the highest in the world, reaching altitudes as high as 6400 ft (1950m) above sea level. By contrast, the vineyards of Mendoza, Argentina – a region famed for high-altitude winemaking – reach only as high as 3600ft (1100m) above sea level.
The positive effects of altitude on wine production are well known; greater intensity of sunlight and cold nights during the growing season promote the development of complex phenols, producing more intensely colored, vibrantly scented wines. While West Elks has these qualities, the growing season here is too short to support later-ripening grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, but the aromatic white varieties – in particular Riesling – thrive in this kind of environment.
The West Elks AVA lies in a mountain basin and is surrounded by peaks, the highest reaching 11,000ft (3350m) above sea level. These mountains help to block out extreme weather from the surrounding landscape, and the vineyards of West Elks receive only around 13 inches (330mm) of rain a year. The stony loam soils are free-draining and stress the vines, leading to lower yields of high-quality berries. Vignerons are able to control the vigor of the vines through the careful use of irrigation.
The AVA was delimited in 2001, and currently has a handful of producers making wine within its boundaries.
