Stoney Mesa Winery

The family homesteaded in the area in the 1800's and are the 4th and 5th generations of the Neal family in Western Colorado. We have installed a sophisticated weather and soil monitoring system. Click here for current weather conditions, and to see more data on our vineyards.

Cedaredge
Planting started in the Spring of 1990. The Winery estate has 5 varieties under cultivation: Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Merlot, and Chardonnay. Currently Stoney Mesa Winery has 50 acres to work with, and of that 10 acres are in production.
Our Terrior
You would think it would be impossible to grow grapes at this altitude. The climate has been modified by Mother Nature, and is much milder than expected, as if it were thousands of feet lower. The Suns rays are also much more intense making the fruit here ripen well. The evenings are nice and cool, usually 35 deg. cooler than in the daytime. That is very important for good sugar production while maintaining good acid retention.

Grand Junction
In June of 2004, Stoney Mesa purchased 8 acres of vineyards in Mesa County that resides in the "Grand Valley (AVA)". The original Planting Of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Muscat, Chenin Blanc, and Seyval Blanc was planted in 1982, making this one of the oldest commercial vineyards in Colorado. In 1998, the previous owners added Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Rougeon, with a total planting of 6.5 Acres of new and old vines. Stoney Mesa's much sought after Riesling has been produced from this vineyard for many years, and they are now pleased to call it an "Estate Wine".

The "Terrior" is outstanding. Local and World renowned Geologists have compared it to Northern France as well as Yakima, Washington. Located on the south face of the Grand Mesa, Stoney Mesa Winery's Vineyards sit on the edge of a desert and on top of an ancient Ocean/Riverbed. Soils reach depths of 12 to 15 feet and have excellent drainage. There is a 1-foot deep layer of calcareous soil at about 3 feet deep below of a highly organic "green" layer of soil. The upper soil has a high quantity of rock, and preparation of the fields for planting have revealed rock 8 to 10 feet in diameter. The average annual rainfall is 5 to 8 inches and 5 to 10 inches of snow putting the area just above a desert climate. Altitude surprisingly protects the vineyards from severe winter freeze allowing the cold air to drop into the valley floor. Southern exposure also allows for a full day of Sun. Because of the arid climate there are few pest. The only real problem is Odium better known as Powdery Mildew. Every viticulture area has to deal with this and if not managed it can be quite devastating.

Mechanical means are used to manage weeds and drip irrigation to focus the water on the vines as well as control the application. Fertilization is done with the refuse of harvest and is supplemented through the drip system. All of Stoney Mesa Winery grapes grown and purchased are "Hand" cultivated and harvested assuring as little damage as possible to the fruit prior to picking and processing. Bret patiently waits for optimal ripeness relying on a combination of flavor and a formula unique to the Colorado wine industry. Modern pruning techniques and crop thinning assure the vines are never over cropped.