Calling All Wine Lovers!
Calling all wine lovers! Your next tasting or wine purchase should be from the Colorado River Winery in downtown Bastrop, Texas. Located on Chestnut Street just off the corner of Main, the Colorado River Winery is a Tuscan retreat for all who love the fruit of the vine.
Brad Cook, Colorado River Winery owner, has been making wine for a long time. It’s been his dream to open up a winery – a dream that was realized shortly after retiring from Kroger Manufacturing and moving to Bastrop. After being fascinated with the science of wine-making for as long as he can remember, Cook finally turned his love of wine into a second career in December of 2013. The Colorado River Winery is a full-production winery. The juice is sourced from vineyards in Texas, California, Washington, and Oregon, and is produced, bottled and sold on site. The winery also doubles as a lovely event venue for up to 40 people. “We want to be a boutique winery”, says Cook. “We sell what we make. We want to be in the area, not have our wines distributed at large stores like Specs. We want to bring tourists to downtown Bastrop.” And bringing tourists is exactly what the Colorado River Winery is doing. Cook estimates that roughly 65 percent of his customers are visitors to Bastrop. “Wineries are becoming something that tourists look for when they come to a new town,” says Cook. “We love having them too!”
In fact, Cook’s favorite part about owning the winery is the people who visit it. “I enjoy making the wine, but the people we meet from all the different places make it worthwhile. We learn about what’s bringing them to town and hear their stories. We make it fun!” The Colorado River Winery currently offers 12 different wines – four dry reds, three dry whites, four sweet wines, and one dessert wine. The wines are produced in small batches and are available on site until they sell out. Not sure which wine is right for you? Come in for a tasting! You might be surprised by what you like. According to Cook, the winery is constantly changing the product line. They use different fruits to sweeten the wines (like pear vs. strawberry), which gives the wines a different taste. They also heed customer demand and will make a specific type of wine if enough customers ask for it. The Colorado River Winery also carries a small selection of wine-related gift items. “But there are other great shops in town who do that,” said Cook. “We sell wine.”
Looking for another way to experience the Colorado River Winery? Visit downtown Bastrop on Thursday, December 11, 2014 from 5-9pm for the Lost Pines Christmas Swirl. Our very own Colorado River Winery and nine other fabulous Texas wineries will provide wine samples paired with tastings from some of our great local restaurants. And there will be shopping too! More information on the Lost Pines Christmas Swirl is available at http://lostpineschristmasbastroptx.com. Tickets are $40 each and can be purchased at http://www.localwineevents.com/events/detail/550149/bastrop-lost-pines-christmas-swirl-a-wine-tasting-event. The Colorado River Winery is located at 707 Chestnut Street. They are open Monday through Thursday from 12 noon to 6pm, Fridays from 12 noon to 8pm, Saturdays from 12 noon to 6pm, and Sundays from 12 noon to 4pm. Find them online in the following places: Website: http://coloradoriverwinery.com Phone: 682-227-0710 Email: ColoradoRiverWinery@austin.rr.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/ColoradoRiverWinery Also look for them on TripAdvisor and Yelp! Story and photos by Sarah T. Page Consulting, LLC
