West Elks named No. 2 wine region in the U.S.

A little national attention for our corner of Colorado.

Colorado’s West Elks earned the No. 2 spot in USA TODAY’s 2026 10Best Readers’ Choice awards for Best Wine Region. The results, published July 29, put this part of the North Fork Valley on a national travel list and offer a timely reason to get to know the wine country around Paonia and Hotchkiss.

The Readers’ Choice recognition celebrates the destination as a whole. It is a chance to look beyond a familiar name on a wine label and discover the place around it. For travelers, it makes a good starting point for a more interesting question: what would a day here actually feel like?

Wine with a sense of where it comes from.

The West Elks AVA’s own regional guide describes a landscape where mountains meet mesas, with vineyards among orchards and working farms. Warm days, cool nights, and an alpine-desert climate are part of the growing environment. The association highlights bright acidity and concentrated aromas among the qualities found in the region’s wines.

You can bring that context into a tasting without needing a technical vocabulary. Ask where the grapes were grown, what the season was like, or which bottle the person pouring would introduce first. Compare what you notice in the glass with what you see beyond the tasting room. Those small conversations can give a first visit its most memorable moments.

Leave room for Paonia and the valley.

Wine is one part of a larger agricultural and creative community. The North Fork Valley Chamber’s visitor guide connects local wineries with farm stands, galleries, music, and food. That gives a wine-country trip room to become a weekend: an afternoon tasting, time in town, and another morning to explore.

Choose one or two things beyond the wineries that your group will enjoy. You might look for a gallery visit, check a local grower’s farm-stand hours, or see what music is on during your stay. Keeping a little space between plans makes it easier to stop when something catches your interest.

Our Events view is another place to begin. Mountain Harvest Festival brings music, art, food, and agricultural activities to Paonia in September. Follow the organizer’s schedule to find the parts that interest you, whether you have a whole weekend or a few hours to spend in town.

Make your first wine day a good one.

Start with your dates and the kind of day you want. Check current winery hours and appointment requirements, allow time between stops, and decide who will handle the driving before you head out. A shorter route with time to enjoy each tasting is a good place to begin.

Our West Elks AVA guide offers a deeper introduction to the region, and our Paonia wine-tasting guide covers the practical planning. Both are linked below. If you would like help bringing the day together, explore our wine tours or tell us what your group has in mind.

A national ranking can put a place on your radar. The visit is where you find your own reasons to return: a wine you want to take home, a conversation that stays with you, or a view you were glad you had time to enjoy.