Best of the High Country - Culture 2007

Best Mountain Winery

Winner
Chateau Ste. Michelle
Woodinville, WA This award-winning winery is the state’s oldest. Winemaker Bob Bertheau crafts Washington wines from some of the best vineyards in the state including the Cold Creek (decadent Syrahs and lush Chardonnays), Canoe Ridge Estate (try the 2004 Chardonnay) and Horse Heaven (lovely Sauvignon Blancs) vineyards. ste-michelle.com.

Readers’ Picks 
Creekside cellars, Evergreen, CO This charming family winery specializes in handcrafted wines and also features an Italian outdoor creek-side cafe. creeksidecellars.net; Terror Creek Winery, Paonia, CO Swiss-trained vintner Joan Mathewson creates Alsatian-style wines high in the Rocky Mountains. (970) 527-3484; Gruet, Albuquerque, NM At 4,300 feet, these vineyards are some of the highest in the country and produce award-winning sparkling wines—try the Blanc de Blancs. gruetwinery.com.

Editors' Picks
Sutcliffe Vineyards, Cortez, CO; Colgin Cellars, St. Helena, CA; Parma Ridge Vineyards, Parma, ID; Osoyoos Larose, Osoyoos, BC, Canada

Jazz Aspen/Snowmass, CO

Music Festival

Winner
Jazz Aspen/Snowmass
Aspen, CO This internationally renowned, summer-long festival features performances—including a series of free concerts—as well as diverse education and mid-summer residence programs. Enjoy a unique mix of world-class music including funk, blues, R&B and soul. jazzaspen.com.

Readers’ Picks
Strings in the Mountains Music Festival, Steamboat Springs, CO; Deer Valley Music Festival, Deer Valley, UT; Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride, CO

Editors’ Picks
Aspen Music Festival & School, Aspen, CO; Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, Telluride, CO; Santa Fe Traditional & Bluegrass Music Festival, Santa Fe, NM

Arts Festival

Winner
Jackson Hole
Fall arts Festival
Jackson, WY Art enthusiasts  head to Jackson to experience more than 50 events, including workshops, the “Taste of the Tetons” food and wine event and the always-popular QuickDraw Art Sale and Auction. The Western Design Conference showcases amazing Western furniture and fashion.
jacksonholechamber.com.

Readers’ Picks
Park City Arts Festival, Park City, UT; Sundance Film Festival, Park City, UT; Salida Art Walk, Salida, CO; Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver, CO; Santa Fe Indian Market, Santa Fe, NM; Telluride Film Festival, Telluride, CO

Editors’ Pick
Santa Fe ArtFeast,
Santa Fe, NM

Jackson Hole fall arts festival

Culinary Festival

Winner
ASpen
Food & Wine classic
Aspen, CO As festivals go, it simply doesn’t get any better than this: celebrity chefs and wine experts mingle with attendees to create an unforgettable weekend of food and wine. This year, see cooking demonstrations by big names like Jacques Pepin and Mario Batali, hear top speakers, attend seminars and get ready for some of the most incredible  wine tastings your palate has ever experienced. foodandwine.com/classic.

Readers’ Picks
Telluride Culinary Festival, Telluride, CO; Taste of Vail, Vail, CO

Editors’ Picks
Fairmont Banff Springs Food & Wine Festival, Banff, Alberta, Canada; Scottsdale Culinary Festival, Scottsdale, AZ

Top Home Tours

Who doesn’t love seeing how other people live? Home and garden tours are a fun way to get a peek. Visit selected homes on the third Sunday of September during the Vail Mountain School Home Tour in Vail, Colorado; see six beautiful Deer Crest dream homes and support the Peace House at the Luxury Home Tour of Park City, Utah; the Cordillera (Colorado) Home and Garden Tour benefits the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens and the Vail Valley Medical Center; enjoy beautiful homes and works by nationally known artists at the Sedona Art and Architecture Home Tour in Arizona; the Telluride Mountain Village Fall Spectacular Home Tour features incredible alpine architecture and design in Telluride, Colorado; be inspired and support one of Colorado’s top music festivals, Strings in the Mountains, by attending Steamboat Springs’ High Country Garden Tour.