Buckel Family Wine

Elevating the Colorado Wine Scene

Making wine in Colorado, with its unpredictable weather, rugged landscape, and relative newness, is for the adventurous, hardworking, and determined visionaries. I would say this accurately describes the Buckels and what I learned from them while working in their winery.

Buckel Family Wine is a family-run winery based in the Gunnison Valley of Colorado sourcing the fruit from a variety of vineyards along the Western Slope of the state. Working with local growers in Palisade and farming their own grapes in the Four Corners, Joe and Shamai Buckel are elevating the Colorado wine scene with their exceptionally crafted wines. I had the opportunity to work with them for the past few years and gained invaluable skills in winemaking, running a business, and building a community.

Photo from Buckel Family Wine

Joe Buckel, the winemaker, with his experience in Sonoma, Napa, and over ten years of winemaking in Colorado knows how to make great wines. I remember being immediately impressed with the crisp, citric acidity and mineral finish of their Chardonnay when I first went to visit the winery. Also with the Flyer Red Blend and Zinfandel, both structured, ageable, reds not over-extracted with well-incorporated oak, something I was very eager to learn. Along with their more ‘classic’ wines, they are not afraid to use lesser-known varietals like Cinsault and Vermentino, expanding on what Colorado wine can be and attracting a more adventurous audience. Through grape processing, blending sessions, and bottling, Joe taught me the necessary skills and confidence to make a great wine in a less traditional grape-growing area. After having worked in several wineries where vineyard conditions are often ideal, and money was no issue in buying very expensive winery equipment, it was refreshing to learn in a new capacity, and winemaking suddenly felt less manicured and much more accessible to me.

Joe and Shamai Buckel with their dog, Rico (photo from Buckel Family Wine)

Another aspect of the wine business in an up-and-coming region is the importance of building community. From talking with regulars at the Farmers’ Market on Sundays to teaming up with local chefs for winemaker dinners the Buckel’s embody the community mindset by using their wine to connect Colorado businesses and farms with both locals and tourists. They also have a ‘Wine Education’ series, making the science of winemaking more approachable and interesting. And while I haven’t been able to make it to any of the crafting events, spending an evening drinking wine while blending essential oils or making a flower bouquet sounds ideal. Shamai taught me the creativity and persistence involved in growing a brand, and how invigorating the community is the best way to succeed.

Wine Club Dinner with CB Personal Chefs

I learned more than I could have imagined during my unexpected ‘covid’ years working at BFW. I also gained an important shift in perspective from working in Colorado. The uncertainty and adventure that comes with the state’s weather and younger winemaking history, paired with the potential for the future, forces you to be creative, adapting, hardworking, and community-focused, which is both rewarding and exciting. To learn more about what the Buckels are doing and try their amazing wines, check out www.buckelfamilywine.com.