After being included in the Governor’s Cup Collection in 2021, 2023, and 2024, Sauvage Spectrum beat out the competition and was crowned with the Best in Show award at the annual Colorado Uncorked event. Colorado Uncorked is the premier event of the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board (CWIDB), which is part of the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Of the 12 wines selected to comprise the 2025 Governor’s Cup Collection, Sauvage Spectrum received the Best in Show award for its 2024 Zweigelt (tsvai-gelt).
Zweigelt is a red grape cultivar with origins from Austria and this was the first year the variety was submitted to the Governor’s Cup competition. It will undoubtedly not be the last, as two Zweigelts are part of this year’s iconic Governor’s Cup Collection. This variety’s quick success will surely catch the attention of winemakers and wine lovers alike.
“Colorado Uncorked celebrates Colorado’s growing wine producers, and our success in putting Colorado on the map for well-regarded wine regions. Congratulations to Sauvage Spectrum for their award-winning bright, fresh, and fruity Zweigelt,” said Governor Jared Polis.
“Zweigelt is the most planted red grape in Austria and I am confident it will gain traction here in Colorado,” said CWIDB executive director Kyle Schlachter. “This year’s Collection is the most diverse group of grapes we’ve seen, with lesser-known varieties like Aromella, Grüner Veltliner, and Rkatsiteli showing their unique characteristics.”
The quality of wine in the 2025 Governor’s Cup was so exceptional that the Judges recognized the Best Red Wine and Best White Wine. Sauvage Spectrum’s Zewigelt was named the Best Red Wine (and Best of Show) and Fox Fire Farms’ Aromella was awarded Best White Wine.
Additionally, the quality of submitted wines was so exceptional that ten additional wines earned Double Gold medals, and the judges recognized a Best Mead (Kold Prairie Mead’s Ethereal) outside of the Governor’s Cup Collection honors.
Sauvage Spectrum is located in Palisade, Colorado. With more than two decades of experience growing grapes, founder and owner Kaibab Sauvage decided to start an estate-grown winery in 2019 in partnership with winemaker Patric Matysiewski. Sauvage Spectrum has made a name for themselves by regularly working with new grape varieties for research and development, to further define the future of Colorado wine. Their wines are available at many retail wine shops and liquor stores throughout Colorado and at their winery in Palisade.
The Governor’s Cup is an annual competition organized by the Governor-appointed CWIDB. This year’s competition included 251 wine submissions from 43 Colorado wineries, 8 Idaho wineries, 1 Arizona winery, and 1 New Mexico meadery. In addition to the 12 double gold medal-winning finalists, judges recognized 10 more double gold medal awards — the most ever.
The competition was judged by a panel of 16 highly acclaimed wine industry members -- including sommeliers, writers, and wine experts from Colorado and around the country. In July, the judges participated in a blind tasting and the top scoring wines were announced as the 2025 Governor’s Cup Collection in August. The Best in Show winner, the highest rated wine, is announced annually at Colorado Uncorked.
2025 Colorado Governor’s Cup Collection
The wines that make up the 2025 Governor’s Cup Collection reflect the high quality of the Colorado wine industry.
The CWIDB will use this collection in the coming year to represent Colorado via marketing opportunities in the state, across the country, and around the world. The award-winning wines will also be used for educational purposes at Colorado winemaker roundtable discussions to improve the overall quality of Colorado wines.
Best In Show/Best Red Wine:
- Sauvage Spectrum (Palisade): 2024 Zweigelt, Grand Valley AVA
Best White Wine:
- Fox Fire Farms (Ignacio): 2024 Aromella, Colorado
Blanchard Family Wines (Denver)
- 2024 Zweigelt, Grand Valley AVA
Carboy Winery (Littleton, Denver, Breckenridge, and Palisade)
- 2022 Cabernet Franc, Grand Valley AVA
Continental Divide Winery (Fairplay)
- 2023 Rkatsiteli, Grand Valley AVA
Mesa Winds Winery (Hotchkiss)
- 2023 Cabernet Franc, Grand Valley AVA
- 2023 Petit Verdot, Grand Valley AVA
Stone Cottage Cellars (Paonia)
- 2022 Petite Sirah, Grand Valley AVA
- 2024 Pinot Gris, West Elks AVA
The Peachfork (Palisade)
- 2023 Chambourcin, Grand Valley AVA
The Storm Cellar (Hotchkiss)
- 2024 Albariño, Grand Valley AVA
- 2023 Grüner Veltliner, Grand Valley AVA
Images of the wines selected for the 2025 Governor’s Cup Collection.