It all started with a home brewing kit…
In 1978 Jimmy Carter signed legislation to legalize homebrewing at the Federal level. Colorado followed at the state level ten years later and has a high percentage of the 1.2 million homebrewers in the country. Many of today’s craft brewers and winemakers started out with their own home brew.
Owner Cordy Coady smiles when she talks about how she and her husband, Robert, got the bug for home brewing. Starting with a beer making kit as a Christmas gift, Robert learned how to make beer and became an avid home brewer. And like many home brewers, he got hooked.
On a trip to get brewing supplies one day, Bob returned home with the equipment to make wine. They tried their hand at winemaking and loved it. Over time, the couple, along with daughter Kristi and son-in-law Eddie, started to get serious. One wine-making set up turned into two, for the ability to increase production and try different recipes. Learning and experimenting with flavors and processes, the passion grew and the hobby began to look like a business.
With a true passion for the craft, in 2015 the family went all-in and opened The Wine Barrel. Located in Parker, Colorado, many of the wines are named after neighborhoods and streets, keeping the community connection. While Parker as a town has seen explosive growth over the last several years, the winery maintains a “hometown” feel.
The family owned business is about as local as you can get. Reminiscent of the 80’s show, Cheers – where everybody knows your name – local residents stop in to sit at the bar, chat and have a glass of wine.
But don’t let the hometown feel suggest the wines are substandard. On the contrary. The winery uses ingredients sourced from across the country and produce spectacular red and white wines.
As winemakers, each of the family members have worked on perfecting their product, creating a large wine selection ranging across the board from light, sweet wines to fuller, more robust bottles. Their time in the business shows in the quality of their different wines, with good selection in every category.
One wine that does not follow the naming conventions of Parker subdivisions and streets is Rickhouse Red. This amazing wine gleaned its name from a distillery term, a “Rickhouse”, which is a specialized warehouse where barrels of whiskey and bourbon are stored for aging.
Rickhouse Red is a fortified red wine using a local craft whiskey from Feisty Spirits Distillery in Fort Collins, Colorado. The wine was aged in a used whiskey barrel giving it great depth and a unique flavor. Rickhouse Red was a special, one-time run, which we hope they make this one again.
The Wine Barrel is an unassuming storefront winery with a tremendous amount of knowledge and talent. They are open seven days a week and hold quarterly VIP events. Put this winery on the short list of ones to visit soon. You’ll enjoy the personal touch in the craft and truly great tasting wines.
