What better place to be in love, than in Loveland, Colorado? In 1946 the small town in northern Colorado started a Valentine Re-Mailing program that gave people the opportunity to send their Valentine Day cards with a special Loveland postmark. After 75 years, the Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the US Postal Service, manage the program and volunteers continue to stamp a special Loveland postmark on letters from all over the world. Loveland has become the world’s Sweetheart city.
And as the Sweetheart city, Loveland is also a top destination for brides and grooms who want to get married at the Sweet Heart Winery and Event Center. Located on 8 acres of land two miles west of Loveland, the venue is picturesque with open space surrounded by trees at the edge of the Big Thompson River.
David and Kathy Burks opened the facility in 2010 with ample room for up to 200 guests for weddings and large events. But Sweet Heart is more than an event center. At the core it is a winery where the Burks produce a line of more than 18 craft wines with grapes from California and Colorado.
From Cabernets and Zinfandels, to Syrahs and Malbecs, the winery makes a wide variety of very good wines which can all be sampled in four different flight combinations. Samples are good sized pours providing a big enough drink to really taste, evaluate and enjoy the wine. In our tastings we didn’t come across any wines that we felt compelled to drink so we wouldn’t waste it. Overall the wines were all very good. The 2014 Red Blend and Signature 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley were both worth a full glass after the flights.
The winery also provides food in the form of charcuterie boards to accompany the wine. Charcuterie boards can be an expensive way to eat a scant selection of cheese and crackers. Sweet Heart’s boards are full and feel like a good amount of food for the money. The four different boards are filled with a variety of meats, cheeses, crackers, nuts and even hummus, making a nice addition to the wine tasting experience.
Sweet Heart is about an hour’s drive from Denver, so be sure to plan ahead. The winery is popular and busy, and as an event center, weekends are usually booked with events, so the tasting room closes early. Check their Calendar for availability.
