After four years of knocking on the door of Colorado’s Governor’s Cup Collection, Palisade’s Sauvage Spectrum Estate Winery & Vineyard nabbed Best of Show.

The winery had made the “top wines” group in the Governor’s Cup Collection in 2021, 2023, and 2024 annual Colorado Uncorked event, held Saturday at the History Colorado Center in Denver. 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), according to a news release from the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board, part of the state’s Department of Agriculture.

This year’s Uncorked competition included 251 wine submissions from 43 Colorado wineries, eight Idaho wineries, one Arizona winery, and one New Mexico meadery.

“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 in the release. “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.”

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, according to the release.  

“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.

“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,” according to the release. “Sauvage Spectrum’s Zewigelt was named the Best Red Wine (and Best of Show) and Fox Fire Farms’ Aromella was awarded Best White Wine.”

Sauvage Spectrum brings 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, according to the release. 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.

2025 Colorado Governor’s Cup Collection

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