The Storm Cellar elevates Western Slope libations

By Kristen Kuchar

The story of The Storm Cellar, a vineyard and winery located in Hotchkiss, began during a trip to Sonoma. Jayme Henderson and Steve Steese decided they wanted to learn much more about the Colorado wine scene, and it sparked a new journey for the wine lovers. The two Denver sommeliers came back to Colorado and immediately started researching the state’s wine industry.

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An Internet search showed a world-class vineyard for sale in the West Elks AVA, an American Viticulture Area in Delta County on the Western Slope. It had a history of producing great wine. Walking the property, the husband-and-wife team immediately saw the potential, and they formed a vision of what the next move on their wine journey would be.

The Storm Cellar was founded in 2017, and produces award-winning aromatic white and rosé wines. Since they opened, the winemakers have experienced extremely dry and cold weather, in addition to a global pandemic. But those challenges sparked ingenuity. “That creativity translates to how we make our wine,” Henderson says.

The winery has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and Wine Spectator, and has earned medals in numerous competitions, including double-gold medals in the 2019 Colorado Governor’s Cup wine competition, the 2020 American Fine Wine Competition, and the 2020 San Francisco International Wine Competition.

An integral influence in their wine making comes from their sommelier experience and extensive careers in the wine industry. Titles have included wine director, mixologist, restaurant manager and beverage director at establishments that include Barolo Grill, Coohills, Cru Wine Bar, Shanahan’s Steakhouse and Ya Ya’s Euro Bistro.

“Being sommeliers made us better winemakers,” Henderson says, who adds they’ve both spent extensive periods tasting for balance and the nuances of wine during their careers. They taste the wines multiple times per week during development.

For Henderson, the road to becoming a wine expert came while searching for a teaching job and relocating from Florida to Colorado. She decided to take a job at a restaurant in the meantime, something she had done throughout college. But then she had a thought that changed her entire direction. She loved wine, cooking and hospitality, as well as being a part of people’s celebrations. So, why couldn’t she just make a career out of it? Since then, she’s produced an internationally known cocktail blog, Holly & Flora, and has traveled around the world to explore wine, fondly recalling time spent in Burgundy and Piedmont.

As for Steve, who was an art major in college, he took a teaching position in Tuscany in the late 1990s. While there, he fell in love with wine. “A love of wine became a study of wine and then a career of wine,” he says.

The duo are now striving to put the West Elks AVA into the national wine spotlight and hoping to see an increase in Colorado wines on wine lists – pairing local wine with local food. They both feel it’s a fun challenge and are excited to work with restaurants to change any misconceptions surrounding Colorado wine.

Fans can keep up with their journey on social media, which shows the story of what’s going on at the vineyard, a deeper look into making wine, and live tastings with sommeliers. Their wine is available at the Hotchkiss tasting room during summer and in various locations across Colorado.

Kristen Kuchar is a freelance writer covering food, libations, music and other Colorado gatherings.