Q&A with Brian Stevens of Meadery of the Rockies
Q: How did Meadery of the Rockies come to be?
The Meadery of the Rockies was founded by its’ original owner in 1996, to encourage people to entertain honey wine for its uniqueness among fermented beverages. At that time in Palisade, there were only a handful of wineries in Palisade, and probably less than 50 dedicated Meaderies in the entire US. Mead was, and continues to be, a product that lives in a pretty small niche of the spectrum of wines. Even today, the Meadery of the Rockies is sought out by people looking for something different, a beverage with a history that predates what most people consider to be “wine”.
Q: How did you start working here?
I believe it was providence, more than anything. My love of alcohol began at an early age, and eventually, I fell in with a group of friends and colleagues when I worked as a teacher in Montana. We would have a monthly dinner where we paired wines and regional cuisine. It was a great, fun exposure to different wine styles, as well as similar varietals from different regions. Those dinners really hooked me on wines, and got me moving down this path. As far as the Meadery of the Rockies, after we moved to Colorado, I was interviewing for teaching jobs and ended up volunteering at the winery. Five years and four job titles later, I get to oversee all of the winemaking.
Q: How is mead different than other wines?
Mead has differences and similarities with what people might consider “standard” varietal wines. Process-wise, mead is very simple to assemble. Raw Orange Blossom Honey is diluted with water to somewhere around 23 percent sugar solids, stirred, and pumped into a tank. That’s it. The art and science in Mead making come about in the fermentation management and kinetics. In terms of character and aromas, Mead can range from delicately floral in aroma, with a clean, fresh flavor and sweetness, to earthy, musty aromas and hot, viscous, and cloying. Meads can be great enjoyed on their own, or paired with many different foods.
Q: How do you describe the atmosphere of Palisade?
Are there any fun collaborations with other businesses? Palisade has a really fun atmosphere. It’s a very close knit, agricultural community. Wineries are closely and naturally tied to local agriculture, so they contribute greatly to that feeling. Currently, we have an agreement with a local Community Supported Agriculture business, Field to Fork CSA, and we lease a plot of land to them to grow vegetables for the local community. They’re a great organization. We’re working with a local Lavender grower, on a little side project, and our parent winery, Talon Wine Brands, has done custom crush work for Odell Brewery in Fort Collins on two of their specialty beers. There are always fun things going on, but we’re continually looking for opportunities to collaborate and be good neighbors.
Q: What is something readers would be surprised to know about you. And about the meadery?
The most surprising and exciting thing about the Meadery of the Rockies is that we produce wines here for three different wine labels, Talon Winery, St. Kathryn Cellars, and The Meadery of the Rockies. We’re responsible for fruit wines, meads, and traditional grape wines, all of them are award-winning and delicious.
Q: Do you ever see people skeptical to try mead that end up loving it?
Absolutely. One of the most rewarding things for our Tasting Room Associates is to sell a case of mead to someone who “only drinks dry red wines”. It probably happens twice a week, and I believe that it speaks to the quality of our wines, and the talented staff that have the ability to coax reluctant tasters “out of their shells”, as it were.
