Cody, Wyoming—made famous by
Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West Rodeo—nestled in the north-western corner
of the state, is often overshadowed by the more well-known, and much more posh
and expensive, Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Cody
is on the edge of Yellowstone National Park like Jackson. However, Cody is also on the edge of becoming
the preeminent wine destination of Wyoming.
On my recent trip to and through Cody, I was impressed with the
promotion of wine and the wine industry in the quaint and comfortable
town. I was so impressed, in fact, I had
to write about it!
Impression number
one: a master sommelier!
Perhaps a driving force behind some
of the wonderful wine experiences happening in Cody is Amanda Luther, master
sommelier in training. (And from one
sommelier to another, this is INCREDIBLY remarkable!) In her mid-twenties, Amanda is near the
half-way mark of her sommelier studies.
She is doing most of this work through independent study with online and
social networking resources, while sipping and evaluating wines almost
daily. Amanda teaches wine classes at
Juniper Wine and Spirits (more on that business soon), teaching about anything
wine related, whether it be Chardonnays or Greek wines. (During a recent Greek wine class Amanda paired Greek
wine with Greek food…yum!) As if this
isn’t enough, Amanda is working on her MBA through a Colorado university.
Master Sommelier in training, Amanda Luther. (Photo from the Casper Star Tribune.)
Impression number
two: Juniper Wine and Spirits
Juniper is the absolutely adorable
liquor store and gift shop where Amanda spends many of her hard-working
hours. In addition to the wine classes,
Juniper has an incredibly well-organized wine and liquor selection. Every wine has been tasted (Amanda and other
staff at work) with tasting notes for customers to use to help guide buying
decisions. Juniper also has a cute
tasting bar in back where clientele can sit and sip a taste or a glass of one
of the wines on the ever-changing tasting list.
Juniper has plans to expand in the next year because the current space
just isn’t big enough for this growing wine-centric business.
The tasting bar at Juniper Wine and Spirits.
Impression number
three: Libations
Libations is an incredibly unique
full-service liquor store. It is has a
large wine selection spread out so patrons can easily see what wines are
available for purchase. What makes
Libations so one-of-a-kind is in the large wine area are pub tables and three,
four-bottle Enomatic wine dispensers just waiting for wine lovers to try one of
the twelve wines on tap or buy a bottle to sit and sip in the store. Wine glasses just happen to be waiting in
this serve-yourself establishment. If
sitting inside doesn’t sound appealing during these beautiful summer months,
there is a patio area for sitting and relaxing with a drink. If wine isn’t the preferred libation (wink),
there are also multiple daiquiri machines to choose from, or a six pack of beer
could be purchased with the same serve-yourself premise.
Enomatic wine dispensers at Libations.
Impression number
four: Buffalo Jump Wines
Last, but definitely not least, is
Buffalo Jump Wines. Winery owners and winemakers—husband and wife Beckie Tilden
and Scott Wagner—are producing wines right in Cody. Though the fruit is sourced from California,
the winemaking process continues in Cody.
In fact, when I was in Cody last weekend, Beckie and Scott were just
moving into a larger space because within two years they had already outgrown
their former facility. Buffalo Jump has
wines ranging from a Sauvignon Blanc, to a Cabernet Sauvignon rose, to a
Merlot. I don’t want to give away too
much since I am planning on a full blog about Buffalo Jump. However, let it suffice to say that even in
the middle of a move, Beckie and Scott showed me wonderful hospitality, and I
sipped on some of their equally wonderful wines.
Buffalo Jump Winery's tasting lineup.
Though Cody may be thought of as
the second entrance to Yellowstone, or the “other” town in the north-western
corner of Wyoming when compared to Jackson, I see Cody creating its own
reputation when it comes to wine. (I
should also add one microbrew is already up and running with an amazing
restaurant—Geyser Brewing Company and the Terrace restaurant—with two other
microbrews in different stages of planning, so Cody isn’t focusing solely on
wine.) I look forward to going back to
Cody again next summer; I truly think that all of these wine-loving businesses
will be doing well and continuing to expand.
I want to witness the evolution of Cody as the Wine Capitol of the
Wyoming West!
