Palisade winery fulfills grape expectations

Phil Castle, The Business Times

Patric Matysiewski and Kaibab Sauvage bring a passionate and innovative approach to growing grapes and making wines. But none of the pretension.

It’s a combination the owners of Sauvage Spectrum say has resulted in unique and popular products as well as growing recognition for the Palisade winery and vineyard.

Two different organizations named the operation winery of the year. Now, Sauvage Spectrum is among the latest finalists in the Colorado Companies to Watch program honoring fast-growing firms for their innovative products, unique processes and marketplace performance.

Three other Grand Valley companies also were selected as finalists: JFS, Låda Cube and Lyttle’s Fleet Maintenance.

A total of 74 finalists will be honored at a reception and expo set for April 27 at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center. The 50 winners will be announced at an awards dinner scheduled for June 16.

Matysiewski says he’s excited for the additional recognition for what’s been a lot of hard work since he partnered with Sauvage to start the winery in 2019.
“It’s very much appreciated.”

Sauvage is a grape grower who’s farmed in the Grand Valley for more than 20 years. Matysiewski is a winemaker who worked on several project with Sauvage.

The two joined forces in making wines from 30 varietals grown on 70 acres of vineyards.

In operating what’s known as an estate winery, Sauvage and Matysiewski use only grapes from vineyards they control. And their wines stay on their premises throughout the production process.

They make a variety of wines, including popular sparkling wines bottled under Sparklet labels. Matysiewski describes it as a lifestyle brand that’s both approachable and affordable.

They also bottle sparkling wines under Pet-Nat labels, short for the French term petillant naturel describing a process in which the wine is bottled with the right amount of sugar for fermentation to continue and produce natural carbonation.

Sauvage and Matysiewski enjoyed almost immediate success. The Colorado Association for Viticulture and Enology and Manufacturer’s Edge both presented Sauvage Spectrum with its winery of the year awards.

The winery produced 4,800 cases of products its first year and bit less in 2022, Sauvage says. But production likely will increase in 2023. They operate out of a 5,000-square-foot facility that houses production lines as well as storage and a tasting room.

Sauvage and Matysiewski opened a second tasting room in 2021 in the Wright Building in Ouray.

They distribute their products to a total of nearly 200 liquor stores and restaurants across Colorado as well sell online.

Not content to rest on any proverbial laurels, Sauvage and Matysiewski say they expect to continue to expand the operation. That could include an addition to their production facility in Palisade as well as third tasting room somewhere in Colorado.

As for growing grapes and making wines, they plan to plant new varietals and bottle new products. “We’ll keep innovating,” Matysiewski says.

But it’s not a matter of quantity, he says, but quality.

Sauvage agrees. “We just want to be the best.”

Forget about any pretensions, though.

“We really aren’t,” Sauvage says.

Sauvage Spectrum is located at 676 38 1/4 Road in Palisade. For additional information, call 464-2127, or visit the website at https://sauvagespectrum.com.