Meet Mark Harvey | Rancher and Winemaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mark Harvey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mark, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
Colorado winemakers have come a long way with improving the art and science of winemaking in the state. And the quality of grapes on a good year is fantastic. But the climate can be tough on grapes some years when the winters are hard. For instance there was a very cold frost in October of 2020 that damaged a lot of the vineyards and reduced the supply of grapes in the spring of 2021 radically. Because there are only a few places in Colorado where the grapes grow well, getting a good supply for winemaking can be a challenge.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’ve had quite a bit of experience producing food. I”ve been in the ranching business most of my life and have produced a lot of good high-country beef. I also grow potatoes on the ranch. I helped start a shellfish business in Chile and am still a partner there. I really enjoy the whole process of growing things whether it’s cattle, potatoes or oysters. I’m relatively new to winemaking but I think I bring the same curiosity and desire to produce something of the highest quality to the business. I have high standards and am a bit of a stickler for the details. The brand, Open Range, reflects my history growing up in the west with horses and cattle and all that ranching involves. I like the idea of refined wine being made in a rugged landscape.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I might start with a long horse ride on our ranch. It’s tremendously beautiful country, all above 8,000’ and borders thousands of acres of wilderness. I have great horses that can handle the toughest terrain and rarely spook at anything. Then we might do a raft trip down the upper Colorado, perhaps the Ruby-Horsethief section. If it was winter, we’d do some backcountry skiing up one of the many mountains here in the Roaring Fork Valley. For dinner we might eat at Free Range in Basalt, which has great food and a great atmosphere. If in Grand Junction we’d definitely go to Bin 707 and its sister restaurant Taco Party. Colorado has endless mountain biking so we’d find some desert riding north of Fruita or one of the many rides in the Roaring Fork Valley. As a geology and botany geek, I’d probably ramble on a little too much about the natural history of the areas.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I was lucky to meet Kaibab Sauvage, a grape grower in Palisade, and Patric Matysiewski, a winemaker in Palisade. Kaibab and Patric are business partners in Sauvage Spectrum and have been very generous in teaching me the business and craft of winemaking. They are both very smart and have years of experience. Kaibab has provided me great fruit and Patric has patiently helped me learn the chemistry and craft. I think Colorado winemakers are usually very cooperative and like to share knowledge. It makes it a lot more fun and interesting.

I’ve also been working with Courtney Luick on the sales and marketing side. She has had extensive experience in the wine world and has really helped in getting the word out and managing the business.

Website: Openrangewine.com

Instagram: @openrangewines

Facebook: Facebook.com/OpenRangeWines

Image Credits
I Photo of Open Range wine bottles with canteen, map, etc. by Bryan Gray. All other photos by Mark Harvey