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ENLARGE
Doug Phillips
GRAND JUNCTION — The death Tuesday night of Colorado wine industry pioneer Doug Phillips immediately brought sorrow to wine aficionados from Colorado and beyond and accolades for the man whose Palisade wines made entirely of Colorado grapes were hailed on an international level.
“Word travels fast through the grapevine, and our grapevines are ... already feeling this loss,” said Doug Caskey, executive director of the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board.
Phillips, 64, who owned Plum Creek Cellars in Palisade with his wife, Sue, died from melanoma that metastasized to brain cancer. His condition was diagnosed May 7.
Survivors include his wife and two daughters, Jennifer, of Massachusetts, and Megan, of San Diego.
Phillips entered the wine industry in 1984 when he and Erik Bruner launched Plum Creek Cellars in the old Larkspur Town Hall. They imported grapes from outside the area, but within Colorado. Their mission: Make the highest-quality wine with grapes grown only in Colorado.
“Other winemakers told Doug he was making quite a mistake,” said Sue Phillips Wednesday.
Soon, it dawned on Phillips the best wineries are those closest to the vineyards, so they moved Plum Creek to Palisade, where it is today.
Plum Creek succeeded in Phillips’ original quest.
Some vintners “scoffed that quality wines would never come from Colorado,” Caskey said. “If that were true ... how could Plum Creek win gold and double-gold medals in national and international competitions?”
Phillips met Sue in court in 1987, where both worked as worker’s compensation lawyers in Denver. They were married in August 1994.
They spent nearly every moment together. With the exception of when avalanches closed Vail Pass, the couple drove to the Grand Valley every weekend to tend the vineyard, the cellar and the business. Sue Phillips said having a “hell-of-a-good secretary” in Denver enabled them to practice law in Denver and make wine in Palisade.
Phillips was instrumental in drafting the Colorado Wine Industry Development Act, which helped fund research and promote the wine industry.
He also mentored people in the courtroom and among the vines.
When pressed to name his favorite wine, Sue Phillips settled on the Reserve Redstone Chardonnay, which was mentioned in the last pages of Clive Cussler’s book “Shock Wave.”
Together, they wrote a legal treatise. And they traveled, particularly to France, but also to Ireland and Great Britain.
He also loved the outdoors, beautiful artwork and walking their shelter dogs, Rocco and Ozzie. The couple enjoyed wine canoe camping trips.
One of his last acts involved helping others, Sue Phillips said. He allowed physicians to remove the melanoma to study it with the goal of helping others with the same condition.
Services are planned for Tuesday in Denver and Friday at Palisade High School.
“Word travels fast through the grapevine, and our grapevines are ... already feeling this loss,” said Doug Caskey, executive director of the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board.
Phillips, 64, who owned Plum Creek Cellars in Palisade with his wife, Sue, died from melanoma that metastasized to brain cancer. His condition was diagnosed May 7.
Survivors include his wife and two daughters, Jennifer, of Massachusetts, and Megan, of San Diego.
Phillips entered the wine industry in 1984 when he and Erik Bruner launched Plum Creek Cellars in the old Larkspur Town Hall. They imported grapes from outside the area, but within Colorado. Their mission: Make the highest-quality wine with grapes grown only in Colorado.
“Other winemakers told Doug he was making quite a mistake,” said Sue Phillips Wednesday.
Soon, it dawned on Phillips the best wineries are those closest to the vineyards, so they moved Plum Creek to Palisade, where it is today.
Plum Creek succeeded in Phillips’ original quest.
Some vintners “scoffed that quality wines would never come from Colorado,” Caskey said. “If that were true ... how could Plum Creek win gold and double-gold medals in national and international competitions?”
Phillips met Sue in court in 1987, where both worked as worker’s compensation lawyers in Denver. They were married in August 1994.
They spent nearly every moment together. With the exception of when avalanches closed Vail Pass, the couple drove to the Grand Valley every weekend to tend the vineyard, the cellar and the business. Sue Phillips said having a “hell-of-a-good secretary” in Denver enabled them to practice law in Denver and make wine in Palisade.
Phillips was instrumental in drafting the Colorado Wine Industry Development Act, which helped fund research and promote the wine industry.
He also mentored people in the courtroom and among the vines.
When pressed to name his favorite wine, Sue Phillips settled on the Reserve Redstone Chardonnay, which was mentioned in the last pages of Clive Cussler’s book “Shock Wave.”
Together, they wrote a legal treatise. And they traveled, particularly to France, but also to Ireland and Great Britain.
He also loved the outdoors, beautiful artwork and walking their shelter dogs, Rocco and Ozzie. The couple enjoyed wine canoe camping trips.
One of his last acts involved helping others, Sue Phillips said. He allowed physicians to remove the melanoma to study it with the goal of helping others with the same condition.
Services are planned for Tuesday in Denver and Friday at Palisade High School.
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