"It's like this little sanctuary that I have created and it's absolutely beautiful," said Cindie Sorensen owner of Zenzen Gardens in Paonia, Colorado.
The venue, located on the south side of the North Fork of the Gunnison River and near the North Fork airport, is open from May first to November first.
Sorensen, who's been at the same location for twenty-two years, says her operation is multifaceted offering a variety of events for visitors.
"You have to. You have to have different sources of income to make it. I'm the official tasting room for Alfred Eames Cellars. And then I have vacation rentals. I have concerts, and I have special events and retreats."
Sorensen started her journey growing hemp, but pivoted when the market crashed.
"I grew hemp for five years and I had a CBD line. My business was called Zenzen Organics. That's how it started and then the market tanked when the tobacco companies started growing hemp. And so that market fell," she said.
The down turn in the hemp market wasn't the only reason she left hemp behind. In time Sorensen found that the hemp business didn't fully match her personality.
" I love hemp and I love the medicinal properties of it, but I want I wanted something different. So I decided that I was going to do a private label for wine. I met with some different vintners, and I contacted Alfred Eames Cellars and became his tasting room."
Zenzen Gardens rests within the agricultural zoning of Delta County's growing wine country making it the idea place for agritourism.
"I have twenty acres prime ag land. Seventeen acres is in grass alfalfa. The other three acres are the the two houses and the venue part of it," said Sorensen who noted that Zenzen Gardens is her main source of income and the driving economic factor in the North Fork Valley.
"Agritourism is the main income coming into this valley. It used to be coal. I mean, yes, there's the cattlemen and what they do in the valley, and that's a big part of it. But now it's it's agritourism with our with our wineries. We are number six with the AVA wine tour map in the nation. That is incredible. That is what's bringing people here to the valley. "
She said visitors are choosing to stay in a variety of vacation rentals in the valley from traditional hotels to agritourism venues.
"They are staying at the Rocky Mountain Inn. They're staying at the Bross Hotel. They're staying at the Hotchkiss Inn. And, so, if those people don't come here and spend their money, we're losing out on on all that money," she said.
It's not just folks choosing to spend a day, a month or a week in the North Fork Valley, agritourism businesses like Zenzen Gardens are also supporting workers.
"And then you think about all the people who are being employed by the wineries and businesses like myself. You know, we have housekeepers, we have people who do groundwork, we have receptionists, we have social media experts. You know, all these people, they are getting employed by businesses like myself. And if they don't spend their money and if I don't spend my money, then there's no money being spent in the valley."
Sorensen said her agritourism business draws visitor from Colorado's Front Range and beyond.
"And so all the tourists that are coming in, not just from the Front Range, but from all over the world, are coming in to the valley. I've had people from China, Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany, a couple from Russia, believe it or not. And so it's just not Delta County or people from Grand Junction or Montrose coming in. They're coming in from all over the world, coming in to this valley."
Sorensen admits that not everyone in the valley may appreciate the guests who flock in during the summer months, but she noted that a good portion of revenue the North Fork Valley and Delta County is coming from tourism.
As we wrapped up the conversation, Sorensen mused aloud about the power of Zenzen Gardens on the soul.
"It is a place of true relaxation. It's a place where you just let your stress go, and you can just be and you can just take in the beauty of the valley floor. Where I'm at, you have this wide open sky, and you have Mount Lamborn as the focus point of the venue and the beauty of the land. And then you have the sunset, you have this magical alpenglow that comes in and you can see the storms come in and you can sit underneath the veranda and just be out of the heat and in the shade and just take in this, this beautiful place."
Those who've tasted the beauty of the North Fork Valley often return to thank Sorensen for creating a unique place of healing and rest.
"I have people who come up to me and they they touch my arm and they're just saying, thank you so much, Cindie. Thank you for opening up your your home and your property. And thank you for creating this place," said Sorensen adding, "And, you know, I think it's more than just drinking wine (it's healing) and having a good time. It's just like you're grounding yourself."
