Snowy Peaks sold lock, stock, and wine barrels

Story by Patti BrownAfter 20 years of owning the Snowy Peaks Winery in Estes Park, Candice and Erik Mohr sold the business to Rockscar Hospitality, a limited liability company registered in Florida and owned by Albert Schmurr, for $1.7 million in March.The winery hosted an open house Sunday afternoon to honor the Mohrs and to mark the transition.Over the past two decades, the winery has crafted award-winning wines made with Colorado grapes, including cabernets, merlots, malbecs, Rieslings, syrahs, and viogniers. They have also sold wines from other Colorado vintners, along with cheeses, meats, crackers, and jams in their tasting rooms and patios.Ten years ago, to celebrate a decade in business, the winery organized SnowyGrass, a bluegrass concert. After the first year, Nadine Sekerez took over the concert organization, but the winery has continued to be a sponsor, said Candice in an interview with the Estes Valley Voice. This year’s festival will take place Aug. 21-24 in Stanley Park.Schmurr, a Colorado native who went to high school in Highlands Ranch and graduated from the University of Northern Colorado, returned to the Centennial State a year ago after serving in the military in Guantanamo Bay and Iraq and then living in Missouri and Maine where he owned the Pilgrim’s Inn, a historic inn and tavern.While some things will stay the same, at least for now, Schmurr has already made one big change. A former storage and break room has been remodeled into a new private tasting room featuring an arched window opening.Another change coming will be a Snowy Peaks-branded food truck that will serve small plates and daily specials, including rosé and ribs on Saturdays and sangria and paella on Sundays. “I went to cooking school in Valencia, Spain for paellas,” said Schmurr.The Mohrs will continue to live in Estes but plan to enjoy traveling in their retirement, said Candice.Visit Estesvalleyvoice.com