Aquila Cellars

At Aquila Cellars, the story is defined as much by elevation as it is by intention. Set in Colorado’s North Fork Valley, the winery operates at high altitude, where intense sunlight, cool nights, and a shorter growing season shape wines of natural freshness and precision.

Led by Brandt Thibodeaux, Land Manager and Winemaker, alongside Winemaker and Marketing lead Courtney Gayer, Aquila approaches both farming and winemaking with a clear philosophy: work responsibly with the land and intervene as little as possible in the cellar. Their vineyards are managed with a focus on long-term sustainability, allowing the site to express itself without excess manipulation.

In the winery, that restraint continues. Wines are crafted as “living, unfiltered” expressions—favoring energy over power, and brightness over heaviness. Each bottle reflects the conditions of the vintage and the realities of farming at elevation, where balance is achieved not through force, but through careful timing and observation.

Beyond the vineyard, Aquila Cellars connects directly with its community through tastings at The Green Room in Denver’s RiNo district and The Painted Pig in Carbondale, with distribution across Colorado through Yes Wine Co. The result is a winery grounded not only in place, but in a broader ecosystem of people, land, and thoughtful stewardship—captured in every glass.