Living, Unfiltered Wines That Favor Energy Over Power
Aquila Cellars is a winery and farm based in the North Fork Valley of Colorado, dedicated to responsible land management and simple, minimal cellar practices. [^180^] Founded by Brandt Thibodeaux, Courtney Gayer and Kade Gianinetti, Aquila makes living, unfiltered wines that favor energy over power, freshness over richness — wines that are uniquely Coloradan, grown at the highest elevations of North America and produced with the highest vibrations. [^180^] Brandt is a 5th-generation farmer and 1st-generation winemaker — a former biologist and raft guide who fell in love with vinifera, came for the mountains, and stayed for the wine. [^180^] Courtney, originally from Arkansas, has made wine across the world with Jauma, Bodega Chacra, Les Capriades, and Pax Wines; in her spare time you can find her climbing rocks. [^180^] Kade serves as investor, CFO, and runs The Painted Pig — their restaurant and tasting room in Carbondale. [^193^] Together, they are pioneering a new frontier in American natural winemaking from one of the most extreme and beautiful wine regions on earth.
From Biologist & Raft Guide to Colorado Winemaker
Brandt Thibodeaux is a 5th-generation farmer and 1st-generation winemaker. [^180^] Before wine, he was a biologist and raft guide — a life spent outdoors, observing ecosystems, understanding the rhythms of rivers and mountains. He fell in love with vinifera, came to Colorado for the mountains, and stayed for the wine. [^180^] His farming background is central to his identity: he prefers the title "farmer" to "winemaker," seeing himself first as a steward of the land and second as a producer of wine. [^179^]
Courtney Gayer brings a global perspective. Originally from Arkansas, she has made wine across the world — with Jauma in Australia, Bodega Chacra in Argentina, Les Capriades in France, and Pax Wines in California. [^180^] Her experience in diverse wine cultures informs Aquila's approach: a blend of Old World tradition and New World freedom, guided by intuition and respect for place. When not making wine, she is climbing rocks — a pursuit that mirrors her winemaking philosophy: find the line, trust your grip, and don't overthink it.
Kade Gianinetti completes the trio as investor, CFO, and the visionary behind The Painted Pig — Aquila's restaurant and tasting room in Carbondale, Colorado. [^193^] [^194^] The Painted Pig opened in 2023 as a café-by-day, family-style-by-night venture that houses Aquila's wines alongside a regional beer partnership with Outer Range Brewing. [^200^] It is the public face of the Aquila project — a place where the wines can be tasted, the food can be paired, and the community can gather.
The name "Aquila" is Latin for eagle — the bird that soars at the highest altitudes, surveying the land below with clarity and vision. [^179^] It is a fitting symbol for a winery that operates at 5,000–6,000 feet, where the air is thin, the sun is intense, and the wines carry a distinctly mountain energy. The project began in earnest in 2019, though the vineyard that would become Crane Mesa Farm had been planted years earlier — a 4.5-acre site that is now 15 years old and entering the advent of its maturity. [^179^]
"In the end, it's only juice and wine but if you understand it, you know it to be magic."
— Brandt Thibodeaux
Crane Mesa Farm, Snowmelt Ditches & The West Elks AVA
Aquila Cellars works with fruit from multiple high-elevation sites across Western Colorado, all farmed organically and biodynamically. [^182^] Their own estate vineyard — Crane Mesa Farm near Eckert — is 4.5 acres and 15 years old, planted in the North Fork of the Gunnison River Valley within the West Elks AVA. [^179^] [^182^] The farm also produces peaches, apples, and seasonal produce, all managed with the same organic and biodynamic principles. [^182^]
The vineyards are perched at extraordinary elevations — from a mile up to over 6,000 feet. [^179^] This high altitude is a defining characteristic: intense solar radiation during the day promotes grape ripening and phenolic development, while dramatically cool nights help retain crucial acidity. [^181^] The significant diurnal shift produces wines that are high in energy and freshness, rather than overly ripe or "flabby." [^181^] The arid, high-desert climate minimises disease pressure, allowing for a more natural approach to farming without heavy chemical intervention. [^181^]
Irrigation, when needed, comes from a 100-year-old system of snowmelt ditches — a truly unique and sustainable method of providing water to the vines. [^181^] The soils in the North Fork Valley are the result of complex geological history: well-draining, mineral-rich soils that stress the vines, leading to lower yields and more concentrated, flavorful grapes. [^181^] Some of Aquila's vineyards were abandoned and have been rehabilitated by the team — a testament to their belief in the history and potential of Colorado viticulture. [^181^]
Aquila sources fruit from a patchwork of sites: the North Fork of the Gunnison River Valley (West Elks AVA), the lower Surface Creek Drainage, the Uncompahgre River Valley, and Southwestern Colorado near Cortez. [^182^] All vines, fruit, and produce are organically managed. On the estate farm, biodynamic management is practiced alongside the use of botanical teas crafted from local or on-site inputs — a holistic approach that focuses on the vineyard as a living system. [^182^]
4.5 acres, 15 years old, near Eckert, CO. [^179^] Organic and biodynamic management. Produces peaches, apples, and seasonal produce alongside grapes. The heart of the Aquila project — a working farm where wine is just one expression of the land.
Source of Aquila's ethereal Pinot Noir — pale, savory, and elegant at just 11.8% alcohol. [^185^] [^179^] A light, otherworldly wine that defies expectations of what Colorado red wine can be. The ideal pairing for a perfectly roasted... anything.
Water, when needed, comes from a century-old system of snowmelt ditches. [^181^] A sustainable, gravity-fed method that reflects the region's agricultural heritage and eliminates the need for energy-intensive pumping.
A significant part of Aquila's work involves bringing abandoned, own-rooted vineyards back to life — some dating back to the 1920s. [^181^] This dedication to preserving old vines is a testament to their belief in the history and potential of Colorado viticulture.
Gravity-Flow, Foot-Trod & The 90-Year-Old Basket Press
Aquila's winemaking philosophy is "minimalist in the cellar, regenerative in the field." [^181^] The goal is to allow the character of the Colorado fruit to be the star of the show — no manipulation, no masking, no unnecessary intervention. In their rustic, hillside cellar, the juice flows only with gravity, never with a machine. [^179^] Aquila uses 100% native yeasts. The wines are not fined or filtered. [^179^]
The team employs a traditional basket press — believed to be about 90 years old — into which the grapes are hand-cranked rather than put through crushing trauma. [^179^] The press was originally used by Clement Fougnier, who built a wine cellar in the North Fork in 1927 and planted grapes in the 1930s, selling his Gewürztraminer to Aspen socialites. [^179^] This connection to Colorado wine history is deeply meaningful to Brandt: he is not just making wine, he is continuing a tradition that was nearly lost.
Grapes are foot-trod — an ancient practice that gently breaks berries without the harshness of mechanical crushers. [^179^] Fermentations are spontaneous, relying on indigenous yeasts unique to the vineyards. [^181^] Sulfur is used sparingly, if at all, to ensure stability. [^181^] The result is wine that is alive, energetic, and sometimes slightly hazy — a hallmark of natural winemaking that preserves texture, flavour, and antioxidants. [^181^]
Brandt's lack of pedigree — his admission that he "came from a farming background" rather than a prestigious wine school — has been both a struggle and a strength. [^179^] Aspen sommeliers buy his wines for themselves but hesitate to put them on their lists. "One-thousand years of history, and 50 years of biases standing in the way," he says. [^179^] But he keeps visiting, keeps pouring, keeps pushing past the gatekeepers. "You put a smile on your face and hump the bag down the cobbled streets of the 'Emerald City' trying to get past the gatekeepers and into the palace of acceptance." [^179^]
2020 Monarch Red Blend — Syrah/Cab Franc, $74
"Yes, it is on our list and I have enjoyed it. It's a natural winemaking style, and it's clean and very enjoyable." [^179^] — Jonathan Pullis, Parc Aspen. The 2020 Monarch is a Syrah/Cabernet Franc blend that represents Aquila at its most ambitious: structured, complex, and built for the cellar. It is a wine that has broken through to the gatekeepers — proof that Colorado natural wine can stand alongside the Screaming Eagles and La Pins of the world. At $74, it is not an everyday bottle, but it is a statement: Aquila is here, Aquila is serious, and Aquila is not going anywhere.
The Painted Pig, The Green Room & A Vision for America
Aquila Cellars is not just a winery — it is an idea still being manifested, grounded in place and in the concept of terroir. [^193^] At its core is a team of three: Kade Gianinetti, investor and CFO, who runs The Painted Pig restaurant and tasting room; Courtney Gayer, graphic designer and media lead, who helps with winemaking and is leading the newest venture, The Green Room wine bar; and Brandt Thibodeaux, back on the farm at Crane Mesa, managing the land and leading wine production. [^193^] Among them is a wider team of orchardists, cooks, chefs, hospitality professionals, event planners, and bartenders — everyone plays an integral part.
The Painted Pig opened in 2023 in Carbondale as a café-by-day, family-style-by-night venture that houses Aquila's wines alongside a regional beer partnership with Outer Range Brewing. [^200^] [^194^] It is a community hub — a place where locals gather, where visitors discover Colorado wine, and where the Aquila story is told through food and drink. The Green Room, Courtney's new wine bar project, will extend this community further, creating another space for natural wine culture to take root in the Rockies.
Brandt articulates the project's philosophical underpinning with characteristic intensity: "We are going full Walt Whitman here: embracing and supporting America, not as a country, but what America is as a concept, as a people and how we can influence what America is becoming. We are all on the same team if we choose to think this way and we take up this task with fervent hearts." [^193^] This is not just wine marketing — it is a genuine belief that when an environment is thriving, everything thrives: bellies full, hearts full, minds strong and clear, fear and longing transformed into love and peace.
The future of Aquila Cellars is rooted in the same principles that have defined it since 2019: regenerative farming, minimal intervention, community building, and a deep respect for the highest-elevation vineyards in North America. As the Crane Mesa Farm vineyard matures and the team's network of partner growers expands, the wines will only become more expressive of this unique place. With The Painted Pig established and The Green Room on the horizon, Aquila is building not just a winery but a culture — one that proves Colorado can produce wines of genuine distinction, energy, and soul.
"The soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it we can have no community, because without proper care for it we can have no life."
— Wendell Berry (quoted by Brandt Thibodeaux)
The Aquila Range
Aquila Cellars produces approximately 1,500 cases annually of living, unfiltered, natural wines from high-elevation vineyards across Western Colorado. [^179^] The range is eclectic and ever-changing — a reflection of the team's improvisational spirit and the extreme conditions of their terroir. All wines are spontaneously fermented with native yeasts, unfined, unfiltered, and free of additives except minimal SO2 when necessary. [^179^] [^181^] Prices are approximate and in USD.
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Retailers & Distributors
Aquila Cellars wines can be found at a variety of retailers in Colorado's Front Range and Western Slope regions.
Denver Wine Merchant: https://denverwinemerchant.com/products/aquila-cellars-chamisa-2023
Basecamp Wine & Spirits (Frisco): https://www.basecampliquors.com/shop/product/aquila-cellars-crane-mesa-pinot-gris-orange-wine
Sopris Liquor & Wine (Carbondale): https://soprisliquor.com/shop/product/aquila-cellars-chamisa