Two Benedictine monks were sent in 1886 from St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and traveled to Breckenridge, Colorado, to establish a monastic community in what was still frontier territory. They went at the invitation of Joseph Projectus Machebeuf, then still the Vicar Apostolic for Colorado and Utah. Their first foundation was the Priory of St. Mary in Boulder. Other monks followed in ensuing years. The growth of the community led the community to move to Cañon City in 1924, where a larger monastery was built in the Gothic Revival style. The house was raised to the status of an abbey at that time, and it assumed a new name. A boarding school was opened at the abbey, and initial attempts were made at establishing a winery, which were not pursued at the time. Like other religious communities in the United States, the abbey saw its numbers prosper during the 1950s and 1960s, only to see a steep decline begin after that. The abbey school was closed in 1985. By the early 2000s, the community was composed of about 20 monks, mostly elderly. In an effort to find a means of income for themselves, in the year 2000 the monks decided to return to the idea of planting a vineyard again. They entrusted the production to a professional viticulturist who began to produce wine the following year.
Decline
By the year 2005, however, it was determined that the monastic community was no longer viable and, in a final chapter meeting, the monks voted to dissolve it. They found homes for themselves in various other monasteries, and the abbey was closed the following year in september of 2006.
The winery and tasting room opened to the public in 2002, welcoming visitors to its beautiful and serene Rocky Mountain vineyard. The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey invites visitors into its tasting room where staff guide them through a flight tasting on award-winning wine. Additional services include a VIP wine and cheese tasting during the summer months. The tasting room also sells world and locally-made goods. In the spring and summer, visitors may sit in an outdoor garden setting while viewing thriving vineyards growing against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. In the winter, visitors may taste wine beside a roaring fireplace.
Annual Events
The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey hosts and participates in several annual events. These include but are not limited to:
