Zenzen Gardens — Attraction in Paonia

Tasting room (outdoors) for Alfred Eames Cellars. Upon arriving & admiring the grounds, we walked to the entrance. I was glorified by the building & the front door glass. Hearing nice music, thought there was live music inside. I just started opening the door & realized, because of a small sign on the gorgeous door, that it was a private home. Corrected immediately. Too late. Cindy, the owner, started in on it was her private residence & how many people have walked into her home... Then she pointed out the outdoor stand of business. Well, we've been to places that have indoor & outdoor seating... When not realizing all the "rules", we came back to the stand to do a tasting. NO find a spot to sit & the tasting will be brought to you. NOW, I'm not comfortable at all. I said to Cindy, "I'm not feeling very Zen right now." No apologies from her. We sat down in a pretty spot, but a little warm for us. After the introduction & poured water, we asked if we could move around the corner of the building, to find a bit more shade. A look was given, then, fine. Upon the first part of 9 tastings, I had a bit of a meeting of the minds with Cindy. I asked if she was feeling ok. She asked if we really wanted to be here. OMG the owner? Let's start again. Hi, I'm Lori. Hi, I'm Cindy. After a 30 second conversation, she left us to go inside. After a couple of minutes, Cindy returned, explaining her sensitivie mood, because of her long, exhausting day yesterday. Apology accepted, then she said that Cole would look after our tasting. Fine Cole was terrific. Knew the wines and the area. Fishing, etc. What a well rounded young man. We paid for the 9 wine tasting, which we shared. Bought 2 glasses of wine & ate our picnic. Niiiice. We also purchased 2 bottles of wine. It's too bad we met Cindy on her bad day. Cole restored our visit 🍷🍷to have a good memory of the area. Truly, we enjoyed all of the...

I absolutely loved ZenZen Gardens. The location is fantastic (quick trip to town if you need anything, but remote enough to feel relaxed). I was able to use it as a great jumping off point for trail running with my dog.

Property is gorgeous, and very well maintained. It was also nice to take advantage of the wine tasting and charcuterie boards! I had finished a hike, and was into relaxing for the afternoon, so sitting and sipping wine while looking out at the landscape was a perfect afternoon. The wine was (as someone who can be judgmental about CO wine) actually really great and I took some home!

I chose a camp site, and had no issues. Was able to setup, make my morning coffee, make dinner, etc. I did want to check out the glamping tents, but mostly because Cindie has made them look amazingly comfy!

Cindie is also a fantastic host. I felt at home in her space. Amy helping with the wine tasting and Jonathan the groundskeeper were also lovely and made the place welcome.

I will definitely be back. Loved the place, and...

I cannot say enough positive things about Zenzen Gardens. I’m actually not one to leave reviews, but our experience here was so outstanding that I felt that I must. The gardens are just beautiful and would be stunning on their own even without the added backdrop of the valley and the mountains. The combination makes you feel like you are in nothing short of Eden. The wine is some of the best in the valley (possibly Colorado). I don’t think there was anything we tried that we didn’t like. What makes this place truly special is the owner, Cindie. She was so amazing and accommodating. She insisted that I sit and enjoy my wine while she entertained my two-year-old (for far too long) to the point where she kept shooing me back to my table every time I would get up to help 😂. Now, I wouldn’t go expecting free childcare lol, but if you don’t go to Zenzen, you are missing out on one of the gems...