A Community Living Room

Opening its doors late last winter, SIPS on Main is a fun juxtaposition of Main Street Cedaredge. Walking through the front door feels like you are on the other side of the Rockies, but in the most delightful way; not the overcrowded, traffic-for-days sort of way. The atmosphere is upscale and posh, filled with beautiful jewel tone walls and furniture and fun black and white photos of old rockers like Janis Joplin and movie stars like Sophia Loren. The food and wine only continue the story in your mind that you are anywhere but the quiet, little town of Cedaredge on the Western Slope of the Rockies.  

SIPS on Main is owned by Denise Furubotten and Lana Flemmer. While Denise is a life-long resident of the area, Lana is new to Cedaredge. After visiting the locale for several years to take in its natural beauty, Lana and her husband had developed strong relationships with many locals and decided it was time to make the move. And this is how Lana and Denise met.

Lana and her husband hired Casa Bella Homes to build their dream home upon moving to Cedaredge. The owners of this custom home building company were none other than Matthew and Denise Furubotten. During the design process, Denise and Lana quickly discovered their shared penchant for entertaining, not complete without a bottle (or two) of wine.

A community living room where locals could develop a deep sense of community was the one thing that Cedaredge lacked for both women. “We needed a place to go!” exclaimed Lana. And while they could, and certainly did, entertain in their own homes, both women desired something grander.

When Elevate Internet brought high-speed fiber internet to the area, it also brought with it new locals from all over the nation. Folks that wanted to get away from the fast-paced urban life but still needed a modern internet connection to that life were soon calling Cedaredge home. "The remote workforce Elevate has attracted to our area, along with the internet connection required to run our day-to-day operations smoothly, gave us the confidence to bring a concept like SIPS to Cedaredge," said Denise. “Locals supporting Locals,” that’s how Lana sees it, and that’s how we see it too!

Their first stop was bringing in the right people for the job. Lana and Denise brought together the best sommeliers this side of the Rockies, Serena Leary and Mark Condon, to curate SIPS on Main’s wine list. The wine list is anything but the norm around the area, chock full of eclectic wine from around the world alongside the best of what Colorado wineries have to offer. Each of the varietals was carefully selected and paired with delightful plates by Mike and Selena.

Further, Denise’s experience as a custom home builder brought the edge to the design of the atmosphere that is created the instant you walk in. “I can’t believe I’m in Cedaredge” is one of the most common exclamations overheard in SIPS.

“SIPS on Main is a unique new stop on the Western Slope with an eclectic, worldly wine list, yet super approachable. The spot feels swanky and modern. It’s nice to have a place to come out and dress up in Cedaredge,” said Steve Steese, owner of The Storm Cellar Wineryin Hotchkiss

SIPS on Main was created to become that desired gathering spot, the spot all the locals came to share life stories and enjoy a glass of wine, a yummy charcuterie plate, and the hum of soft music. In just a few short months, Denise and Lana have succeeded in creating a place where folks from all sectors of life come to linger and talk; meet and make friends; and develop connections.

So stop in next time you are in the area, or make a memorable trip; it’s totally worth it! Then have a glass of house wine from local winery Sauvage Spectrum on Elevate Internet and see the power of local businesses supporting other local businesses.