Colorado gave birth to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (Durango) and Enstrom’s (Grand Junction) and Belvedere Belgian Chocolate Shop (Castle Rock). There’s definitely a wine and chocolate thing happening on the Western Slope.

Not to mention Wen Chocolates and Roberta’s Chocolates and Dietrich’s Chocolates and Espresso and Telluride Truffle (courtesy of Le Chocolatier). Also, Russell Stover Candies started up here in 1923 and then was bought by a Kansas City businessman in 1969. Isn’t it unusual for a state to have so many chocolate makers? (And I haven’t even gotten around to investigating Steve DeVries, who makes his own chocolate and sells the bars at a few locations in Denver, as well as chocolate for other chocolatiers.)

Here are links to each of the chocolate makers listed below:

Dietrich’s Chocolates and Espresso

Enstrom’s

Indulgences, Etc. (Belvedere Belgian Chocolate Shop)

Le Chocolatier

Roberta’s Chocolates, Candies, and Nuts

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (RMCF)

Russell Stover Candies

Wen Chocolates

If you want:

All sorts of things dipped in chocolate: Dietrich’s, Roberta’s, Enstrom’s, RMCF, Wen

Antique or unusual molds (to shape chocolate): Roberta’s, Wen

Brightly colored designs in your chocolates: Le Chocolatier (Telluride Truffle), Roberta’s, or Russell Stover Urban series

Chocolate and coffee: Dietrich’s; Enstrom’s; Indulgences; you can take Wen Chocolates hand-made marshmallows to Paris on the Platte (down the street) and melt them in hot chocolate

Chocolate art tiles: Wen, but also see “Made-to-order chocolates”

Chocolate with your breakfast: Dietrich’s; Indulgences and Wen also sell baked goods

Ganache from heaven: Roberta’s, but RMCF is also good. (“Ganache” is chocolate cream.)

Gold dust on your truffle: Wen

Elegant molds: Indulgences, Le Chocolatier

Extra-large truffles: RMCF; Roberta’s are pretty big too

Kosher chocolate: Enstrom’s

Made-to-order chocolates: Indulgences, Roberta’s

Organic chocolate: Russell Stover

Peanut-free: Belvedere Belgian Chocolate Shop’s factory in Castle Rock is peanut-free (but remember that most truffles contain almond or hazelnut pastes!)

Pomegranate-flavored truffles: Roberta’s

Sugar-free: Enstrom’s, Indulgences, Le Chocolatier (Amber Lyn), RMCF, Russell Stover

To eat your chocolate in a trendy Denver neighborhood: Indulgences (Colfax in view of the Capitol), Le Chocolatier (Highlands), Wen Chocolates (15^th and Platte)

To eat your chocolate in a strip mall: Enstrom’s, RMCF, Russell Stover

To eat your chocolate on a bench in Highlands: Le Chocolatier, Roberta’s

To have your own chocolate franchise: Belvedere Belgian Chocolate Shop, RMCF

Wine and chocolate pairing/martini and chocolate pairing: Indulgences will do this in your home