A lot of people are surprised when we tell them that Colorado has it’s own wine country. Palisade may better well known for it’s peaches, but it is also home to a lush valley perfect for growing certain grape varietals. We recently ventured to the Western Slope for a weekend getaway, spending time in both Grand Junction and Palisade.

Grand Junction

Stay

We booked an Airbnb for our trip. It was a modern space with a small backyard for the dogs. We didn’t LOVE the location, but it was a super convenient to grab an Uber to either downtown Grand Junction or Palisade. Literally took 5 min max each ride. It was clean and had all of the amenities we needed.

We found out after the fact that there’s a great dog-friendly hotel in the Downtown area of Grand Junction called the Hotel Maverick. We obviously haven’t personally stayed there but friends of ours vouched for the space. From the photos, it looks very modern and it is in a much more walkable location than our Airbnb. It’s also the only boutique hotel in the area!

Taco Party

From the moment we decided we were staying in Grand Junction for our trip, we started hearing that we should check out Taco Party. We have to say, it did not disappoint. It’s a casual spot, where you walk up and order and they bring your food out to your table. We had a carafe of their house margs (a must) and a few of their seasonal and staple menu items. My personal favorite was the guacamole- it is ALMOST too beautiful to eat and has so many fresh ingredients that it appeals to even the guacamole haters (yes, they do exist). Definitely a must try when in GJ.

Bin 707 FoodBar

I had never heard of Bin 707- but it seems to be quite well known in the Grand Junction scene. It was a bustling restaurant with very elevated dishes that were all FANTASTIC. I think these were my favorite bites of the whole weekend. Everything was super fresh and unique. On top of that, the chef was nominated twice for the James Beard award and the menu definitely speaks to his talents. It’s hard to narrow down, but our favorite dishes were probably the Elk Tartare and Porchetta. Close seconds were the Seasonal Tomatoes and the Lemon Verbena Panna Cotta Pie!

Palisade

Biking

We decided the day before our trip that we wanted to rent bikes and mosey around town to our chosen wineries. We were able to easily book 2 bikes from Palisade Cycle and Shuttle, formerly Rapid Creek Cycles. They have 7-speed and E-bikes, depending on your vibe. The process was super simple: We booked the bikes online, showed up during our time window, snagged the bikes and got a map from a super helpful employee. He gave us some tips (areas to avoid hills, best wineries to check out, etc.) and we were on our way! The bike shop was super conveniently located on the main street in Palisade, and all of the wineries are pretty easy biking distance. You can choose the furthest or closest and customize your day accordingly. We went about 6 miles round trip.

Wine Tasting

There are 40+ wineries (!!) in the Palisade valley and we were only able to really check out 3 of them during our biking tour of the town. Plan for at least 45-60 mins per winery, so that you can really get the full wine tasting experience. We didn’t find that we needed a reservation for any of the wineries we visited and that was super refreshing coming from Denver.

Colterris

This was our first stop and it came highly recommended. There are 2 locations and one is easier to bike to, so we chose the Colterris Winery instead of the Overlook location. When we arrived, we bellied up to the bar and chose our tasting options. They even give you cards and a little keyring to hold them together so you can remember which wines you tasted and loved. There’s also an option to book a horse back riding tour of the vineyard complete with a Grand Tasting. We were bummed we didn’t have time to do that this time around, but will definitely book a tour next time!

The Ordinary Fellow

Next, we biked back through town and over to The Ordinary Fellow. This is one of Palisade’s newer wineries, owned by the same people who do Infinite Monkey Theorem in Denver. We loved the open space, variety of wines and the fact that they had a well-recommended food truck on site (more on that later). Definitely worth the stop.

Sauvage Spectrum

This was our final stop of the day and we spent the most time here. We toured the Vineyards with the owner and tasted tons of fun wines. They are known for their natural wine selection, and they’re definitely doing things a bit differently than the traditional wine scene. They also offer wine slushies for these hot summer days. We had a blast here and you definitely shouldn’t miss it when you visit Palisade!

Eats

LeSnack

This is the food truck we mentioned earlier, located at the Ordinary Fellow. People in Denver were raving about it, and we now know why. Elevated snacks from a food truck? Yes please. The owners were also super kind and definitely have a passion for their food. Our favs were the Zucchini Hummus and Brisket Rillettes, but honestly it all was delicious. 10/10 would recommend.

Peche

This is THE restaurant in Palisade. Unlike the wineries, they definitely require reservations as the space is quite small and it is very popular. The menu is family style and we thoroughly enjoyed everything we tried, but this cocktail kind of stole the show. It was called “Ruby” and it was deliciously citrusy, a little creamy and quite possibly the best cocktail we’ve ever had. Their fresh sourdough bread is also highly sought after- but don’t be in the late rush or you may not be able to grab a basket!

Things To Do

Farmer’s Market

We were told that Palisade has one of Colorado’s best Farmer’s Markets. We’ve gotta say it's definitely comparable to the Pearl St. market in Denver and has some of the best fresh fruits we’ve tasted! The peaches and cherries were divine. Live music, great food options and cool people- stop by if you’re there on a Sunday!

Hiking

We took a local recommendation and went on the Palisade Rim Trail. This is an easy-moderate loop trail that gives you a bird’s eye view of the entire valley. It got a bit hot with no tree coverage, so would recommend doing this early morning if you are visiting in the summer months!

Date Night App

If you’re headed to Colorado wine country, definitely check into the Date Night App. A membership is only $30 for an entire year and gives you access to hundreds of deals all over Colorado. Several of the wineries have deals through the app, like 20% off bottle purchases or buy one get one wine tasting! The app was helpful in planning our day and also allows you to save deals to your favorites for easy access later.

Colorado River Activities

We didn’t get a chance to do anything on the river this time around but the river runs directly through town and there were plenty of folks rafting, kayaking and SUP'ing. The company we rented our bikes from also offer rentals on water equipment, but it looks like there are plenty of places in town that rent/provide guided tours.

Sopris Alpaca Farm

Stop at the Sopris Alpaca Farm and Boutique on your way back to Denver. It only costs $5 to get a bag of food for these babies and get up close and personal. It was kind of intimidating but also awesome. Def worth the minor detour!

Colorado’s Wine Country