TrekAlongWithME — Places You Can’t Miss in Palisade: Wineries & More

Wine and peaches… you can’t get any better than that! Palisade, Colorado is a quaint little town located in Western Colorado neighbouring Grand Junction. It is home to more than 25 different wineries and orchards – which makes it a great place for a weekend trip away! If you’re visiting eastern Utah, it can also make a great stop as Palisade is only a 2 hour drive from Arches National Park.

It’s most famously known for its Fruit & Wine Byway, which is an approximately 25-mile strip that stretches across the town and has, you guessed it — wineries and orchards! You can find anywhere from small family-owned wineries to bigger wineries, fruit stands as well as orchards growing peaches, pears, apples, and even lavender.

Truly a paradise! Here’s a list of the places I visited during my time in Palisade:

Wineries

Colorado Cellars

Colorado Cellars is a small, family-owned winery that is also one of Colorado’s oldest wineries that still exists today. They produce many award-winning wines, and was probably my favourite winery that I visited during my trip.

They have a great range of wines, including lots of fruit wines such as blueberry, chokeberry and of course, peach wine. They produce honey wines as well, with bees that are kept right there on the farm. They also have fun flavours such as cherry and key lime, which we were told that you can actually freeze to make cherry-lime slushies – how fun!

They offer a generous 5 pours for $5, and have the option of additional pours for just $1 each. This winery gave us the best bang for our buck! Although outdoor seating is available, it is limited and has minimal cover. Their tasting room also had other goodies such as cheese boards, artisanal coasters, wine racks, delicious dips, and chocolates too! Bottles ranged from $12-$20, with an added discount if you buy 3+ bottles.

We enjoyed our time here so much, and the lady behind the counter was a pleasure. She made sure to tell us about each of the wines, and really made it a fun experience for all of usl. The great range of wines, service, and great value is why this winery was my favourite. Would highly recommend!

Carlson Vineyards

Carlson Vineyards is another family-owned winery on the famous Fruit & Wine Byway in Palisade, Colorado. This vineyard boasts a large outdoor seating area with big muskoka oak chairs for you to sit on. You can enjoy great music and magnificent views of the Bookcliff Mountains, which stretch from western Colorado all the way to Utah.

They also have a great range of wines. I personally enjoyed their Sweet Gewürztraminer and Peach Wine the best, but what they’re most famous for is their Red Baby Blush Rosé.

They offer flights of 5 wines for $12, where you can choose off of a book that tells you about each one. They even bring them out into cute little beakers that you can then pour into your wine glass. If you buy at least 3 bottles, they will take the tasting fee off of your purchase. Their bottle labels are unique and funky, and we were told that they, as well as some of their wine names, were inspired after the animals they kept on their farm, especially the kittens.

Avant Vineyards

Another family-owned winery, Avant Vineyards, has beautiful sunset views on their terrace. Diane and Neil Guard, the owners of the vineyards, pride themselves on their wine-making process which they describe as being simple and natural.

They offer flights of 5 wines for $15, with varieties of red, whites and rosés that are all available to purchase after your tasting. While we personally weren’t the biggest fan of their wines, the view itself was worth coming for.

Fruit Stands, Ice Cream & More

Anita’s Pantry and Produce

Quesos, salsas, jams, and honeys… Anita’s is the place to be! Anita’s Pantry and Produce makes their own delicious jars of anything you’d ever want. We first tried their Queso Extreme dip at a friend’s house the day before, and knew we had to go back for more.

Anita’s is a roadside fruit stand, also along the Fruit & Wine Byway, that is loved by all of the locals. Other than queso, we had to check out all of the fun salsas they offered, including their Peach Salsa and Five Amigos Fire Roasted Salsa. They also have fresh produce, beverages, and other fun little knickknacks. Definitely a fun little stop and a must on your next trip to Palisade!

McClean Farms Grocery & Ice Cream

Now, you can’t go on a trip to Palisade without trying some of their peach ice cream! Note that a couple of places within the town itself offer peach ice cream. However, we read recommendations online that McClean’s does it best. So, of course we had to try it out for ourselves! Let me tell you.. definitely did not disappoint.

McClean’s has both peach and vanilla ice cream, or you can have it in a fun little swirl. Super refreshing, tasty, and just what we needed after a long day of wine tastings. In addition to their ice cream, they also offer salsas, BBQ sauces, fresh produce and more.

Palisade Peach Shack

Last but not least, the one and only Palisade Peach Shack. This is your one-stop shop for all of the goodies. All of the things you’ll want to bring back home to give to your family and friends. And of course, your own fridge for the days to come! The Palisade Peach Shack is located within the town, right off of I-70.

Pies, cobblers, jams, salsas, pickled veggies.. And more! If you need something to wake you up, they also have fresh coffee. Not to mention, ice cream and other baked goods to feast on. From their website, they are looking to start offering tours around their orchards (not yet available online), and also feature a really great blog that offers many delicious recipes.

Takeaway

Overall, Palisade is a great place that offers many different activities and places to see. From the fun, bustling fruit markets/stands to the family-owned wineries and orchards – it’s a place that definitely makes your heart full… and your stomach even fuller!