Every spring, the Grand Valley Winery Association holds a barrel tasting event where they match food pairings with wine tastings at several wineries in Grand Junction, Colorado. (Technically, the wineries are in Palisade, but we stay in Grand Junction.) For $70 per person, you get two days of tastings and food, a souvenir wine glass and a fun weekend trip. You also get a discount on any wine you purchase during the weekend.
We drive down from Salt Lake City as it is only a five-hour drive. We usually stay at the Doubletree Hotel which has a nice pool and hot tub, and is located next to a golf course. The hotel has a restaurant and is within walking distance to several other restaurants. Be forewarned, every time we go, there is a huge lacrosse tournament in town and the hotel is packed full of families. Not a problem for us – we go with a big group – but if you are looking for quiet and romantic, I would recommend the Colorado Wine Country Inn.
However, this year we stayed at the Grand Junction KOA Campground in our 5th wheeler. Our entire group chose to stay there and since we were just finishing up our camping tour of the Mighty Five national parks in Utah, it worked out perfect. They have little rental cabins for those who don’t have campers. We drove from Moab to Grand Junction – a quick two hour trip – and set up camp in the KOA’s tree filled campground. Our friends were camping around us, so it was party central. 🙂
I originally heard about this barrel tasting weekend from one of the women in my Bunco group. Yes, I play Bunco. Don’t judge! 😉 I mentioned it to a couple of my husband’s co-workers and it’s turned into an annual event. We usually have to rent a party bus and a limo to transport us all. I can’t imagine what the people at the wineries originally thought when twenty-five of us came rolling in. Palisade is a pretty small town. I think they are used to us now – our driver usually calls ahead to warn them that we are on our way.
On Saturday morning, our drivers picked us up at the campground and we headed to DeBeque Canyon Winery first. They have moved to a new location – a cute old house in the heart of Palisade. They used to be next door to the Peach Street Distillers which was really convenient, but we will stop there later regardless. 🙂 Their reds were a hit with our group, and their food was really good this year. Sadly, I can’t say the same about all the wineries this year. Usually the food is amazing everywhere.
Our next stop was Graystone Winery. I look forward to this one every year because they import a stilton cheese wheel from the UK, and serve it with port poured over it. So good! They are known for their ports and it’s fun to head down into their intimate little barrel tasting room to sample.
We then hit up Garfield Estates Winery where you can actually walk out to the vineyards and see the grape growing process. A lot of the wineries in Palisade are just tasting rooms, although you see grapes growing everywhere as you drive around. Palisade is a big farming community.
After Garfield, we make an unplanned stop at Red Fox Cellars. They aren’t part of the barrel tasting event, but we went here last year and really enjoyed their wines. They take good care of our big group, sitting us at a some outside tables and letting us sample everything. I love their Sangiovese!
Plum Creek Winery is next on the list, and I have to say that they have my favorite gift shop for all things wine. We always spend a lot of time (and money) here…they have a great variety of wines and their rosé is great to stock up on for the coming summer months.
St. Kathryn Cellars is another unplanned stop that isn’t part of the tour. We go a little crazy over their crisp sweet fruit flavored wines. It is late in the day, and hey, I told you before – I just like wine that tastes good. ; ) The Apple Blossom, Golden Pear, and Peach Passion taste so refreshing on a hot afternoon.
We’ve covered a lot of ground today and we should be heading back, but a weekend in Palisade is not complete without a trip to the Peach Street Distillers. They make their own alcohol and liqueurs, and offer a wide variety of craft cocktails. They are known for their bloody marys. I like their faux-jito made with vodka. We spend too much time here which makes for an entertaining bus ride home! ; )
The next morning, we all are moving a little slow, but we have wine to taste and food to eat! We head out to the other side of town first to visit Two Rivers Winery and Chateau. Their food is always outstanding so I look forward to this stop, but I have to say I was a little disappointed this year. They also usually have a sangria that is to die for, but not this year. : (
On our way back to the main part of Palisade, we stop at Whitewater Hill Vineyards just to check them out. We end up buying a bunch of wine here – they were very gracious to our big group piling in, and lots of fun and very informative during our tasting. Good detour!
Now we are onto an old favorite, Carlson Vineyards. They are located out on a country road, and have a very cute backyard area to sit and sip. Their food is usually very tasty and they have a variety of wines, including fruit wines. Their Prairie Dog Blush is another good summer staple and the Tyrannosaurus Red is good anytime.
Our last stop for the barrel tastings is Grande River Vineyards. We enjoy their food and wine, and buy some shirts/hoodies because their logo is so cute. It’s time to head back to the campground for potluck barbecue, but we have to make one more stop at the Peach Street Distillers because we still have time on our bus and we just don’t know when to stop. ; )
We always stay Sunday night in Colorado because we’ve been drinking all day, so Monday morning we make the slow exodus back to Salt Lake City and other destinations. Another fabulous weekend full of laughter, good food and wine and good friends!
Trails and Tastings 