We’re not huge wine people. I want to say that upfront so this reads like what it is: an honest account from two people who like wine sometimes, live close to wine country, and have had some genuinely good afternoons out there.
Two Rivers Winery
Two Rivers was our introduction to the Palisade wine scene, and it happened in the most Grand Junction way possible. Shortly after we moved here, my wife and I were featured in a series of TV spots for Visit Grand Junction. They took us out to Two Rivers for one of the shoots. Somewhere out there is footage of the two of us standing in a vineyard, toasting with glasses of Colorado red, looking very much like people who have their life together. We did not plan to become Palisade wine ambassadors. It just happened.
The winery itself is beautiful: classic vineyard setting, good wine, the kind of place that photographs well for a reason. A solid first stop if you’re doing a winery afternoon.
Mesa Park Vineyards
We went to Mesa Park early on, one of those perfect September days that the Grand Valley does so well: warm, golden, the kind of afternoon that makes you feel lucky to live here. There was live music from Sturtz, a band out of the Front Range who put on a great show. We sat outside with wine and watched people drift in from the orchards and vineyards around us.
September in the Grand Valley is the move for winery visits. The peaches are winding down, the harvest energy is still in the air, and the weather is about as good as it gets. If you’re planning a visit or a day trip from elsewhere in Colorado, aim for late August through September.
Peachfork Orchards & Vineyards
This one has a good origin story. The school at Appleton Elementary did a raffle and we won a bottle of Peachfork wine. We opened it at home, liked it, and decided to actually go out there for a date night. Good call. Peachfork has an orchard and vineyard setting that feels a bit more off-the-beaten-path than some of the bigger names: intimate and unhurried. Worth seeking out.
Colorado wine doesn’t have the national profile of Napa or Willamette Valley yet. That’s slowly changing, and Palisade is the reason it will. The combination of high desert heat, cool nights, and the particular soil in these orchards produces wines that taste like they came from somewhere specific. Because they did.
If you live in the Grand Valley, you owe it to yourself to spend at least one proper afternoon out there. It’s 15 minutes from downtown Grand Junction and it feels like a different world.