Palisade Wine Country

The fruit-growing district around the town of Palisade, ten miles east of Grand Junction, has developed into a serious wine region over the past thirty years. Around two dozen wineries operate along the Palisade Fruit and Wine Byway, ranging from small family operations to larger commercial producers. Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer do well here; so do the area's famous peaches and cherries, which flood the farm stands from mid-summer into autumn.

A self-guided driving tour of the wineries takes most of a day; the Palisade Peach Festival in August draws large crowds. The surrounding benchlands — irrigated orchards above the Colorado River, with the Book Cliffs rising behind — make for pleasant cycling.

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A story
Wine grapes in Colorado seem improbable, but the Western Slope has been producing them since the late 19th century, when irrigation canals brought water to the otherwise arid benchlands above the Colorado River. The warm days, cool nights, and well-drained soils are similar to parts of the Rhône Valley — and the altitude (1,100–1,500m) gives the wines acidity that flatland vineyards struggle to achieve.