travel tuesday: wine + winter = winner

The first getaway of 2023 is a wrap! Just like in 2022, it was to Palisade, Colorado. This up-and-coming wine region is less than an hour from our house and it’s quickly becoming a favorite destination. It’s a straight shot on I70, no passes to worry about. I’m ready to go back now!

Our original plan included multiple stops to sample the local food and drink, but we had to whittle that down when they moved the KC Chiefs game to Saturday. It ended up being very relaxing, which was nice after the busy holiday season at our store.

Stop one was Colterris Wines, the largest estate winery in Colorado. We’ve enjoyed their wines for a while now, but had never visited the tasting room or gotten the tour. Our guide Patrick was very knowledgeable and friendly, and we both fell in love with all things Colterris. Especially the Wine Room in the Barrel Cave. We’ve been to some pretty swanky wineries and this was definitely one of the coolest rooms we’ve seen.

Let’s get this misunderstanding out of the way before we go any further. Myth: Colorado wines are all sweet and fruity. Myth Buster: False. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great sweet fruity wines made here. But there are also many wonderful full-bodied, complex varietals and blends.

I don’t think we could agree on a favorite, but we both loved the Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot and Coloradeaux. These four arrived at the store today. We will bring in the Pinot Gris and Coral White Cabernet Sauvignon when they become available. During the summer months, Colterris has a second tasting room called The Overlook. We will definitely give that a try as well.

Next stop, lunch at Palisade Brewing Company. Forget Arby’s, this place has the meats. Smoked meats and plenty of them. Pair that with their delicious craft beers for a lunch feast. You can smell the smokers at work from a couple of blocks away, which means your mouth is watering by the time you walk in. My favorite combo is the French Dip and a Porter of Love. Scott likes the Jalapeno Brisket Sandwich and this time had a New England-style Hazy IPA that was really good.

Palisade is home to a lot of cool places, but a sports bar is not one of them. After debating about whether to drive to The Feisty Pint in Grand Junction, bellies full of sandwiches, wine and beer prevailed. We checked into our room at the Wine Country Inn to watch the football game. At this time of year, the bar doesn’t open until 5. Watching the game alone in the bar without drinks didn’t sound like much fun, so we opened some Colterris wine and watched the game in our room. Lays Potato Chips from the lobby paired nicely with the Malbec.

We walked to the bar, officially known as the Tapestry Lounge, after the game for the free glass of local wine they offer every day from 5 to 6. A to-go burger from the restaurant rounded out the culinary delights of the day, and we fell asleep very early. The Lounge is also where they serve up a hot, tasty breakfast buffet each morning, included in the ridiculously reasonable price of $130 for a king room.

This was just the break we needed to shake off the old year and ring in a new year of adventures!

© TalesFromtheEmptyNest.com. All rights reserved.