The story
Colorado Mountain Winefest in Palisade
Colorado Mountain Winefest is an annual wine festival held each September in Riverbend Park in Palisade, Colorado, the heart of the state's wine country along the Western Slope. Marking its 34th year in 2026, the event has been voted Best Wine Festival in the nation by USA Today and draws thousands of visitors for tastings from dozens of Colorado wineries.
Colorado is not typically the first place wine drinkers think of, but Palisade, on the state's Western Slope, has spent decades building a legitimate wine-growing reputation, helped by a microclimate that also makes the town famous for peaches: high elevation, warm days, and river-moderated nights along the Colorado River.