The 30th Annual Colorado Mountain Winefest returned after a hiatus last year due to the pandemic. The annual event is always well attended, and this year was no exception. Promoters limited the number of tickets this year due to the Covid lockdown in 2020, Nonetheless, tickets for the festival typically sell out quickly every year .
Saturday in Palisade was a gorgeous late summer day. The weather on the Western Slope was perfect. Just after the gates opened, a blanket of high level clouds rolled in, keeping the day at a perfect temperature.
Riverbend Park was full but didn’t feel crowded, perhaps a benefit this year. A Good mix of wineries and vendors, with a few cideries and meaderies included. Most of the wineries attending were the usual suspects from the Grand Valley area, but wineries from as far as Denver were there as well. Front Range wineries included Avanti Winery, Purgatory Cellars Winery and Carboy Winery.
Shuttles and busses were available to get people to the park from remote parking locations. Once to the line to get into the festival, it was lengthy, going down a couple of blocks and then up a couple more. But when the gates opened, the line moved very quickly. It’s a sure sign the organizers have done this routine many times before, and entering was quick and easy.
Lines at the winery tents were at times lengthy, but tolerable. This year’s Festival was about half the number of attendees of past years, helping keep the lines moving. The great part of a festival of this caliber is the diversity of wineries to sample from. USA Today voted the Colorado Mountain Winefest Best Wine Festival in the US. The best of the best are here.
It was a typical festival feeling with music, food and vendors. Peach Street Revival and A Band Called Alexis provided live music through the event. Several food trucks gave ample choices for lunch between wine tastings.
Bottom line, this is one of the best festivals to attend, especially with it being held in the Grand Valley, one of the top areas in the world for growing grapes. If you attend the 2022 Festival, take an extra day to visit the wineries around the area.
With more than 30 wineries in the Grand Valley, not all of them are in attendance at the festival. This is a great opportunity to visit the tasting rooms to learn more about the different wines the vineyards are producing, and pick up a couple of bottles to take home.