This is always a worthwhile stop when touring the wine country in Palisade, CO. My favorite part, in addition to the tasty wine, is the resident cats. They add to the experience. I believe it was Gunner who joined us at our table. On this occasion my husband and I were on a wine tour with his brother and our sister-in-law. This was stop two. Both couples got flights of five to share. We chose Dry Rosé of Blaufränkisch, Exodus, Tyrannosaurus Red, Calico and Peach Moscato. We enjoyed our tastes on a beautiful day while sitting outside enjoying their space. read more

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We stopped into Carlson Vineyards on a quiet Sunday while in Palisade. Carlson is set off the beaten path but worth the 15 or so minute drive from the next closest winery. It has an industrial feel and is inside a warehouse, but right outside the tasting room is their winery and lots of amazing options for seating. The tasting room itself is cozy and you may also see their two resident cats roaming around! We were one of only two parties and soon, were solo in the tasting room which offered a great opportunity to ask questions and hear more about the winery's personal history. We even spoke to one of the vintners about the blends that make up one of their newer wines. Super cool! Many of their wines are VERY easy drinking. Head's up here, this winery can be very dangerous, lol, if you are not staying in town. We took advantage of their wine flight and choose 5 wines each. Sharing a few sips here and there gave us an opportunity to try even more. I loved so many of the whites, it was hard to choose which ones we'd take with us. What I maybe appreciated most was their handy "catalog" of each wine, the notes, dryness or maybe fruitiness and what to expect when choosing it. The staff were incredible - everything you'd want when trying new thing: friendly, educational, funny and not at all in a hurry. Carlson FTW! We took 5 bottles home! Go, maybe have lunch before and plan to take in the vineyards from their outdoor space. Gorgeous experience. read more

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What a lovely wine tasting experience. Love the backyard. Butch was fun and very knowledgeable. The wines are lovely.

They had the tastings in the warehouse with one person pouring. People were piling in and it was difficult to get his attention to try wines. They needed more people pouring as at one point there was over a dozen of us trying to taste wines. I didn't find any that I really liked which was disappointing. We went outside to the little area next to the vineyard and enjoyed that area. read more

We really enjoy this vineyard and their downtown location too. The wine is good and they have quite a big variety. The wine tenders are very friendly and certainly know the facts. They've been in the area for a very long time, when you're in one of the tasting rooms you feel like you're hanging out with old friends. I'm a big fan of cats and they have cats on some of their labels and they also have some resident cats at the Palisade location. I love that part read more

What a wonderful spot. Came here on a whim and did not regret it. Such a lovely place and they have three super sweet cats that hang around and come say hi to you. The wine was very good. I like that they have different flights to choose from like all dry wines, all sweet or a mixture of both. read more

Carlson Vineyards - Sweet/dry flight on the left. All dry on the right. - Wineries Near Me - Palisade, Colorado

This was another stop on our fun wine-tasting day in Palisade. We were chatting with some folks at another vineyard who had just been here, and they insisted we give it a try! It was definitely very worth it. They had a free tasting, which was nice since a lot of them are paid. I liked their gewurztraminer, and even that they had it! They had a dry version and a sweeter one, and I very much enjoyed the dryer one. They also had some fruit wines, which I'm not usually a fan of, but they were making a hot wine with their peach wine that, true to what they advertised, tasted just like peach cobbler. So we left with the bottle and the recipe! Another note - they do have cats, which was just another reason for me to love this place! And, this seems really silly, but their bathroom was really cute, with comics and printouts hung up around the place. read more

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I can not say enough good things about this winery! The staff are so friendly, the patio is amazing! The wine flight glasses are so cute as well and a flight of 5 tasters is only $10! Let alone the wine was so tasty! We bought a bottle of the Gewürztraminer to bring home but honestly liked all the ones I tasted! The 365 rose and 365 red being two other favorites! Make this a stop in any palisade trip! read more

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I. LOVE. THIS. PLACE. Hands down, one of my favorite wineries we visited this past weekend. WHY? STAR #1 = The staff is incredible. Literally. All nine of us were able to sample the various fruity and dry wines together, with two different staff members! Both ladies were extremely animated, full of information and gave excellent suggestions! STAR #2 = The wine itself! YUM! I found myself obsessing over the Rose' and the peach wine! Normally I find myself more of a dry white/red fan, but the fruity wines had me at hello! I opted to take home a few bottles of wine for myself! The wines had the most unique names too! Many liquor stores throughout the state have Carlson inventory in stock - check locally! STAR #3 = The tasting room looks as if it was right out of a story book. Country kitchen, meets gorgeous outdoor seating area! The lush trees, gorgeous view of the vineyard and cottage like feel, made me totally fall in love with this gem! STAR #4 = Kitty inspired! Many of the wine's were named after the family's animals - and the labels feature them as well! The tasting room even featured two family cats - Gunny (named after the Gunnison River) and Hank! Both were insanely friendly and created a comfortable space - making us right at home! STAR #5 = Unlimited samples! In fact, the staff said "you are all adults, i assume you know when to cut yourself off! We happily sampled all 15 wines - as sample sizes were small! mmmm! I loved this winery and can't wait to return! read more

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I love this place- we've visited twice on two separate occasions and while their wine is OK, the vibe is so sweet and the service is amazing (compared to some of the other wineries in the area that might have a bit of an attitude) We came unannounced/unplanned with a large group and they quickly accommodated us with a smile. read more

I've been to this vineyard once before and didn't remember the wine. We came here with a wedding party to do a tasting and boy oh boy, they have some extremely unique wines. They have one in particular that was so good, I honestly think about it all the time. It's called tart cherry and when you order a glass they bring you chunks of dark chocolate because they just work so well together. This wine is so unique and delicious I need to break down and buy a case. They offer two other sweet wines that I have tried that were for wine lovers with a strong sweet tooth. They have a huge property that you can explore and drink wine on and offer a very reasonable wine tasting flight for $25 (I think this price is for multiple people). I will definitely be back on my next trip to GJ. read more

We were driving from telluride to vail and looking for a stopping point. Reviews pointed us to Carlson Vineyards. What a find! Charming outdoor space to enjoy your wine in the sun or around a fire pit. The wines were fantastic (we walked out with a case) and they all had a story. The winemaker/owner was charming and funny with a great educational pedigree. The winery staff were so friendly and bonus - winery cats! I highly recommend this winery as a stop if you're in the area. read more

Disgusting wines. Very rude tasting room staff on the phone and in person. Couldn't get out of there fast enough.

This vineyard came recommended by others when tasting elsewhere. It has a very laid back vibe and those running the tastings are the people who make the wine and know all there is to know about it. It was nice to hear how it is made and where the fruit comes from (all local - like right around them!). I totally missed they had a seating area and I never saw one of their famous felines, that probably would have bumped it to 5 stars. Still it was a nice place and they had a lot of fruit wines to choose from. Oh, and the cat nip was a big hit at my house with my own (not so) famous felines read more

Carlson Vineyards - Store - Wineries Near Me - Palisade, Colorado

The outdoor seating was absolutely perfect! We rode our bikes from town and it was the most beautiful setting to enjoy a flight of wines, and to enjoy a calming view. The staff had a great sense of humor, knew a lot about wine and had fun while they worked. Would highly recommend the red wines at this vineyard! We enjoyed the rose too! Sit in the yard and enjoy wine, laughs and some beautiful views! read more

Sweeter wines are not my favorite. But their fruity wines served ice cold are like a cool summer breeze. The peach wine is great cold or made into a warm winter beverage. The cherry is great with a little melted chocolate on the rim of your glass. Plum is another favorite. My son likes the Sweet Baby Red and it is sweet. Friendly service and you can try before you buy. read more

One of the best wineries in the valley! +Beautiful location with a secluded backyard. Perfect place to sit and eat lunch while overlooking the vineyards! +Staff are fun, light hearted and super engaging! +Our hosts were really knowledgeable and informative about wine making. +This place is completely charmimg and picturesque, with country farm décor. +Family owned, they have two Kitties hanging around the tasting room, making this place feel laid back and welcoming. +Famous for their cherry wine and chocolate dip, you don't want to miss this desert wine! Our host dipped our wine glasses so that the rim was covered in chocolate. She then poured in the cherry wine and instructed us, "get your cameras ready!" Sure enough, we all got chocolate all over our teeth when we took a sip and died laughing! You can tell staff really value the quality of their wine, and truly care about making wine tasting a fun and valuable experience. I would go out of my way to come back here! read more

Carlson Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Palisade, Colorado

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This has always been one of our favorite stops in palisade. We recently made a quick stop here on a trip back from Moab and weren't sure what to expect with covid. Upon arriving, they informed us they were doing all tasting flights outside on their new patio. They had several very distanced tables or benches to chose from. We picked 5 wines to try - well my husband did as I'm expecting. It was a beautiful sunny atmosphere, and they still had some of our favorite wines. The bottles are also super reasonably priced - around $15, and if you buy 3 they waive your tasting. We picked up a few to enjoy post baby. Will definitely be back! read more

This was one of two vineyards I visited with a friend in Palisade. It is a bit of a drive out of the main part of town, but it is a beautiful scenic drive and you really get a feel for the outskirts of town. This vineyard has an awesome backyard area, with plenty of seating available. The setup was also perfect for social distancing as the grounds are big enough for multiple parties to sit very distanced from one another. All employees were wearing masks, and asked us to provide our information for contact tracing. They seem to be taking the pandemic very seriously. The grounds are beautiful, and you can walk up to what I believe was their vineyard behind the building. The service was great, and the wine was delicious! We did wine tasters, and we got to select what wine we wanted to try which was nice because not all vineyards let you do that. The only downside to this vineyard is that they do not have a kitchen or serve food. They do have snacks for sale like popcorn or crackers, but when you have been wine tasting all day and need to make it back downtown, it would have been helpful to have food to order! I'll definitely be going back when I visit Palisade, such a great vibe! read more

The outdoor area and ambiance is wonderful. Their garden area is perfect for social distancing wine tasting. They also had the greatest selections of wine with a wide range of dry to sweet in red, rose and white. For their tastings you get to choose 5 tastings for $8 and if you buy 3 bottles your fee is waved. So depending on how many bottles you buy 3, 6 or 12 you got an amount off as well. There were 4 of us and we bought 12 bottles so they waved all of our tasting fees plus gave us $18 off. It was a great deal!!!! I would definitely return. read more

Visited again in 2018 and it just got even better! They changed a little and the wine tasting is now in the back where the barrels are so they've separated the tasting from the store - I think that's a smart move. Tasting is free which is getting more and more rare in the area and they have a huge selection of wines. I absolutely love the fruit "wines" and I get the peach wine every time I'm there - it's made with Palisades peaches and it's just yummy. People here are super nice and friendly and the store has all the wines plus some other stuff and vineyard merchandize. Carlson for me is a must visit when I'm in Grand Junction or the area. read more

Great place to hangout on hot summer day, little nice area near the vines. From a French POV, I was surprised by quality of the wine (made in Colorado), it's not exceptional but good. Would recommend the sweet Peach & Cherry wine, and Wren Quinn Red. Cheap flights (10$). But can be pricey for a bottle, I guess it's the US standard price ‍ read more

A little more rustic than I expected, but once you get through the doors to the back, it's a nice outdoor setting. You an fully customize your flights with a very large selection of whites, reds, and sweet fruit wines. The server was very nice and knowledgeable. They waive one tasting with a three-bottle purchase. We liked enough to walk out with six bottles. read more

Sorry I do not have pictures; there is a delightful tasting room and great places to sit outside as you contemplate your wine selection. I highly recommend the peach, cherry and Wren Quinn red. read more

My Husband and I had read some reviews on the different wineries in the area and choose this one because of the great tasting peach wine. This place does not disappoint! The Peach wine is so good! They tasting area in in the back on a grassy yard. They give you the tasters in little beakers that you can pour into you wine glass or save some to make it easy to share with friends. The staff is pleasant, friendly and helpful. We ended up buying 6 bottles of wine! This place is amazing! read more

Carlson Vineyards - four glasses of wine and a bottle of wine - Wineries Near Me - Palisade, Colorado

Great place to try wine! Be sure to try the cherry wine with chocolate. So good. I had to purchase the peach wine , it's amazing. The staff is very friendly and there are two kitties guarding the door (they just sleep in their bed). read more

Carlson Vineyards - Kitties!! - Wineries Near Me - Palisade, Colorado

So glad we made it to Carlson. The environment was quaint, picturesque and the staff made our time enjoyable. They are friendly here and sitting outside by the fire pits was just lovely. Carlson provides a family feel type atmosphere more so than some of the other wineries we visited, which, was just our style. read more

This was one of my favorite wineries from my Grand Junction trip (the lady and I visited 17 of them.) It's very welcoming, unpretentious, and super casual. Many of their wines are fruit wines (no grapes involved) and nearly all of them are intensely delicious. We brought home a bottle of Laughing Cat House wine which was delicious (in tasting) and the bottle we brought back is anxious to be consumed. Their winery feels like the livingroom of a house. Wooden, bright, well-lit, and filled with happy people laughing and enjoying themselves, sipping on wine and talking while sharing stories and learning about wine. After tasting wine, but before we decided which bottle to buy we asked if we might have lunch out in their beautiful yard next to the vineyard, and they acted as if they expected that we should have lunch! All of our lunches there were picnics, we kept a cooler in our car to help save on costs and it also allowed us to have lunch whenever we were hungry, without having to find a place to eat. So we ate out back, played with their kitties, and decided which bottle of wine to buy. It was perfect. While The Carlson vineyard is a little out of the way in Palisade, it's easy to find and it's a definite must-stop. The staff is friendly and casual and their primary interest is you having fun and tasting some wine you enjoy. If you ever go on a wine-tasting vacation, this is the place to go! read more

Carlson Vineyards - Carlson Vineyards, in back at their picnic area. - Wineries Near Me - Palisade, Colorado

Passing through Grand Junction on a road trip across the country. Decided to stop for a day and do some wine tasting. Carlson winery was the first place we stopped, and it was great. We did a bunch of wine tastings, loved the terra dry red and fruit wines. Owner and staff were personable and gave great recommendations. Made our stop in Grand Junction memorable, would strongly recommend!! We were also able to see the downtown tasting location for Carlson, which was modern and had the same excellent wine selection! :) read more

Cute location, plenty of parking, open till 6pm Staff is friendly and well prepared and happy to let you try all the wine you want! Wine: merlot - nice and fruity, Laughing Cat Sweet baby red was GREAT!, Laughing Cat Riesling - oh my goodness - yummy, nice and sweet Laughing Cat Sweet Gewurztraminer - another great wine, great for desert or an evening on the deck Obviously we enjoyed the wine enough to get a lot of it! There is also a cute grassed backyard to hand and enjoy your wine. read more

Carlson Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Palisade, Colorado

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Favorite winery on our palisade Wine your. Free tasting, comfortable atmosphere, price point was very good. Enjoyed the option to have some food as well as it's a long day for most. Would definitely come back. We bought the nsfw white and will be trying to find it locally! read more

These guys know exactly what they're doing! Tasting room was a bit busy when we stopped in, but we definitely got our share of tasting. I got to try some reds, handful of whites, and some deserts. I ended up leaving for home with 3 more bottles than I had intended on when i arrived (#sorrynotsorry). Topic picks- the peach, the Gertzweiner (dessert wine), and the cherry. YUM! When you're in Grand Valley, make sure to drive into town a bit (don't fall for all the stops just off the highway!). The best vineyards take a little finding and driving, but you will NOT be sorry! Excellent service and wonderful selection of wines.... both for yourself, and gifts (or all for yourself.... we won't tell). read more

Pulling in, the view didn't blow me away, but the tasting and the peaceful patio out back were great. I bought some delicious plum, peach, cherry wine that I can't wait to share with my family at home. Tasty wine, and a delightful seating area out back. read more

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Great place. Great people. Great wine. We loved all the wines that we sampled. By the time we had sampled 5 wines for free, we had a difficult time choosing the wine we were going take to the beautiful backyard to sip. I think I chose my third favorite for sipping, and I was quite content. The cherry with chocolate was fabulous. After sampling 5 wines, I noticed the peach aquarium. They have a punch made out of their peach wine, that was the best of the best. We will return tomorrow to buy our take home wine. Our list includes two bottles of peach wine to duplicate their punch for our friends back home. read more

While traveling and doing the whole "wine tour" thing, this was our first stop. TBH, when we read about all of the wineries this place did not make our list, however we stopped anyway. So glad we did as it was one of the top two that we visited! In fact we went back by on our way out to get more wine. One of the owners (Cailin) was the person to conduct our tasting. There was no charge to try the wine and no limit to how many we could try. Until today, I did not like "fruit" wine. I love their Pearadactyl (pear apple)! It's not sweet and perfect for a hot day. The peach wine was also delicious. My husbands favorite was the Cabernet Franc! We actually could've bought more as the WrenQuinn is also tasty and supports local charities. It's small and you could easily drive by it - Do not pass by this one! read more

Our favorite winery of the several we've visited in the Palisade area. Great wine, many varieties, amazing staff and owners. Plus a few products from neighboring farmers that are also quite good. AND a beautiful setting in back of the wine shop. read more

We happened upon this winery on our way to Monument National Park because Carlson Winery was ranked #1 winery on Trip Advisor. Liz was such a wonderful host!! We especially loved the dry rosè, pearadactyl, and peach wines. We are usually red fans, but these were all very refreshing and some of the most unique wines we've ever tried! We will definitely be back! read more

Carlson Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Palisade, Colorado

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The wines were tasty and the grounds were beautiful, but we didn't get a very welcoming vibe from the folks working.

Amazing wine, prices, and kitties! The outdoor area is stunning and so peaceful for an afternoon tasting, i cannot wait to come back when the weather warms up this spring! read more

Carlson Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Palisade, Colorado

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Carlson Vineyards was a fun stop on our wine adventure! We visited 8 wineries in Palisade last week (off-season). Carlson is a lovely winery- it would be perfect on a summer day, sitting out back with a picnic! (It was 50 degrees and in March, so we stayed inside!). We walked in and happened to be followed by....a news crew? Huh! So apparently Carlson Vineyards was awarded as one of the top 3 best wineries in the state, and the local news station wanted to interview the winemakers (and film us awkwardly sipping wine). Yay for Carlson! :) So happy that the lovely couple (very friendly and outgoing) are being honored so highly! On to the tasting. I tried nearly all their wines. Most of their wines left me feeling "hmm, okay". A couple I ended up having to dump out (when the camera was facing the other direction!), but one in particular I really loved- their Riesling! Semi-sweet; very light and refreshing. We left with two bottles of their Riesling. Would I come back? Hmm, if there was time. This wasn't one of my top 4 favorite wineries in the area, but the friendliness of the couple and the nice outdoor area would make it worth a stop. Definitely worth a visit for those in the Yelp world who prefer lighter or sweeter wines! :) Thanks, Carlson! read more