Varaison Vineyards & Winery — Attraction in Palisade

If you don’t know much about wine—or how to taste it—this place will change that.

My wife and I took a weekend trip to Palisade. I liked wine occasionally (maybe 2–3 times a year), but I could only ever tell you if it was “good” or “bad.” I never understood how people picked out flavors in wine—until we had a tasting with the owner and winemaker, Alex. He’s not only incredibly knowledgeable, but also an excellent teacher. He explained every detail: why they chose certain winemaking approaches, how each decision affected taste and production, and why making wine with care matters so much.

I still enjoy my old favorites, but Alex opened up my taste buds. I started to understand how and why people love wine the way they do.

The only downside to starting your wine journey here? It spoils you. After Varaison, other wineries just don’t compare. Alex teaches you how to taste additives, rushed winemaking, and shortcuts—things you used to love might not taste so great anymore. It’s a blessing and a curse: a curse because you won’t want to drink mediocre wine again, and a blessing because you’ll know how to choose wine that’s actually worth your money (and that doesn’t mean more expensive).

Outside of wine, we went to their “Fire Pit Friday.” Incredible pizza—some made with fresh Palisade peaches, some with smoked pork—and wine or iced tea to go with it. Alex and his family make you feel like you’ve been invited to a cousin’s backyard BBQ. It’s top-notch food and wine, but also the most welcoming and enjoyable place to hang out.

We loved it so much, we came back the next night for their 4th Annual BBQ Challenge. Alex and a chef from a local restaurant (13 Bricks) served smoked pork, chicken, and ribs. It was amazing—worth every dollar.

You’ll find other wines and experiences in Palisade you’ll enjoy, but this winery should be the center of your trip. You won’t regret it. You can’t find their wine in stores, but they’ll ship anywhere in the U.S. (except Utah, apparently!). Their family-style hospitality extends to their customer service—they just want to take care of you. Places like this are rare....

Interesting place. We went back to see if we simply had a bad random case of wine (we split 12 different bottles between 3 couples) we purchased a year prior. But immediately we determined that it was not a random one-off. While the "educational" piece was interesting to hear, it's a little too scripted from the different individuals that are pouring the wines. As another review stated, the constant "down the middle" or "on the sides with head up or down" gets a little old.

And while it is very kind to offer free tastings, what happens next is setup like a used car salesman. The individual escorts you to the wine "showroom" and says "alright, so which bottles is everyone going to purchase", which makes the patrons feel almost 100% obligated to purchase. Two weeks ago they did the same thing and I politely said we were only in for tastings and the individual immediately walked away. Which was fine since we had no interest in making a purchase.

Lastly, given the current reviews here are showing 4.8 on 549 reviews, I am very curious to what everyone thinks as a comparison between these wines and every single other vineyard in the valley, because this is the only winery where we've had wine that we consider undrinkable. I'm not quite sure the focus on this winemaking is when one thinks of wine. As we were told, judges from Napa apparently blindly thought this was actual French wine, or so we were told by the employee pouring us wine. Another review did share, the wine smells like vinegar and we do agree, but more turpentine.

We'll probably try one more time to see if anything changes in a year, but just flabbergasted at the...

I just need to start off by saying wow! What an awesome experience! I went to Varaison with my mom to celebrate an early Mother’s Day and we totally lucked out by getting the winemaker, Alex, to guide us through our tasting journey. Haha! He was so much fun and incredibly informative.

One of my favorite things about Varaison is how they won’t just pour you some wine and then call it good. They will teach you how to drink a red vs a white, how to properly hold a glass (the importance of it isn’t just etiquette, it comes down to the chemistry of the wine believe it or not), and even the process they put their wine through! It is so easy to see their passion and it made it such a fun experience for us!

Now, that alone is worth the 5 stars, but the wine…! My mouth is salivating just thinking about it! I’m not going to lie and say every one was a hit with me, but the majority of them knocked it straight out of the park for me. The Primitivo and Barbera were my favorite reds, and my favorite whites were the Montaigne Deux and…I can’t believe I’m going to say this…the Chardonnay. Say whaaaaat? Chardonnays tend to be so basic and blah to me that I’ve just accepted it as a gateway wine, but damn! That Crème Brûlée Chardonnay actually made it to my top 10 wine list, only 2 white on that list.

Ok, I’ve rambled and gushed enough. I can keep going but I’ll just end on this note: beginner and expert wine tasters both, this is the place to go! You won’t be...