The tasting room at Spanish Valley Vineyard & Winery, August 2026.
We stopped in at Spanish Valley on our trip to Moab in August. It was the middle of a weekday afternoon, so the place was dead. We were the only people there.
They have a very nice back patio, and I imagine that place gets hopping at certain times. We sat inside in the air conditioning because it was really, really hot. The tasting room is tiny, barely enough room for the two of us.
The guy working there was cool. He was friendly and knowledgeable, and he took us through their selection and their thought process. It was a fun experience and a great afternoon.
We did a flight of each, a white and a red.
The red flight
The reds were the Slickrock Red, the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Syrah.
Slickrock Red is their blend, and we just really didn’t like it. It had a weird kind of off taste to it.
Their Cabernet was pretty good. It’s a fresh, young Cabernet without the weight or complexity of a Texas or Napa Cabernet, and I wouldn’t cellar it.
The Syrah was really good. We grabbed a bottle of the Cabernet and a bottle of the Syrah, and we drank the Syrah while we were on the trip.
The white flight
For the whites we tried the Private Reserve Riesling, the Gewürztraminer Dry and the River Runner Riesling. We’re not white wine people, but we did enjoy the Gewürztraminer. We bought a bottle of it mainly to take to Wurstfest in New Braunfels and have after the day is over.
Most of the rest of their whites are Riesling variants and just kind of okay.
They didn’t have any of their Cherry Wine, and I was a little disappointed. I really wanted to try that one.
The Cabernet in Dram+Vine
Our Cabernet is a 2023. My app, Dram+Vine, estimates its drinking window at 2025 to 2029.
Planning a visit
It’s worth an afternoon to try some local wines. I wouldn’t expect to be blown away, but you’re surrounded by the mountains, and the views are amazing.
Hanging out on that patio would be pretty cool if the weather permitted. It’s a nice little quaint winery just outside of Moab in amazing country, and the wines are decent.
Spanish Valley Vineyard & Winery is at 4710 Zimmerman Ln, and their wines have been estate grown since 1979 (their wine list). Walk-ins are welcome. Most things in Moab have seasonal hours, so check their tastings page before you go.
Doug