Located just a short drive from Las Vegas, Charleston Peak Winery is evolving into much more than a place to enjoy a great glass of wine—it's becoming a full-fledged food, wine, and entertainment destination. With a fresh, seasonally focused food menu, construction underway on a brand-new dining room, and lively traditions like the upcoming annual Grape Stomp, there’s never been a better time to plan a getaway to Pahrump. We caught up with General Manager Jenn Sela Bowen to talk about what's cooking in the kitchen, signature pairings, and why guests are encouraged to slow down and stay awhile.
What’s new at Charleston Peak Winery?
“There’s a lot happening at Charleston Peak Winery. One of the biggest changes is that we now
offer a full food menu out of our tasting room while construction continues on our new dining
room and kitchen. We’ve been focused on creating more reasons for guests to spend an entire
afternoon or evening with us. The Restaurant at Charleston Peak currently features pizzas,
sandwiches, soups, salads, cheese and charcuterie boards, and fun items like our bacon flight.
We make our breads and pizza crusts in-house, along with our dressings and other menu
components. It’s been exciting to see the winery evolve into a true food, wine, and
entertainment destination in Pahrump.”
What can guests expect from the new menu?
“We wanted to create something that Pahrump was missing—a fresh, seasonally focused menu
designed with wine in mind. We source locally whenever we can and let seasonal ingredients
guide what we’re serving. The idea was to keep the food approachable while still giving people
something unexpected. Whether someone wants a full meal or just wants to share a board or a few small bites over a glass of wine, there are plenty of options.”
What are a few must-try dishes or signature items?
“Our meatballs and meatball sliders are a crowd favorite. The Bacon Flight has also become a
fun signature item—it features thick-cut candied bacon prepared three ways, including a cowboy-style bacon with jalapeños, black pepper, and maple. Our Charleston Peak Board with
meats, cheeses, fruit, bacon, and other accompaniments is perfect for sharing over a bottle of
wine.”
We hear you are opening a new restaurant. What can you tell us about it?
“The restaurant will be open soon and it builds on what we're doing now, with an expanded menu centered around fresh ingredients and a seasonal focus. We want it to feel special without feeling overly formal. We plan to be open for lunch and dinner, with brunch on the weekends. Most importantly, we want to continue offering something that feels unique to Pahrump and complements the winery experience.”
For someone considering a day trip from Las Vegas to Pahrump, what kind of experience can they expect at Charleston Peak Winery?
“Delicious wine and food, a beautiful environment, and exceptional service make the trip from
Las Vegas worth the drive. We want Charleston Peak to be an experience, not just a stop for a
glass of wine. Guests can enjoy a tasting and a meal, walk around the property, listen to live
music, or try one of our wine and chocolate pairings. We offer both red and white versions, each
featuring four wines paired with four chocolates. Fall is one of the most beautiful times of year
here. There's something perfect about enjoying a glass of wine and spending an
afternoon away from the city. We want people to slow down, explore, and stay awhile.”
Tell us about your annual Grape Stomp coming up on October 10.
“This event can't be missed! We invite teams of two to enter our official stomping competition.
And yes—it involves stomping grapes with your bare feet! We also have a costume
competition, so costumes are highly encouraged!”
What makes the Grape Stomp so much fun?
“It's not your typical winery event. You must be willing to kick off your shoes, get your
feet into the grapes and get a little messy! Teams of two take turns stomping the grapes,
switching off when they get tired, while racing to produce as much juice as possible. Between
the costumes, cheering crowd, live music, and stomping, there's a great energy throughout the
property. Even if you don't participate, watching people stomp grapes as fast as they can is
almost as much fun as doing it yourself.”
What else can guests expect at this year’s Grape Stomp?
“We'll have live music throughout the event, along with dozens of local vendors selling their
wares. We'll also have food trucks on-site, and our own kitchen will be serving food. Between
the competition, live music, food, shopping and wine, there's something to enjoy, whether you're
participating in the stomp or just coming out to watch.”
When guests leave Charleston Peak Winery, what do you hope they remember most?
“More than anything, we hope they leave already talking about when they're going to come
back. Whether they came for the Grape Stomp, shared a great meal, discovered something new
during a wine tasting, listened to live music, or simply spent a beautiful fall afternoon walking
around the property, we want Charleston Peak to be a place where people make memories
together. We'll continue our annual tradition of Winter Wine-derland in December for the holiday
season, so there will be more opportunities to come back, celebrate, and experience the winery
throughout the year.”
“There's something pretty perfect about enjoying a glass of wine and spending an afternoon away from the city.”
“There's something pretty perfect about enjoying a glass of wine and spending an afternoon
away from the city. We want people to slow down, explore, and stay awhile.”