Yes! Wine for every occasion in Denver
You may already have a "perfect wine" for that "special occasion" tucked deep in your psyche. Perhaps you enjoyed a beautiful Silver Oak for your wedding anniversary and so, when anyone has an anniversary, you know just the wine to give.
Perhaps someone treated you to a Sonoma Valley Chardonnay that fell to the palate like so much lemony butter at your last birthday, that you can't help but buy that same bottle for each and every time you turn 36 years old.
But there are other occasions that call for a special wine, occasions that often don't have designated Hallmark cards or florists in a tizzy trying to meet the demands of the event. That doesn't mean the event is any less significant, any less in need for a particular vino that fully expresses the profound sentiments that threaten to engulf you in a deluge of tears.
Hence, the Wine for Every Occasion List ? a go-to reference for those living in and around Denver who come upon a moment to remember ? and who long for the perfect beverage to compliment same.
Do with it what you will. But all Denver wine hot spots and their respective wines have been laboratory tested. For real.
Special Occasion No. 1:
So you just can't take your stupid job one more minute ? and if Oprah doesn't call and offer you a gig on her new network show, well, you're going to slit your wrists. The only thing that'll even make a dent in your mood is an outdoor patio, an 83-degree sunny evening with a light breeze, and a damn good glass of "inexpensive" vino. Where to go and what to drink in Denver?
Frank Bonnano's Osterio Marco on Larimer Street is the grandest summertime patio in Denver. Dress in something Neiman-Marcus-y, as we all know this is the "to be seen" spot located smack dab in the middle of the city, where tourists stroll by and the occasional celebrity does too. Order a glass of "Fontafredda" or the "House Red." Keep your lipstick fresh and your sunglasses on. I've been hit on by handsome strangers as I simply sat on this wonderful street-front patio enjoying some of the best (and best-priced) wine in town.
Special Occasion No. 2:
You and your best gals have had men folk "up to here" ? and it's time for a little Girls Gone Wild night out. But first ? a teensy lubrication together to talk about where you're really going to go party ? a sort of "pre-game" hooch huddle, if you will. Where can you get a drinky poo on the cheap and a couple of admiring eyeballs to confirm that you "still got it"?
Lincoln's Roadhouse at 1201 S. Pearl is the closest thang to a Louisiana Juke Joint in Denver, Colorado. Ask for white wine only and don't look at it (or sniff it) too closely. Never mind that Lincoln's is as proud of its meatloaf cheeseburger as it is its boot-scuffed dance floor. This is a honky-tonk meant for launching legendary Girl Time. If you're really fed up with your men folk and want to sing some blues, Jimbob books the acts. I'm not making that up.
Very Special Occasion No. 3:
Your fiance ran off with the office trash who's ten years your junior (and you helped him pay off his student loans!). You need a break before you hunt him down and crack open his skull.
Dazzle Restaurant & Lounge ? Denverites fondly call it "Dazzle." This is the cool, groovy mid-town jazz club with the best happy hour in town. Trust me. You can drink a couple of glasses of "very reasonably priced" Cabernet, enjoy a couple apps, cry on your friends' shoulders, be seen in the grooviest place in town -- and still have time to get home and telephone said ex-fiance to finally let him what you've always thought of his mother.
Special Occasion No. 4:
Except for the mountainous debt you've accumulated while putting your kids through private schools, assorted music and athletic lessons, and three years of braces per child (not to mention the "rehab hiccup"), you are now an empty nester ? and you're not crying in your wine about it.
Spread your wings and head over to Z Cuisine ? C?t? in north Denver. A charming French bistro with little tables, soft lights and waitresses that look remarkably like they work in a Parisian caf?, Z Cuisine is the "anti" family-friendly chain restaurant. Get a Burgundy or a Beaujolais for about the price of a movie ticket and kiss your kid-centric Burger King days bye-bye!
When You've Had Enough of Special Occasions (No. 5):
So you just got your American Express card bill in the mail and you didn't mean to spend four hours and this month's car payment at Barolo Grill ? but you know you'd do it all over in a heartbeat ? so this week is all about staying home and stay-cationing with basic cable and your mother's hand-me-down sofa.
Flip the remote to AMC and relax in front of the "Seinfeld Marathon." Now put on the T-shirt and baggy shorts you wore to paint your bedroom and make sure you've got any of these Queen of Cheap Cabernet Selections in stock (all in the $10 to $15'ish range): Coppola's Cabernet Sauvignon, Estancia's (any year) Cab or Julie Balistreri's Signature Cheap Cabernet. Order in Chinese, stretch out on the sofa and act like an unemployed, decadent diva. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)
The point? Quit "wining" and go treat yourself!
Perhaps someone treated you to a Sonoma Valley Chardonnay that fell to the palate like so much lemony butter at your last birthday, that you can't help but buy that same bottle for each and every time you turn 36 years old.
But there are other occasions that call for a special wine, occasions that often don't have designated Hallmark cards or florists in a tizzy trying to meet the demands of the event. That doesn't mean the event is any less significant, any less in need for a particular vino that fully expresses the profound sentiments that threaten to engulf you in a deluge of tears.
Hence, the Wine for Every Occasion List ? a go-to reference for those living in and around Denver who come upon a moment to remember ? and who long for the perfect beverage to compliment same.
Do with it what you will. But all Denver wine hot spots and their respective wines have been laboratory tested. For real.
Special Occasion No. 1:
So you just can't take your stupid job one more minute ? and if Oprah doesn't call and offer you a gig on her new network show, well, you're going to slit your wrists. The only thing that'll even make a dent in your mood is an outdoor patio, an 83-degree sunny evening with a light breeze, and a damn good glass of "inexpensive" vino. Where to go and what to drink in Denver?
Frank Bonnano's Osterio Marco on Larimer Street is the grandest summertime patio in Denver. Dress in something Neiman-Marcus-y, as we all know this is the "to be seen" spot located smack dab in the middle of the city, where tourists stroll by and the occasional celebrity does too. Order a glass of "Fontafredda" or the "House Red." Keep your lipstick fresh and your sunglasses on. I've been hit on by handsome strangers as I simply sat on this wonderful street-front patio enjoying some of the best (and best-priced) wine in town.
Special Occasion No. 2:
You and your best gals have had men folk "up to here" ? and it's time for a little Girls Gone Wild night out. But first ? a teensy lubrication together to talk about where you're really going to go party ? a sort of "pre-game" hooch huddle, if you will. Where can you get a drinky poo on the cheap and a couple of admiring eyeballs to confirm that you "still got it"?
Lincoln's Roadhouse at 1201 S. Pearl is the closest thang to a Louisiana Juke Joint in Denver, Colorado. Ask for white wine only and don't look at it (or sniff it) too closely. Never mind that Lincoln's is as proud of its meatloaf cheeseburger as it is its boot-scuffed dance floor. This is a honky-tonk meant for launching legendary Girl Time. If you're really fed up with your men folk and want to sing some blues, Jimbob books the acts. I'm not making that up.
Very Special Occasion No. 3:
Your fiance ran off with the office trash who's ten years your junior (and you helped him pay off his student loans!). You need a break before you hunt him down and crack open his skull.
Dazzle Restaurant & Lounge ? Denverites fondly call it "Dazzle." This is the cool, groovy mid-town jazz club with the best happy hour in town. Trust me. You can drink a couple of glasses of "very reasonably priced" Cabernet, enjoy a couple apps, cry on your friends' shoulders, be seen in the grooviest place in town -- and still have time to get home and telephone said ex-fiance to finally let him what you've always thought of his mother.
Special Occasion No. 4:
Except for the mountainous debt you've accumulated while putting your kids through private schools, assorted music and athletic lessons, and three years of braces per child (not to mention the "rehab hiccup"), you are now an empty nester ? and you're not crying in your wine about it.
Spread your wings and head over to Z Cuisine ? C?t? in north Denver. A charming French bistro with little tables, soft lights and waitresses that look remarkably like they work in a Parisian caf?, Z Cuisine is the "anti" family-friendly chain restaurant. Get a Burgundy or a Beaujolais for about the price of a movie ticket and kiss your kid-centric Burger King days bye-bye!
When You've Had Enough of Special Occasions (No. 5):
So you just got your American Express card bill in the mail and you didn't mean to spend four hours and this month's car payment at Barolo Grill ? but you know you'd do it all over in a heartbeat ? so this week is all about staying home and stay-cationing with basic cable and your mother's hand-me-down sofa.
Flip the remote to AMC and relax in front of the "Seinfeld Marathon." Now put on the T-shirt and baggy shorts you wore to paint your bedroom and make sure you've got any of these Queen of Cheap Cabernet Selections in stock (all in the $10 to $15'ish range): Coppola's Cabernet Sauvignon, Estancia's (any year) Cab or Julie Balistreri's Signature Cheap Cabernet. Order in Chinese, stretch out on the sofa and act like an unemployed, decadent diva. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)
The point? Quit "wining" and go treat yourself!
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