Napa Valley

Marijuana tour company touts 4/20 in Colorado for World Cannabis Week

The Amendment 64 task force recommended allowing out of staters to buy cannabis in Colorado -- and if the legislature agrees, the decision would open the door to pot tourism. But the folks behind a company called My 420 Tours aren't waiting for lawmakers to sign off. They're actively promoting an A ... More >>

EDGE Restaurant & Bar unveils its macaroon Christmas tree

In honor of National Cookie Day, EDGE Restaurant & Bar unveiled a twelve-foot Christmas tree made from macaroons today, at a reception introducing new general manager Matt Barber. The tree will remain on display until New Year's Day. See also: -Soccer Saturday at EDGE -Feast with the 1-percenters ... More >>

Plenty on tap outside of #GABF on the calendar this week

The Great American Beer Fest will fill the Colorado Convention Center this Thursday through Saturday. Tickets to the seminal celebration of craft beer sold out in record time this year, and Cafe Society will be offering up comprehensive and "professional" coverage throughout the week -- as well as a ... More >>

USA Today names Denver one of the top 10 beer cities in the WORLD!

Not only did USA Today just name Denver one the best beer capitals in the world -- the whole fucking WORLD, y'all! -- but the internationally distributed daily newspaper also gave a shout-out to Patty's Chile Beer, named, of course, for Westword founder and editor Patty Calhoun, who likes things spi ... More >>

Three juicy facts (and wines) to get you ready for National Cabernet Day

Just when you thought there couldn't possibly be another day dedicated to the celebration of...well, anything, oenophiles around the country will raise filled-to-the-brim glasses to toast National Cabernet Day on Thursday. While it's easy to dismiss these booze-filled events as just another excuse t ... More >>

Tonight: California wine dinner at TAG

TAG, 1441 Larimer Street, has invited representatives from Neyers Vineyards in California to showcase their wines during a five-course wine dinner that starts at 7 p.m. this evening.

Four essential terms every wine lover needs to know, demystified

Wine -- just like every sport, art form, hobby or leisure pursuit -- has a language all its own. And while someone just learning to cook would likely realize that the intimidating task of understanding what terms like "sauté" or "chiffonade" mean is simply another step in that process, why is it th ... More >>

Cocktail culture, BBQ in Frisco and a 1940s ball on this week's calendar

The Denver FIVE dinner at the Village Cork, 1300 South Pearl Street, sold out over the weekend and there's no waiting list, but there are many other events on the culinary calendar this week, including a visit from a legendary barman tonight. Here's a taste of what's on the menu. (If you know of an ... More >>

Four reasons (and seven wines) that prove it's time to drink chardonnay again

"I'll have the chardonnay, thanks." After overhearing this from a nearby diner during a recent restaurant meal, followed immediately by the withering response, "Seriously? A chardonnay?" from said diner's snarky companion, we realized that chardonnay still has a bullshit reputation.

Elevation Beer Company, opening this weekend, compares itself to a winery

Elevation Beer Company may be located in Poncha Springs, but the brewery's four co-founders don't think of their place as a local hangout. "We are more like a winery than a typical brewpub," says Xandy Bustamante. "We could have done this from anywhere in country, so we figured, why not pick a place ... More >>

Four delicious California wines to [re]acquaint yourself with

There are two kinds of wine drinkers: Some seek out new wines like so many blind dates, eager to make the acquaintance of a lover more intriguing than the last; others are more like serial monogamists -- they form long-standing relationships with specific grapes, regions or winemakers to whom they r ... More >>

Seven brand new Colorado beers to try this spring

Standing in front of the beer cooler in Colorado, the Napa Valley of Beer, can be a little overwhelming. Okay, it can be a lot overwhelming. There are dozens of styles -- from IPAs, stouts and sours to Belgian saisons bocks and barrel-aged brews -- from a confounding number of breweries. And then t ... More >>

Five stellar wines from Sutcliffe Vineyards

We recently saw something on a Denver restaurant wine list that made us do a double take: A total of eleven -- you read that right, eleven -- Colorado wines available by the glass. Crazy, right? It gets even crazier: Four of those local wines were from a single producer, and it's one we're betting y ... More >>

Beer calendar: Stout Month; Twisted Pine Canis Lupulus

Colorado will get a new specialty brewer later this month when Elevation Beer Company near Salida opens, crafting seasonal barrel-aged beers on a fifteen-barrel system. We're not talking about your classic, blondes, reds, browns and IPAs here. Elevation's first two beers will be a Belgian-style Quad ... More >>

Four surprising reasons Silver Oak wines deserve a spot on your table

Cult-favorite, pricey and snooty -- three adjectives you may have heard associated with Silver Oak Winery at some point in your life as an oenophile. The first two are true enough: A passionate set of followers obsess over the brand, hoarding prized vintages in cellars for future generations to savo ... More >>

Reader: Mile High fumbles its beer choices...where are the craft brews?

For obvious reasons, the Denver Broncos are unexpectedly fun to watch this year -- but unfortunately, the beers available at Sports Authority Field are decidedly less so to drink. We may live in the Napa Valley of beer, but the Mile High Stadium crew definitely fumbled the brews available there. A ... More >>

Five Colorado craft beers that should be on tap at Sports Authority Field

For obvious reasons, the Denver Broncos are unexpectedly fun to watch this year, especially with a glass of locally brewed goodness. It's yet another reason Colorado is such a cool place to live. And that will serve you well over the next two weekends, while the Broncos are on the road. But if you w ... More >>

A sake lesson from Izakaya Den's international sake-pairing event

​Sake, with its range of styles, light body and crisp finish, is ideal for food pairings as well as an easy thing to sip all night long. Plus, you can take down a lot of it and escape a hangover. Those factors should have long ago propelled it into a full-blown gastronomic trend, on every list ... More >>

At Rackhouse Pub, the whiskey is fine, but the food could use fine-tuning

See a photo slideshow from Rackhouse Pub

An Evening with Wine Artist Thomas Arvid and Wines of the Pines for oenophiles tonight

​Get your grape tonight at two wine events. Fleming's Steakhouse, 191 Inverness Drive West in Englewood, will host An Evening with Wine Artist Thomas Arvid, a dinner with the artist who creates photo-realistic paintings, with several courses paired with the artist's favorite Napa Valley wines. ... More >>

Patio parties, Boulder SourFest, tea and chocolate and more on this week's culinary calendar

​The second annual Boulder SourFest is sold out (again), but there's plenty more taking place this week, including Triple Crown festivities, Pints for Pussycats and much more. Here's a taste of what's ahead:

American Craft Beer Week: Special brews news

​American Craft Beer Week is in full force, and it seems all of Denver is flowing with beer -- which makes sense, seeing that we're right in the middle of the Napa Valley of it. With all the specialty tappings going on around town, it's difficult to to taste everything, but I've been doing m ... More >>

Two wines that prove old world still rules

​There's been a lot of debate in the wine world of late, the gist of which revolves around whether popular, top-selling new world wines deserve their acclaim. It's an interesting debate, for sure. Are Napa Valley cabs every bit as good as their Bordeaux-based brethren? For that matter, should ... More >>

Ototo Food and Wine Bar giving away free five-course dinner for two

​Ototo Food and Wine Bar, the recently redesigned and reopened sibling restaurant of Sushi Den and Izakaya Den, wants to buy a Facebook fan (and a friend) a five-course dinner, paired with five wines. And, people, it's all free. High five!

The most disappointing meal I ate all year

J. WohletzShave or wax?​ Thai Basil was loud, boozy and hairy -- just like my senior prom date. And I enjoyed both about the same. I ate there, specifically the Washington Park location, twice this summer, for a cumulative total of two hours of my life that I'm never going to get back.

Six smokin' good bottles of bubbly that won't break the bank

​We about lost our shit this past weekend when, while meandering the aisles of a downtown specialty store, we felt our ears assaulted with -- wait for it -- Christmas carols. Despite the 75-degree temps Denver's seen lately, ready or not, the 2010 holiday party season is upon us, which means ... More >>

The Peter Franus wine dinner at Elway's Downtown catered equally to vegetarian and omnivore palates

​Winemaker Peter Franus holds a journalism degree from the University of California at Berkeley -- and his collegiate proximity to Napa Valley ended up being pivotal to his career choice, which is winemaking. His first wine, a zinfandel, was produced in 1987, and Franus has been creating delic ... More >>

Motor Sport Country Club will soon be serving an elite group of motorsports enthusiasts

​Boutique bourbons and vodkas, expensive wines and other liquors will soon begin pouring at an exclusive clubhouse astride downtown Denver. Chances are, it'll never be for you, though.

Can Chilean wines trump their French cousins? Four wines you can put to the test

​ In 1976, to coincide with our country's bicentennial celebrations, a wine merchant-turned-educator named Steve Spurrier organized an esteemed panel of wine cognoscenti to trumpet the (allegedly obvious) superiority of ultra-elite French wines over their Napa Valley counterparts. Spurrier go ... More >>

Hops & Pie will be joining fellow new kids on Tennyson Street

​How happening is Tennyson Street these days? The pay-what-you-want Comfort Cafe opened at 3945 Tennyson Street a couple weeks ago and The Hole, a doughnut house, is slated to open any second (though by the looks of it, it's probably more like any week) at 3877 Tennyson.

Part two: Avenue Grill's Andrew Lubatty on hip-hop, kitchen doohickeys and Matty Selby

Lori MidsonAvenue Grill executive chef Andrew Lubatty​ Andrew Lubatty The Avenue Grill 630 East 17th Avenue 303-861-2820 www.avenuegrill.com This is part two of Andrew Lubatty's Chef and Tell interview. To read part one of that interview, click here. Culinary inspirations: When I was fourte ... More >>

Today: Celebrate Earth Day, food and sustainability across the city

A Flickr photo.​There are so many food-related events on Earth Day -- some focusing on sustainability, some just happening to fall on April 22 -- that there's certain to be one that appeals to you, whether you're a hard-core vegan environmentalist or a carnivore driving a gas-guzzling Hummer. ... More >>

Culinary calendar for the week ahead: Earth Day specials across the city

​The big news in food this week is Earth Day; you'll find a variety of Earth Day specials at various area restaurants, plus a screening of Food, Inc. on PBS to kick things off the night before. Here's a taste of what to expect: Monday, April 19: Dine out today at Dino's, 10040 West Colfax Av ... More >>

There’s Beer in Here

Mondavi wine-tasting at the Broker tonight

​Third-generation Napa Valley winemaker Marc Mondavi is coming to the Broker Restaurant, 821 17th Street, tonight to host an evening of wine-tasting from 7 to 9 p.m. Mondavi will share his knowledge while attendees sample Charles Krug wines and heavy hors d'ouevre. Attendance costs $125; call ... More >>

Tonight: Frasca Food and Wine hosts quirky winemaker Abe Schoener

Jeff MintonWinemaker Abe Schoener​Tonight at 5:30 p.m., Frasca Food & Wine, 1738 Pearl Street in Boulder, welcomes Abe Schoener, a former Greek philosophy professor-turned-esoteric-winemaker who's shocked more than his share of snobby critics with his wacky wine trials and errors. One of thos ... More >>

The Capital Grille kicks off six-week wine tasting event

​Beginning today and continuing through August 23, The Capital Grille, the terrific steakhouse at 1450 Larimer Street, is uncorking a six-week Master Wine Tasting event, whereby 12 different South African and Napa Valley wines, all selected by George Milotes, the cow palace's corporate Master ... More >>

Wine and cheese...and green chile?

Danielle Cyrot, chief winemaker for St. Clement Winery in the Napa Valley, will host a wine-tasting at Strings, 1700 Humboldt Street tonight at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $30, and a portion benefits the Women's Bean Project; for reservations, go to www.stringsrestaurant.com. From 7 to 8:30 p.m. on March ... More >>

Frasca is moving...eventually

This past year, Frasca made plenty of buzz when the highly acclaimed restaurant that Jason Sheehan reviewed as Fantasy Land revealed that it would be moving from its home at 1738 Pearl Street in Boulder sometime in the future. But not, as it turns out, in the immediate future. Surprisingly, the ... More >>

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