In this issue... Thinking Outside the Heart-Shaped Box “Pairing wine and chocolate is a fun experience,” says John Garlich, co-owner of BookCliff Vineyards. And John ought to know. BookCliff has teamed up with the Boulder Belvedere Belgian Chocolate Shop as well as the Chocolate Moose in Glenwood to provide an incredible tasting experience. If you were at the 2007 Boulder Food & Wine Festival, you might have tried Belvedere’s “Boulder Mud,” a mixed chocolate ganache served with a splash of BookCliff’s “Adagio,” a light desert wine with Black Muscat. You can also drop by the BookCliff/Belvedere tasting rooms at 1468 Pearl St. in Boulder or 710 Grand Ave. in Glenwood to sample several other pairings, from the sweet Viognier with a Milk Chocolate Raspberry confection to the deeper Merlot with a Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Heart. Are there rules to pairing chocolate and wine? Not really, but in general, says Chris Toomey of the Boulder Belvedere shop, sweeter whites and lighter reds do pair well with milk or white chocolates, while deeper, richer reds tend to go with dark or bittersweet. Whitewater Hill Crag Crest Port is another “big” wine that goes beautifully with dark and creamy desserts, but if you’re in the mood for something lighter, Whitewater Hill winemaker Nancy Janes recommends Zero Below, a late-harvest Chardonnay whose fruity notes pair beautifully with white chocolate. If you’re looking for something decadent but simple, try serving a great dessert wine in chocolate-rimmed glasses – whether it’s dark chocolate with port or Carlson Vineyards’ award-winning Cherry Wine, milk chocolate with Creekside Cellars’ Moscato DiAmburgo, or white chocolate with that late-harvest Chardonnay. One of the easiest ways to enjoy Colorado wine with chocolate comes from Grande River Vineyards in Palisade, where they make a Chocolate Wine Sauce with dark Dutch chocolate and a splash of their own Meritage Red. According to Tom Stark, “Once people taste it, they get hooked on it.” Tom recommends serving the sauce on cheesecake, pound cake, raspberries, ice cream … you name it. Or experiment and create your own special recipe. One of Tom’s best was his Chocolate Blackberry Cake, which included a bit of Grande River sauce within the cake, blackberry jam between the layers, and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and more Chocolate Wine Sauce on top. As every outdoor enthusiast knows, Colorado offers world-class skiing and other great winter recreation opportunities, from the big resorts to the smaller areas and trails. But a great ski day doesn’t have to end when the lifts stop running: To wind down in style, gather up your friends and head for a local tasting room where you can brag about the day’s exploits – or bemoan your aching muscles – and try a little fruit of the Colorado vine. Here’s a guide to some of the places that are closest to your favorite ski areas or on the way home. Winter Park & Mary Jane In the heart of Downtown Winter Park, Cooper Creek Square offers ice skating, shopping, dining – and the swanky Verso Cellars tasting room, where they serve their own Cabernet Sauvignon as well as wines from Canyon Wind Cellars, Graystone Winery, Plum Creek Cellars, and Whitewater Hill Vineyards. Tastings are free, though you can also buy by the glass, the bottle or the case. There’s plenty of seating and a beautiful view, and you’re welcome to bring your own potluck or call ahead to arrange a catered dinner. Both a winery and a tasting room, Winter Park Winery in the heart of Fraser serves its own Colorado-grown wines. They charge a small ($5) fee for tastings, but you get to try them all, and you can also buy wine by the glass, bottle or case. Feel free to bring your own cheese & crackers, bread and etc., and be sure to peruse the local art that’s on display and available for sale. The second and last Thursdays of each month are musical: Open Mike Night starts at 6:00 p.m. and goes until everybody’s finished. Forgot your guitar? Just pick up one of the extras lying around and join in! Summit County D’Vine Wine isn’t a traditional winery; it’s a “ferment-on-premise” operation where you can not only try out the wines they make, but also choose a varietal or a blend and have a small batch (about 30 bottles) made for you. There are 12 to 15 wines to choose from for tastings every day, and you can try three wines for $5 or 4 wines – and take home your souvenir wine glass – for $10. Wines are also sold by the glass, bottle and case. Bring your own food if you like, or for a special treat, call ahead (three to five days) and ask about their catering menu for a great spread of hors d’oeuvres. Aspen Eight miles down the valley from Aspen you’ll find the small town of Woody Creek and the Woody Creek Community Center, where you can try the wines of Woody Creek Cellars as well as Graystone Winery’s Port and a few selections from S. Rhodes Vineyards. You can buy by the glass or three tastings for $5, and of course bottles and cases are also available. There’s a big stone fireplace, comfy chairs, and plenty of eats, from an assortment of cheeses and appetizers to toasted Panini sandwiches called “Rumble Strips.” If you’re in the mood for a really special occasion, you can even rent out the full commercial kitchen and bring your own chef (just call ahead and ask for Ann). Don’t miss the organic coffee, and be sure to check out the art gallery, whose exhibits change monthly. Looking for more than tastings? Be sure to check out the incredible dining experience that SIX89 offers just 30 miles from Aspen. See the article below for more on this wonderful eatery and its great list of Colorado wines. BookCliff Vineyards at The Chocolate Moose – 710 Grand Ave., Glenwood; www.bookcliffvineyards.com; 970.945.2723 If you’re skiing in Aspen but staying in Glenwood, check out this little spot located within walking distance from Glenwood’s historic hotels and smack dab among restaurant row. The Moose is sweet place (yes, we crack ourselves up) to not only sample wines but also check out the great desserts. There’s a wine bar as well as a western-themed “dining” room that holds about 20 people – as long as some of your crowd doesn’t mind sitting on saddles. If you like, you can even bring your own cheese and bread along, although stopping on the way out to dinner might make more sense. And of course it’s hard to resist those chocolates and ice cream on the way back. Sampling is free during ski season. On the Way Home Creekside Cellars – 28036 Hwy 74, Evergreen; www.creeksidecellars.net; 303.674.5460 If you’re heading east on I-70 to get home, consider taking a quick jaunt to Evergreen and checking out the tastings and the Italian café at Creekside Cellars. Even if you don’t make it in time for a full meal, the wine bar offers cheese platters, bread, and sometimes antipasto platters to go along with a complimentary tasting of any single wine, or a $5 tasting of any five. (Bottles and cases are also available.) The café also offers a number of different flights to go with a meal or an appetizer. While you’re there you’ll want to drink in the beautiful view, and as a bonus, Winemaker Timothy Donahue says the traffic on Floyd Hill usually clears by 6:00 – so after a relaxing stop, you’ll probably manage to get home at the usual time! Random Acts of Cooking Occur Nightly at Restaurant SIX89 Not far from the glamour and sparkle of Aspen is the small but growing town of Carbondale, where you’ll find an incredible eatery called Restaurant SIX89. Named for its address on Main Street, SIX89 is located in a turn-of-the-century home – but its approach to menu, food and beverages is decidedly up to date. The menu itself is not only full of unusual dishes – when’s the last time you had Red-Wine Braised Colorado Lamb Osso, for example, or Lobster & Shiitake Hash? – it’s also full of whimsy and unusual naming conventions. If you’re interested in something light, consider trying the “One Good Soup of the Moment.” You’re a dessert fan? Look under “Sugar.” The menu, in fact, comes with an entire “lexicon” section to help you understand what some of the terms mean, from EVO (extra virgin olive oil) and Pappardelle (pasta cut into irregular shapes…mostly bad rectangles) to Dandelion (the town flower of Carbondale) and Random Acts of Cooking (the chef’s approach to a table-sharing tasting menu). Of course, what makes SIX89 truly special is the collection of ingredients that go into its fine foods – and the wonderful wines it serves alongside. Chef Mark Fischer relies on numerous local and seasonal foods from small-scale growers and distributors, and Bill Bentley, the “Floor King and Wine Guy,” stocks many Colorado wines to round out the menu. “Now that there are a lot of great wines out there,” says Bill, “it just makes sense to find the best of them.” On SIX89’s wine list you’ll find Viognier and Petite Verdot from Sutcliffe Vineyards, Tempranillo and Merlot from Woody Creek Cellars, Gewurztraminer from S. Rhodes Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon from Verso Cellars, and more. “The whole goal of the restaurant is to be grounded in our community,” Bill says, “to support local growers and wineries and to show off what we’ve got here.” In Colorado, he notes, that’s not difficult to do, “because we’ve got a bounty of really great stuff." SIX89 was recently given an award by the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board for the Best Use of Colorado Food and Wine, and the restaurant also holds many winemaker’s dinners, having hosted Sutcliffe Vineyards and S. Rhodes in the past, and recently featuring Jack Rabbit Hill Wines & Peak Spirits in a five-course delight. (Watch for upcoming events at the restaurant’s Web site, www.SIX89.com.) The next time you find yourself in the Aspen/Glenwood Springs area – or any time you’re looking for a great and out-of-the-ordinary dining experience – head out to Carbondale for an unusual approach to cuisine and an unforgettable meal. SIX89 is open nightly from 5:30; reservations are suggested at 970.963-6890. Dr. Stephen Menke, Associate Professor of Enology at Colorado State University, has an extensive background in viticulture and winemaking and will be using his expertise to help Colorado vintners find solutions to various problems. Dr. Menke’s background includes research into specific diseases in grapes, chemical and sensory analysis of wine aromas, and the relationship between vineyard quality, processing quality, and consumers’ perceptions of the resulting wines. But Dr. Menke is much more than a wine nerd – he has also spent time as the manager and assistant winemaker at Sonoita Vineyards in Arizona. Throughout the Colorado wine industry, we feel incredibly fortunate to have Dr. Menke on board, and we look forward to the research and assistance he’ll be providing, as well as the ongoing improvements we can expect for Colorado wines.
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Thinking Outside the Heart-Shaped Box
A Skier’s Guide to Tasting
Random Acts of Cooking Occur Nightly at Restaurant SIX89
Welcoming a New Expert
If Valentine’s Day brings you thoughts of chocolate and the prospect of doing something sweet for the one you love, one deliciously romantic way to celebrate is by bringing together chocolate and wine A number of Colorado’s vintner’s have the expertise – and the goods – to help you do just that.
Speaking of rich reds, Port is an “infinitely elegant way to end a meal,” says Desiree Lancaster, the tasting room manager at Graystone Winery in Clifton, because its deep tones take on chocolate in a particularly beautiful way. At Boulder Creek Winery, Winemaker Jackie Thompson pairs her Zinfandel Port with chocolate-covered espresso beans, and at Graystone, Desiree serves chunks of dark chocolate when she pours their award-winning Ruby Port. For an impressive finish to Valentine’s Day dinner, Desiree recommends vanilla ice cream dribbled with Ruby Port, then sprinkled with crushed Enstrom’s Almond Toffee (another Colorado treat). To make it even prettier, start with a chilled wine glass and grape-sized ice cream scoops made with a melon-baller.
Whether you’re cooking up a special recipe or looking for an uncomplicated way to make Valentine’s Day a little more special, try a little chocolate and wine – and don’t forget the candlelight – for an unforgettable celebration.
Verso Cellars – Cooper Creek Square, Suite 231, Winter Park, CO 80482; www.versocellars.com; 303.587.2223
Hours: Sunday-Tuesday Noon to 6:00; Wednesday-Saturday Noon to 8:00
Winter Park Winery – 395 Zerex St., Fraser, CO 80442; www.winterparkwinery.com; 970.726.4514
Hours: Daily 12:30 to 6:00
D’Vine Wine – 358 Blue River Parkway, Unit G, Silverthorne; www.winerysilverthorne.com; 970.485.3742
Hours: Monday & Tuesday 4:00 to 8:00; Wednesday-Saturday Noon to 8:00; Sunday Noon to 6:00
Woody Creek Cellars – Woody Creek Community Store, Woody Creek; www.woodycreekcellars.com; 970.922.2342
Hours: Sunday 7:00 to noon; Monday-Saturday 7:00 to 6:00
Restaurant SIX89 – 689 Main St., Carbondale; www.six89.com; 970.963.6890
Hours: Nightly from 5:30
Hours: Wednesday-Monday 1:30 to 8:00 (closed Tuesdays)
Canyon Wind Cellars – 1500 Argentine St., Georgetown; www.canyonwindcellars.com; 303.569.3152
Hours: Daily 10:00 to 6:00
Heading down from Eisenhower Tunnel after a big day? Directly off the Georgetown exit and kitty-corner from the Georgetown Visitor’s Center you’ll find the Canyon Wind Cellars tasting room. Try four complimentary tastings at the wine bar (or try more for $1 each), or sit down and enjoy a cheese plate along with a full glass of your favorite (priced according to type). The setting is lovely, with a Tuscan theme and waterfall, and while you’re there you’ll want to check out the upscale gift-shop items that include pottery and baskets as well as a selection of Reidel glassware and decanters. Bottles and cases of Canyon Wind’s many wonderful wines are available, and you can even put together a gift basket full of wine and accessories.
Hours: Café open daily 11:00-4:00; tasting room open daily until 5:00
There’s a new “Consulting Enologist” in Colorado, and as cryptic as that may sound to the uninitiated, it’s great news for Colorado’s winemakers.
