At The Traveling Vineyard, we’re passionate about wine!
Our mission to demystify wine, by offering fun and
informative in-home wine tasting events.
Taste wines from boutique wineries from all over the world,
while enjoying a wine tasting lesson.
Email Shannon for more information.
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4267 Tennyson Street
Denver, CO 80212
303-458-0209
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Every Thursday,
Wynton Parker,
the KUVO
Drive Time Jazz Host
Features a wine and food pairing segment on his show.
Wynton's show airs Monday - Friday 4-7pm.
Support
KUVO,
support public radio.
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Jago
Vanilla Cream Liqueur
Are you interested in learning more about wine?
Join the Denver Wine Group to savor the wine and conversations,
build new friendships, and learn as you go.
Beginners and experts welcome!
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Terroir and elegance often walk hand in hand,
with thought-provoking subtleties.
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Read about it today, experience it tonight.
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Wente Riva Ranch Reserve 2004 Chardonnay, Monterrey, California
This is domestic chardonnay at its best.
An incredible bottle of wine for the money,
it drinks like a $30 bottle, at half the price.
It is rich, ripe, and opulent, with notes of flan on the front of the palate.
Developing on the mid-palate are flavors of lime zest, pineapple, and ground nutmeg.
The finish offers creamy notes of caramel.
Exceptional chardonnay at a modest price.
Tasted November 4, 2006.
-BF $16
County Line, Hampden Warehouse Liquormart, Apple Jack,
Heritage Wine & Liquor, Cheers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs,
Chambers Wine & Liquor, Argonaut,
carry this wine.
Are you a retailer that carries this wine?
Email
us and we'll add you to the 'where to find it' listing.
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Domestic Chardonnay Regions
Chardonnay earned its reputation in some of the most acclaimed growing regions, Burgundy, Chablis, and Champagne. It is distinctly a French variety, but because it is now grown beyond these appellations' borders it is a global superstar. Chardonnay is the most successful transplanted white grape variety ever. It is the number one grape variety grown in both California and Australia, topping hundreds of millions of bottles annually.
This agreeable grape likes cool temperatures and doesn't seem to mind the warmer growing regions either. It isn't that fussy about the weather and will produce outrageous amounts of clusters if left unchecked. It is often used as a workhorse variety producing inexpensive, ordinary wines.
As commonplace as low-priced chardonnays are, there are many versions that are spectacular. Some new world versions earn the right to sit side-by-side with the legendary wines from Champagne Chablis, or Burgundy (Bourgogne). California regions that enjoy cool ocean breezes and large daily temperature swings grow the kind of grapes that produce award winning chardonnay. Some of these areas are the Russian River Valley, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Anderson Valley, Carneros, Edna Valley, Mendocino, Santa Cruz Mountains, Napa Valley, and Santa Clara.
Californian versions of chardonnay seeing prudent use of French oak barrels and malolactic fermentation offer opulent, tropical fruit flavors and rich notes of nutmeg, caramel, and cream. Chablis-like versions are aged in stainless steel and enjoy mineral, lemon, and green apple notes. Sparkling wine producers from these cool areas follow the meticulous production methods of Champagne with impressive results.
Top quality Californian chardonnay can command a high price, but with a little research, hidden gems can be found for less. Look for the name of the cool growing region on the label. Producers blessed with fruit from these areas boast the appellation name on their label. Check out Stonehedge Chardonnay or Wente Chardonnay, both out of Monterey.
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Wente 2004 Sauvignon Blanc, Livermore Valley, California
Refreshing and interesting, this domestic
sauvignon blanc has a touch of Loire Valley influence.
It offers a touch of fresh mowed grass on the fore-palate.
As the flavors develop, notes of fresh oregano, lemongrass, citrus evolve.
Rich, refreshing and elegant, this is a great wine for shellfish.
Tasted November 4, 2006
-BF $12
Total Beverage in Fort Collins, Cheers in Colorado Springs,
Apple Jack, Westwood Wine & Spirits carry this wine.
Are you a retailer that carries this wine?
Email
us and we'll add you to the 'where to find it' listing.
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Kit Fox 2003 Foxy White, California
Integrated, soft, perfume-like with notes of cantaloupe, lemon zest, and honey.
It is a blend of sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, viognier, and orange muscat.
This is a polished, elegant, amazing wine for the money.
It has the perfect amount of acidity for food, yet is floral and silky.
A lovely wine to keep on hand.
Tasted November 4, 2006.
-BF $10
Are you a retailer that carries this wine?
Email
us and we'll add you to the 'where to find it' listing.
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Marquis Lien 2004 Red, Colchagua, Chile
A tasty blend of 50% syrah, 23% carmenere, 12% cabernet franc, 8% petit verdot, and 7% malbec.
This red smacks of pencil shavings, plum, white pepper, and hints of green pepper.
It has a solid acid to tannins balance against a layered canvas.
The finish offers notes of ripe black cherries.
-BF $20
Tony B's Wine List (Next to the Original Tony's Meats on Dry Creek),
Total Beverage in Fort Collins,
and Argonaut carry this wine.
Are you a retailer that carries this wine?
Email
us and we'll add you to the 'where to find it' listing.
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CSM 2005 White, Washington
This white blend is a concoction of chardonnay, marsanne, and sauvignon blanc.
It is aged in stainless steel.
Great play between varieties offering notes of lime, melon, and hints of honey.
It's soft, yet has plenty of acidity and a lingering finish.
A great value for the money.
-BF $13
Corks, Bonnie Brae, and Total Beverage in Fort Collins carry this wine.
Are you a retailer that carries this wine?
Email
us and we'll add you to the 'where to find it' listing.
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CSM 2004 Red, Washington
A blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and syrah.
This is an interesting red.
Notes of black cherries and
pencil shavings peeking through the concentrated canvas.
Forty percent of this blend comes from the Red Mountain AVA.
Another great value for the money.
It offers a touch of old world elegance and new world panache.
-BF $13
Corks, Bonnie Brae, and Total Beverage in Fort Collins carry this wine.
Are you a retailer that carries this wine?
Email
us and we'll add you to the 'where to find it' listing.
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Vila Tinto 2002 Fundacion, Mendoza, Argentina
This is a fun blend and a surprising value.
Cabernet sauvignon, bonarda, malbec marry into a bright red.
Notes of red raspberries, a little licorice, a little spice.
A great bottle to keep on hand for
those moments when a good inexpensive red is called for.
Tasted September 25, 2006
-BF $8
Tony B's Wine List (Next to the Original Tony's Meats on Dry Creek),
Total Beverage in Fort Collins carry this wine.
Are you a retailer that carries this wine?
Email
us and we'll add you to the 'where to find it' listing.
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Vila 2004 Bonarda, Mendoza, Argentina
This is a great little red for the money.
Notes of red roses and smoked meats carry over to the mulberry flavored palate.
It is fruity, yet has a good balance of acidity and soft tannins.
Tasted September 25, 2006
-BF $9
Are you a retailer that carries this wine?
Email
us and we'll add you to the 'where to find it' listing.
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Bonarda
The new world has been a revival for some European grapes.
Varieties that have fallen from favor in their native lands are
flourishing on the warm slopes of the Andes Mountains.
French Bordeaux grapes carmenère and malbec have enjoyed superstar status in South America.
Bonarda, another red grape from the old world, has been gaining in popularity in Argentina as well.
Bonarda's heritage is not clear. Many say it comes from Piemont,
Italy where it is nearly extinct. It has been associated with croatina,
Bonarda Piemontese, barbera bonarda, and charbono to name a few.
Unfortunately experts at University of Davis still haven't pinpointed
the origin of the bonarda growing in Argentina.
Regardless of where it came from,
the critics are touting the contemporary version of bonarda,
grown in the Southern Hemisphere.
Smoldering flavors of blackberries, smoke, roasted spices,
and cocoa make bonarda a favorite in the New World circles.
Its tannins offer it a touch of structure while a generous dose of
acidity makes it a great choice for hearty foods.
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San Simone 2005 Tocai Fruilano, Italy
This is a very pretty bottle of wine.
Floral aromas lend themselves to a canvas of apple and lime flavors.
The acidity makes it crisp with a hint of richness on the finish.
A perfect pick for your chicken dishes.
Tasted September 25, 2006
-BF $10
Divino Wine & Spirits and Joy Wine & Spirits carry this wine.
Are you a retailer that carries this wine?
Email
us and we'll add you to the 'where to find it' listing.
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Hedges 2003 Three Vineyards, Red Mountain, Washington
An elegant red wine made from the acclaimed Red Mountain AVA.
The wine is composed from three estate vineyards, Hedges Estate Vineyard, Bel'Villa Vineyard,
and Red Mountain Vineyard.
It is a blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot.
It is a cross between a domestic claret and Bordeaux.
The canvas is complicated with notes of graphite, kiffer lime, cassis, cocoa, vanilla, and mint.
It drinks great now and will reward the patient.
Makes a great gift.
Tasted November 4, 2006
-BF $25
Joy Wine & Spirits and Bonnie Brae carry this wine.
Are you a retailer that carries this wine?
Email
us and we'll add you to the 'where to find it' listing.
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Summers 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California
A very complex and interesting red wine.
The flavors are integrated and rich,
offering notes of cassis, dark chocolate, vanilla, and bing cherry.
It is dense from the fore-palate to the finish with soft tannins,
and notes of smoke and roasted coffee on the mid-palate.
A great gift, a candidate for the cellar,
or the perfect bottle for a special meal, or a special companion.
Tasted October 24, 2006
-BF $50
Are you a retailer that carries this wine?
Email
us and we'll add you to the 'where to find it' listing.
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Vocabulary
Each week we'll include a few wine (or beer or spirits) terms.
To read more terms go to the
vocabulary
page. This page will grow as we add more terms.
Corked:
2,4,6-trichloroanisole, or TCA is a mold taint that comes from infected corks.
This mold is so prevalent that it can infect an entire winery.
It is a difficult eradicate because it thrives on bleach.
When a bottle of wine is severely tainted, or corked, it can taste like wet dog, mildew,
wet cardboard, or ground up rubber bands.
As revolting as a corked bottle can taste,
TCA starts out as a loss of fruitiness with no ill flavor.
Free Run:
refers to the juice that is released from grapes under their own weight.
Free run juice comes from grapes that are not pressed.
Grape juice that is released from pressed grapes
tends to be more tannic because tannins are released from the skins of the grapes.
Free run juice is reputed to be the best grape juice.
A winery will often collect the free run juice first and
then collect the juice from pressing separately.
Hang Time:
A slang word referring to the amount of time grapes are able to hang on the vine to ripen.
It also infers a long slow ripening.
Most grapes benefit from long, slow ripening,
but some grapes, like pinot noir, require it.
Long hang time happens when the weather is optimal.
Terroir (tare-wahr):
is the subtle component that is often absent in new world wines.
Terroir is the flavor of the land, weather, and environment.
It is often called aspect.
It is the slight flavor of rocks, chalk, autumn leaves, spring rain, dust, baked earth,
ocean breeze or minerals.
Terroir is destroyed by sulfites that are added when the grapes are first crushed.
It is also diminished by the quick ripening that happens in hot growing regions.
A whopping alcohol level is a sign that the delicate flavors of terroir are lost.
Aspect of the land is an old world occurrence.
More and more new world producers try to preserve terroir in their wines.
The best examples of terroir can be found in European wines.
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Brews
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Do you make your own beer?
If you make your own beer we are interested in your thoughts, recipes, and experiences.
If you would like to share with our readers, we will include you on our weekly newsletter and-or
add your contribution to our Do It Yourself section.
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Rogue Mocha Porter, Newport, Oregon
It pours with a dark brown, but not opaque color.
The head is tight, but dissipates quickly.
(My beer sat out of the refrigerator for about an hour.)
On the palate, its flavors are tight and integrated.
It is a touch creamy with flavors of baking chocolate.
There are hints of black coffee and licorice.
Its hoppy notes are slightly floral and slightly bitter.
The warmer it gets the more chocolate flavors prevail.
$10 a six pack
Corks and County Line carry this brew.
Are you a retailer that carries this beer?
Email
us and we'll add you to the 'where to find it' listing.
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Flying Dog Dogtoberfest
Beautiful redish-amber color pours a thick rich head.
The aroma offers scents of fresh bread drizzled with clover honey that carries over to the palate.
Soft caramel flavor, hints of spice and honeysuckle fill the mouth.
This beer is smooth, slightly bitter with a good yeasty flavor on the finish.
This brew is a great crowd pleaser; grab a six-pack or two for the holiday.
-BF $8 for a six pack
Wilburs Total Beverage in Fort Collins carries this beer.
Are you a retailer that carries this beer?
Email
us and we'll add you to the 'where to find it' listing.
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Events
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Sign up for ThisWeekInDenver's weekly eCalendar and they’ll keep you up to date on
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