Wine Tours

Link: http://officialwinery.com/articles/wineclubssection.html

Discover some of the treasures found in Boulder Colorado in regards to wine and the winery industry.

Did you know that Colorado is the 10th largest producer of wines in the United States?
Not many folks know what we here in Colorado have discovered in our local stores, we have quite a selection of local varietal grapes to try from.
So how can you can you learn about these wines??
It';s as easy as that first sip of Pinot Noir. We are also blessed withan amazing number of restaurants, merchants and organizations that sponsor wine events and dinners where can you readily sample these local grapes.
This article focuses on the best Boulder locales to enjoy a nice wine dinner or sampling event.
The first place to start is your local wine merchant.
Most independent wine shoppes usually co-partner with either a wine savvy restaurant or a wine distributor to host monthly wine dinners. In rare cases, sometimesthe actual vineyard will be the co-host and rent out a restaurant for the evening.
The sign of a good wine dinner is an event where the Sommelier or wine expert has worked with the chef to design the entire meal. The icing on the cake, ifyou will, occurs when the host presents a brief description of the food and winepairing, as you enjoy each course.
My recommendations for the Boulder area are:
The Boulder Wine Merchant- Their dinners are usually held at least once a quarter and in some of my favorite restaurants, The Cork Restaurant and John's Restaurant. Boulder Wine Merchant always has at least 2 sommeliers at each dinner, so you can ask any question of your heart's desire.
Certain Boulder culinary corners feature monthly wine dinners. Besides those listed above, L'Atelier, Flagstaff, Greenbriar, and Q's have extensive wine lists to back up their mouth watering choices. My personal favorite is L'Atelier, if you are going to a wine dinner at least once a month, Radek serves the best concoctions for the most affordable prices.
Other wine merchants in the area do offer occasional events such as SmashingGrapes in Lafayette partners with Carelli's restaurant and Superior Liquoroffers wine tasting in-store now. I give Superior the nod for the best Colorado-Produced Wine selection in Boulder county.
One last tip..take an introductory class... what a fabulous way to spend anevening with a significant other, friend or new acquaintance. I highly recommend the International Wine Guild out of Denver. They offer the best beginner wineclasses in the entire Southwest in my humble sommelier's opinion. www.internationalwineguild.com
Last but not least, Boulder is home to the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board and if you really want to learn more about our fabulous wine opportunities, check them out at. www.coloradowine.com
A LA SANTE_

Sonya Lewis is a level one Sommelier based in Boulder county, who spends her spare time planning the next trip to another city or country where wine can be enjoyed.

Keywords: boulder - colorado - dinner - wine - united states - sommelier - wine industry - cullinary - restaurant - pinot noir