Montana Rae - DiningOut - Page 2

PUBLISHED ARTICLES

BY Montana Rae

The Dark Side of Champagne: A Celebration of Pinot

Montana Rae December 13, 2023

The Turkey Day table delivers a wild spread of flavor, texture, and tradition. Whether you’re celebrating with family or friends, everyone has their way of creating a unique holiday experience. When selecting wine, it’s best to have a few options to enjoy with the feast. There are so many things happening on that table – savory, salty, sweet, veggie, creamy dishes, and more. Finding just one wine that pairs with everything is next to impossible. Instead, here are four essential styles that have a place on every Thanksgiving table.

Essential Wines for Thanksgiving

Montana Rae November 8, 2023

The spectrum of gold and yellow during Fall in Colorado is tough to capture. Mother Nature paints a beautiful picture of the season with this gold-flecked wine from the Arneis grape. Like the previous wine, this beautiful bottle is crafted in the hills of Italy’s Piedmont region, and it’s no mistake. There’s something about the wines from this area, whether red or white, that’s so spectacular this time of year. The Fontatabianca winery in the Neive region of Piedmont has been responsible for top-tier examples of grapes like Arneis and Nebbiolo for decades. Their refined winemaking practice is apparent in their seamless delivery of elegant classics vintage after vintage. Arneis is a variety you may not be familiar with, but it's worth a try if you love crisp, refreshing whites. Served alongside the iconic Artichoke Tortelloni with truffle brodo, aged Manchego, and chervil at Rioja on Larimer Square, this is a combination of flavor and texture that’s perfection whether you’re looking for a date night win or a quick plate after work as the breeze brings the leaves off the trees in downtown Denver.

Tasty Fall Wines by the Glass in Denver

Montana Rae October 4, 2023

As Fall sets in, the energy of the harvest season is in the air. It’s a beautiful time for transitioning menus and trying delicious Colorado wines for a taste of the state you may have yet to experience. We’re diving into a few of the best places to experience locally crafted wines in Denver and offering guidance on how and where to experience authentic vineyards and wineries around the state.

A Taste of Colorado Wine Country

Montana Rae September 6, 2023

If you live in Colorado you can’t ignore the stacks and racks of wine now dotting the floor at your local grocery store. On March 1st of this year, grocery stores in our state gained the right to sell wine alongside loaves of bread and cartons of eggs. There are countless opinions out there about whether or not this was the right move for the state. Now that the ink has dried, there’s little point in debating whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing for Colorado. Instead, let’s explore the difference between shopping for wine in grocery stores and buying it in your neighborhood wine shop.

Favorite Denver Wine Shops

Montana Rae July 26, 2023

Danjean-Bethoux ‘Meix au Roi’ Givry at Sunday Vinyl

Tips from a Sommelier on Ordering Wine in Restaurants – Part 3

Montana Rae June 28, 2023

Our three-part series on Tips from a Sommelier for Ordering Wine in Restaurants continues this week with part two. This section is all about considerations to take when it comes to pairing wine with food. The combination of food and wine can elevate a dining experience and make it unforgettable. On their own, the food and wine have unique and wonderful flavors. When combined, a third flavor is created that doesn’t exist without both. If you find yourself always ordering the same old thing or feeling lost when it comes to the wine list, get ready to expand your horizons. You may not know everything there is to know about wine but you do know what you like to eat! Go with what you know and use that to guide your wine selections. Before you know it you’ll enhance your dining experiences in a whole new way. You might even impress your party a little!

Tips from a Sommelier on Ordering Wine in Restaurants – Part 2

Montana Rae June 21, 2023

Unless you’re a total wine nerd like me, chances are you’ve found yourself seated in a restaurant staring at a wine list offering with what feels like infinite options. You may have been out with a group of friends, important clients, or a hot date. Being tasked with ordering the wine should be an exciting opportunity, but for some of us, it feels more like a stress test. Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks I’m happy to share with you over the next few weeks as this is part one of this three-part series. My hope is to help you feel more confident next time you find yourself calling the shots, or bottle, I should say. Together, let’s change the experience from potentially stressful to completely enjoyable.

Tips from a Sommelier on Ordering Wine in Restaurants – Part 1

Montana Rae June 14, 2023

Playful, refreshing, and perfect for patio season, these delicious wines combine two of my favorite things: rosé and sparkling wine. This month, I’m sharing standout sparklers I’ve recently discovered in some of Denver’s best wine bars and dining establishments. From brunch to dinner, these are food-friendly, sustainably crafted bottles curated by a few of the city’s most innovative sommeliers. They come in a range of styles from remarkable regions in Europe with stories to tell. Despite what you may have heard, bubbles should not be limited to holiday dinners or aperitif pours. You sparkle every day – shouldn’t your wine do the same?

Perfect Pink Bubbles to Sip this Spring in Denver

Montana Rae May 17, 2023

Sustainability in wine is a broad umbrella encompassing a huge variety of practices. From organics and biodynamics to natural wine and more, we’re going green! Dive into the details with me as we explore a lineup of delicious wines you can enjoy in Denver-area restaurants that care about what you put into your body and how it impacts our planet. From a chillable red to the most delicious orange wine to a flavor-packed Italian red to a fizzy Pet Nat, there’s something every wine (and earth) lover can embrace this month.

Sustainable Wines in Honor of Earth Month

Montana Rae April 26, 2023