The most esteemed wine experts in the world will freely admit there’s always more to learn; the world of viticulture is so vast, complex, and ever-changing that even they can’t master it all. That’s no reason for the average wine drinker to get discouraged. On the contrary, it should be a liberating reminder that wine exists first and foremost to be enjoyed. This guide is designed to help you do just that.
Here’s what it doesn’t include: special-occasion destinations with nationally renowned wine programs like Barolo Grill, Flagstaff House, Frasca Food and Wine, or its sibling Tavernetta. If you’re even the tiniest bit familiar with the Denver-area dining scene, you already know that you should take any chance you get to drink wine at those places (and every other restaurant in the Frasca Hospitality Group family, for that matter). And if you didn’t know, well, we just told you.
Instead, we focused on establishments you could frequent, if not every day, at least semi-regularly for a vinous adventure to remember. They all put a premium on discovery, giving guests the freedom to ask questions and take chances. No judgment here—just good juice.
Restaurants
Dear Emilia
As impressive as Restaurant Olivia’s wine program may be, its new sibling in RiNo has made an instant splash among Italophiles for its laser focus on the Boot’s enormous diversity of native grapes. Wine director Scott Thomas has compiled a treasure trove of uncommon examples for inquiring minds: Biancolella from Campania, Pelaverga from Piedmont, and Cesanese from Lazio, just to name a few.
But if there’s one absolute must-try on his list, it’s Lambrusco from the restaurant’s namesake region of Emilia-Romagna. Available by the glass, flight, and bottle, this sparkling red provides a lesson in how a single family of grapes can produce dramatically different expressions depending on where and how they’re grown. 3615 Delgany St., Denver, emiliadenver.com
Corsica
Given that it’s named for the French island, this Mediterranean date-night haunt had better highlight the wines of Corsica—and so it does, introducing guests to grapes like Sciaccarellu and Niellucciu. But there’s so much more to explore here, as the wine list takes twists and turns through not only France but Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Slovenia.
Nearly 30 pours by the half or full glass mean you can mix and match to your heart’s content. Instead of Prosecco, try a frizzante blend of Glera, Prosecco’s key component, and Garganega. Rather than Rhône Valley Syrah, sample one from Spain that also contains a bit of indigenous Tintilla de Rota. Granted, the bottle list is also chock-full of unusual finds, from Bugey Mondeuse to Greek Limniona, at startlingly reasonable prices (the majority are well under $80). 2801 Walnut St., Denver, corsicawinebar.com
Hey Kiddo
Credit where credit is due: At the behest of beverage director Caroline Clark, Kelly Whitaker’s Id Est Hospitality group has been spreading the gospel of responsibly farmed, terroir-driven wine for years. What does that mean? Well, to swipe a quote from Hey Kiddo’s bottle list, “That means organic and biodynamic practices, low-impact cellar work, and vibrant wines that reflect where they come from.”
It also means you may not be acquainted with any of them, since they tend to be low-production. Luckily, Clark’s tasting notes do a lot of heavy lifting. Maybe a Roussane from Texas Hill Country will catch your eye as a “great option for the orange-wine curious—spicy and unfiltered.” Or maybe a Grenache from Ardèche that’s “lightly effervescent [with] rustic blackberry jam and stony minerality” will speak your language. In short—and in keeping with the eclectic dinner menu—this is a place to challenge yourself and treat yourself at the same time. 4337 Tennyson St. #300, Denver, hk-oy.com
Hop Alley
Wine hasn’t historically had a place on the Chinese table. But at Hop Alley, wine director Jacob Roadhouse is doing a bang-up job of proving that it can in fact pair beautifully with a wide array of umami-rich and even spicy dishes. (It also happens to work well with the menu at Petit Chelou, chef Douglas Rankin’s tasting menu concept located inside the restaurant.)
A glance at Roadhouse’s two-page selection of mostly Old World bottlings provides a clue to the wines he considers best bets: Note the emphasis on grower Champagne and whites like Riesling, Aligoté, and especially Chenin Blanc, which “truly does work with everything,” in his words. But even die-hard red-heads will have good luck with varieties that have “a lot of really pretty fruit to them,” including Nerello Mascalese from Sicily and Pinot Noir from Burgundy or Germany (where it’s called Spätburgunder). 3500 Larimer St., Denver, hopalleydenver.com
Major Tom
Housed in an adorable RiNo bungalow adjoining its Michelin-starred sibling, Beckon, this small-plates lounge has got dinner-party energy to spare. That’s thanks above all to its splurge-worthy assortment of Champagnes and rare dessert wines (including decades-old Madeira), but it’s also due to a floor crew who can walk you through them all with genial aplomb.
Which isn’t to say you have to break the bank to have a smashing time here. A bottle of skin-fermented Portuguese Arinto, organically grown Kadarka from Hungary, or the delightfully named Strawberry Mullet, a Zinfandel rosé from Oregon, would be tons of fun for a fraction of the price of Grand Cru bubbly. 2845 Larimer St., Denver, majortomdenver.com
Mar Bella Wine Bar
Shortly after it opened in January, this Spanish hot spot from the Fonda Fina Hospitality team changed its name to explicitly include the phrase “Wine Bar,” signaling to grape geeks its seriousness about all things vino. It’s delivering on that promise with more than 30 labels by the half or full glass and over 100 by the bottle, all representing growing regions in central and northern Spain as well as southwestern France.
What’s that, you’ve never heard of grapes like Hondarrabi Zuri, Fer, and Caiño Longo? Good. The goal here is to encourage you to expand your horizons, so let the sommelier on staff steer you toward something unexpected: Forjas del Salnés Goliardo from Rías Baixas with a dish of mussels, sausage, and braised white beans, for instance. According to wine director Justin Mueller, “It’s a super cool-climate, coastal, lean red—if you’re going to drink red with seafood, that’s what you’re having.” 233 Clayton St., Denver, marbellawinebar.com
Marigold
You could call Marigold the very picture of a European bistro—except that both chef-owner Theo Adley and sommelier Eric Bronson like to color way outside the lines. Just as the dinner menu puts all manner of imaginative twists on traditional dishes, the wine list mostly eschews the classics in favor of spotlighting minimal-intervention mavericks in emerging regions.
While most guests are likely unfamiliar with, say, Savignin from the Jura, Lagrein from Trentino–Alto Adige, and Listán Negro from the Canary Islands, they can rest assured that Bronson serves as a very patient and engaging guide. The stories he has to tell are compelling reminders that wine isn’t just meant to be drunk: It’s meant to be shared, with humor, passion, and above all intention. 405 Main St., Lyons, marigoldlyons.com
Somebody People
It’s no surprise that this vegan restaurant is serious about plants, grapevines included: Its wine list is a showcase for organic, biodynamic, and regenerative producers around the globe. But don’t take “serious” to mean “not fun.” Be it a sparkling rosé of Zinfandel from Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe, an orange Trousseau Gris-Pinot Gris blend out of Oregon called Disco Nap, or a Canadian ice wine made from Cabernet Franc, this is a vinous playground for the cool kids.
And they’re not playing unsupervised, either. Helpfully organizing his list by style under headers like “Aromatic, light, and fresh” and “Bold, rustic, and mysterious,” Somebody People co-owner and self-styled “king of vino” Sam Maher also aims to provide insightful, entertaining, and above all encouraging commentary tableside. 1165 S. Broadway, Denver, somebodypeople.com
Spuntino
At this longtime Italian favorite in LoHi, chef Cindhura Reddy’s husband-partner, Elliot Strathmann, goes to great lengths to shine a spotlight on small, sustainable producers whose heart and soul match his own. So while splurging on a bottle of one of the “3 Bs” (as Barolo, Barbaresco, and Brunello are collectively known) would hardly be a mistake, the best bang for the buck may lie in a hard-to-find gem like Punta Crena Lumassina Frizzante from Liguria, Tiberio Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, or Librandi Cirò Gaglioppo from Calabria.
Strathmann’s often on hand to give guests the scoop on what makes these lesser-known varieties and regions special. But he really goes for the gusto on Wine Corner Wednesday, a twice-monthly tasting designed to explore his pet picks in depth. For fledgling enophiles, it’s an eye-opening experience. 2639 W. 32nd Ave., Denver, spuntinodenver.com
Wine Bars
Society 303
Curious about natural wine but daunted by all the jargon that seems to surround it (what is native fermentation, anyway)? Then this is just the cozy, comfy bar for you.
Not only does owner Natasha Sztevanovity keep her list short and sweet, with about 20 offerings by the glass and bottle, but she’s a charming, easygoing host who can describe each one in terms even novices can understand. Better still, you can’t go wrong with any of them. From a standard-bearer like white Bordeaux to a quirky red such as sparkling Slovenian Refošk, they all favor juicy deliciousness over the intense funk that has given the natural-wine category a bad name in some circles. (A little funk is awesome; a lot of it is not.) 9600 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora, society303.com
Neighbors
Most chill neighborhood joints stick to pouring the basics. This one’s an exception. While the selection of nearly 30 wines by the glass isn’t devoid of familiar comforts like Prosecco or Oregon Pinot Noir, it’s designed to inspire its regulars to change things up now and then, whether by ordering a white Pecorino from Abruzzo, a red Graciano from Rioja, or even a dessert wine like Mullineux Chenin Blanc from South Africa, made from dried grapes.
To pique their curiosity further, co-owner Greg Ruedi also curates three flights composed of three 3-ounce glasses each. One might involve red blends from around the world, another might feature a homegrown producer like Palisade’s Peachfork: The themes rotate with the seasons so there’s always a reason to stop by. 2202 Kearney St., Denver, neighborsparkhill.com
Trellis
In a light, airy, split-level space filled with plants and plush seating, this Park Hill wine bar is as stylish as they come. Happily, it’s got the substance to match, with as many as 50 wines by the glass listed on the blackboard menu at any given time—each one as intriguing and, frankly, just plain cool as the last.
Pét-nat Melon de Bourgogne from Oregon’s Willamette Valley? Nerello Mascalese Bianco from Etna in Sicily? Orange Weissburgunder from Pfalz, Germany? Veluri Kindzmarauli, a semi-sweet Georgian red? Check, check, check, check: It’s all here for natty wine nerds to revel in, and better yet, it’s all half-price come happy hour (Monday through Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m., Friday from 3 to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m.) 2868 Fairfax St., Denver, trelliswinebar.com
Vin Rouge
Brick walls, wood floors, and abundant greenery give this Berkeley hideaway a homey, loft-like feel—and the wine list is as much cause for relaxation as the setting. Plenty interesting without being wildly esoteric, it’s also accessible from the standpoint of price, with no bottle topping $65.
But if you’re still waffling over the likes of Hungarian Furmint, Greek Malagousia, or Chilean País, just strike up a conversation with owner Jenn Feinstein. She’s a calming yet refreshingly honest presence behind the bar (who also happens to pen very thoughtful tasting notes for the weekly-changing flights she offers). 4412 Yates St., Denver, vinrougewinebar.com
Other Bars of Note
ESP HiFi
Though it’s best-known for its immaculate sound system and vinyl collection, this low-key listening bar in the Santa Fe Arts District also happens to sport an impeccable selection of natural wines. Like many of the establishments included in this guide, it tends to champion Europe’s more obscure grapes and growing regions—but the handy-dandy tasting notes printed right on the menu guarantee that even newbies know what they’re getting into.
Think sparkling Zwiegelt from Styria, Austria: “salted cherry and wild blueberry, light spice and earth, bright acidity.” Or skin-contact Altesse from the Savoie, showing “white nectarine, grapefruit zest, saline, dried sage.” Or Croatian Babić, redolent of “fresh fig, strawberry, balsamic, smoke, riverstone.” Or better yet, don’t think at all. Just close your eyes and point to something that’s sure to surprise you. 1029 Santa Fe Dr., Denver, esphifi.co
Yacht Club
This place is so celebrated for its cocktails that many regulars may not be aware it even has a bottle list. But it does—and like everything owners McLain Hedges and Mary-Allison Wright touch, it’s fabulous.
Exclusively Old World (mostly French), it’s almost as much fun to read as it is to drink from thanks to cheeky tasting notes. Take a 2014 Blanc de Noirs Champagne that’s “like a slice of buttermilk pie while listening to The Clash . . . wholesome even.” But if a single glass will do the trick, take a chance on the market-priced “Break Even” selection or the “Burg du Jour.” It’s bound to be something special. 3701 N. Williams St., Denver, yachtclubbar.com
