Drinking Colorado wine with others is better than drinking alone

Written by Jacob Harkins from ColoradoWino.com

"The tasting room is open. Well, the virtual one is about to be anyway. Following in the footsteps of wine social media guru Rick Bakas, we’ll be hosting the First Ever World Wide Colorado Wine Virtual Tasting.

The premise is simple: Drinking wine with others is better than drinking alone. Join us by popping a bottle of Colorado wine from about 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10. Best part is you can do this in the comfort of your home.

The key to making this work is to use your computer or mobile device to talk about the wine you are drinking and Colorado’s industry in general. If you are a Twitter type, use the hashtag #colwine. Try Hootsuite, Tweet Deck or any other number of programs that allow you to add the feed for #colwine to make following the evening a breeze. If you prefer Facebook, we’ll be using the event page to post comments."

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New Wines

If you are a red wine lover come on over. We have Merlot, Ensemble, two Syrahs, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah and of course the Friday's Folly to taste - a total of eight red wines. My favorite is the Petite Sirah 2009. Barely in the bottle it already received a gold medal and my sense is that it can achieve even more recognition. This dry red has a smooth finish for its young age, earthy yet elegant with lots of flavor in the body though lighter in alcohol at 13.5% - a perfect match with food. A beef roast, simply prepared, pairs well - I like mine marbled with some fat, marinated and cooked in a crock pot until the meat is soft an flakey. I also can imagine risotto with mixed mushrooms from Hazel Dell fresh from the Boulder Farmers Market. Come by soon to check out the new wines!

Back in the Saddle

Crush is here again. Where does the time go? Chardonnay grapes are crushed and the juice is just waiting to be turned into wine. We crushed about 3 tons of Chard yesterday for our first day this year. It went smoothly and was a pretty easy day. The grapes looked great and should make a nice wine. We are blessed that we didn't lose our vines with the cold weather last winter and we look forward to some great 2010 wines.

Beer Vs. Wine Slap-down Dinner

Upslope Brewing and BookCliff Vineyards are ready to pair off their brews with food prepared by Eric Skokan, chef and owner of the Black Cat Farm Table Bistro. Six rounds of local handcrafted wine, beer and food. Find out yourself what is the better match - beer or wine. There is limited seating. Make sure to call in your reservation for this one of a kind event.

Lucky 20 blend (dry white) & Pale Ale

-Crisp squash blossoms with Fromage Blanc and roasted chilies

2009 Viognier & Belgian Style Pale Ale

-Salad of greens from the Black Cat Farm with grilled Colorado peaches and spiced rabbit

2009 Dry Muscat Blanc & India Pale Ale

-Confit of pork shoulder with braised cabbage, apples and cardamom

2008 Merlot & Munich Dunkel

-Roasted duck breast with duck confit, plums and arugula

2009 Reserve Syrah & Foreign Stout

-Leg of lamb smoked in hay with figs, black pepper and polenta

NV Barrel Aged Black Muscat & Quadruple

-Anjou pear tart with roses, caramel and hazelnuts

When: Monday August 30th

Time: 6:00pm

Where: BookCliff Winery, 1501 Lee Hill Road Unit# 17, Boulder, CO 80303

Cost: $65.00

Reservations: (303) 499-7301

Photo Contest Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the BookCliff Vineyards Photo contest. First prize went to Lindsey and Brandon Drake for the photo on the right. Judy Grosswiler and Cynthia Allison both took the runner-up prizes. Thanks to everyone who submitted photos and to those that voted for their favorites at the winery.

Castle Rock WineFest This Weekend

The 2010 Castle Rock WineFest presents 25 of Colorado's top wineries showcasing their wine selections and spotlight today's winemakers who are revitalizing a Colorado tradition. Also, this year’s event will again see wine seminars & demonstrations, artisans/lifestyle vendors, entertainment and delicious cuisine... more here

Event Date: July 24, 2010

Time: 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Location: The Grange at The Meadows at Historic Castle Rock™ 3692 Meadows Boulevard, Castle Rock, CO 80109

Cost: $26 in advance; $36 after July 21, 2010

Visit http://castlerockwinefest.com for tickets and more info.

V.I.P. Program

What makes a VIP at BookCliff Vineyards? When you purchase one case of wine (12 bottles) not only do you get a 15% discount on that case, you are now entitled to the benefits of our VIP Program for one full year.

• 20% discount for purchase of >= 12 bottles
• 15% discount for purchases of < 12 bottles
  
• Invitations to special events
• And now: Free tastings for VIP members and their guests

These discounts are valid not only at the tasting rooms but also at farmer's markets. Renewal is easy - buy one case of wine. Offer good on mixed cases.