A weekend wine experience awaits in western Colorado, and it’s well worth the three-and-a-half-hour drive from Denver. From beautiful wineries set at the base of plateaus to fresh, Colorado-sourced cuisine, there’s plenty to do, see, and taste over a weekend in Palisade! Check out a few of my favorite tasting rooms, restaurants, and places to stay. Plus, get insider tips to help you plan your trip!

Today, we travel the world and explore the magic of this hearty, versatile, and elegant variety.

Chardonnay, meaning ‘a place of thistles’ in Latin, is so wildly popular that it is nearly synonymous with white wine itself. Chardonnay is the fifth-most planted grape in the world; the second-most planted white wine grape in the world, the world’s most widely grown white variety, and the grape responsible for some of the world’s most coveted wines.

From Australia to Burgundy to California and back Down Under, we’ll explore the breadth and depth of this remarkable grape.

Raise a glass to women in wine as we celebrate Women’s History Month with a lineup of female-made wines from around the world. Explore each remarkable bottle in Denver restaurants and learn the stories of the women behind the wines.

You’ll learn about female winemakers from Colorado, Oregon, New Zealand, and Italy, plus one powerful lady from Japan who dared to become a saké brewmaster, a role seldom held by a woman in Japan.

I’ve teamed up with the team at Dining Out Magazine to bring you some fun new wine content and guidance as you’re exploring the Denver restaurant scene.

This week, I’m sharing five great glasses of wine to try from some of my favorite restaurants in Denver. These are delicious off-the-beaten-path grape varieties with awesome stories behind each bottle.

I’ve also chosen an item from the menu of each restaurant as a suggested pairing to help guide you.