Shayla B.
Yelp
***Updated to correct the technicalities mentioned in the owner's response***
What an adorable little tasting room!!! I officially had my first taste of Colorado wines here, and I can honestly say that I'm a fan. I've been to Blanchard's tasting room in Healdsburg and absolutely loved the wines and my experience there. When I found out that they had a sister tasting room in Denver, I knew that I had to pay them a visit during my trip. Best decision that I made!
I stopped by here on a Wednesday evening and had an amazing time. Blanchard's tasting room is located in the festive Dairy Block in Denver. They have a cute and spacious outdoor patio that glows a pretty purple at night. Since it was chilly out, I decided to do my tasting inside. Honestly, I was kind of scared at first. I haven't been inside of a wine bar in months, and California is just now slowly starting to reopen for indoor dining. But after seeing how large, spacious, and clean the interior was, I was immediately put at ease.
I sat at the bar top which I had to myself for most of the evening, and Alli and Shanna took really great care of me! The tasting room in Denver is much more casual compared to the one in Healdsburg. I love that they have TV's and other options like hard ciders for those who may not be feeling so wine-y. But of course, I came for the wine! I decided to make my own flight and chose two whites and two reds to taste (most were recommendations from Alli and Shanna): Gewürztraminer, Dry Riesling, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc.
The Colorado wines are actually produced from Blanchard's partner wineries that are based in Colorado, but the Syrah is produced by Blanchard themselves. My general consensus of the Colorado wines were that they were good. I generally have to be in a mood for Riesling and I'm not much of a fan of dry wines, but I wanted to try out the crowd favorite. The Dry Riesling is one of the most popular wines here. Honestly, I wasn't much of a fan of this. However, I did enjoy the Gewürztraminer and I absolutely LOVED their Syrah! Damn, that Syrah was amazing. It was bold with a little spice and a wonderful smooth finish. I ended up getting a glass of this after my wine flight.
Alli was also gracious enough to pour me a splash of the Colorado Chardonnay, and this was a real winner too. It was light, refreshing, and crisp with just a tad bit of oak that I actually found to be enjoyable (not really a fan of oak usually). It was super tasty! Since the tasting room is located in the Dairy Block, you can scan the menus from the restaurants nearby and they'll deliver your food right to your table in the tasting room! Like whaaaat? Such an amazing concept! Would love to see more of this in California.
Ended up with a delicious deli sandwich from S&G Salumeria that paired perfectly with my yummy Syrah! A taste of any wine is $5, but let me tell you; these "tastes" are not your average wine pours. They are heavier and of course, I'm ALL for it! Even the glasses of wine are generous here. They also do a wine and chocolate pairing here. Didn't get a chance to do it this time around, but would love to take advantage of this the next time that I'm in town.
The hours are great here! They're open pretty late. And the SERVICE is just top notch! Alli is such a doll! Had an amazing time chatting with her about the wines and her travels. Also had a lovely time chatting with Shanna who I learned was a fellow foodie (and you know how much I LOVE food... mm hmm!). They were running a 20% off purchase deal with Yelp check-in and they gladly honored this. I know that times are tough during COVID and they could have easily denied the check-in offer, but I appreciated that they did. Even without this, I still had an amazing time, but it's always nice to enjoy the little perks of Yelp.
Honestly, this was the most fun that I had while visiting Denver! Love the atmosphere, wine, and incredible service here and I'm glad that I stopped by. Would highly recommend them for a wonderful time and I'm excited to return again on a future trip back to Denver!