Nightlife in Aurora

Owners Rita and Eldon Larson constantly refine their eclectic cellar stocked with more than 700 varietals from every corner of the planet. During wine tastings, guests sample premium vinos such as Domaine Faiveley Mecurey white burgundy and Terra Valentine cabernet sauvignon. Throughout, knowledgeable and accessible staff members happily answers questions and demonstrate the 25 different pronunciations of the word tannin.

At the adjoining café’s elegant tables, forks spear seared sea scallops and other savory entrees designed for pairing with selections from the 150-bottle wine list. Peckish patrons can also pluck heirloom prosciutto from charcuterie plates or bait traps for classy mice with morsels from 11 different cheese plates. Chef Jason Lee alleviates the stress of decision making with his prix fixe wine dinners, which complement entrees with appropriate sips.

Along the walls of Tessora's Barra di Vino, a cultivated selection of boutique wines from across the globe perch on handsome wooden racks while bistro tables invite patrons to relax and indulge. A rotating list of wines by the glass (usually $9–$15 for a six-ounce glass) features more than 20 varieties at a given time, each of which may find a delightful dance partner amid the sweet and savory small plates. Sip a slightly spicy pour of the Yangarra Shiraz, hailing from Australia's McLaren Vale, with eucalyptus and anise on its breath, and prop your subsequently tipsy head up on pillowy squares of roasted-pepper and basil focaccia, served with olive oil and balsamic vinegars from Campbell's Olive Bar ($8). Asparagus fries—fresh stalks outfitted in phyllo and baked to a crisp and buttery finish—lounge beside roasted-pepper aioli ($9 for a order of eight). Allow your veggie fries to waltz with a glass of the Two Angels sauvignon blanc from the Mayacamas Mountains, where bouquets of thyme and sage dress buffets of kiwi, melon, and basil, or order up three pulled-pork sliders in rosemary barbecue sauce ($11.50) with an intense malbec and cab-sauv blend from Mendoza that is full of wood smoke, black currant, and blueberry. Tessora's also offers beers, salads, cheese and antipasto plates, desserts, and, on Thursdays, pizza.

To make the search for fermented grapes almost as enjoyable as drinking them or throwing them at passing busses, Vino 100's friendly and knowledgeable staff of winetrepreneurs assists customers in making informed wine selections without the need for clunky vinometers and high-powered wineoculars. Vino 100 stocks more than 200 wines priced at $25 or less and more than 200 wines priced at $26 and up, as well as dozens of bottles costing equal to or less than the square root of the daily NASDAQ index. Amid its charmingly rustic décor, visitors can grab a bottle of Seven Hills Riesling ($15), De Tierra Merlot ($18), and more. The type of bottle all depends on whether they want to massage taste buds during dinner or inject a giggly romanticism into an evening that's usually spent playing Yahtzee and watching dance-contest recap shows. You can also peruse a wide selection of craft beers and savory meats and cheeses.

Owner and senior wine instructor Dani Cross created VinBoutique with a mission to introduce palates to the best French wines. A certified level-III sommelier, Cross personally travels to France to hand-pick vintages from small production companies and develop relationships with local vintners, ensuring her customers enjoy a collection of reds, whites, and bubbly that is exceptional not just in craftsmanship and taste, but also in value. "By tasting my wines, you can actually hone your palate way quicker because [the wines are] technically correct" in the way they are selected, shipped, and stored, she says. "If you're not tasting something that's proper, you won't know what chardonnay is supposed to taste like."

A strong belief that wine should be enjoyed and shared with others inspires VinBoutique's tasting classes, where Cross and other wine experts share insights into different varietals, food pairings, and wine-making techniques. Hosted at local restaurants––including Crave Dessert Bar and Randolph's at the Warwick Hotel––each class includes a light food pairing designed specifically for the tasting, where chefs join in to offer their own unique insights into the relationship between vino and victual. Using an approach designed to be both fun and unintimidating, Cross also includes a question-and-answer section, as well as easy-to-follow tasting notes, making her classes accessible to everyone from the casual wine fan to the connoisseur who can uncork a bottle using only their mind. As Dani continued to try new wines and savor her favorite French vintages, she became dismayed. Often, the wines she bought had been stored improperly or for too long, destroying the bouquets and noses that she loved. "Born of frustration, I decided to start my own [wine boutique]." And thus she curated a selection of French wines for VinBoutique. "By tasting my wines, you can actually hone your palate way quicker because [the wines are] technically correct" in the way they are selected, shipped, and stored, she says. "If you're not tasting something that's proper, you won't know what chardonnay is supposed to taste like."

In addition to bottles of red, white, and bubbly, Dani and a team of instructors offer wine classes suitable for everyone from the casual wine fan to the connoisseur who can uncork a bottle using only their mind. Each class comes with notes and take-home materials, and is taught by a teacher who can both go into great technical detail or give thorough overviews so that student's don’t "get cross-eyed."

Tunes pour from the jukebox at The Dirty Duck Bar, where bartenders help customers forget their thirsts and hearty grub slakes hunger. At the bar, frothy beers and mixed drinks command attention, with a selection that includes feel-good spirits in terms of their production: the bar proudly serves Idaho’s American Harvest organic spirit, for one, which is produced using sustainable agricultural methods and wind power. While barkeeps dispense drinks and help guests learn the proper knot for a cherry stem, the kitchen churns out classic pub fare from bacon cheeseburgers to pizza.

Celebrity Lanes takes up 50,000 square feet of real estate with 32 lanes, where players fight against pins under the glow of 16 65-inch high-definition televisions. The alley glimmers even more on Fridays and Saturdays, when glow-in-the-dark bowling morphs the entire alley into a refulgent spectacle. Meanwhile, inside Altitude Sports Grill and Taphouse, 40 tap beers fill glasses, and on the grill's outdoor patio, friends face off on bocce-ball courts while trying to spot some of the 400-plus feral snowmen that call the visible Rocky Mountains home.