Nightlife in Denver

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.

More than two dozen flat-screen TVs line the walls of Cleatz Sports Bar & Grille, casting a glow across an arsenal of pool tables, poker games, and decadent fare created by the kitchen’s veteran chef. As the wait staff shuffle around deep-fried mushrooms, catfish poboys, and buffalo wings drenched in a spectrum of sauces—from sweet molasses to XXX hot—a DJ spins live tunes before the munching and swaying crowd. On Friday nights, live jazz music replaces the electronic beats, and musicians welcome locals on stage to jam with the band or turn their middle-school diary into a new song. As for every other night of the week, the bar hosts a range of events, such as pool leagues, poker tournaments, and karaoke.

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.

Club W's team of vino experts reject the stiff, stuffy, and pretentious vibe that some people associate with wine tastings. In doing so, they help make newcomers feel more welcome as they explore different labels and varietals at one of Club W's festivals. They also facilitate wine-based learning via a home-delivery service, which sends out three bottles a month that members choose from a list of 12 carefully selected bottles that changes monthly. Club W's online palate profile helps users narrow down their choices to the vino most suited to their tastebuds.