BeverageLife ~ Mountain Brews & Wine in the City

 ~ While Sadie drank beer from across the state for Colorado Craft Beer Week, Jason and Michael wined and dined in Kansas City. ~ 

Lots of brews this week in celebration of Colorado Craft Beer Week, and most of those enjoyed on the front porch soaking up warm, sunny afternoons. Unconventional glassware and fruity flavors from Epic Brewing and Dry Dock was a refreshing finish to a long bike ride, and a self-created chocolate and beer pairing with Avery Brewing, Bonfire Brewing, and Telluride Brewing Co + Nuance Chocolate was a delectable end to a Sunday afternoon. - Sadie 

I had a very light week for a change, and in my house the beginning of spring is a big deal - baseball season starts, (more) travel, more outside time and personally a shift in what I drink. Those top moments with a beverage last week both involved my family. Friday night I put the beer back when my wife said she felt like wine, so we had glasses of Laudun Chusclan Vignerons La Ferme de Gicon (2012), Rhone. The following evening my son and I had Hank's root beer and vanilla creme sodas together. 
- Jason 

Some people look to pair their wines with the meal they have chosen at a restaurant. I am always looking to the wine to be the centerpiece of the meal and then finding food on the menu that will partner with what I have selected. This weekend brought us back to both Extra Virgin and Michael Smith Restaurant for what continues to be one of THE places to dine in Kansas City. Cocktails at Extra Virgin are always a great way to start an evening of eating and drinking and this night was no different. An aged Negroni was on tap from one of KC's best spirit professors and bar managers: Alberto Santoro (Berto). Always done just right it's an aged version of a silky smooth blend of Campari and gin with an orange peel garnish. It's exactly what I want as soon as someone says Extra Virgin.

At Michael Smith's I immediately go for the wine list and work my way through the bible of beverages they have to offer. A James Beard Award-winning chef combined with a love for wine has given them one of the best lists in KC. Not to mention they have been honored with Wine Spectators Award of Excellence for more than a decade. This evening (after peaking at the menu and hearing the specials) I selected the 2010 Langmiel Three Gardens GSM Blend. It's a wine I have had before and loved ever since. Bold spicy Shiraz (Syrah) from Australia's Barossa Valley perfectly blended with traditional Rhone varietals: Grenache & Mourvedre. Together they create a symphony of rich, smooth dark fruit flavors with a hint of spice on the finish. Old world by design but just fruit-forward enough to balance out our menu of many fishes & meats (salmon, marlin, rabbit, venison, frog legs & pork cheeks). One of my favorite places to dine in Kansas City and one that always reminds me why this towns food and drink scene is one of the best in the country. - Michael

~ Join the Conversation ~