A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet my fellow SOMMS at the Napa Valley Wine Auction. I wanted to learn from them about the hottest new things in San Francisco, Miami, and South Carolina, and they wanted to know from me about the food and wine scene in Denver. I was a little embarrassed because although I've lived in Boulder for over a year, I had not been to most of the top wine and food spots on the Front Range. So, I decided to dedicate a day to discover some of the best in Denver with my wife Elizabeth. Here's some of what we found:

12:30PM
Osteria Marco
1453 Larimer
Denver, CO 80202
www.osteriamarco.com
This was my third visit to this terrific Larimer Square spot where Chef Frank Bonanno, Chef Jean-Philippe Failyau, and sommelier Ryan Gaudin have assembled a wine-lover's/foodie's dream with a breadth of wine selections in the $40 - $50 range and a serious house-cured salumi program. 2006 Feudi San Gregorio Falanghina by-the-glass made our day and the pig shined.

2:30PM
Mondo Vino
3601 W. 32nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80211
www.mondovino.net
Mondo Vino is located in Denver's trendy Highland neighborhood. The neighborhood is full of terrific foodie stops like St. Kilian's Cheese Shop and a variety of bars and restaurants. But the real gem there is Mondo Vino. Elizabeth and I were impressed by the quality of service and well-chosen selection, and it is one of the best retailers in the area. We took home the 2003 Didier Dagueneau Paradoxe, which I have no doubt you'll all be hearing about soon in a future edition of SOMMselections.

4:30PM
Novo Coffee
Denver Art Museum
Hamilton Building & Duncan Pavilion
13th Ave. between Broadway & Bannock
Denver, CO 80204
www.novocoffee.com
All good SOMMS should be able to rattle off their favorite local espresso stops within seconds. Novo Coffee is at the top of my list with two Clover machines at their Denver Art Museum location. This is a great spot to sample some single-origin South American roasts, right next to some single-origin African roasts, all while marveling at the precision of the Clover's temperature and timing dials and the baristas who have mastered them.

6:30PM
Beatrice and Woodsley
South Broadway, No. 38
Denver, CO 80209
www.beatriceandwoodsley.com
This latest creation by Kevin and John has only been open since mid-May but we were awestruck by the use of light and re-purposed materials (i.e., chainsaws and lanterns are everywhere with great affect). What we thought would prove to be gimmicky ended up being welcoming and warm while we enjoyed delicious snacks from the kitchen. Our only qualm was the lack of wine selection, but judging by the all-out assault on attention to detail, we're expecting great wine things to come from Kevin and John.