FIRKIN Fort Collins

Today at Cafe Vino we embark on a mission to perpetuate a tradition mounted in the pages of New Belgium history as Firkin Friday, whereupon the last Friday of each month we, the connoisseurs of great beer, meet and consume in it’s entirety a full firkin of beer. Now this isn’t just any ordinary beer. It is always a surprise beer crafted in a very small batch for such occasions. Now, technically, in English tradition, a firkin is a unit of measurement equal to no less than half a kilderkin, of course, which is roughly 72 pints, or 9 imperial gallons… but what we’re concerned about is not the semantics of quantity, or the aesthetics of copping a stark British pose to hand-tap your sideways barrel, it’s about what’s inside the firkin that matters. And that my friends is where the fun is at. We honestly just don’t know what to expect, except that all of it will be gone before the night is up. So get ye jar and let’s get faced! 5:00 sharp laddies and lassies!

Patio Pounder of the Month…

This week at Café Vino you can try a delightful, absolutely poundable, and proportionately remarkable organic wine from southern France called CHATEAU DE LASCAUX Rosé. Farmed with the highest organic methods, this wine has been in the Cavalier family since the 12th century. The vineyards have hillside exposure and a particular type of limestone soil which the locals call Lascaux, hence the name of the domaine. The stony soil, along with the Mediterranean micro-climate (the shape of the hillside protects from the cold Mistral and Tramontane winds) gives the wines of this area finesse and complexity, and allows the reds greater aging potential than Syrah-based wines grown in other Languedoc soils. The garrigue surrounding the vineyards is reflected in the aromas of the wine: laurel, spice, mint, cinnamon, and réglisse. This rosé is a blend of 30% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre, and 10% Cinsault.

Try it with one of these perfect pairings:

Lamb Sliders on fresh made buns with mint aioli, fresh cucumbers and tomato

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto with grilled flatbread and sesame crisps

Or just about any other tapas dish on the menu since this wine is very flexible! Ask your server for advice is you’re unsure (Casey or Hillary recommended).

Enjoy!

A Summer in Italy Wine Tasting Wed at 7pm at Café Vino in Fort Collins!

If you have ever traveled to Italy during the summer Months, then you know how hot it can be. How do those stylish Italian stay so cool during those oppressive times? By drinking cool, crisp wines, that's how! This incredible tasting will feature five Italian wines perfect for the dog days of Summer, assured to keep you cool, comfortable and above all, refreshed!

ELVIO TINTERO

MOSCATO D’ASTI SORI GRAMELLA 2009

A single-vineyard Moscato with eighty year-old vines! Organically farmed, this southwest facing plot produces a wine full of intoxicating floral notes and a creamy, delightful finish.

ERNESTO PICOLLO

GAVI 2009

100% Cortese from a 10 acre vineyard located in the heart of the Gavi DOC, this wine boasts juicy citrus notes with a hint of peaches and fresh flowers. A perfect summer white!

FATTORIA IL PALAGIO

VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO 2008

Vernaccia is the lovely white from Tuscany, offering a medium-bodied palate full of lemon, green apple and pear notes. This wine comes from a historic estate owned by the Zonin family.

FATTORIA IL PALAGIO

ROSSO TOSCANA 2008

A super-tuscan style blend of 60% Sangiovese and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is soft, juicy and delicious, full of ripe cherry fruits and a touch of blackberry. Cheers!

RIVETTO

BARBERA D’ALBA ‘NEMES’ 2008

Third-generation winemakers Allesandro and Enrico Rivetto craft this gorgeous, cherry infused northern Italian red. Full-bodied but soft on the tannins, and perfect with anything off the grill.

CALL 970-212-3399 for more info!

RSVPs welcome but not required.

New Wine Menu Posted at cafevino.com!

Selecting a wine should be easy and intuitive. That’s why we reorganized the wine menu into categories that describe the characteristics of the wines we offer. Titles like Bubbles and Vivacious are what you will see and underneath several varietals that fit that feel. Check out the Patio Pounders section for great summertime selections!

Wines of the Pacific Northwest - Tasting Tonight

You are invited to come taste 5 red and white varietals of the Northwest U.S. tonight at Cafe Vino 1200 South College Ave.

Feasting Fort Collins Beer Dinner Review

We had a lot of fun at the beer dinner, and we hope you did too. Here's what Kristin from Feasting Fort Collins thinks:  
http://www.feastingfortcollins.com/2010/04/new-belgium-beer-dinner-at-cafe-vino.html

Coloradoan Review worth revisiting

Here is a link to a great review that the Coloradoan did on us a while ago. The food hasn't changed much since then with the exception of a few more local ingredients being added and all the desserts are now made in-house, so it still seems very relevant. Give it a gander if you have a sec.
Coloradoan Review - Click here

Perhaps we'll be reviewed again in the near future ;) Keep your eye on the Coloradoan...

Tapas Invade Colorado!

You've probably heard the word around town by now but haven't known exactly what it meant. Tapas is the word and the concept is becoming a world-wide phenomenon. So what are they anyway?

Many people confuse Tapas with Appetizers but they really are two different things. To understand what Tapas are let's look at a brief explanation of the history and meaning behind the term.

Tapas literally means "to cover" in Spanish and it is said that they were first used to cover alcoholic beverages like sherry and wine to keep fruit flies out at home-style back yard buffets. Common ingredients like slices of bread and meat were often put right over the glass, and sometimes saucers containing small bites of salty delicacies were used. Of course back then they didn't have a name per se for this behavior, it was just something people did at social events having buffet style finger foods. Typical foods at these events were things like meatballs, olives, fried seafood, pickled veggies, or anything your mom could easily make and stick on a table.

Eventually the idea spread beyond the home into the Spanish restaurant mainstream as a new style of eating. For years now, many Spaniards have gone out drinking with friends after work to share plates of small delicacies to keep hunger at bay until they are ready for a full dinner. It's a way to be social and share experiences with friends and family when out on the town having a good time. It's very common to visit several tapas bars in one night before eating dinner, which is often as late as 10pm. Typical Tapas found in Spanish bars are Bandarillas, Calamares, Cojonuda, Croquetas, Empanadas, and Tortilla española.

Today in America as well as across Europe, Tapas have evolved into a new style of fusion cuisine centered around social drinking. There are literally endless possibilities for creating them. Café Vino has brought this exciting idea to Fort Collins with European/American inspired dishes that can be served as Tapas or as a full meal with your choice of 150 wines, 20 draft beers, fine coffees, teas and cocktails to compliment. If you haven't tried the full-on Tapas experience yet, this would be the place to start.

The new CafeVino.com web site is officially launched

Well folks, it's finally done! The CafeVino.com redesign is up and running in full force and I could not be happier. This is the beginning of some great things that are going to be happening online for Café Vino. Besides the updated design we've added some social networking features like a Twitter shout out for the chef right on the home page, and links to our Facebook page. Also, the menus are organized with accordion style buttons for pages that have too much info to display at once. There are lots of plans and ideas swimming around for future improvements to the site and we welcome your feedback. For instance, adding profile pages for artists on display at in the café, ratings and photos for menu items, a recipe exchange, online event registrations and other interactive ways to stay connected to the community. Feel free to chime in your opinions about what you'd like to see on the site. Thanks!