Indulge Wine Bar
Overall rating: A-
Website: http://www.indulgewinebar.com/
One thing I greatly enjoy doing while traveling is discovering the local wine bars of the area. I enjoy seeing what the wine buyer of the region has selected to round out his portfolio for the restaurant. Is it all Napa-selected Cabs or a mixture of Spanish Tempranillos infused with Argentinian Malbecs? Traveling to Denver on a business trip, I decided to check out Indulge Wine bar, located about 20 minutes south in Highlands Ranch.
The space inside of Indulge Wine bar is beautiful. A large glass cellar awaits you upon entering. A beautiful visual portfolio of wine, labels clearly present and readable, were available for visual inspection. The overall decor is quite modern with a brown hue to the overall color inside. Actually, I’d more closely resemble it more to a darker Bordeaux red/purple that has aged for a good decade. The music inside was a hip lounge sound and the lighting was a bit dim, but made for a more of a romantic tone.
While sitting inside was a good idea, I chose to sit outside and gaze at the sunset over the rocky mountains. Having a warm rosé in my hand, the server for our table brought out an ice bucket and I began chilling the rosy mourvedre. In the interim time period, I selected a glass of sparkling wine to kick off the evening. Within minutes a beautiful sparkling, which turned out to be Prosecco, came out. The temperature was cool, but not overly cold that it chilled my taste buds. Light hints of white almonds mixed with apples covered in a light dusting of powdered sugar were present. A great start to a wonderful evening.
Waiting for the food to arrive and for the rosé to finish chilling, I scanned the wine list and made verbal notes to myself. There was a good selection of international wines, along with a good amount from around the U.S. I especially liked the varietal of the wines by the glass, from a Vourvay (Chenin Blanc) to some big Cabs & Syrahs from Napa.
The waiter was knoweldgable, friendly and attentive at just the right time. The only little issue I had was that the corkage fee was $20. I understand that restaurants need to charge corkage to makeup the difference from you ordering a bottle, but still at $20, especially considering the rosé was purchased for the same price, it seemed a little steep. I was taken a little aback by that, however when your wine’s chilling out in ice waiting to be open, there isn’t a lot one can do at that time. Their website doesn’t disclose the price, either.
Aside from that, and a slight mix-up with our pizza order, I had a splendid time. So much so, that I came back the following night and had the Vourvay. Being at a high altitude, I soon realized that one is more easily intoxicated being 5,280 feet plus above sea level. And so the Vourvay, coming in at around 12.5%, was perfect. The wine bar also features a fully-stocked bar, so if you’re tired of wine, you can switch to a Cognac or Scotch.
Overall, the restaurant is quite pleasurable, the staff is friendly and the wine list is quite bountiful. If you’re in the Highlands Ranch area, stop in and have a glass. Your taste buds will thank you.
Cheers,
Haydn
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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County (and at times, Napa Valley) looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com.