Tidbites | Hidden gems of Italian wine

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HIDDEN GEMS OF ITALIAN WINE

In the midst of summer, Colorado’s produce is ripe and ready to be planted, and there’s nothing that complements a well-prepared dish better than a glass of wine.

Arugula chef/ proprietor Alec Schuler and Chef Sven Hedenas of Tangerine will host a five-course meal with unique Italian grape varietals on Tuesday, July 17. The five-course meal will feature fresh Colorado ingredients and lesser-known grape varietals from Italy.

Some of the dishes include Mizuna and Fresh Picked Blossom Salad dressed in prosciutto vinaigrette with green olives, pine nuts and a prosciutto wafer, and Roasted Colorado¹s Best Beef Ribeye with fresh chanterelle mushrooms, shallots, tarragon, fried new potatoes and garlic sautéed beet greens.

Mario Scanu of WineBow will act as a guide throughout the evening to provide information on the Italian wine choices. The wine selections are considered lesser known compared to more popular grape varietals, guaranteeing even the most selective wine connoisseur will have something to learn.

The cost of the dinner is $40 per person, with an additional $29 per person for the wine, and it will take place at 6:30 p.m. at Arugula Restaurant, 2785 Iris Ave., Boulder.

DOUGHNUTS ARE COMING TO BOULDER

Two ways to have a successful business in Boulder are to keep it local and keep it fresh. That is exactly what Eric Guthrie, pastry chef and founder of Dizzy’s Donuts, will stick to when he opens his new retail store in later July.

Dizzy’s Donuts will be Boulder’s first dedicated doughnut shop in about five years, and will be located at 1606 Conestoga St., near the intersection of Arapahoe and 55th Street.

Guthrie says he wants to make his doughnuts work in Boulder by taking a unique approach while using fresh ingredients. Doughnuts that might make their way into the shop are a crème brulee doughnut, a key lime pie doughnut and a ham doughnut. The gourmet doughnuts will sell from $1.75 to $2.50.

Other doughnut shops may be on the horizon. Boulder could be selected for one of 11 new Dunkin’ Donuts locations due to a development contract signed between Sizzling Platter, a Utahbased restaurant group, and Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc. 

WINE AND RIDE FOR A CAUSE

What could be better than a bike ride and a nice glass of wine?

On Friday, July 13, Rally Sport, Boulder Wine Merchant and Radda are hosting a 25-mile cycling ride at 5:30 p.m. and a dinner party at 7 p.m.

The event is free, but donations are accepted to benefit B Strong Ride, a cycling event that will take place Saturday, Aug. 11. B Strong raises money for a variety of cancer awareness foundations, such as LiveStrong, and it raised the most of any LiveStrong-partnered event nationwide last year.

The dinner party will be held at Radda, and wine, beer and food will be provided. Kim and Jake’s Cakes will provide dessert, and DJ Zach Johnson will provide music throughout the evening.

Everyone who has a love for cycling and fine dining is encouraged to join and help spread awareness for B Strong.

TWISTED IN TWO NEW BREWS

Twisted Pine Brewing Company has big plans for July that are already in full swing. On July 7, it released one of two new brews.

Hoppy Girl, the seventh release in Twisted Pine’s Artisan Ale Project, is an American-style double India pale ale double dry-hopped with a generous amount of Cascade hops, accented with hibiscus, jasmine and rose buds. The new brew’s flavor will hide the fact that it contains 8.5 percent ABV.

Saturday, July 14, marks Twisted Pine’s 17th anniversary. To celebrate, the brewery will release its birthday beer, Red- Rye-der. The brew was crafted using a variety of malted grains, including München and rye malts, to create a solid foundation, and for flavor a hefty amount of American hops were added to the batch.

The dry-hopped red ale is a sophisticated yet balanced brew with a hint of complexity added by the rye.

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