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8 0 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t Whipping Up Brunch at Table 6 in Denver Evan Williams, a sommelier and wine buyer at New American bistro Table 6, admitted that until recently, he and owner Aaron Forman "didn't give Livermore Valley the respect it was due. But we've both re- ally come around—the quality-to-price ratio is awesome." Certainly, the three-course brunch they presented revealed the value-added versatili- ty of Meyer's wines. Take The Whip, which performed handsomely with two entirely different dishes. After showing its crisp, refreshing side alongside a green salad with tasso ham, chèvre, apricots, almonds and wax beans in white-balsamic vinaigrette, the wine was offered again to accompany French toast with honey butter, rhubarb jam, bananas and peanut butter. It was a stellar match for Williams, who noted that its "ripe, round and fruity character fleshed out the butteriness." Drinking Pink at LOW Country Kitchen in Denver Southern-bred couple Brian and Katy Vaughn's breezy eatery is the very picture of low-country gentility in the Mile High City—complete with a sunny rooftop deck that set a charming stage for an after- noon toast to National Rosé Day, with Meyer as the guest of honor. Katy explained that although their wine buyer Alex Hebert "was really excited and surprised when he tasted the whole Murrieta's Well portfolio—and he doesn't get very excited and surprised by much," rosé in particular enjoys a pride of place on LOW's wine list for "having the acid to cut through some of the richness of our food." Meyer's bottling, in her view, stands out with "a really great mouthfeel and multiple layers of interest." To illustrate as much, she put out a picnic-style spread of deviled eggs, heirloom-tomato salad and fried chicken biscuits; the rosé worked with them all, delighting a crowd who clearly couldn't get enough of drinking pink (one guy even wore espadrilles emblazoned with the words "Rosé All Day"). From Snails to Steak at 1515 in Denver As the owner of longtime fine-dining destination 1515, Gene Tang is an old hand at tasting menus, and he demonstrated the effectiveness of pairing by weight at his four-course Murrieta's Well wine dinner. The Dry Rosé, for instance, had sufficient body to accompany a lus- cious duo of escargot in garlic butter and fried frog's legs set atop puff pastry with a touch of hollandaise. The Whip proved mouth-filling enough to complement rich, salmon-like ruby trout in beurre blanc with steamed mussels and Parmesan rice. As for The Spur, Tang said "it has enough tannic structure for steak," such as the Wagyu hanging tender he served it with, and added a splash to the demiglace for good measure. "But it's so easy-drinking and fruit-forward that you also could pair it with duck," he continued. Guests who fell for Meyer's wines were in for a special treat at meal's end: "I had a drawing to give away three bottles of wine; Robbie did the picking and he signed them all," said Tang. "He's a really down-to-earth person." In celebration of National Rosé Day, Murrieta's Well Dry Rosé was paired with a picnic- style spread of deviled eggs, heirloom-tomato salad and fried chicken biscuits. Here' how he estaurateurs ho hosted Meyer on his hree-city our howcased hem. PHOTO: JENNIFER OLSON

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