Ben Weinberg

It would be easy for restaurateur Andrea Frizzi, chef-owner of Il Posto Restaurant in Denver and a native of Milan, Italy, to stay above the immigration fray, not to voice his opinion on the matter. But that’s not Frizzi’s way. Given the very serious and somewhat rancorous national conversation on exactly this topic, the time seemed ripe for a bit of beverage-fueled immigration talk with one of my most thoughtful and loquacious friends.

In keeping with my intention to update and inform you on local beverage-based happenings, I’m dedicating this column to the upcoming Colorado Wine Week (CWW) and Colorado Urban Winefest (CUW), which return to our fine state on June 2-8, 2013.

So what is it like to be a wine writer based in Denver? Perhaps the best part for me is that Colorado now boasts the second highest per-capita wine consumption of any state in the union (Nevada is first because of Las Vegas). In addition, recent legal changes such as allowing Sunday liquor sales and being able to take unfinished bottles purchased in a restaurant home (as long as resealed) have made a big difference in how we’re perceived nationally.

Liquor laws that vary from state-to-state inhibit consumer access and increase price. “When it comes to wine we are at a disadvantage here in Colorado as compared to New York, New Jersey and California,” says Steve Lewis, owner of Giuliana Imports in Denver, Colorado. “In those places, the three-tier distribution system has been done away with, more or less.”