Vino e Buono

Vino e Buono means Wine Is Good. Today I would agree. After three wine glasses, (of course not filled to the top and smaller than regular wine glasses), I found the Columbard White Wine to be exceptional. Twenty-five women from our church met at Spero's Winery to enjoy the different kinds of wine, snack on cheese, crackers and grapes and an Italian lunch. Much of the food was marinated in delicious Italian secrets, bread was crusty on the outside and soft on the inside, the chicken and roast beef prepared Italian style were perfect and the stuffed mushrooms had everyone going up for seconds! A platter with Italian cold cuts and a spicy celery dish complimented the spread. A true-blooded lady from Italy who belongs in our group said, "This is so good."  I knew that if she liked the Italian food, then I was sure it was an original Italian meal!


Many times I have passed the winery at 3316 W. 64th Avenue but since it looks like buildings, barns, or garages I have never been tempted to enter to check out the winery. Today I was pleasantly surprised as I entered the large room with round tables. The walls were covered with clever decorations and a bar with bottles of wine was at the east wall.
Everybody lined up to try the different kinds of wine. A long sheet of paper with the names of all the wines was given to us so we could mark our favorites. Some of the ladies went for the red wine and I heard complimentary comments about the Pomegranate wine. Whatever type of wine was being tasted, everyone seemed to enjoy their picks.

A side table had different kinds of cheeses and some I had never heard or seen. I ate an apricot cheese, a horseradish cheese, a few cheddar cheese types and a Camembert cheese. The combination of wine, cheese, grapes and crackers was perfect and I was totally surprised when I was told we were also going to have lunch. Dessert were pizzelles, fresh strawberries, and a chocolate or white sauce to smear on the pizzelles.


After eating we took a tour through the winery and had the process of making wine explained to us. The large machines play a part in the making of the wine, either sorting, pressing or moving the grapes along a conveyor belt. Many wooden barrels tower on one side of the room. We found out that the grapes come
from Palisades or Grand Junction in Colorado and from California. Spero has been in business for over ten years and it is a family run business. The lady giving us the tour told us that her husband follows in his father's footsteps in wine making.

What a perfect time enjoying the Italian food and drinking the wine. I noticed bottles of wine being purchased and placed in long sacks with a graphic of grapes on the side of the sack. We were told that every Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. there is free wine tasting and cheese. Even though I am not an alcoholic drinker, I did enjoy the wine and agree with the owner's uncle, Vino e Buono!