Happy hours are a great way to spend less money while enjoying small bites and deals on drinks. But it can be tough to sync up a late-afternoon time block during the weekday grind.
Enter Wine Wednesday, a longstanding tradition of dozens of bars and restaurants in metro Denver. It celebrates alliteration by inviting oenophiles to come on in and stay awhile, letting the wine and conversation flow throughout the evening. Here are a few to start with.
Trellis Wine Bar
Trellis Wine bar’s light-filled space with a second-story canopy has become a favorite hangout for both seasoned wine enthusiasts and those just discovering wine. (Provided by Trellis Wine Bar)
Denver native Ilona Botton opened Trellis Wine Bar in the summer of 2021. Over the last few years, the light-filled space with a second-story canopy has become a favorite hangout for both seasoned wine enthusiasts and those just discovering wine. Botton sources many of the bar’s wines from under-the-radar winemakers. Every Wednesday, Trellis offers half-priced wine bottles with a special spotlight on those small producers from lesser-known wine regions. For those eager to explore more, Trellis also hosts monthly Flight Nights, featuring a $15 tasting of four wines. 2868 Fairfax St.; trelliswinebar.com
The Bindery
Pasta and wine go great together. Recognizing this, The Bindery offers a steal of a deal on Wednesdays: For $25 per person, diners can enjoy two scratch-made pastas or risottos and a salad to share, plus a bottle of wine that’s on the house. The Bindery just launched its autumn menu, which includes dishes like pumpkin agnolini and pappardelle with wild boar sauce. As for the complimentary wine, choose between the red, a Nero d’Avola from Sicily, or a white, an Italian Sauvignon from Lodi, Calif. Reservations for Free Wine Wednesday are recommended. 1817 Central St.; thebinderydenver.com
Olive & Finch
Every Wednesday, Olive & Finch — with locations in Cherry Creek and Uptown — offers an all-day Wine Down Wednesday deal. (Lucy Beaugard, provided by Olive & Finch)
Olive & Finch — Chef Mary Nguyen’s fine-casual restaurant with locations in Cherry Creek and Uptown — offers an all-day Wine Down Wednesday deal. Enjoy bottles of wine at 50% off while feasting on salads, sandwiches or flatbreads. Olive & Finch has a concise, well-curated wine list with reds, white and sparkling. Affordability is the name of the game here, as the most expensive bottle on the list is $52. Uptown: 1552 E. 17th Ave.; Cherry Creek location: 3390 E. First Ave., Denver; oliveandfinch.com
Deep Roots Winery & Bistro
An urban winery in RiNo, Deep Roots hosts specials throughout the week. Watch for announcements on its weekly specials like $5 Sangria Sundays and all-day happy hours on Tasting Tuesdays. During Wine Down Wednesdays, expect pairing deals like a bottle of wine and a loaded bruschetta plate. The wine bar also serves snacky things like pizza, Honey Sriracha Brussels, baked brie and deep-fried Oreos sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzled with a red wine reduction. 2875 Blake St.; deeprootswines.com
Esters
You probably know Esters for its pizza and beer. (Try the barbecue “Fee pizza” topped with ale-braised pork and caramelized onions). But it also has a killer wine list, and offers deals on Wednesdays at all three locations. Each Wednesday, bottles of wine are half-priced from 2 to 10 p.m., and glasses are half-off from 2 to 5 p.m. Then from 5 to 10 p.m., glasses of wine are $1 off. Park Hill: 2201 Oneida St.; Virginia Village: 1950 S Holly St.; Wheat Ridge: 10151 W. 26th Ave., Wheat Ridge; estersdenver.com
Noble Riot
Noble Riot’s wine deals spill over throughout the week. From 4 to 6 p.m. each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, guests can enjoy the wine bar’s spin on happy hour, Big Bottles, Small Bites, which includes discounted pours by the glass from a magnum wine bottle plus specials on the food menu. 1336 27th St., Denver; nobleriot.com
Benzina
In addition to its happy hour deals, Benzina does a proper observation of Wine Wednesday with 50% off bottles of wine (excluding any from its reserve list). Pair them with some housemade bread you can dunk in a peppery cacio e pepe dipping sauce or one of the restaurant’s Neapolitan-style pizzas. 4839 E Colfax Ave.; benzinadenver.com
Corinne
All bottles under $100 are 50% off at Corinne, the lobby-level restaurant inside Le Méridien hotel. Double down on deals during happy hour (2 to 5 p.m.) and nosh on snacks like blistered shishito peppers, BLT deviled eggs, and truffle fries. 1455 California St.; corinnedenver.com
Brittany Anas is a Denver-based freelance writer.