Tonight: All wine, all the time at four events

A Flickr photo.

Does wine do for springtime what beer does for those long, hot summer days? It certainly seems like area restaurants are rolling out the red (and white and blush) carpets for an array of tastings and wine dinners.Tonight alone there are four wine events where you can sip on a wide range of styles and vintages:

Arugula Bar e Ristorante, 2785 Iris Avenue in Boulder, is hosting a Jack Rabbit Hill Biodynamic Wine Maker's Dinner, a five-course spread of seasonal, locally sourced food paired with wines; winemaker Lance Hanson will be in attendance. The dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. tonight and costs $65; call 303-443-5100 or visit www.arugularistorante.com.

Opus, 2575 West Main Street in Littleton, will host the winemaker Kevin Hall/Alexander Valley Vineyards Dinner, a four-course meal featuring Alexander Valley Vineyards wine and tamarind tuna, foie gras, scallop ceviche, pan-roasted halibut cheeks, braised lamb shoulder, beef tenderloin medallions and strawberry soup. It starts at 6:30 p.m. and costs $59; call 303-703-6787 or visit www.opusdine.com.

The Margarita, 7350 Pine Creek Road in Colorado Springs, will offer a Spice Route Wine Dinner with the theme "Flavors of the Clove: Ancient Routes" and a menu that includes adobo-braised pork belly, chickpea-lentil-spinach soup, seared tuna, lamb and more. The meal starts at 6:30 p.m. and costs $60; call 719-598-8667.

And the Blending Cellar, 946 Pearl Street in Boulder, will present a North by Northwest Wine Tasting featuring Oregon and Washington state vintages, presented by sommelier David Miller. It runs from 7 to 10 p.m. and costs $25 for regular and $40 for reserve tasting; call 303-477-0475 for reservations.

For information on dozens of culinary events around town, visit our online Food & Drink listings.