Angela of house Ravenclaw, in Diagon Alley. What happens when you’re a wine lover in one of the most popular destinations in the country? As you read this, we are just landing from a glorious seven day escape to Florida. We had never been to Florida before, much to the amazement of friends. We love the […]
The greatest of all holidays is near, where we gather in America to eat and drink, converse and laugh. No presents. No major commerce push (except for incredibly affordable poultry and butter). A holiday based on the three greatest verbs: eating, drinking, and entertaining. In year’s past I’ve done short articles outlining some ideas regarding […]
Over 10,000 votes were cast in this year’s Twin Cities Wine Awards, and the winners were announced on August 19th, 2019, at Black Dog Cafe in Lowertown St. Paul. Our son, Spencer, at the Black Dog Cafe following the Twin Cities Wine Awards ceremony. In the background the fabulous jazz trio Red Planet took the […]
First, a little background on the business of wine bars. There is probably no harder way for a restauranteur to make money than to open a wine bar. Unlike a coffee shop, you can’t take it to go. Unlike a taproom, you’re making far less margin. And unlike the beer world, you can’t down three […]
Photo: the crest of the hill of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, April 2007. 2015. 2016. 2017. 2018. If you love the wines of the Rhône Valley, your life is good right now. Never before have we seen a string of top quality vintages such as this. The Northern and Southern Rhône regions are notorious for variable weather. Why? […]
Lilacs are in bloom. Need I say more? We are in that special window of time in Minnesota where the blossoms are drawing the bees, and wandering through the neighborhood the explosion of floral aromas makes me giddy. I’ve found myself looking over State Park maps, plotting camping trips. Cleaning up the canoe and camping […]
8 am Friday I landed. 6 am Sunday I departed.46 hours. That’s what I had in Seattle, and boy I made the most of it. It had been too long, many years, and I returned to enjoy sights, sounds, tastes, views, and new discoveries. I was flown out for the weekend by the Washington State Wine […]
