Kelly Moritz

German riesling is a surprisingly satisfying winter sipper

Von Schleinitz Riesling 2008
Kings Wine Bar
$9/glass, $27/bottle

What else is there to do when faced with layers of sheer ice on every walking surface but granny-shuffle into the nearest neighborhood bar for some liquid relief? If that local watering hole happens to be the decidedly undivey Kings Wine Bar, it would be downright criminal not to settle in with something from the vine. With winds whipping subzero chills just out the window, make the unconventional choice to eschew those full, jammy reds for a riesling. The von Schleinitz 2008 Riesling peeks through the palate like the sun through heavy clouds and will become your new chilly-day go-to.

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Wikimedia Commons

Last year's vintage of Beaujolais Nouveau is making way for the new guy this Thursday

In America, there's a certain Thursday in November that wine drinkers look forward to. This is also true in France, but the holiday is a week earlier and it doesn't involve as much food, but it does involve a lot more wine. The point is, this Thursday is Beaujolais Nouveau Day! More »

Spending an evening at a great wine bar is one of life's most elegant, refined, and enjoyable dining experiences. Whether you're rediscovering a favorite wine; exploring little traveled regions, wineries, or varietals; seeking a perfect match of food and beverage; or just relaxing in good company, Twin Cities wine bars offer a world of taste adventures, and with so many opening in recent years, it's easy to find one nearby. Here are 10 of our favorite spots to pour a glass. They can be a destination in themselves or the perfect beginning or ending to a night on the town.

See also:

Top 10 craft cocktail bars in the Twin Cities
Top 10 late-night restaurants in the Twin Cities
Top 10 romantic restaurants in the Twin Cities

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Solera's expanded wine list features 85 bottles from Spain

I've finally stumped Jay Viskocil. For the last hour, Solera's general manager and beverage aficionado has been giving me a tour through the restaurant's expanded wine list, which now boasts 85 bottles from over 20 regions. As I've pelted him with questions about everything from Rioja to Rueda to Ribera del Duero, he's volleyed everything back.

Until now.

Dressed in a tailored dark jacket, he looks appropriately mid-day casual. And as the gray winter light filters through the floor-to-ceiling windows at his back, he thoughtfully taps his fingers on the copper tabletop between us.

"It's so hard to choose..." he muses. And then finally, looks over and gives me a smirk:

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Sea Change Raw Bar

Holly Carson grabs a clean white towel and nestles an oyster inside. With a few firm flicks of the knife, crack!, she's in. And I bet she could do the next one with her eyes closed.

Since Sea Change opened in 2009, Carson (chef at the raw bar) has probably shucked thousands of oysters--and I've just ordered a dozen more. She neatly arranges the half-shells on a bed of crushed ice. And since I'm sampling three different varieties, she adds a lemon wedge to signal where one ends and another begins.

As she places the plate in front of me, wine director Bill Summerville grabs the seat to my left. He'll be my personal guide this evening, talking me through the finer points of wine and oyster pairings--which is a very good thing, because I've just been poured three glasses of white. And I have no clue what they are.

Which is exactly how this is supposed to work.

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Sam Haislet

Nan Bailly of Alexis Bailly Vineyard, with Leon, the original Winery Dog

The harvest is in at Alexis Bailly Vineyard in Hastings, and word is that it was a very good year. Summer's rain + sun + temperature yielded a bumper crop of grapes at Minnesota's oldest winery. To celebrate the harvest and taste the wine, the winemakers have come up with a creative slate of wine-centric fun for November and December.

Mark your calendars for the always popular Alexis Bailly Vineyard events:

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I Nonni's wine shop and restaurant offer elite Italian bottlings

​I Nonni Osteria in Lilydale is set to host its annual wine tasting, showcasing the very finest Italian wine available in our market, some of it only available at I Nonni.

The tasting will take place Sunday, October 30, from 3 to 6 p.m., featuring about 100 wines, with significant discounts for same-day orders. Here are details on how to get in on the action.

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Joy Summers

Of raisins and wine,a tale of a local vineyard

​Turning down the winding road that leads to St. Croix Vineyards, just outside of Stillwater, the afternoon sun basks the boughs of the apple trees and grapevines. A light afternoon breeze catches the branches, which seem to bow to acknowledge our arrival. The grounds, which share space with the Aamodt orchard, are lightly populated. The full fall rush of apple pickers has yet to descend.

Owners Paul Quast and Peter Hemstad greet us at the door.  The room smells of fresh-cut wood from the new deck just added to the front of the building. The room is full of people taking advantage of the $5 wine tasting that the vineyard offers. We've arrived for a VIP tour of the vineyard as well as a full tasting. 

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​St. Paul's Solo Vino wine store on Selby will be hosting its third annual rosé tent tasting, come rain or shine, on Sunday May 15. Hopefully, at this point there will be some consistent sun to pair with the crisp, tart, and refreshing flavors of beautifully crafted wines from all over the world. Wine aficianados declare rosé to be where it's at for summer refreshment and an easy transition for those who prefer red to white. 

Tickets are available for $30. The event begins at 2 p.m. in the Solo Vino parking lot off Selby Avenue.

Solo Vino
517 Selby Ave, St. Paul
651.602.9515
Solo Vino website

Which of these wines costs more? Your taste buds have no idea.

The case for boxed wine just got stronger. In a blind taste test at the Edinburgh International Science Festival, 578 volunteers tasted wines ranging from 3.49 British pounds (or about $5.78 in American dollars) per bottle to £29.99 (just shy of $50). They were told that they were drinking one cheap wine, classified as being under £5 per bottle, and one expensive wine that cost £10 or more, and asked to identify which was which. Read on to see how they fared.

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