Here we are already… I have to be honest, I’m not a fan of this holiday called: Labor Day.  It’s like a marker that only spells out one thing, The End of Summer.  Sadly.  With my neighbor’s kids already back in school and the smell of damp condensation in the air, I’m excited to see fall, but not the onset of another Minnesota winter.

Since my move to the great state of Minnesota, almost four years ago now, I have come to appreciate quite a few things Midwestern from clearly a much different perspective than I had of this part of the country when living on the west coast.  For one, the power of having great neighbors.  All things considered, I have a tremendous neighborhood filled with great folks, awesome kids and a part of the city that lives very close to every lake in south Minneapolis, it’s great.  Two, as a Midwesterner, you’re allowed to greet folks on the sidewalk with a smile, say hello to everyone you meet and ask folks about their families without getting a weird look like you’re trying to steal their purse.  And lastly, it’s the good ole Midwestern fun that comes with living here.  People get geared up for the summers here – swimming in lakes, heading to the cabin on the weekends and suddenly, the State Fair becomes a major hi-lite to the summer’s end.  But there’s one thing that I can truly appreciate again after living for years on the west coast that only Midwesterners get really geared up for in the summer, and that is: Fishing. 

Fishing in the Midwest involves a good fishing pole, worms for bait or even some crazy ass lure that would reel in one heck of a Minnesotan Monster, The Very Infamous and Very Elusive Muskie.  While the muskie should take the place of our state bird, as state animal – it is the one thing that Minnesotans dream of when it comes to outdoor activity.  Hard to catch, fun to reel in and never meant for keeping.  Hook it up, take your picture and let it go – is the name of the game.  Well, I tried my hand at catching the little monster last weekend.  While I was proven unsuccessful, I did catch this…

It’s clearly not a muskie and really, not even big even to eat…but the comment did come up after my catch, and it was: “So Leslee, what would you pair to all these lake fish for wine?”

Of course my family would ask me that question.  But, a great question at that.  So, I figured as everyone is off to the cabin for the upcoming holiday – Labor Day – you may ask yourself, ‘What wine should I stock the cooler with for our weekend?’

No worries, I’m here to tell ya – PLUS give you my Top Hits for pairing wine to these little fish-es. 

* Remember when pairing to ANY dish, that it’s not necessarily the COLOR of the main ingredient, BUT in fact, How it’s going to be Prepared.  Very important.  Think of my little fish up here, while it’s white yes – a white wine does NOT necessarily apply to this dish – it’s the preparation behind it’s serving.  Will you smoke it, pan fry it, grill it or broil it?

Here’s a fish (below that my mother-in-law had to catch for us!) that could be smoked~a good ole Minnesota Northern.  Growing up in Wisconsin, my mom would smoke these little buggers.  Smoking a fish adds an element that it unlike no other. 

While a beer seems to be a pretty good pairing, here are a couple of goodies for pairing to that smoke factor with your fish, along with some other preparation pairings.

Smoked:  Dry Chardonnay (choose a French Burgundian for a more dry style), Sancerre (a French Sauvignon Blanc), a Dry Riesling (German Kabinett) or even a wonderfully dry Sherry (Fino or Manzanilla).  If one were to smoke a salmon:  A Perfect Pairing ~ A New World Pinot Noir (meaning any Pinot outside of the EU)

Grilling Solutions:  A wonderful Rosé – I love so many of these beautiful Ribera Del Duero Rosés – head over to Solo Vino in St Paul for some of the Twin Cities best rosé selections.  Again, a Pinot Noir would be wonderful (choose one with a bit of barrel to it – smokey tasting).  Or better yet – a Fabulous Grenache – now that would be a match made in heaven.  French or Spanish for your Grenache will do.

Blackened:  Beer, yes beer is key here but… Pinot Noir again (this time pick an Oregonian!)  How about a wonderful Syrah?  I wouldn’t go Shiraz (Aus or South Africa, too heavy) but maybe a fun Washington Syrah.  And, I love Chenin Blanc with a blackened fish – yum!

Broiled:  How bout a wonderful Alsatian Pinot Gris, or better yet – a fun Sparkling wine?  Fresh but NOT sweet.  Maybe one northern Italy and one that won’t break the bank – Prosecco?

Broiled with Butter:  Here’s your chance to have that big Butter Oaky Chardonnay from the New World!

Pan Fried:  Sauvignon Blanc with a white fish seems to be my favorite

Also – consider this… Is your Fish Steaky?  If you were having an Ahi Steak, I recommend an Italian wine that grows coast side or even, a Sicilian or a Croatian Wine?  

Remember that line:  What Grows Together, Goes Together!   Here’s your chance to apply the notion.  Ahi ~ from Sicily, drink a fun inexpensive Nero d’Avola.  A swordfish steak – remember your preparation method first – but if you were to add fresh tomatoes and litely grill it – a delicious Sangiovese from Tuscany!

See, not that hard right?  Pairing is fun when you just think it through – Step by Step!

Of course, your Labor Day Weekend will include other ventures like S’More Making (Pick a fun Zinfandel from Dry Creek, Cali to pair) or Throwing a Frisbee (I love Sauvignon Blanc for these activities – any region will do), Reading a Book Lakeside (How about a Bubble? I Love Pac NW Bubbly, like Argyle, for this occasion) and well, how about Cruising Shoreline in your Canoe (I pick Pinot, or better yet – a fun, lite hearted Barbera from the Piedmont region of Italy). 

There you have it – from Fish to Fun with all these Yummy Labor Day Wine Pairings.  After all, it’s summer last hooray, right?  Live it up and oh yeah, don’t forget the Beer, too!  Happy Labor Day!

Another Twin Cities Wine Education Class taken to the limit! 

Looking for a great Twin Cities Wine Education Class to partake in, but don’t know where to start?  Looks like you found the right page – with Amusée.  Giving you some of THE BEST wine classes in the Twin Cities along with some of THE BEST food and wine pairings out there.  Drop what you think you know about wine, lose the attitude and stop thinking you HAVE to spend a bucket o’ money for a terrific bottle of wine.  I’m here to tell you that you DON’T have to spend a lot to enjoy fabulous food and wine pairings! 

Our Twin Cities Wine Classes are FUN, ENGAGING and never stuffy!  They’re packed with great information, along with helping you to comfortably explore your palate amongst friends.  It’s not a competition as to who can come up with the ‘right’ things to say – it’s more of an exploration with us.  Learn how to swirl, sniff, sip and just RELAX with a glass of wine.  After all it’s your palate – we’re just here to help you along.  Along with giving you some fabulous food and wine pairings for you to take home and show off to your friends.  Come and see why Amusée and Cooks of Crocus Hill was named:  The Best Food and Wine Pairing Classes in the Twin Cities.  Classes sell out quick, look into Cooks of Crocus Hill’s fall calendar  for more of Sommelier Leslee’s Wine Classes.  Classes are already 50% sold out.  You don’t want to be the one hoping your name comes up on that waiting list!

Check out this – a recap from last nite’s Vines + Reefs Class:  Part III ~ Lovin La Playa and our favorite pairing of the evening with Sommelier Leslee Miller, Chef Mike Shannon and Cook’s Assistant Ms. Susan!  In HD

As the days of summer start to wind down, I’m sad to know that soon I’ll be reaching for my sweaters instead of shorts and start to crave those thick and gooey wines that stick to your ribs like peanut butter.  But one thing’s for sure, I’ll miss all this delicious fresh produce that we are all just starting to wonderfully lavish in when it comes to our gardens’ vegetables.  Tomatoes.  Ahhh, Tomatoes.  I love them.  Fresh, right off the vine and ready to eat right out of your hand, throw in a salad or pop on the grill.  But ‘popping on the grill’ suddenly has a new meaning for me when it comes to tomatoes after my week’s favorite ‘foodie’ moment.

My husband, is the ultimate grill master.  I must say that he is the cook in our house.  His natural ability to ‘whip up’, ‘put together’ and ‘pair ingredients’ is suitably, a brilliant trait.  His momma raised him well, and lucky for me.  But the coolest part about his love for the kitchen, is his love for trying new things.  And one person that always intrigues him to try new things is, Alton Brown.  You know Alton Brown, food scientist from the Food Network Show ‘Good Eats’.  If there was one food that you wanted to know more about – I’m quite sure you’d find it, and its history on Alton’s show.  From pomegranites to espresso, he’ll show you the nuts, bolts and preparation to almost everything FOOD.

The topic this week:  Pizza, on the Grill. So, we tried it.  Here’s how it all went down…

Step 1. Make your dough and crank your grill on high.  When the grill has reached it’s highest temp, brush on a good deal of olive oil to one side of your dough.  Flop it on the grill for approx 1.5 minutes.

Step 2. Take 2 good size fresh garden tomatoes and pop them on right next to your dough.  As the dough cooks, roll the tomatoes on all sides to even up the grilling on them.

Step 3. Flip your dough on the grill after your time’s up, making sure to olive oil up the other side before setting back on grill.  Give the dough another good minute to brown up before adding ingredients.

Step 4. Tomatoes are done and skins should be curling up over the meat of the vegetable.  Take the tomatoes and literally squish them right over your grilled dough (all while still on the grill), leaving just the core of the tomato in your tongs to discard.  Voila!  Your sauce is done.

Step 5. Take sliced (slightly dried with paper towels) pieces of fresh buffalo mozzarella and place over sauce.  Add fresh leaves of basil, top off with a pinch of salt and cracked pepper and let grill for approx one more minute.

Bam!  A Perfect Summer Pizza!  Unbelievably fresh, a bit charred with a thin crispy crust and oozzing with amazingly delicious flavors.  One of my favorite summer suppers to date.

Wine Pairing: From Argentina ~ The Meschini Malbec/Syrah Blend.  Can be found locally from South Lyndale Liquors to Solo Vino in St Paul.  The wine with its slightly smokey notes, juicy fruit and soft tannins seemed to be the perfect pairing!  Fabulous.

Because it was technically ‘Pizza Night’ at our house – here are a couple other shots of some others thrown on the grill.

Mozz, Fresh Veggies and Sausage Pizza along with one of our favorites, Thai Chicken Pizza.

Oh yeah, and followed up with my famous Red Velvet Cake with a sassy glass of Rosenblum Zinfandel!!  I think I went to bed with a belly ache, but it was all worth it- trust me.

And the hits just keep on comin’!  This summer has been filled with class after class, all of them knocking the hits right out of the park.  Thursday nite with our BAD ASS BBQ & BEST BUCK 4 BUCK WINES class at Cooks of Crocus Hill was no exception.  With a class over 30 peeps deep and a group ready to take on anything Q’d, we were all in the mood for a little fun.

The wines were all focused around good valued juice that packed a little more punch than the price price point you paid.  You know, something you could say you paid $20 for and no one would ever know that you paid $10 because it was that good!  With everything from an easy drinkin’ $7 Bordeaux Rosé to WINE IN A BOX (yep, you heard it right!) – the hit of the nite – all blind and the wine, which was served from decanters, was unveiled only after everyone started guessing $18-$25 for the bottle.  The box, which I wrapped in brown paper bag and labeled:  BAD ASS VINO, turned the room into a roar with my Aus Banrock Station Shiraz in a box.  Something you’d find on the shelf for about $8 a 750mL, was now in a 3L box staring us down for a total of $20 (that’s 4 bottles!)  The room applauded!

But, here was the real gem of the nite…the last pairing of our dinner.  Grilled strawberries and…you’ll have to watch to find out! 

Check out Chef Mike Shannon from Cooks of Crocus Hill and myself as we give you a little 411 on this spectacular summer pairing and unveil the wine we used for delicious Grilled Summer Strawberries and house made Lemon Sorbet!  (In HD)

Folks are always asking and I’m always trying them…from one end of the Mississippi to the other, I’m reviewing them left and right.  What are they?  Minnesotan wines.  From grapes like Frontenac, Marquette to St Croix – they’re a foxy group of characters.

Take a look as my pal, Chef Mike Shannon from Cooks of Crocus Hill, and I review a wine made in our own backyard.  Literally, kind of a ‘city made’ wine.  From Warehouse Winery - this, a blend of Frontenac with California purchased grapes: Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Franc. 

Watch as we review and then PAIR to this funky wine concoction!  In HD.

Looking for a cool wine to pull off the shelf…because of its looks?
Check this out – A Review of the 2004 Super Hero InZinerator – with, what looks like a strange Perfect Pairing!

Here it is, the food experience y’all have been waiting to hear about…

Gladys Knight’s Chicken + Waffle House

Because none of us knew what to expect with our experience, we all conjured up our own ideas as to what it was going to look like inside this Hot Atlanta Food Spot.  I thought I’d see some sort of diner-like interior with greasy booths and an angry waitstaff, or an open kitchen line where you’d have only three things to choose from, give your order, pay and then end up with a number to come pick up your tray of fixins.  The rest had ideas of imaging a chain-like restaurant feel, down to a hot spot that would serve us beers with every chicken piece we had.

And, because none of us had ever had ‘Chicken and Waffles’, there were many questions also prior to our arrival that had to do with eating this southern concoction:

1.  Was the ‘waffle’ like a waffle that you had for breakfast or was it like a potato-like pancake of sorts?  Was it like a french fry kind of waffle?

2.  How were you supposed to eat your ‘waffle’?  Does the ‘waffle’ act as blanket to coddle your chicken?  And, would there be the typical ‘waffle-like’ condiments on the table if it were like a breakfast waffle (IE: syrup, butter)?

3.  What kind of chicken comes with your ‘waffle’?  Breasts, legs, thighs, pieces?

4.  And if it was a typical breakfast-like ‘waffle’, would ya look like a person who didn’t know what they were doin’ if you asked for Syrup?

I know, sounds silly…but if you’ve never had Chicken and Waffles, these are all pretty normal questions, wouldn’t ya say?

As we pulled up to the downtown Atlanta staple, the neon sign reading:  Gladys Knight and Ron Winan’s Chicken & Waffles, hung high above the street.  It seemed iconic and one could certainly imagine seeing it from blocks away in the late midnight hours when the restaurant was still open on a Friday or Saturday night at 4 a.m.  As hot as it was, still at about 97 degrees +, we were all surprised to see this famous waffle and wing joint over-flowing with people on a mid-afternoon Monday.  When we walked in, the place was crawlin’.   And the interior, was pretty much nothing like we all imagined.  No angry waitstaff, no line for food, no cash register to ring in your order and no pitchers of beer.  Instead, had the feel of a very nice Denny’s.  Lined with dark wooded walls and big leather booths, framed pics of famous people that had eaten there hung on the wall, and as I looked around… everyone, I mean everyone, was eating chicken.

Turns out, the wait for our traditional southern viddles was short-lived.  We were in our sticky syrup drenched booth in no time.  The menu fit the standards of a Denny’s, with laminated pages of southern food plates and pictures to match them.  The choices of food ranged from black-eyed peas, mac n cheese, collard greens, catfish, salmon to the most famous plate of all ~ The Midnight Train.  And when it came time for ordering, it was almost like a scene from The Blues Brothers…’We’ll take four Midnight Trains!’

And there it was ~ a fat ass plate of four crispy chicken thighs, and a big ole waffle (yep, like a breakfast waffle) right in the midst of it all.  With a heap of syrup already on your table, you were expected to slather it up with melted butter, pour on the goo and eat it all up just like you would breakfast.  Our sides included: mac n cheese, lima beans, grits and collard greens.  And to drink, because they didn’t serve beer or any other alcoholic beverages, sweet teas all around.

And the taste, as our friend Tim would say it, “Tastes so good, make ya wanna slap your momma!”  Pretty darn good for my first Chicken + Waffles experience and one worth any trip to Hotlanta to try it.

While the sweet tea seemed to be, as we all agreed, the best drink to pair to this ‘heart stoppin’ plate of goodness- the first question before our arrival was, “So what kind of wine would you pair to Chicken and Waffles, Leslee?”  With each bite of my drippin’ waffle and my crispy chicken wing crunched together into perfect bites, I thought of the syrupy sweetness and the salty crunch of my plate.  The butter from grits managed to sink right through its gooey mess and the syrup was not to be reckoned with dripping off my chicken and right down the center of my shirt.

I give this plate a couple of pairing ideas… The fried chicken deserves anything bubbly.  Because ‘fried’ and ‘bubbles’ always goes together, I would have chosen perhaps a Blanc de Blanc of sorts, a bubbly that is made with only Chardonnay grapes.  The rich Chardonnay center and the creaminess of the buttery grits and mac n cheese along with the fried chicken, yum…a match made in heaven.  Yet, I thought about the syrupy goodness of the waffle in front of me.  Riesling would have been good with the right amount of sweetness, even a fat rich Pint Gris from Alsace loaded with honeysuckle and honey jar would have been good.   But there was only one wine that I couldn’t quite escape.  The Chateau Reynella McLaren Vale Old Cave Tawny Port, made entirely from Grenache grapes, is one of those wines that I always think about when I smell syrup.  It’s sort of ‘breakfast wine’ I suppose.  Good enough for pancakes, waffles, sausage and even a cup of joe.  And with this afternoon’s lunch…I think, a pretty darn good pairing.  This port is not one that is overbearingly sweet, and because its made from Grenache grapes grown in Australia, it seems to carry just the right amount of sugar and toast from its barrel aging to match any plate of breakfast food.

In the end, a beer wouldn’t have been a bad idea either, but if you’re thinkin’ wine with this fine cuisine, keep it balanced with ALL those goodies on the plate. Here’s to my new found love for Chicken and Waffles, and a belly ache to prove I was there!

Hope you’re keepin’ up on my whirlwind food tour here while I’m in Atlanta…because there’s more!

Aria, a sophisticated white table-clothed restaurant located in Buckhead, a small neighborhood just inside of the city of Atlanta, was a spectacular treat of fine cuisine, phenomenal wines and remarkable service.  A food experience that will definitely live in my repertoire of ’some of my favorite food/wine experiences’, ever.  Really outstanding.

The restaurant, as you enter, is framed by a heavy chainmail curtain and has an interior decorated with colorfully ceramic tiled greyhound statues and a one of kind, glass art chandelier that looks to be between an angry oyster and a lightning bolted thunder cloud.  Their menu, which is famously known for its warm lobster cocktail appetizer, sumptuous entrees, tasty desserts and outstanding wine list was like an adult DisneyLand for foodies all around.   With an interior as impeccable as the number of waitstaff that greeted us, our nite was surely one that I couldn’t wait to dive into.

First things first, the wine list…was decked with wines uniquely picked to fit any palate that walked through the door.  Not that they were as easy to work through, if you didn’t know wine, but am sure that if you asked any one on the floor that someone would ‘talk’ you through the menu.  I have to say, one of the first things I said was, ‘Wow, how refreshing… a list with depth, is intriguing and one that really does, truthfully, excite me.’  I couldn’t wait to open at least ten different bottles.  I did, however, limit myself to one white selection and one red.  The first – N. Joly’s ‘Les Clos Sacres’ Savenierres.  Savenierres is a region in the Loire Valley of France that produces a DRY Chenin Blanc, in fact…the only region in the Loire that truly produces dry Chenin.  And Nicolas Joly, the producer of this gorgeous wine, is famed for his biodynamic culture, is an Internationally known Wine God and one who I literally, have a huge ‘wine crush’ on.

Let’s talk about the pairings ~ Warm Lobster Cocktail with Truffled Mashed Potatoes and pureed broccoli, Lemon Ricotta Ravioli, Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms with Pancetta.  The wine, which safely took at least 45 minutes to open, had a honeyed nose with scented orange blossoms and round melon peel yet opened into a lovely, fresh, high acid toned, mesmerizing wine.  The acidic notes of under ripe apricot seemed to clip right into the creamy notes of all the appetizers.  I must say, a really nicely balanced Chardonnay would have done the pairing well, but this Savenierres seemed to only pair better with every single sip and bite taken.  I must have moaned with every drink taken, thinking that the layers of the wine only opened more as the wine oxidized.

The second wine – the Travaglini Gattinara.  A DOCG Nebbiolo from the region of Piedmont, Italy was outstanding.  With a quick decant, even this tight 06 seemed to unveil its masterful future.  Smokey with hints of black tar, wet violets and rich leather – the wine enveloped every aspect of Italy that I could think of.  Fabulous.  And, its pairing – a Slow Braised Pork and a Pan Roasted Veal Chop.  C’mon, really?!  Not sure I could have dreamed up the pairings.  They were unthinkably delicious.

Of course the evening couldn’t have been more complete if I imagined it – the desserts seemed to only add ‘whip cream and a cherry’ to my culinary dream.  With dishes of chocolate pot de creme, peach tart and uniquely layered fresh sorbets – our after dinner drinks consisting of a Banyuls from France, a Passito from Italy and a Malaga from Italy – all of which complemented the sweets divinely.

Overall – I’d give last nite’s experience an A PLUS.  From the attentive service, to the lengthy wine list and its colorful food menu – not to mention the fabulous company – Superb.  Making my second food nite in Atlanta so far, excellent!

Where fried chicken is a staple, and there’s only one reason why the city has the nickname it has…because it’s damn hot!  When you think you know ‘hot’, come to the south.  With 95% humidity and average daily temps like 90-95 degrees, Hotlanta, is not a place to come if you’re not a heat person.  However, I’m quickly finding that if you’re a foodie, you may want to fight the heat and get on down here for some good eats

Last nite, our first nite in town, our friends took us to a super cool joint in the sort of ‘uptown’ region of the city.  A restaurant called:  Restaurant Eugene.  Contemporary in its look, the joint had a white tablecloth feeling upon arriving.  We sat at the bar, incidentally always my favorite place in the restaurant to sit.  Where you can get all the great service you need, and in the right restaurants, where the bartender fills you in on all the establishment secrets.

Restaurant Eugene with a sweet little bar, sitting a max of maybe eight, snuggled the four of us in perfectly.  Our friends were especially excited to show us the spot, but mostly to introduce us to one of their favorite bartenders, Nick.  With one look, you could tell that Nick was a serious character when it came to the beverage industry.  While I’m most used to someone always handing me a ‘wine by the glass’ menu when I sit at a swanky restaurant bar, Nick went straight for the daily drink menu.  He was, as our friends said, one of the best drink makers in the city.  Yet, not only was he a mixologist but a bartender with food pairings to fit all the cocktails on his menu.

Nick’s Friday Flight Night Menu consisted of:  an Irish Cooler, which was a new fandangled Rusty Nail – Irish Whiskey, Drambuie and Ginger Beer + an Alexandra’s Cocktail, a mix of St Germain (Elderflower liqueur), Aperol (a rhubarb bitter), lemon juice and fresh peach + a drink called, There is no Try consisting of a Campari like liqueur, grapefruit and aged bitters.

Each of the cocktails were paired up to little food pairings to try – served as tapas.  The first cocktail, which was good, but more of an after dinner drink to me even as sparky as it was with the ginger beer, was paired to glazed baby tomatoes and basil.  While the fresh juicy tomatos glazed over were nice and sweet with the cocktail, the Whiskey parts to the drink seemed to swallow the food whole to me.  However, for one of our friends, this was his favorite pairing.  (Proving, by the way, that we ALL have our own likes to pairings.)

The second was my favorite of the three – the lite citrus flavors of this gorgeous summer drink, Alexandra’s Cocktail, were paired to a Crispy Kale Salad finished with ‘just right’ cooked chucks of bacon.  The bacon, cooked perfectly, seemed to be the smoke of the dish as the fresh fruit flavors snuggled up to the awesome! fried, crispy kale.  The drink and the dish both awesome, but when paired together was THE perfect pairing.  Really great.

And, the last…There is No Try, which had a sour patch kid pucker with an almost medicinal flavor to it was paired to a Lamb Sausage and Sweet + Sour Fairytale Eggplant.  The lamb sausage had a fennel spice to it almost pairing right up to the bitters in the drink.  Nice, but not over-whelming.  Very good.

The remainder of our dinner was outstanding.  Dishes of pan seared halibut, georgia white shrimp, watermelon and radish salad, seared marget duck breast to the most delicious confit pork belly that I may have ever had were delivered course by course.  All very good and finished up with a stellar bottle of Jorge Ordonez’s Botani – a dry Mocatel from Spain.  YUM!  (Can’t take a Sommelier out to eat without having at least one bottle of wine!)

Overall, the experience was fantastic and really, a fabulous treat.  It’s not very often that I am treated to a cocktail food pairing experience.  Not something that everyone does, especially in the MidWest.  Hmmmm….  Might want to get on it, MSP peeps.

Signing off and getting ready to head out for another nite of great food + drink with great friends in the Big ATL.  I’m hopin’ we get over to Gladys Knight’s Chicken + Waffles before the week is up!

So I wandered into my favorite old joint last nite for the first time in a long time, except for the same smiley face that I was used to behind the counter sipping coffee and grinning ear to ear with cheese in his beard, wasn’t there.  Instead, I found pink and frilly, poofy colored frosting’d cupcakes now behind the windows that I once knew filled with artisanal cheese and a young woman dressed in a pink apron eager to help me.  My friend, Ken Liss, owner of previous Premier Cheese Shop, was always the best person to find behind his shop counter, usually talking someone’s ear off about something, but always happy to see you.  Today, my once favorite artisanal cheese shop is now ‘Sweet Retreat Cupcakes’.

Knowing that the transition had taken place, I decided to check it out and take my love for cheese in to trade it in for chocolate cupcakes.  I’m not the biggest fan, to be honest, of chocolate but I thought it would be a good ‘treat’ for the guests I have arriving in town for the weekend.

Here’s what I found… An almost empty showcase cooler of 4-5 different cupcakes.  Was it any different than any other ‘cupcake boutique’ I’ve been to outside of NY…not so much.  If you’ve ever been to NYC, you know exactly what I’m talking about.  Magnolia Cupcakes on Bleecker Street is about  THE BEST of any CUPCAKE Boutique in the country, that is if you’re into cupcakes.  Here, even if you didn’t think you liked cupcakes, will walk out with a new obsession.

Not that I’m doggin’ out the shop in Edina, but I’m just not sure the demand for cupcakes galore is the right thing in that spot.  And, with a sort of ‘baron’ looking showcase, I wasn’t super convinced that they’ll be in the same spot a year or two from now.

The Sweet Treat, however, did offer (of what they had) some cool flavors, but again, nothing too unique.  So, I ordered four of the five flavors they offered:  S’mores, Peanut Butter, Red Velvet and Cookies n’ Cream.  And, as I stood there looking at their heavy frosting’d tops, I thought…I’m taking these home and pairing them up to wine!  And, that is exactly what I did.

Here’s what I came up with~

Red Velvet Cupcake: My take, it was okay…nothing like MY Red Velvet Recipe that came from a family friend’s grandmother born in the south.  OMG.  That’s all I have to say.  Sweet Retreat’s R V Cupcake, pretty good but missing the ‘cocoa’ taste.    Wine Pairing: My thoughts- a Fat Shiraz (yes, pronounced Shiraaaaaaz), like one from Australia’s Two Hands Winery.  Their wines are over the top, fat, sassy and often never balanced – over blown with saturated fruit and barrel.  However, peeerrrrfect for a R V Cupcake.  The cocoa velvet fruit, layered in raspberry smoke coming from this wine would fit perfectly with the cupcake.  I like the Two Hands Angel’s Share, nice but not too overblown.  I think really nice with this not too sappy c-cake, but perfect.

Cookies n’ Cream Cupcake: My take, creamy and reminded me of undercooked cookie dough.  I liked it.  Sweet, but again, creamy.    Wine Pairing: A Fat, Round, Creamy Chardonnay .  I think~ Napa Valley’s Pine Ridge Epitome Chardonnay.  Hell, it’s a Chard that is really over blown (when it comes to price and palate) but if it pairs to lobster tail dripped in butter, it will pair with this over blown, creamy, buttery cupcake.  Dip that baby in butter and away you’ll go.

Peanut Butter Cupcake: My take, my fav!  I loved the salty, creamy, slightly savory aspect of this very icing’d cupcake.  Overdone with icing, falling off the side of the cake, the ccake was impossible to contain.  Yes, very good.    Wine Pairing: A nice, rich, juicy, banana split-like Semillon.  The wine that I think of, Alpha Domus Late Harvest Semillon.  Called the Leonarda, which is the name of the winery owner’s grandmother.  Plus, I love the Alpha Domus story (of NZ) and this particular wine…juicy, banana-split like and honeyed.  Love it and the only real wines I feel like goes with peanut butter is rich honeyed Riesling and Semillon.  Good stuff.

Lastly, the S’mores Cupcake: My take, I likey.  The cupcake was finished with a ‘toasted’ marshmallow frosting (sticky as heck) and a baby Hershey’s chocolate bar.  I liked the touch.  Graham Cracker-like crust, fat chocolate center and creamy mallow topping, good job.  Wine Pairing: Something really chocolaty, and decadently, over the top.  I would say two wines come to mind.  One: Napa Valley’s Rombauer Zinfandel.

Here it is (to my favorite CRUSH PAD fans)…The Rombauer Zinfandel is one wine that I love to describe as ‘A Ho in Ho’s Clothing’. What does that even mean?!  Just exactly like what it sounds like, and it doesn’t belong in church with an alcohol percentage like that (often well over 16%).  You can’t even dress it up and make it look better…nothing would stay on this hot, slippery, contaminated, beast of a Zin.  It screams:  ”Hey, here I am!!!!  Drink me, dang it!”  Over the top, exposed and ridiculously loose on the palate.  No boundaries.  And, definitely needs to be put into the ‘fortified section’ if you ask me. Need I say more?  But good, I’d think with this decedent cupcake.  See?  Every wine has its place!

My second pick for this cupcake: A smokey, rich saturated Cabernet from Chile.  I like the Root 1 Cabernet from Chile’s Colchagua Valley.  With just a smidgen of gooey Syrah (15%) added to it, the wine is chocolaty, rich, smokey and really sappy.  It’s perfect for a dessert this like.

One Old School Hard & Fast Rule: Always make sure your wine is one ‘titch’ sweeter than your dessert.  Does that mean ‘dessert wine’, NO WAY!  It just means…pick up one degree of any grape, hotter.  IE:  Australia, Napa, Chile – how hot does it get in some of those locations right?  And what does that mean?:  The hotter the climate, the higher the sugars, thus, the higher the alcohol levels and mostly, the sweeter the wine.

So…there you have it.   A quickie and a SWEET review on Edina’s new Sweet Retreat Cupcake Shop. BUT also, what to pair to these cupcakes if you’re taking them home to drink with.  Salut and happy cupcake-ing!