Holiday Sparklers!

If you didn’t attend the ‘Holiday Sparklers!’ mini class that I taught at Cafe Ena in south Minneapolis on Wed, Dec 12th, you missed a good one.   With a great turnout of 40 people, we filled the restaurant with bubbly fanatics from across the Twin Cities.  Knowing that this would be a great subject,… Continue

The Perfect Compliment…

Isn’t that what wine is all about, after all?  Complimenting.  Giving your experience the ‘cherry on top’?  All in all, we get too wound up after a hard day’s work.  We sit starting at computers, we sit in traffic, we race around trying to accomplish everything.  Let’s face it…it’s a rat race.  No matter the… Continue

More Music and Vino…

Ever wonder what drinks good with the sly sounds of a sweet, sweet jazz musician, or the goopy romantic tunes of an acoustic guitar or better yet…the hot and sultry moves of a fun salsa band?  My answer ~ drink what’s right!  This came to mind a couple of weeks ago when I set out… Continue

La Mancha!

Last night before heading off to the John Legend and Raphael Saadiq concert at the Northrop, I decided to whip up one of my old cold weather stand bys ~ my famous Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas…so tasty, and perfect on a chilly Minneapolis night! (Guess it’s my answer to Minnesota’s ‘Hot Dish’)  As I chopped up the… Continue

Cheese and Vino

Had the perfect combination of cheese and wine the other night… Tis’ the season for cheese/wine pairings with the holidays coming up.  Thought I would share my most recent ‘perfect pairing’.  Without having to spend too much time sorting and wandering through the cheese section at my favorite local market, I picked up a chunk… Continue

Welcome to the Crush Pad!

Thanks for stopping by…  A bit about me –  I am a ISG Certified Level III Sommelier and former director of one of Oregon’s most prestigious Pinot Noir houses, Archery Summit, and member to the board of directors of Pine Ridge Winery of Napa, California.  I have been in Minnesota for 2 years now; consulting to some of… Continue