Blog

It’s MN State Fair Time!

 Join me for a FREE presentation series about the best in Minnesota wine and food at this year’s State Fair!  I’m excited to share some news with you. I will be joining top local wine and food experts for a series of 10 free presentations at this year’s Minnesota State Fair, Aug. 27- Sept. 7.… Continue

Best Summer Hangouts // Twin Cities

Taking advantage of the precious summer months in Minnesota is on all of our minds when August rolls around. And with the plethora of restaurant patios, shimmering lakes, and outdoor activities in Minneapolis and St. Paul, it’s hard to know where to begin! Ice cream! Beaches! Oysters on the half shell! Summer wine pairings! We… Continue

Breaking The Rules // Chillable Summer Reds

It’s 85 degrees, humid, and the deck party crew is making a beeline for the beverage table. You’ve thought ahead: Zingy Sauvignon Blancs for your classy white wine drinkers, gulpable Provencal rosés for the cultured and trendy, as well as a few of those killer summer whites picked out by Leslee from the previous post.… Continue

Must Haves // Summer Whites!

July is such a great month for sippin’, don’t ya think?  While Minnesotans are habitual about ‘only drinking’ white in the hot summer Midwestern months, from my view, all wines are good any time of the year!  If you know my perspective, I generally select wines based on my mood or my food. Well, my… Continue

Sí what’s next in Rueda & Ribera del Duero, Spain!

In this July 2015 Beverage World article, author Kristen Bieler interviews Sommelier Leslee Miller as to giving her reasons for selecting and recommending two of her favorite wine regions of central Spain, Ribera del Duero and Rueda, to consumers in her restaurant/retail accounts.   _________________________________________________________________ SPAIN’S DYNAMIC DUO THE UNIQUE COMBINATION OF CHARACTER, COMPLEXITY AND VALUE FOUND IN… Continue

Sangria For Life // Pink Sangria Recipe

Few things scream “Endless Summer!” than a giant pitcher of heady sangria. After a great meal on the patio with your friends, sangria can be the fresh, lingering finish to an epic night, the night cap that never ends, and the liquid dessert that keeps on giving! Not to mention, sangria is a great excuse… Continue

Wine for Father’s Day // BBQ Style

Hi!  I’m Karina—a lover of traveling, writing, and geeky, unique wines.  And, a new friend of Amusée’s!  Catch me sharing a few of my favorite wines, tips, pairings and recommendations around this beautiful, mysterious & delicious world of wine on Amusée’s blog from time time! There’s no reason we shouldn’t celebrate father figures every day of the year,… Continue

Sí What’s Next with Ribera del Duero & Rueda Wines

If you haven’t heard, I’m part of a new campaign celebrating the very exciting and delicious regions of Rueda & Ribera del Duero, Spain!  The campaign is called: ‘Sí What’s Next’ featuring a wide variety of styles of red wines that focus on the grape, Tempranillo from the Ribera del Duero region (otherwise known in… Continue

Wine In A Can // Fiction Pinot Gris + Rosé

We’re all about making wine an accessible pastime at Amusée, which is why wine in a can (YES) particularly appeals to us. Especially when it’s as good as Field Recordings! This California winery’s new portfolio of Fiction canned wines are brightly-colored tall boys of wine you can take to a picnic or an outdoor concert.… Continue

Chardonnay Day!

From lean and crispy to honeyed and tropical, she’s arguably one of the most adored and often times, most ‘bashed’ white grapes in world.  While her place on the list of ‘world’s most planted grapes’ sits fairly high in the ranking (#5) and her position as ‘Queen of Grapes’ from Champagne to Burgundy make her… Continue

Drink Pink // Summer Movie Edition

What’s more intoxicating than a pretty glass of rosé? Not much…beside the arrival of spring and summer in Minnesota. It’s finally the perfect time to drink pink! And as rosé gains momentum in the United States (it’s more popular by the second!), wine shelves are beginning to bust with more and more bottles of that… Continue