Blog

A Review of Minnesota Wines from Crow River Winery

No kidding, it’s one of my most Frequently Asked Questions… What do YOU think about Minnesota Wines? Here, I review a whole line up from a winery located just one hour west of the Twin Cities, Crow River Winery. Complete with food pairings, I share with you a line up of eight wines, detailed with… Continue

Miss last nite’s Vines to Reefs Class?

I teach a number of great Twin Cities Food and Wine classes across the board, but really our Vines to Reefs Series at Cooks of Crocus Hill is always a ton of fun!  Chef Mike, culinary director for Cooks, and I team up to teach a full five course menu paired to all things seafood, explaining… Continue

Spicy Hawaiian Styled Ribs paired to Zinfandels

Twin Cities Sommelier Leslee Miller brings you one zesty winter pairing: Hawaiian Styled Baby Back Ribs (Recipe Compliments of Chef Mike Shannon from Cooks of Crocus Hill) with a combo of Zinfandels from both California (Peterson Winery of Dry Creek) & Oregon (Sokol Blosser Winery of the Willamette Valley). Check out this fun review on… Continue

Great Article on ‘Moscato’ in the Wall Street Journal

Why You’ll Be Drinking Moscato This Year By LETTIE TEAGUE Anyone who claims to be able to see into the future is often forecasting the past. (Isn’t that how history manages to repeat itself?) Since this holds true as much for wine journalists as anyone else, I’ll make my own backward-facing prediction: The hottest wine… Continue

Girls n Grapes Go Glam ~ A Luxury Wine Tasting

This close to the holidays, the Girls & Grapes group got together one last time to celebrate ‘all things wine’.  In fact, our mission this month…bring a wine that you thought of as ‘luxurious’.  Or, a wine that really was one of the first wines or wineries that shaped your passion for wine. For many of… Continue

Wine & Chocolate Pairing Tips

Pairings: Wine + Chocolate Written by Leslee Miller / Photography by Steve Henke / Cambria Style Magazine ~ November, 2011 Leslee Miller of Amusée Wine takes the mystery out of pairing wines with chocolate.   Pairing wine to chocolate is not exactly as hard as some will tell you. Most, in fact, say it is… Continue

Great Gift Ideas for the Wino/Foodie on your Holiday List

Holiday gift guide 2011: For the oenophile Vita.MN Article:  November 24, 2011 By Christy DeSmith, photo by Tom Sweeney Forged in the crucibles of the West Coast wine industry, sommelier and event planner Leslee Miller recently returned to her native Midwest to launch Amusée, a wine consulting and events firm. Check out her plum wish… Continue

Girls n Grapes Tour España!

Girls & Grapes are back at it!  We figured that since the holdiays are so close, we might as well squeeze in a number of opportunities to drink great wine.  Below is a recap of an evening spent touring ‘blindly’ the wines of Spain.  Under tin foil until the last of the tasting notes were… Continue

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory Wine Event

Looking for a fun wine event to attend with friends and family this week? Help support our local community and friends at the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory this week with a wine event!   Como Friends presents the ultimate wine-tasting experience, Bouquets.    This annual fundraiser supports improvements at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory.  Guests will enjoy… Continue

Girls n Grapes Talk Turkey

Girls & Grapes Gear up for the Wines that will Grace our Thanksgiving Tables in just a few short weeks! My fabulous group of girls that love grapes does it yet again.  With a slew of fabulous foods to snack upon and a whole gaggle of grapes to indulge – my small tasting group of… Continue

Jorge Ordonez Interview

Below – a super cool interview with one of my favorite Spanish producers, Jorge Ordonez.  The interview taken with The Shanken News Daily and passed on by my good pals of The Wine Company here in the Twin Cities.  Ordonez features a number of well-structured delicious wines – all fabulous for their price-points.  One in particular that… Continue