So many people ask me this when I’m away on vacation — “Leslee what does a sommelier actually drink when going on a ‘non wine’ vacation?’ Great question! If I’m not actually headed to a wine region or locale, I do have a few simple tips for tapping into some tasty libations. Equipped with a… Continue
Bubbles for Every Occasion! From your bubbly brunches to your boujee gift sets — check out my list of Must Have Bubbles for every pricepoint, palate + occasion! Where to find (and buy!) these delicious gems in the order they were presented! Mas Fi Cava (white) + Rosé Leslee’s Two Favorite Bubbles of the Year! … Continue
Looking for EZ apps for your holiday season? Look no further, your Chef/Somm ‘Dynamic Duo’ is here to the rescue with 4 apps paired to wine for whipping up just in time for visiting friends + family! Ready, set, tune in to our Jason Show Segment! Wines + Recipes for each App + Wine Pairing… Continue
Oooooo, fall — one of our favorite seasons! Grab your cashmere + don’t forget your glass of PINOT — aren’t these two just the perfect fall pairing? Check in with my latest ‘Fifty Shades of Pinot’ segment on The Jason Show + learn more about this beautiful thin skinned grapes, its many shades, pairings, styles… Continue
How’s the 2021 vintage for MN coming along? Check out my latest segment with The Garden Guy, Dale K, and the Fox 9 Team as ‘crush’ our way through a barrel of Frontenac Noir grapes while recapping MN’s summer wine growing season!
My goodness, if you missed this week’s Jason Show segment featuring my list of the MN State Fair’s BEST WINE BASED DRINKS — you’re about to get a good chuckle! Jason + I always have an amazing time at the fair, but this year…well, you tell me who had a better time in this segment.… Continue
Love sparkling wines like we do? I was absolutely up for the task chatting up one of my favorite styles of wine when Jason + the team at The Jason Show asked for a segment hi-lighting all things SPARKLING WINE this week on Fox 9. From styles, glassware, vintage/non vintage speak, grapes + pairings —… Continue
This past week, I spent a bit of down time heading back to my old state of Oregon. The main purpose was to see a few wineries in the Willamette, but also to just get away + relax. Summertime is a hard season to leave Minnesota, as we all live for the warmth + sunshine… Continue
Just when you think summer can’t get any better — we’re here to tell you, it can! Keep your summer sizzlin’ with a few wine entertaining tips that’ll keep your entertaining life easy + breezy, while capturing all the flavors of summer. Straight from our one + only, SOMM, Leslee shares 4 simple tricks with… Continue
This is our new blog feature, Women In Wine! Once a month, we’ll profile a badass woman in the wind industry and ask her how she makes it all happen. Enjoy! MEET: NIKKI ERPELDING OF VINEYARD BRANDS and VINE LAB WINE + SPIRITS ACADEMY What brought you to the wine industry? The hospitality sector.… Continue
Looking to create a super unique PAIRING gift for Mom on her special day? This week on Fox 9’s The Jason Show — I pair the actual aromatics of a variety of popular florals to a handful of grape varietals, regions + wine styles. I LOVED this task! Not an easy one, but so very… Continue
Who doesn’t love a good BRUNCH? From chicken + waffles, avocado toast, eggs in every form, pancakes, crêpes to yogurt + granola — we’ve got you covered for every course. I’m not only recommending a delicious Italian FIZZ, but some delicious NON ALCOHOLIC wine sips and a fun little spruced up springtime punch for enjoying!… Continue