Here’s the thing: I love eating out. I love supporting honest and true restaurants with chefs that give a damn. But I don’t like how much it costs. Always on the lookout for a bargain, I’ve figured out the perfect three day wine escape, which happens to be in Duluth, Minnesota.

Duluth has one of the most vibrant dining scenes in the state. I don’t know if it’s the challenge of the climate, the influence of Lake Superior, or the hands-on attitude of the residents, but Duluth deserves the reputation of the “San Francisco of the North” for its culture, cuisine, and beauty. A great book has been written by James Norton (of Heavy Table) called Lake Superior Flavors that does an outstanding job of discussing the food and drink culture all around the big lake (including Canada and the Upper Peninsula), but I’m going to focus our discussion on enjoying wine while eating out in Duluth.
 

Day One (Monday)

Drive to Duluth. Stop at Gordy’s Hi-Hat on the way for a burger and shake. Check into your hotel of choice. Bum around. Shop at Duluth Pack. Buy stuff for Christmas presents (get it out of the way!). Watch the bridge go up and down. Then when your dinnertime reservation approaches, head to Bellisio’s on Canal Park. 

Bellisio’s is owned by the same group that owns Grandma’s Saloon, and was opened in the 1990’s to cater to the upscale crowds that were just starting to spend more time (and money) in Duluth. It was one of the first restaurants in the state to have a wine preservation system, and today serves over 125 wines by the glass. But you’re not here for glasses, for Monday night is half priced bottles of wine night.

There are serious gems to be had. I’m not going to reveal the ultimate steal on the list for I want to buy the remaining bottles myself, but suffice to say it’s a 1988 Cabernet blend from one of the top names in American wine, which at auction sells for over $300 a bottle but at Bellisio’s on a Monday it’s under $90. Deals like that abound, and you’ll be paying below retail price on almost every bottle you order. Do yourself a favor and check into a hotel within walking distance!
 

Day two (Tuesday)

The first full day on your trip is a wonderful day to start at Amazing Grace Cafe for a delicious breakfast then head upstairs to Northern Waters Smokehaus, where the GREATEST smoked fish in Duluth is available. Buy a whole smoked whitefish, some good cheese and meat, and head to a local liquor store for some dry rosé or Sauvignon Blanc. Then head up the shore, find a good beach to hang out on, and have a terrific picnic. 
 

After the afternoon festivities and a nap, it’s time for dinner and you’ll head to Zeitgeist Arts Cafe at 222 Superior Street in Downtown Duluth. Zeitgeist is a restaurant I dearly wish would replicate itself in the Twin Cities. A serious wine and beverage program, detailed but unpretentious food, and a vibe that is second to none (plus being attached to a great movie theatre and arts stage is a huge bonus!).

So why here? Because Tuesday night is half price bottles AND GLASSES at Zeitgeist. One of the top food and wine combos I’ve ever had occurred at this bar: Novelty Hill Rousanne from Washington State with a winter squash ravioli with wild mushrooms. I was in heaven. Do yourself a favor (again) and check into a hotel within stumbling distance.
 

Day three (Wednesday)

A good day to relax. Walk through the great parks of Duluth, or even drive up the shore and visit Gooseberry State Park. Perhaps your hotel has a hot tub? This is a good day to use it, for you’ll need to recharge your batteries to get ready for the final dinner.

I’ll say it loudly and proudly: New Scenic Cafe is my favorite restaurant in the state. I have never ceased to be blown away by the food, each and every bite of each and every dish. Chef/proprietor Scott Graden is a genius and an artist, plus he’s a savvy businessman (a rare combo in the restaurant business). His menus are incredible (hint: his new cookbook is a must have), and his wine list is second to none. Not based on depth (it’s relatively compact) but because of the carefully curated selections offered at prices far below most restaurants. However, Wednesday night is half priced bottles AND glasses at The New Scenic Cafe (FYI — Tuesday nights have the same deal).

A wine lover can’t afford to NOT go here!
 

New Scenic Cafe. Photo from Star Tribune article on Lake Superior fishing.
A great read!

A recent wine list showed the kind of deals you’re likely to find (selections and prices from Spring of 2014 … Scott’s wine list changes often so this is offered just as an example). 

Frog’s Leap Chardonnay, $36. A great price on this wine at retail is around $30. Most restaurants charge $50. On half price night at New Scenic it’s an insane $18.

Jim Barry Lodge Hill Dry Riesling, $32. One of the most dynamic dry Rieslings made in the world, and at $16 on half price night you simply cannot ask for more!

Palacios “Camins del Priorat”, $34. Many of you have enjoyed this wine in my Priorat classes, and even at $34 I would consider this a great buy. However, at $17 it’s an insane deal.

Shafer One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon, $132. Good luck finding this at $66 retail. Possibly one of the greatest wine deals in the state of Minnesota. 

Do yourself a favor an hire a ride from your hotel in Duluth to your dinner at New Scenic Cafe!
 

Day Four (Thursday)

To help mop up all that wine from three nights of great dinners, stop at The Anchor Bar in Superior, Wisconsin, for a T.W.A. Whaleback burger (a 2/3 pound behemoth which will set you back all of $6.00). Then drive home carefully (food coma will be on the horizon).
 

A final reminder

Even though you got a great deal on a bottle of wine, be sure to tip your server appropriately. I often get asked what that means. Here is my formula when bringing in my own wine or buying bargain wines at insane prices: I tip 16-20% on the food, then add $10-15 per bottle of wine assuming the service was good and the wine didn’t involve decanters or extra fancy crystal, etc. (obviously things change if you’re talking about uber-expensive or older bottles). 

So a meal of $100 of food plus two bottles of wine = $20 + $15 + $15 = $50 tip. Yes, that is generous. That’s the whole idea. 

And always tip in cash … it helps the server feel the immediacy of appreciation and gives them the funds to enjoy a night out.

And always, always, always offer a taste of something special to the server, the manager on duty, and the head chef. It’s good karma that goes a long way.

First, a little background on the business of wine bars. There is probably no harder way for a restauranteur to make money than to open a wine bar. Unlike a coffee shop, you can’t take it to go. Unlike a taproom, you’re making far less margin. And unlike the beer world, you can’t down three or four wines and still be upright. Most customers have one glass or two while taking up space for an hour or two. The turn rate is low. It’s a tough way to make money.

Then you have cities like Minneapolis used to be and St. Paul still is, that have excessive rules in place regarding the percentage of revenue that has to be food vs. alcohol. To maintain compliance, you have to operate as more of a restaurant than simply a wine bar. (The elimination of the ’70/30′ law in Minneapolis directly led to the ability of Troubadour Wine Bar to open up. Wine bars like Troubadour are all over the place in Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco but are difficult to open here.) Additionally, in urban Minnesota you cannot operate as a joint on and off sale destination unless you’re a taproom (growler sales) or Minnesota farm winery. In many other urban areas, including Washington and South Dakota, a wine bar can also sell wine as a retailer, opening revenue streams that work to pay the bills.

So in Sioux Falls, we visited two great wine bars, yet there are even more that we didn’t have time to hit. Yes, in little Sioux Falls on the prairie they are kicking our Twin Cities’ butts when it comes to wine bar culture. If you’re traveling to or through Sioux Falls, these are the places to hit.

WINE TIME ON MAIN
330 S Main Ave., Sioux Falls, SD
https://www.winetimeonmain.com
Located just up the hill and around the corner from Minerva’s, the old-school steakhouse destination restaurant of the area.

Wine Time on Main opened just last fall, ahead of a deep and difficult winter. They are just off the beaten path, but free covered and attached parking probably saved them during the harsh winter months. It’s compact, modern, stylish, and sexy.

And they offer 240 wines by the glass.

Yes, you read that right.

And not just a mass of cheap stuff. Nowhere in the country have I come across a selection such as this, where a wine geek can burn through a lifetime of savings on the quest to try many of the great wines of the world, all served in correct Riedel stemware and at the proper temperature. Preservation is done through the Coravin system, with the servers well versed in handling the machinery.

Owner/founder Bob Novak is often there (he’s the guy in the background of the photo above). He used to be in the garbage business, but his love of wine and travel led him to make this (pretty astounding) leap into the wine bar business.

Most wines are available in 3oz, 6oz, 9oz, and bottle service. Prices, when you really look, are a touch high (a good litmus test is to see where Veuve Cliquot Champagne NV is priced at … normal retail is around $50-60, sale retail in December is usually $40-50, the normal restaurant price should be under $100 … here it’s $119.50). But in terms of access and availability to the rarest wines of the world, a higher markup is fine with me just for the access to gems. Plus, hunt a bit and you’ll find bargains (I enjoyed the Walt Pinot Noir). In the end, a slightly higher markup in exchange for dependably fresh wines served at the right temperature and in good stemware is a trade I’ll make anyday.

Want to try the incredible Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cabernet? 3oz for $62.50.

What to try the 2015 Spottswoode Cabernet (100 points)? 3oz for $55.80.

How about Chateau Haut Brion? No prob! $170.75 for 3oz.

Don’t think all the wines are like these. There is a solid list of more affordable selections as well, but the window I’d suggest hitting is the $15-25 a glass range. That is where the biggest bang for the buck is found at Wine Time on Main, with some good names and good vintages that will make you happy. For food, the cheese and meat board is highly recommended.

Overall, Wine Time on Main is a great destination especially after a filling dinner and you seek out a taste of something special in a very chill atmosphere. In any city, even New York and San Francisco, it’s an uphill battle to sell wines by the glass of this level. But with innovations such as the Coravin, it’s now possible for a market like Sioux Falls to support a wine bar concept such as this. If an ambitious sommelier found the right 1000 square foot space in Minneapolis I think it would work here as well.

R WINE BAR
322 E. 8th St.
Sioux Falls, SD 57103
https://www.rwinebar.com

Many of you have been to my wine classes at North Loop Wine and Spirits in Minneapolis. If you took that room, raised the ceilings about six feet, expanded it about five or six times, and put it on the main floor with windows all around, you get the feel of this incredible location. Stone walls, old wood beams, the kind of atmosphere only time (and not architects) can create.

R Wine Bar opened this past winter in a very happening area of Sioux Falls, near the river and downtown, where farm-to-table restaurants, breweries, bakeries, butcher shops, and hotels are opening left and right. The “R” in the name is Riccardo Tarabelsi, born in Florence, Italy, who has run some of the better restaurants in Sioux Falls for years and is now his own boss.

Okay, here you go: this is the exact concept for a wine bar that I want in the Twin Cities. An approachable and affordable list, a happening scene with live music, simple food (antipasti, panini, salumi, dolce … wonderfully simple and clean), private spaces for wine classes, and a dedicated customer base that fills the room on a regular basis.

There is a complete lack of pretention at R Wine Bar. And it’s all about the wine. Yes, you can get a Bud Light or a local craft brew. Yes, you can get a cocktail (nothing fancy, thank you … that will come in the lower level speakeasy due to open this summer). Yes, you can get enough food to call it dinner. Best of all, when the sun goes down and the lights are dim, everyone looks good in this room.

Twenty-one wines by the glass, ranging from $7 to $14. There are some big brands on the BTG list (La Marca Prosecco, MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir … they can do better), but some gems to be had as well (Kuleto Native Son from Napa, for instance). I don’t know if they are picking Raymond “R Collection” wines because they like them or because of the name, but the preponderance of that brand on the list prompted me to ask the server if the wine bar is owned by Raymond Winery.

The real wine power is found in the by the bottle list, which is heavy on but not exclusive to Italy. The layout is fantastic, giving a little geographical info and some background on the regions before showing a crisp and curated selection of wines. You can find a ton of great wines here in the $30-40 range by the bottle. Argiolas Cannonau for $32? Yes, please.

Our server was the owner’s son, a sharp as a tack 18-year old that did a better job explaining the wines than most servers I’ve encountered lately in the Twin Cities. Staff training on wine knowledge is definitely something lacking in our neck of the woods (and something I’m trying hard to change!).

TWO MORE WINE BARS that we didn’t have a chance to get to.
We got good insider info regarding these places, with a dependable thumbs up from people we trust.

Bin 201 Wine Bar
201 E. 11th St
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
http://www.bin201sf.com

Bin 201 looks to be another fine destination, but without the ambition of the two listed above. Big names such as Coppola, Kendall-Jackson, and Stella Rosa dominate the list. Private parties look to be their specialty, and Enovac machines allow for self-service of wines by the ounce (much like WINO, the Wine Institute of New Orleans, one of my favorite wine bars in the country). The private wine room looks like a tremendous destination for private events. See their gallery here: http://www.bin201sf.com/gallery.php

The Market
196 East 6th St
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
https://themarketsf.com
Menu and wine list: https://themarketsf.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Website_Menu_10_4.pdf

It’s a good sign when the first thing on their website says “Wine Bar Cusine!”

The Market is a culinary center and destination, with a strong retail and wine bar presence. Their wine by the glass program is tight, with a few bigger names but some smaller production gems at great prices. Graziano Zinfandel for $7. Neyers Red Blend for $14. Siduri by the glass. There’s some good stuff here.

The menu reminds me of our dearly departed Toast Wine Bar, which filled a need in the local wine community: great wines with simple cheese, meat, and flatbread plates. A recreation of Toast is desperately needed in the Twin Cities, please!

SUMMARY
Who woulda thunk? Sioux Falls?

Here’s my take. What’s interesting about markets like Sioux Falls, Fargo, Rapid City, Des Moines, etc. is that there is a vibrant but small wine scene combined with passionate people and affordable rents. In bigger markets, such as the Twin Cities, rents and other factors (new minimum wage laws without a tip credit for one) make opening wine bars like this prohibitive if not impossible. The numbers don’t add up. But pay half the rent, have the ability to sell at retail as well, and suddenly there is viability.

Head on down to Sioux Falls. It’s a great weekend escape. Stop in Pipestone on the way (where my extended family is from) and have the broasted chicken at Lange’s Cafe. Stop at Round Lake Vineyards on your way back, then head north to Jeffers Petroglyphs. A Friday morning to Sunday night trip that you’ll really enjoy.

The post The amazing wine bar scene in … Sioux Falls? appeared first on Twin Cities Wine.

Some Stories from Portugal

*** Many thanks to those that followed my journey in Portugal by liking, commenting, sharing, and retweeting the updates that came through via #douro14. I promised each action would put you in the hat for free tickets to the Champagne Masterclass. I actually made a little scrap of paper for each like, comment, share, and retweet (while enjoying a bottle of Douro wine of course), and put them into the bucket and asked for a drumroll as I picked three. I’m happy to announce the following have won a free ticket each to the Champagne Masterclass 2014: Maria M., Jeff B., and Judith S.! I’ll be contacting each of you via email. ***

My journey to the Douro Valley in Portugal in mid-October was a life changer. In the upcoming months specific parts of the story will be told via articles both here and elsewhere, but suffice to say the city of Porto and the region of the Douro are now on the top of my list for travel suggestions.

Here is a short overview of a few of the stories that are being expanded to full articles soon.

Eating Like A Local In Porto Means Simply Eating

On my first full day in Portugal, my friend Ryan Opaz and I went for a long walk covering many miles to help me get a sense of the city of Porto and a couple of neighboring communities. As we walked along the Douro river, to where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean, one thing became clear: tourism has not yet hit this beautiful place. Riverfront and oceanfront properties were full of cafés, bars, laundromats, pet food stores, shoe repair shops, and small grocery markets. No sign of a single chain restaurant. No sign of major development or neon lights. Though I have never been to Havana, I couldn’t help but make the analogy: I was in a time warp.

Our long saunter included stops at several cafés and a glorious lunch of grilled sardines and many bottles of wine. At least in the part of Porto we were in, if you wanted to eat at a restaurant you had no choice other than to eat like a local. Keep in mind this was two blocks from the ocean, six blocks from one of the most beautiful public parks in the world, and within a ten minute cab ride from the city center. In any other major city, this would be full of American chain restaurants or at the very least restaurants that have no soul (like the restaurants near Saint Mark’s Square in Venice, or any restaurant with a view of the Coliseum in Rome).

Port: The Ultimate Blended Wine

Look at the photo below. It’s a vineyard containing many 100+ year old vines on the Quinta do Seixo property (part of Sandeman). The tapestry of colors that you see shows the variety of grape selections in this small space. One thing I learned during the trip, which I wasn’t expecting at all, was the fact that many old vineyards in the Douro contain over 100 DIFFERENT VARIETIES. In the end, it’s the blending of these varieties that makes Port so special. There was a trend toward efficiency a number of years ago, planting one variety per vineyard, but some of the more interesting young producers are going back to the old ways and doing mixed field blends. Super cool.

Wine Travel On A Budget? Just Say Douro

The main cost of visiting the Douro Valley is simply getting your butt to Porto. Once you are there, you’ll be amazed at how far the Euro goes. As Ryan was pointing out to me, a coffee (espresso) that is two Euro in Italy and one and a half in Spain is only sixty cents in Porto (and even cheaper in the countryside) … and it’s of higher quality. Dining out and getting the bill is like a comedy routine in the making: five people, six bottles of wine, appetizers and entrees and dessert for all plus some dessert wine for … what? … does that say 70 Euro? Yep, about $20 per person total. Plus, being Europe, taxes and tips are built into the price. You pay what you see.

Hotels? A four star in the city can be had for under $100. Transport? Taking the train from Porto through the Douro Valley (possibly the most beautiful train ride in Portugal or Spain) will set you back about $20. Snacks for lunch? Figure a buck or two.

Where The Old Bottles Are Waiting For You: Porto

The Portuguese have been through economic and social hell over the last hundred years, and at certain points families (and especially widows) found themselves in a pickle, needing a bit of cash. The wine cellar in the basement became an easy thing to liquidate, and local wine shops and restaurants happily paid a few bucks for wines that many considered too old.

But here’s the secret: they’re not too old. Evidenced by the popping of a 1969 white wine from Colares that Ryan Opaz acquired just down the road from his house that was a mind-blower (“From my local little bottle shop” he said). Granted, it’s a bit of wine roulette, and not every old bottle you find is good, but access to affordable bottles twenty, thirty, even fifty years old is easy in Portugal. It’s not uncommon to find 30+ year old wines for under $20 at restaurants … but you have to ask for the ‘other list’ to find them (or just ask to see the cellar and make an offer on some wines).

More stories coming! Some exciting announcements in the next few weeks which tie into this trip … can’t wait to share more with you!

The post A few stories from Portugal appeared first on Twin Cities Wine Education.

What happens when you’re a wine lover in one of the most popular destinations in the country? As you read this, we are just landing from a glorious seven day escape to Florida. 

We had never been to Florida before, much to the amazement of friends. We love the desert, and Arizona is our normal escape path when the winter monster decides to settle in back home. But this year was different, a milestone birthday for Angela, and in her words “When I turn fifty I want to feel like I’m five!”

Being huge Harry Potter fans, there was really only one clear choice: we would head down to Universal Studios Orlando visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, ride the Hogwarts Express, and enjoy a Butterbeer in Hogsmead. More on the details of that part of the trip later (good god it was awesome). After a few days in the chaos of the amusement park, we would head down to Sanibel Island for a few days of beach time.

Diagon Alley at sunset. Just incredible!

Being a wine lover at an amusement park

Universal Orlando is quite an operation, competing with Disney World, and one of the draws they have created is an area called CityWalk.

If you’re craving Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville or Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, CityWalk is your place. Promo graphic from OrlandoInsider.

CityWalk is a compact, over the top, neon orgy, jammed-pack scene of restaurants, bars, and entertainment of all sorts. It sits directly across the (man-made) canal from the main entrances to the parks and thus is open to the public. Leave your car in the mega ramp, go through security, walk a block on the elevated pedestrian path, and you’re there.

It’s clear the restaurants are run by Universal Orlando, not as individual entities. Some restaurants are designed for this location alone (VIVO Italian Kitchen, the Chocolate Emporium, a ‘burger meets sushi’ concept called CowFish, and the “NBC Sports Cafe and Brew”) and others you have heard of before but the license, branding, and recipes come from the restaurant groups (Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Voodoo Doughnuts, the BK Whopper Experience, etc.). This is much like the restaurants at the MSP airport, where the airport and their food service company lease the name and branding and food of Smack Shack, Red Cow, Black Sheep Pizza, etc.. If you’ve ever eaten at the airport and wondered why the food isn’t as good as it should be, that is why.

The goal of CityWalk is popularity and profitability (I’m all for both), and if a restaurant doesn’t meet their numbers then out they go. Just like at MSP.

The food at all the restaurants in CityWalk can be summed up as such: calories to replace those you burnt during the day, in the shape of various flavors that will not offend anyone.

So it’s a tourist hotspot, obviously. So what about the wine?

When you’re in a place like this, it’s hard to be a wine lover. Wine lists here are built to last and be very profitable, which means larger brands that will not run out of stock, and brands that are known to the average wine drinker. 

Hopping from restaurant to restaurant it’s clear that some particular national wine brands have done a good job at selling their wares to the decision-makers (unlike a standard restaurant-wholesale sales rep relationship, places like this tend to work directly with the wineries or wine groups on the ‘national program’ and skip over the wholesale sales rep commission, thus carving about 5-8% out of the cost of the wine. This is a common arrangement with higher-end national restaurant chains too, such as Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. The wholesaler still delivers the wine, but there is little or no ‘meeting with the rep’ to taste what’s new). 

So if you’re into Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc or Murphy-Goode Merlot you’re in luck. 

The prices are pretty standard. $9-15 a glass for most wines is the range like it is at most places, but the quality level is just a step lower.  I was happy to see Cline Zinfandel commonly available, so I helped deplete quite a few glasses of that.

Part of the problem for wine lovers in a situation like this is that the profitability and revenue expectations of the restaurant ensure a low-quality wine program even when there’s a high-quality cocktail or beer program. Let me explain.

Most cocktails get served at an 8-14% cost. That $10 cocktail you ordered, which is made with top-quality ingredients, by hand, right in front of you (up the theatrical value) probably has $1.40 built into it. The happy hour cocktail for $6 that you slam a few of? Maybe fifty cents cost, not including the ice.

Beer is cheap for the restaurant and a moneymaker when served by the pint. Figure anywhere from seventy-five cents to two dollars cost, for a drink that will sell for $5 -$10. From the why-not-just-drink-water Coors Light to the local craft brew, there is something for everyone, and the cost percentages range from 10% to 20%. And beer drinkers tend to not stop with one beer.

Angela of house Ravenclaw, in Diagon Alley.

Then there’s us. The wine drinker.

We tend to nurse a glass. Enjoy one, maybe two. And maybe over the course of a couple of hours.

Wine is perishable, unlike beer in a keg or in a bottle, and unlike sprits on a shelf. Once it’s opened the restaurant has a few days to pour it off or dump it out.

Wine is confusing for consumers and even more so for the young server. Unemployment rates are at an all-time low, and thus it’s nearly impossible to find and train good service staff at restaurants (and even harder to have reliable workers in the kitchen, where they make a quarter of what a server does). Thus, easier to have big brands that the management think will sell themselves.

Then you have the big brands, pushing their big deals for the big park. Better pricing, secured placements, guaranteed availability. Lower costs per glass = more profitability. The customers will order a $10 glass of wine, so why pour one with $2.50 cost built-in? Why not use this one and get it down to $1.80?

And wine doesn’t make as much money as cocktails or beer. As much as we gripe about the cost of wines at restaurants (where a glass often covers the cost of the bottle, i.e. a 25% cost if you pour 6oz glasses or four to a bottle) it pales in comparison to cocktails or beer. But cocktails are impossible to price out quickly in your head, and beer is cheap enough that nobody really cares.

So us wine lovers have a problem.

You end up with a wine list that is safe, predictable, and devoid of personality. But it sells, because wine drinkers like to drink wine, and seeing the sales numbers reinforces to the powers that created the list that they are doing the right thing. You see this in full force at TGI Fridays, Chili’s, and Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. You see the silent hand of this effect locally at the likes of Crave and other restaurants. Even some of our reliable and awesome local restaurants bite at this poison apple.

And this leads to the crux of this essay: what is a wine lover to do in a situation like this?

There is no ‘hunting for the bargain’ because there is no bargain to be had.

There is no ‘ask the somm for a suggestion’ because there is no somm and the staff has not been trained in on wine.

In this situation, there are three options, all viable.

1) Hunt the wines by the bottle, knowing that you may find some bigger bang for the buck as long as you’re willing to enjoy 750ml of the stuff.

2) Have the commercially produced big-name wine by the glass and don’t try to have a ‘wine moment’ with it. Instead, have a ‘drinking fermented grape juice without thinking about it’ moment.

3) Have a cocktail. 

Back to Diagon Alley

If you are into creativity, if you are into theater, if you are into immersive experiences such as a Renaissance Fair, and obviously if you are into Harry Potter, you must get to Orlando and visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and specifically Diagon Alley.

It’s beyond magical. It’s fully immersive. It’s jaw-dropping. And it’s so inspiring, knowing that all of this came out of the brain of JK Rowling. 

Like three excited little kids we zoomed to Olivander’s Wand Shop as our first stop in order to, you guessed it, pick out our hardware for a week of casting spells and charms and making magic happen. 

Inside Olivander’s Wand Shop

Olivander’s is worth the price of admission alone, and far more impressive than videos you’ll see on YouTube can portray it, which means you jump over an already high bar. Without taking up an hour talking about all the details let me leave it at this: at Olivander’s, like in the rest of Diagon Alley, each and every single little minutia of detail has been thought out. 

The boxes are piled high. The immersion into the magical world is real. The sounds of joy and excitement are in the air. You carefully choose from all the different wands, packaged in amazing boxes with the Olivander’s logo on them. So many to choose from! Do you pick by type of wood, or by a character from the books? Personally, I was drawn to the ‘vine’ wand for obvious reasons.

After you buy your wand, assuming it’s one of the ‘interactive’ wands, you get to wander Diagon Alley and make magic happen. Find the right spot, wave the wand in the right way, and wonderful things occur in the storefronts on with the water fountains. It’s fantastic.

It’s magic.

I only wish my wand could make a shitty glass of wine taste better. VINO MELIOREM!

Alas, time for another cocktail.

I can’t state this with enough conviction: if you’re a fan of Harry Potter, put Diagon Alley at Universal Orlando on your shortlist. It will change your life!

The post Vino MELIOREM! (grab your wand) appeared first on Twin Cities Wine Education.

I had not been on a plane since the pandemic began, so I couldn’t pass up an offer from Southwest Airlines that I learned about through Thrifty Traveler: register for the promotion, take one round trip flight this season, and earn unlimited two-for-one status for travel this January and February.

(For those that don’t know about Thrifty Traveler, it’s founded by our friends Jared and Erika, and is a must-subscribe service for anyone who loves to travel. Sign up here.)

So I bought a round trip ticket to Chicago just to earn the promotion. My original booking was first flight out of MSP at 6:25am, land at Midway, maybe have time for a bathroom break, and take the next flight home back to MSP, landing at 11am, just in time for brunch with the family.

Then I started to see the weather reports, predicting a PERFECT day in Chicago. Being Southwest Airlines, they allow free ticket changes for everyone (which, along with two free checked bags, makes them awesome). So I changed the ticket and mapped out a whole day in the Windy City.

Here I’ll step you through my entire solo day in Chicago, Sunday October 17th 2021, through photos and stories, including wines consumed (and the best wine by the glass bargain I’ve ever found), food devoured, and total amount spent. Here we go!

OFF TO THE AIRPORT! It’s 4:45am, and I have barely slept because I always fear missing an early morning flight. I’m also one of those people that like to show up super early at the airport, not worry about anything, and enjoy some food and drink. So I’m already running on fumes.

BREAKFAST AT BARRIO in Terminal Two. The breakfast sandwich at Barrio is one of my favorite ways to start a day. It’s a delicious and absolutely perfect sandwich. The coffee was hot and strong. Awesome way to begin. $16.73.

ON THE PLANE! My first plane ride since January 2019. Full flight, early morning, quiet, and kinda weird feeling packed in with all these fellow travelers. My Covid anxiety started to go up, but I fell asleep pretty quick so that solved that.

ON THE TRAIN! I love flying into Midway and taking the Orange Line into town. We did this regularly when Spencer was going to school there. There’s a special deal right now for an all day CTA pass for trains and buses for only $5.00. Check!

INTO CHICAGO, AT THE ROOSEVELT TRAIN STOP, which is a main connecting hub for the other trains. This is also the neighborhood that Spencer lived in during college, so it was good to be back. I headed downstairs to the Red Line (subway) to go south into Chinatown.

8:30 AM. CHINATOWN! Not as big and busy as Chinatown in San Francisco, but still a wonderfully tight community and a fun morning walk. The goal was Dim Sum at Three Happiness, an insider’s secret 24 hour Dim Sum institution in Chicagoland.

Alas, Three Happiness was not open. Nor was most of Chinatown. By then it was 9:10 in the morning and most Dim Sum places don’t open until 10 or 10:30.

But I knew a secret!

IMPERIAL is a wonderful restaurant on the second floor of the Chinatown marketplace. It’s a little hard to find, but is a favorite of locals. What’s nice here is they don’t have Dim Sum steam carts, but rather everything is made ala carte to order. After breakfast at Barrio, and knowing I had a big day ahead, I only ordered a couple of items.

BBQ Pork Rice and Crepe Roll, plus a delicious order of Shrimp and Corn Dumplings. Total cost with tip: $13.42.

Back into the city and wandering around: the Bears were playing the Packers at noon at Soldier Field, so the fans were out and the tailgating was starting! Cornhole, beer, and music all around.

I found a nearby Peet’s Coffee and Tea for a few hours of work on the laptop.

From the Printer’s Row/South Downtown area I walked all the way up Michigan Avenue to see the sights. I love the Chicago Institute of Arts so much, but time was limited.

During the whole day the only transportation I took was the train from the airport to the city, and the quick jaunt down to Chinatown. Otherwise, it was all on foot and bike, at least ten miles or so. My feet are so sore!

Destination: Al’s #1 Italian Beef! Even after years of going to Chicago multiple times a year when Spencer lived there, I never made it to Al’s. Time to solve that problem.

I ordered it classic “Hot Beef, wet” meaning spicy peppers and the bun is dipped into the au jus before building the sandwich. This makes for great flavor but you have all of three or four minutes to eat it before it falls apart completely. Man, this was good! The French fries at Al’s #1 were equally fantastic, the best I’ve had since the State Fair.

POPS FOR CHAMPAGNE is still cranking, but I’ve always found them horribly expensive. Plus after the Hot Italian Beef I didn’t want to be burping all afternoon, so I kept walking.

TIME FOR EATALY! And also time for me to tell you what feels different there.

As many of you know, Eataly is one of my favorite destinations. It’s heaven for the lover of Italian wines and food. The marketplace along with all the restaurants have been consistently incredible, but this was the first time I’ve been back since the pandemic hit.

Things have changed at Eataly, as expected. You can see the impact of the labor shortage, and they have rearranged things quite a bit. The seafood and meat centered restaurants are not open, nor is the Birra beer garden. They are not serving wine by the glass in the wine shop area. Most of the restaurant area is now just the Pizza and Pasta concept, but strangely they don’t have the eat-at-the-bar area open.

And overall, things just felt kinda chaotic and messy. Bits of food on the floors. Abandoned glasses and cups around the space. Shelves not organized. Don’t get me wrong, I still had a blast, and it’s still a must-go destination, but it’s just different.

So I went downstairs to near the Gelateria to have a quick glass of wine, my first of the day.

That’s what a $15 “glass” of Gavi di Gavi looks like at Eataly.

My guess is that it’s about four ounces, maybe even three and half. The person at the counter poured it into a plastic cup even though she had stemware right in front of her. “Can I have it in a glass?”

“No, we’re using cups now.”

“But other people have stemware, they are walking around with it. Like that person,” as I pointed out someone three feet away.

“Oh they got that upstairs. We’re not doing stemware down here.”

Okay, whatever.

The downstairs area between the pasta station, the coffee station, and the gelato was PACKED. Chicago is enforcing mask wearing in all indoor spaces including restaurants (no admittance without a mask on), but masks are not required when eating and drinking, which is what EVERYONE was of course doing there.

So my covid anxiety kicked in, and I was mad about the price of a tiny cup of wine, so I drank it quick and got out of there after buying some pasta to take home for Spencer.

Time to walk it off. Time to head to a good wine bar.

Oh no!!! What happened to The Purple Pig wine bar! It’s now a Chik-Fil-A … what the hell is the world coming to?

My frustrations with Eataly were still simmering when I came across what used to be the location of one of the top wine bars in America. Cue the sad face.

Then I walked twenty steps further down the sidewalk …

Do I read that right?

The Purple Pig moved to new digs just across the way from the old location. They did this in December 2019, just ahead of covid hitting the US. The new location is laid out quite similar to the old, and as far as I can tell it’s the same tables, bar, and wall decorations. The main thing is a bit more elbow room (you couldn’t get tighter packed than you did at the old location), and a much larger kitchen. The energy is still the same, with the music blasting, and good (rich and filling) food being served.

I was still trying to sweat out my Hot Italian Beef sandwich, so I opted for a glass of wine. A nice white from Portugal. Look, it even came in a glass! How fancy!

If you take your cell phone camera out and scan this image, you’ll see their current wine list and menu.

Time to walk (and ride) off some of the day’s food and drink! I hoofed it to the Riverwalk, then sauntered in perfect weather to the lake.

By that time I my feet were screaming at me, so I picked up a Divvy Bike for a few miles.

It was a BEAUTIFUL day in the city, with loads of people out and about. The Grant Park area in particular was amazing at sunset, and I enjoyed about an hour of watching the kids at the skateboard park. My flight out was at 9:30pm, and I wasn’t opposed to getting to the airport early and just whipping out the laptop to work a bit, but why pass up time in Chicago?

Plus, I was feeling a bit stung by the costs of things at Eataly and Purple Pig. Maybe I’m just jaded after 18 months of not eating out, but the prices just kinda shocked me. Combined with the crowds, I was just not feeling what I wanted to from this trip.

I wanted one more stop. Maybe a bit more food.

Then I walked into one of my best travel wine moments … ever.

Aureilo’s Pizzeria is just off the corner of Roosevelt and Michigan Avenue, right where I happened to find myself after a couple hours at Grant Park and before hopping on the Orange Line back to the airport.

I wasn’t feeling like thick Chicago-style pizza (not after that afternoon sandwich!), but these guys offer a great thin crust and well as a “Lil” size six inch pie. Perfect.

Even better, the three people across the bar from me were WAY DRUNK. Just crazy shitfaced, laughing and swearing and being told by the bartenders and managers to keep it down. I love a good drunk show. Man they were loud! I should have shot a video but I was afraid they’d see me.

And then …

I’ve always said there is a bargain on every wine list. Sometimes “bargain” means an off the radar wine that simply delivers more than others. And other times “bargain” means BARGAIN.

Look at this. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc for $11 a glass. Coppola Claret for $11 a glass. Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio for $12 a glass. And Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon for TEN DOLLARS A GLASS!!!!

What the hell?

I looked at the rack and there is was, so I ordered it.

Opening a fresh bottle for me!

So what’s going on here? How in the world are they pouring a $60+ (retail) Cabernet for $10 a glass? Most steakhouses in Chicago charge well over $100 for this wine.

Who knows. I don’t know if they have mis-priced it, or if the fact that Duckhorn is now publicly traded and only works with mega-distributors that will do whatever it takes to show depletions (sales) has anything to do with it, but I’ll take it.

To the tune of three glasses while I watched a football game and the drunk people.

Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon with a Miller Lite coaster. This picture says it all.

And the pizza was awesome. Total bill with a generous tip: $48.12.

One final stop at a favorite donut shop, Stan’s, to have dessert. $2.46 for a glazed donut.

Mmmmmm … donuts.

Back on the Roosevelt stop for the Orange Line to head back to the airport.

Arrival back at MSP Terminal Two. Exhaustion was just starting to really set in.

And back in the car just after 11pm.

What a day!

WHAT MY ONE DAY CHICAGO ADVENTURE COST

Southwest Airlines, MSP to MID round trip: $114.72
Breakfast at Barrio in Terminal Two: $16.73
CTA one day pass for trains and buses: $5.00
Dim Sum at Imperial: $13.42
Tea at Peet’s Coffee, with tip: $4.00
Al’s #1 Italian Beef sandwich with fries: $14.35
Eataly, one tiny little plastic cup of wine: $16.77
Purple Pig, one glass of Portuguese white: $16.53
Divvy Bike rental: $3.80
Aurelio’s Pizza Chicago, with small pizza and three glasses of Duckhorn Cab: $48.12
Stan’s Donuts: $2.46
One beer at Midway Airport before flying home: $13.00 (yikes, don’t buy beer at airports!)
MSP one day parking: $19.00

GRAND TOTAL: $287.90

Plus, now I have two-for-one Southwest Airlines flights during January and February. Florida, Arizona, California, and maybe Hawaii, here we come!!

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