All the MN Connections in one digital flip book

Posted on September 4, 2017 by Nicholas Livingston

We’re your Minnesota team!

For over thirty years we have sold wine to the most discerning restaurants and wine retailers in our state, maintaining local family-ownership since our founding in 1985.

Based in St. Paul, MN, we are never far away and always there when you need us.

We also feature a number of wineries with Minnesota roots well worth sussing out and sipping whenever you can.

To share more about all that sets these wineries apart, we ran a blog series on MN Connections and have compiled all of those here into a nifty flip book.

Have a click and flip through some local pride . . .

Want Some Tots?

Posted on September 4, 2017 by Nicholas Livingston

I am so hungry I could eat a horse!
Whoa there! We get it -especially around the time of the Minnesota State Fair when there is every sort of bucket and bag and thing-on-a-stick. Food pairing on the fair grounds is often limited to whatever is nearby and cold but if we had it our way, most fried foods would wind up with champagne, while sweeter foods would sing with off-dry whites or chilled tawny ports. What though for all the other MN State Fare?

Minnesota is not only the land of sky-blue waters, but also home to some notable and delectably distinct traditional foods. In addition to your cooler full of Hamm’s beer and pop (that’s soda to some of you), here are a few wine pairing ideas to get your potlucks rolling.

Tater Tot Hotdish hollers for Chardonnay
Booyah beckons for Gamay
Cheese curds call for Carignan
Jucy Lucies jam with Zinfandel
Lefse likes Chenin Blanc
Krumkake calls for Riesling
Wild Rice wants Pinot Noir
Bundt Cake beckons for the Demi-Secs
Venison fancies Nebbiolo
Jello Salad jams with Moscato
Walleye wants crisp whites
Spam sure likes Pinot Blanc
Lutefisk loves Pouilly Fumé & Grüner Veltliner
Bars are ballin’ with fortified wine
Hmong Food marries well with fragrant, off dry whites
Fresh pheasant favors aged Pinot Noir
Our favorite: potato chips charm with Champagne -which also goes well with anything-on-a-stick for you MN State Fair goers!

MN Connection: Weinbau Paetra

Posted on September 3, 2017 by Nicholas Livingston

Weinbau Paetra | Willamette Valley, Oregon

THE CONNECTION:
Raised in Saint Paul proper, Bill Hooper graduated from Cretin Derham, developed a taste for wine and what followed was a rapid succession through the local wine trade. Bill worked at some of our finest bottle shops and then joined The Wine Company for a passionate tenure convincing restaurants and bottle shops to champion wines made by the people tending the greatest plots on earth. Soon his passion for wine and wanderlust uprooted his wife and kids to live in his bride’s native Germany so he could learn winemaking in the Pfalz. Once they returned stateside the Hooper family settled in Willamette Valley and Weinbau Paetra was born. Here Bill grows matchless Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir with an assiduity known only to the finest in Germany, Alsace, and Burgundy.

My goal is unabashedly to craft the very finest Riesling possible.”

THE PRACTICE:
During his time in the Pfalz, that stretch of the Haardt mountains that carry on from Alsace when they cross the border into Deutschland, Bill confirmed firsthand that the basis for all great wine is the soil from which it grows -but also a great deal of hard work. His days studying and apprenticing in Germany involved every sort of grueling task one could fit into a ten hour work day; from every kind of vineyard and cellar work, to wild Biodynamic preparations like scooping out a freshly decapitated bull head along a riverbank to fill it with oak bark in preparation for winter. Now that Bill is back in the USA, one might say Paetra produces wines using traditional European techniques on American soil to great effect.

THE WINES:
“As little as possible, as much as necessary.” Bill credits much of the final style as “determined not only by the weather, but also by the labor per-formed in the vineyard…It is my firm belief that the cellar is no place to mask bad farming. Over 90% of my time is spent in the vineyard and my acreage contracts stipulate that I can farm the vines. No matter which Riesling you prefer, I assure you that we have been uncompromising in our effort…I use the same traditional techniques here that I used in Germany both for farming and in the cellar. Though tried and true in Europe, many of these have never before been used in the western hemisphere. My goal is unabashedly to craft the very finest Riesling possible.”

THE OFFERINGS:
RIESLING | PINOT BLANC

MN Connection: O’Shaughnessy

Posted on September 2, 2017 by Nicholas Livingston

O’Shaughnessy | Napa Valley, California

THE CONNECTION:
Connoisseurs of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon know O’Shaughnessy as one of the great benchmarks but they might not know Betty O’Shaughnessy Woolls hails from Minnesota, having spent her childhood growing up in a rural farming community. After college, she raised a family while building a career in real estate investment and development in Minneapolis. Her entrepreneurial spirit and passion for food and wine inspired her to venture from her cooking school in Minneapolis to creating a winery in Napa Valley. In Napa, Betty fell in love with the beauty of the land, the vineyards, and the climate. In 1990, she landed in Oakville with a parcel of land, including vine-yards and a home site. Betty reconnect-ed with her deep-rooted appreciation of the soil and the bounties it brings.

In addition to the winery, Betty remains an active volunteer and philanthropist in the community.

THE PRACTICE:
Over the next few years, additional vineyards on Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder added to the source available for varieties of grapes. The new century brought a cave, grapes crushed into wine and a design for a winery structure. The project completed in time for the harvest of 2003. In addition to the winery, Betty remains an active volunteer and philanthropist in the community. In 2009, her community involvement expanded to include an exciting new role as Trustee for Napa’s Queen of the Valley Medical Center. Among the vines O’Shaughnessy has proven itself an estate winery unto itself, synonymous with its 120 acres of vineyards split between renowned terroir in Oakville, Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder.

THE WINES:
Over 18 years in the ground the vines on Howell Mountain have established deep roots. All the Bordeaux blending varieties are grown on several different root stocks and clones to optimize flavor: Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Malbec, Carmenère, Gros Verdot -even St. Macaire. Steep terraces on Mount Veeder cause those vines to struggle for nourishment and moisture producing clusters with small berries and intense flavors both powerful and elegant with the telltale lavender and violet tones that emanate from this property. Oakville spans 30 acres surrounding the home where they grow Old Wente Clone Char-donnay, 809 and 548 to provide the backbone of O’Shaugnessy’s complex, dramatic blend. These are American treasures worth treating yourself to when you encounter them because they are as rare as they are wonderful. O’Shaughnessy Napa Valley, California. In addition to the winery, Betty remains an active volunteer and philanthropist in the community.

THE OFFERINGS:

CHARDONNAY | CABERNET

MN Connection: Miner Wines

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Nicholas Livingston

Miner Wines | Napa Valley, California

THE CONNECTION:
Wineries spark romance -not only because winegrowing proves an enormous endeavor on one’s own but all the sweat and tears are more rewarding when a person has someone with which to share the fruits of their labor. After growing up in Minnesota, Emily Miner went to Santa Clara University and soon after was managing the tasting room at Oakville Ranch where she met Dave Miner. They fell in love and in 1998 Miner Family Winery was born. Marriage soon followed and before long they started a family. Miner wines rocketed to high acclaim. Riedel and Miner partner to showcase varietally specific stem-ware. Bon Appetite names Miner among the “Top Five” All-American wines and Wine & Spirits Magazine honors them as a Top 100 “Winery of the Year” They made it!

THE PRACTICE:
A dynamic family owned winery tucked into the eastern hills of the Oakville appellation, Miner rests right in the heart of Napa Valley. Defined first and fore-most by a sensational portfolio of wines, these wines consistently characterized by and committed to individualistic style and uncommon quality. In only a few short years, Miner identified, sought and secured a number of California’s finest vineyard sites to produce and showcase a wide array of varietal wines. Each wine is crafted in a style to encapsulate the distinctive elements and the indelible fingerprints of their respective vineyards. This combination of excellent vineyard sites along with passionate and thoughtful winemaking injects the necessary components for creating profoundly joyful wines.

REMEMBRANCE:
In 2011 Emily lost a four-year battle with lung cancer which Dave has said “she fought with dedication and conviction.” The diagnosis was a shock having never smoked cigarettes. Her loss shook all who knew her as she was one of the warmest people in a wine industry. In 2016, Miner released “Emily’s Cuvee” made in tribute to her and to continue the fight against cancer. 10% of all sales go to The V Foundation for Cancer Research. More than $1 million has since been raised in Emily’s name. “Throughout her fight, she lived by the mantra ‘Never Give Up’ and was a passionate spokes-person for cancer funding. A wonderful person inside and out and her spirit will live on in us as we continue to fight for a cure.” Please visit The V Foundation at www.jimmyv.org.

Never Give Up.

MN Connection: Lang & Reed

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Nicholas Livingston

Lang & Reed | Napa Valley, California

THE CONNECTION:
From serving as President at Auction Napa Valley or all the time he spent at Inglenook, Caymus, and Clos Du Val, you might assume John Skupny a son of the Sunshine State but we at The Wine Company like to think Minnesota taught him all he knows. Growing up in Golden Valley, John spent his formative years on the ice playing hockey for Edina East when we were the home of the North Stars! Since 1996, John and Tracey Skupny have owned and operated Lang & Reed in St. Helena with their sons Reed and Jerzy and daughter Alex. Since realizing the potential of Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc as varieties that can stand on their own, Lang & Reed has proven what a pleasure these can be.

THE PRACTICE:
As Lang & Reed near their 40-year mark in the wine industry, they have come to view winemaking as the intersection of art and science, with the end results aimed high at bringing pleasure. To achieve this, the Skupnys work with simpatico grape growers who collaborate with them plant the appropriate clones to their given soil types. Lang & Reed even adjust the growing techniques so the fruit develops as they like it and all comes together to bring out the most desirable attributes in each varietal wine they craft. With this exacting attention to farming, the concept of terroir can manifest in a wine. The fermentation and aging techniques that they employ produce wines of substance and structure with correct varietal expression.

Since realizing the potential of Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc as varieties that can stand on their own, Lang & Reed has proven what a pleasure these can be.

THE WINES:
Over the years, Lang & Reed has worked closely with half a dozen vineyards to insure they harvest the finest ripe and balanced fruit. These vineyards stretch across the North Coast of California, with an emphasis on Napa Valley, Alexander Valley and Lake County. Early on they set out to present a wine that was “true to type”, a varietal wine that showed ‘typicity’ – boldly saying “Cabernet Franc” Over two decades they have sussed out just the vines they need -even sourcing from specific rows in vineyards that cover a diverse array of growing conditions, most recently vineyards north of Napa Valley in the hills of Lake County. Expanding their search to Mendocino, Lang & Reed continue to apply this same exacting criterion for varietal expression in their Chenin Blanc.

THE OFFERINGS:
CABERNET FRANC | CHENIN BLANC | CABERNET FRANC 19.5 LITER KEGS

MN Connection: Alexis Bailly

Posted on August 24, 2017 by Nicholas Livingston

Alexis Bailly,
Hastings, Minnesota

THE CONNECTION:
Minnesota’s original winery, Alexis Bailly Vineyards has been growing cold hardy grapes in Hastings since 1973 when David Bailly planted the first vineyard in Minnesota in that pioneering spirit that marks our northern lot. The tasting room opened in 1978 with the celebratory release of the first wines ever produced commercially of 100% Minnesota grown grapes. Today, Nan Bailly represents the second generation of the family and continues this proud heritage of making wines in the world’s most difficult climate – “Where the grapes can suffer.” After years tending vineyards that many believed would surely fail, Alexis Bailly not only proved the wines can be delicious but that cool climate grape varieties are as hardy as the people who settled the North Star State.

Alexis Bailly not only proved the wines can be delicious, but that cool climate grape varieties are as hardy as the people who settled the North Star State.

THE PRACTICE:
From this once-unlikely grape growing location in the Hiawatha Valley of the Upper Mississippi come the nationally acclaimed wines of Alexis Bailly Vineyard. Bucking the conventional thinking that no wine grape could withstand Minnesota winters, Minneapolis attorney David A. Bailly bought a 20-acre field of winter rye in Hastings in 1973 and planted it with French grapes. He took to heart the French philosophy that vines under stress produce the best fruit. What better way to stress them than our winters?

THE WINES:
His passion and his palate for fine wine meant he would not be content to just produce a wine from Minnesota, it had to be a Minnesota wine of exceptional quality. Grape varieties, therefore, were chosen not for their hardiness, but for their flavor and the superiority of the wine they produce. To survive sub-zero temperatures each vine had to be buried in the ground at the end of the season. Backbreaking work that it is, it nonetheless made his job as a winemaker easier by providing him with the quality grapes he sought. In 1978, Bailly opened the doors to the winery he designed and constructed from Minnesota limestone and white knotty pine. It also marked the release of Alexis Bailly Vineyard’s first vintage, 1977, produced exclusively from Minnesota-grown grapes. David Bailly died in 1990. His daughter, Nan, continues his legacy as the master winemaker, producing wines that have won over 45 national awards.

Introducing MN Connections

Posted on August 23, 2017 by Nicholas Livingston

Your homegrown fine wine distributor and importer serving the state of Minnesota since 1985, The Wine Company is Minnesota born and raised proud to spit so you don’t have to.

While Minnesota Nice might keep us from boasting day in day out, we have a great deal to be proud of in the land of 10,000 Lakes. Minnesota is not only home to the headwaters of the Mighty Mississippi but Wheaties, Aveda, the Juicy Lucy, Scotch Tape, Bisquick, Post It Notes, HMOs, the stapler, the armored car, the Better Business Bureau, the skyway, the shopping mall, the Bundt Pan, the pop-up toaster, Rollerblades, the snowmobile, Spam, rice cakes, and Snickers among countless other candy bars… Minnesota is an innovative hotbed of all sorts!

We hosted the first open heart surgery and the first bone marrow transplant. Minnesota is even the Birthplace of Waterskiing which should not come as a surprise when one in six of us own a boat and Minnesota has 90,000 miles of shoreline –more than California, Florida and Hawaii combined. It is a special place indeed…but did you know that we also gave the world several accomplished wine folk involved in some of the best juice that belongs on your table?

Join us over the coming blog posts where we will highlight but a few of our favorite MN ties to wines worthy of your cellar. So don’t be a goose –it is Duck Duck Gray Duck after all; be nice and learn more about what connections make us Minnesotans so special on the wine front.