Celebrate June With Some Great Wine & Spirits!

June is bustin’ out all over! There are so many great things going on throughout Minnesota the next couple of weeks that I don’t even know where to begin. We CAN tell you that just about everything calls for celebration and a visit to 1010 Washington Wine & Spirits in downtown Minneapolis …to make sure that you are properly hydrated as well as in a mellow good mood.

The league leading Minnesota Twins are in town for a nine game homestand. Just being able to say ”league leading” at this juncture of the season calls for a celebratory cocktail or glass of champagne (only if you don’t believe in jinxing the team, of course.)

Tomorrow is Flag Day, so you might think about a red, white and blue themed barbecue or picnic.

Sunday kicks off Pride Week in the Twin Cities. There is a “Family Fun Day” in St. Paul this Sunday, and of course, the BIG parade in Minneapolis next Sunday. The whole week is a celebration of….how far we have all come, and giving thanks that we finally have!

Speaking of liberation, Wednesday June 19th is “Juneteenth”…the traditional celebration of Black Liberation in America. We are, coincidentally, hosting a terrific tasting of the wines of La Rioja Alta. OK, OK…they don’t have much to do with each other, except for timing.

If, however, you are interested in tasting and learning more about some of the best wines in the World (not just Spain), then you will want to contact us either at info@1010wws.com or by phone at (612)339-4040 to make your reservation for this event. As usual, the tasting begins at 6:30 PM and the cost of a ticket is $25.00, which we will refund against any purchase of La Rioja Alta wines you might make at the tasting.

We are planning on breaking with habit regarding Sunday tastings at the store. Sunday, July 14th is the 230th Anniversary of the storming of the Bastille and the beginning of the French Revolution. Bastille Day is to France what July 4th is to Americans. The French commitment to wines of quality is well more than 230 years old. For a variety of reasons, the French example is the standard by which so many wines are judged even today. In the spirit of French independence from monarchy and in honor of the quality of French wines, we thought we would do a Bastille Day tasting, from 2:00 to 4:30.

The problem with doing a tasting in honor of France is that....well...we limit our tastings to six wines. We have to include a Champagne, so we picked Laurent-Perrier La Cuvee. We include Chateau Latour-Martillac Blanc because we think White Bordeaux wines are under appreciated. Chateau LaRose Trintaudon Haut-Medoc because it has always been a Bordeaux favorite. Gerard Bertrand Cigalus Blanc because the South of France produces so much wine...and this one is stunning. We thought the Domaine Rene LeClerc Bourgogne Rouge was terrific...and affordable. Last but not least, we would never have heard the end of it from my daughter Ann if we had not included Fleurs de Prairie Rose'.

We apologize for not including so many wines from so many important regions....but that is France....and that is why we love its wines!