Solo Vino Hosts German-Austrian Wine Event

There was a time in the not too distant past when pink wine was the subject of scorn among wine elitists. Slowly, with great care, that reputation has changed. Locally, part of the image rehab credit must be given to Chuck Kanski, the owner of Solo Vino and the man who throws the yearly bash celebrating the pink stuff. It has become a rite of spring to gather on a Sunday in mid-May under a massive tent in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood and sample hundreds of bottles of rosé. Kanski has been passionate about sharing the love and knowledge of the nuances of these wines with an enthusiasm usually reserved for the tent revivals.

Kanski has set his sights on sharing his latest passion: the wines of Austria and Germany. "I'm hoping for this to be the fall answer to the rosé tent tasting," he said.

He went on to explain why he wants to focus on wines from this region. "I feel that rieslings from Germany are misunderstood. Most believe that they are all sweet and the facts are that they cover the full spectrum of dry, oft dry and strength of fruit. When it comes to Austria, the mystery is understanding Gruner Veltliner. This grape is amazing! Nothing else on the planet tastes like Gruner."

On Sunday October 19 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the St. Paul Athletic Club attendees will be showered with samples of hand selected wines of the region. On hand will be over 100 wines for the sampling. Tickets are $35 and available here.