WINE 101: HOW TO TASTE & TALK ABOUT WINE

The first session introduces the fundamentals in a relaxed, approachable way. We’ll taste four wines with snacks from the kitchen, using them to explore how to approach a glass with intention, notice what you taste, and describe it naturally. Along the way, you’ll learn the main styles of red, white, and sparkling and gain simple tools for pairing wine with food.

By the end of the class, you’ll walk away with confidence tasting and describing wine, practical strategies for navigating a wine list, and a sense of curiosity and enjoyment rather than rules or pressure.

Aidan Dillon is a multi-disciplinary artist living in Minneapolis with a background in urban planning and design. Aidan’s primary medium is large scale paintings that are influenced by his former studies, including using current and historic Sanborn maps and aerial photography. His other mediums include furniture, graphic design, and co-hosting @nomsupperclub.

Aidan’s passion for music began at a young age with his involvement in local DIY scenes, including playing for Chicago indie sweethearts Friko. He has since been an avid collector of LPs, tapes, and CDs.

We talk about the Loire Valley as one large region, but since it contains 87 appellations, breaking it up into five relatively distinct areas creates more clarity. Not just in style and grape variety, but context for the rich history of the region. This is why we’re breaking this Wine School topic into two months. In the first we’ll learn about and taste the wines of the Pay Nantais and Anjou-Saumur (think Muscadet and Vouvray) and next month, Touraine and the Central Vineyards (the famous Chinon and Sancerre).

Once we have these broad strokes, the fun of becoming familiar with the producers and styles that don’t fit the mold begins. In familiarizing ourselves with the new, the old is never far behind, with many of the most exciting producers of the Loire focusing on varieties with a long history in the region and traditional winemaking. If you love a lecture style class with lots of information and maps (!), this one is definitely for you.

This one is near and dear to our hearts. If you’ve been to Small Hours, you’ve likely enjoyed a wine from Croatia or Hungary, and there’s a very good chance it was imported by one of our favorite importers, Danch and Granger.

Danch and Granger focuses on wines from Hungary and its neighboring countries, including Sarina’s birthplace, Croatia. They emphasize organic farming, native grapes, and low-intervention winemaking—values we deeply believe in.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to taste a flight of these incredible wines with Brian Stapleton of Danch and Granger. He’ll be here to share first-hand accounts of the regions, grapes, and producers behind the bottles.

Join us this Thursday from 5–8 PM!

Dave King is a world renowned drummer from right here in the Twin Cities. He is a founding member of the Bad Plus, Happy Apple, and Halloween, Alaska- all of which get a lot of time on the turntables at Small Hours. He’s played with about all the living great jazz legends and his collection runs deep while his knowledge even deeper, and we are very excited to welcome him into Small Hours to share a bit of both.

We talk about the Loire Valley as one large region, but since it contains 87 appellations, breaking it up into five relatively distinct areas creates more clarity. Not just in style and grape variety, but context for the rich history of the region. This is why we’re breaking this Wine School topic into two months. In the first we’ll learn about and taste the wines of the Pay Nantais and Anjou-Saumur (think Muscadet and Vouvray) and next month, Touraine and the Central Vineyards (the famous Chinon and Sancerre).

Once we have these broad strokes, the fun of becoming familiar with the producers and styles that don’t fit the mold begins. In familiarizing ourselves with the new, the old is never far behind, with many of the most exciting producers of the Loire focusing on varieties with a long history in the region and traditional winemaking. If you love a lecture style class with lots of information and maps (!), this one is definitely for you.

Tati is a local visual artist and the host of NTS Radio's "Cosmic Peekaboo" program, a monthly affair of eclectic mid-century music and soft-spoken commentary. She'll be bringing records, some previously spun on the broadcast, from her personal collection.

https://www.nts.live/shows/cosmic-peekaboo

With a calm and collected attitude, Jamie Larson aka Elysium Alps has a knack for keeping the floor's attention at any time of day. He's a consistent provider of warm, mysterious grooves and eclectic bliss.

We talk about the Loire Valley as one large region, but since it contains 87 appellations, breaking it up into five relatively distinct areas creates more clarity. Not just in style and grape variety, but context for the rich history of the region. This is why we’re breaking this Wine School topic into two months. In the first we’ll learn about and taste the wines of the Pay Nantais and Anjou-Saumur (think Muscadet and Vouvray) and next month, Touraine and the Central Vineyards (the famous Chinon and Sancerre).

Once we have these broad strokes, the fun of becoming familiar with the producers and styles that don’t fit the mold begins. In familiarizing ourselves with the new, the old is never far behind, with many of the most exciting producers of the Loire focusing on varieties with a long history in the region and traditional winemaking. If you love a lecture style class with lots of information and maps (!), this one is definitely for you.

On paper, Sam Grawe has a storied career in the design industry, with roles that include Editor-in-Chief of Dwell magazine, leading brand at Herman Miller, launching the Eames Institute, authoring multiple books for Nike, and now heading up creative at Blu Dot. Lesser known are his musical endeavors, which include multiple releases and remixes as Hatchback (Lo Recordings, Be With) and Windsurf. At an early age, Walkman in hand and headphones on, Sam recognized how music could elevate a moment or add an emotional layer to whatever scene was unfolding. An encounter with a classmate’s portable synthesizer opened the possibility of creating his own sounds and soundtracks. As long as he’s been making music, he’s also been collecting it—with tapes, CDs, and LPs of nearly every imaginable genre filling the shelves of his Bay Area home. He loves a side-long suite, never forgets to check the new age bins, claims George as his favorite Beatle, and always reads the liner notes.

We talk about the Loire Valley as one large region, but since it contains 87 appellations, breaking it up into five relatively distinct areas creates more clarity. Not just in style and grape variety, but context for the rich history of the region. This is why we’re breaking this Wine School topic into two months. In the first we’ll learn about and taste the wines of the Pay Nantais and Anjou-Saumur (think Muscadet and Vouvray) and next month, Touraine and the Central Vineyards (the famous Chinon and Sancerre).

Once we have these broad strokes, the fun of becoming familiar with the producers and styles that don’t fit the mold begins. In familiarizing ourselves with the new, the old is never far behind, with many of the most exciting producers of the Loire focusing on varieties with a long history in the region and traditional winemaking. If you love a lecture style class with lots of information and maps (!), this one is definitely for you.

Shehrzad is an engineer and DJ from Minnesota. She is one half of Extra Pulp, a Mixcloud radio show born out of a love of music discovery and art. Her journey through music curation and vinyl DJing was inspired by the 80's goth dance scene in New York where she learned DJs don't have to be limited to electronic music. She loves to capture the essence of that scene by featuring synthpop, new wave, industrial and italo disco, while also weaving in house music with moody basslines and blending genres across countries and eras.

Whether you're hosting a dinner party, ordering at a restaurant, or just trying not to ruin your palate, knowing how to pair wine with food is an invaluable skill. So why do we treat it like a magic trick?

The truth is, pairing wine and food isn’t just about preference. It’s chemistry, balance, and understanding why some combinations work and others simply don’t.

This class is for anyone who’s ever been told wine pairing is too subjective to teach. It isn’t. There are real, reliable rules, and in this hands-on session, you’ll learn them. With a curated plate of ingredients and a flight of six wines, we’ll taste through the pairings that work, the ones that don’t, and the reasons behind both. The goal isn’t to gatekeep. It’s to empower you with knowledge so you can pair with purpose, not guesswork.

This class includes a flight of 6 wines and pairings from our kitchen. We lean into a conversational tone though the class has been described as “information-packed”.

More information and tickets

Matt is a Minneapolis-based DJ, producer, and artist. As a promoter, he has curated and hosted a number of local events including Drum Club, Ambien, and his latest project, Discotheque. His DJ journey began behind the decks as a radio host at KVSC, where he was first exposed to a wide spectrum of electronic and dance music. In both his art and DJ practice, Matt is drawn to a dreamy, sci-fi aesthetic—an atmosphere that feels raw, otherworldly, yet grounded. Often Djing under the alias M.Yaeger, he is known for weaving together underground techno, mutant house, experimental, minimal synth, and synth pop. His selections are often driven by emotional tones and attitude that create drama and driving energy which is diverse yet focused. 

Nom Supper Club is an intimate dining series that takes place monthly in Seward, Minneapolis hosted by Jaide Truskolaski and Aidan Dillon. Gatherings are hosted once to twice a month, each with 6-10 guests who share four vegetable forward pre fixe courses that promote locality, seasonality, and farming. Nom embraces intentional, present conversation through slow and thoughtful dining with strangers and friends.

Join us as Nom and Small Hours join forces for one night only! Nom will be serving the best of the season in the form of an a la carte dinner menu (their first time ever) while Small Hours provides wines to pair and share. Tickets include a welcome drink and shared snack - *hint hint, yuzu chili marinated olives (vegan).

The Nom menu will feature all vegetable forward dishes that promote local seasonal market produce and purveyors. Think fresh breads, summer produce, and garden herbs. The evening will unfold in two seatings and tickets are available for tables of 2 and 4.

Whether you're hosting a dinner party, ordering at a restaurant, or just trying not to ruin your palate, knowing how to pair wine with food is an invaluable skill. So why do we treat it like a magic trick?

The truth is, pairing wine and food isn’t just about preference. It’s chemistry, balance, and understanding why some combinations work and others simply don’t.

This class is for anyone who’s ever been told wine pairing is too subjective to teach. It isn’t. There are real, reliable rules, and in this hands-on session, you’ll learn them. With a curated plate of ingredients and a flight of six wines, we’ll taste through the pairings that work, the ones that don’t, and the reasons behind both. The goal isn’t to gatekeep. It’s to empower you with knowledge so you can pair with purpose, not guesswork.

This class includes a flight of 6 wines and pairings from our kitchen. We lean into a conversational tone though the class has been described as “information-packed”.

More information and tickets

Stevie is a Minnesota born DJ and musician. A former Radio K host, she spent time in the local band scene before being introduced to dance music. With a penchant for the eclectic and experimental, whether it's funk, acid, dad rock or dub, she draws on a wide range of influences in the process of sharing her love for music. 

Hannah is a DJ, seamstress, woodworker and maker of all things. Her dedication to vinyl through a lifetime of collecting and working at record stores across the country has left her with a diverse and eclectic record collection spanning decades and genres. Her approach to spinning is more intuitive than genre driven, and she rejects the concept of guilty pleasure. Her other passions include making cakes for special occasions with varying degrees of success, tending to her garden, and her two perfect cats.

Wine School continues this month with What is Natural Wine Anyway? It’s a question we hear almost daily, in one form or another. And it’s a fair one, because whether it shows up as orange wine, pét-nat, something unfiltered, or just a little stylistically “funky,” the definition is slippery at best. Some would argue it doesn’t really exist at all.

We think of wine as something lasting, shaped by people and place over thousands of years, not defined by a single movement or moment. So yes, this month’s Wine School is about natural wine. But really, it’s just about wine: how it’s made, why it’s made that way, and the decisions, practical, ethical, and creative, that shape it. Because wine, for all its connection to nature, is never fully “natural.” It’s always touched by people, by intention, and at its best, often by ambition.

This class includes a flight of 4 wines and snacks from our kitchen. We lean into a conversational tone though the class has been described as “information-packed”.

More information and tickets

Madeleine got her start DJing in her home neighborhood of Uptown, Minneapolis. As a record collector and former Radio K host, Madeleine approaches her sets with a freeform, discovery-driven style. With inspiration from leftfield disco grooves, funky punk basslines, and synth-filled melodies - her sound is at once dreamy, gritty, and danceable. Expect everything from Downtown New York to mid-morning sleaze, with Street Soul breaks to the tenderness of Chris & Cosey. Breakfast on the Amalfi Coast or after hours in Montreal, her sets have a warm sprezzatura. Madeleine currently hosts a monthly vinyl residency at Steady Pour, where she can also be found behind the bar making their signature pickle-tini. 

Sarah Wolf (also known as Dedicated Enemy) is a multifaceted artist and DJ. As a graphic designer and owner of Back of Beyond Press, her appreciation for pop culture, visual rhythm and texture is infused in both her design work and musical tastes, culminating in genre-defying dj sets that infuse techno and house, occasionally dipping into her Italo disco and post punk roots.

A party-starter from the get go, she is the creator of DJ residencies Blue Riders (Italo Disco), Descend (EBM, industrial, punk), Earth From Above (techno, house) and Interstellar Signals (vinyl-only, mixed genre) in Minneapolis.

Have you ever wondered how grapes become wine? Why a bottle of Pinot Noir from California tastes different than the one from Burgundy, or New Zealand, or Oregon, or Germany? Are you intrigued by natural wine and when you hear about a wine being organic or biodynamic, but you don’t totally know what that means, or why you should care?

Our next class, What is Natural Wine Anyway, is all about answering these questions. The flight of four wines will include an opportunity to taste different expressions of the same grape dictated by viticultural practices, climatic conditions and winemaking choices, or lack there of.

The vibe is educational yet relaxed and no prior knowledge is required or expected! Wine and snacks plates are included in the ticket price.

More information and tickets