Wine School | Part I: Piedmont
Wines of Italy kicks off with Piedmont, in Italy’s northwest, a region known for the famous Barolo and Barbarseco. With structure, perfume, and some of the country’s most iconic wines, this benchmark region is one to know!
Through four wines, we’ll explore the range of the region, from bright, and textured whites to the more structured, tannic reds it’s best known for. Along the way, we’ll talk about what gives these wines their identity: grape variety, climate, and tradition, and how those elements show up in the glass.
This class is about learning how to approach wines that can feel serious or intimidating, and finding a way into them that feels personal.
HiFi/HiFi Collab
We’re joining forces with HiFi Wine Bar in McMinnville, OR for a one night takeover of the decks and glass list. Jason Romero, partner in HiFi Wine Bar and Martin Woods, will be curating the night’s sound and wine selection from 7-10. We’ll be pouring the wines all night!
Wine School | Part I: Piedmont
Wines of Italy kicks off with Piedmont, in Italy’s northwest, a region known for the famous Barolo and Barbarseco. With structure, perfume, and some of the country’s most iconic wines, this benchmark region is one to know!
Through four wines, we’ll explore the range of the region, from bright, and textured whites to the more structured, tannic reds it’s best known for. Along the way, we’ll talk about what gives these wines their identity: grape variety, climate, and tradition, and how those elements show up in the glass.
This class is about learning how to approach wines that can feel serious or intimidating, and finding a way into them that feels personal.
Wine School | Part II: Campania
Campania, on Italy’s southern coast near Naples, offers a different perspective, with sun, proximity to the sea, and a deep history reflected in its native grape varieties.
You may not recognize as many of the names here, but the wines are some of Italy’s most distinctive. We’ll taste four examples that highlight the region’s native grapes like Fiano, Greco, and Aglianico, and talk about how volcanic soils (thanks to nearby Mount Vesuvius) and coastal influences shape their character.
If Piedmont is about precision and form, Campania opens the door to something more relaxed and expressive, shaped by a rich cultural history.
Wine School | Part II: Campania
Campania, on Italy’s southern coast near Naples, offers a different perspective, with sun, proximity to the sea, and a deep history reflected in its native grape varieties.
You may not recognize as many of the names here, but the wines are some of Italy’s most distinctive. We’ll taste four examples that highlight the region’s native grapes like Fiano, Greco, and Aglianico, and talk about how volcanic soils (thanks to nearby Mount Vesuvius) and coastal influences shape their character.
If Piedmont is about precision and form, Campania opens the door to something more relaxed and expressive, shaped by a rich cultural history.
Wine School | Part III: Tuscany
Campania, on Italy’s southern coast near Naples, offers a different perspective, with sun, proximity to the sea, and a deep history reflected in its native grape varieties.
You may not recognize as many of the names here, but the wines are some of Italy’s most distinctive. We’ll taste four examples that highlight the region’s native grapes like Fiano, Greco, and Aglianico, and talk about how volcanic soils (thanks to nearby Mount Vesuvius) and coastal influences shape their character.
If Piedmont is about precision and form, Campania opens the door to something more relaxed and expressive, shaped by a rich cultural history.
Wine School | Part III: Tuscany
Campania, on Italy’s southern coast near Naples, offers a different perspective, with sun, proximity to the sea, and a deep history reflected in its native grape varieties.
You may not recognize as many of the names here, but the wines are some of Italy’s most distinctive. We’ll taste four examples that highlight the region’s native grapes like Fiano, Greco, and Aglianico, and talk about how volcanic soils (thanks to nearby Mount Vesuvius) and coastal influences shape their character.
If Piedmont is about precision and form, Campania opens the door to something more relaxed and expressive, shaped by a rich cultural history.
Extended Play
Join us on Saturday March 28th for the next installment of Extended Play at Small Hours with Paul Crary and Ian Babineau. We’re going late again - 10 til 1 - and we’ve got some special bottles of wine priced to move! Avoid the line at the bar and grab a bottle or two for you and your crew.
Guest Selector Series ft. Bleak Roses
Juleana Enright (Bleak Roses) (Lower Brule Lakota) is a queer writer, curator, and DJ based in Minneapolis. They have performed at local haunts Nightingale, Muddy Waters and Darkhorse, as well the Walker Art Center and Mia. Inspired by frisson, transient soundscapes and esoteric obsession, Bleak Roses’ Small Hours set strives to blend ebullient avant-pop, enigmatic gothic folk, bittersweet retro-soul, psychedelic and sunshine pop with electric roots, exploring counterculture and rebellious love.
Valentine's Day at Small Hours
Celebrate Valentine's Day at Small Hours! Join us for a romantic evening for two (or four) at 5:00-7:00 or 7:30-9:30. Let us handle all the details: decorations, music, a three course dinner, and optional wine pairings!
Add a carnation for your date, a friend, or a stranger! Order a dozen carnations and make a bouquet! All carnation proceeds will be donated to support our Northeast neighbors with housing and rent assistance.
This is a set menu. We are not able to provide modifiers or substitutions. GF friendly.
$60 per person + tax and gratuity.
SMALL HOURS presents CAKES
Join us at Small Hours as Nom and Salome come together for a hands-on cake decorating experience centered on creativity, community, and care.
Guests will arrive to a welcome beverage and light snacks before sitting down to decorate a 4” double-layer cake with everything you need provided. Tickets are sold by table, meaning supplies are shared between couples or groups of four for a collaborative experience.
Each table will choose from:
Cake base:
Vanilla buttermilk or chocolate olive oilFrosting options:
Vanilla mascarpone whipped cream
Pistachio buttercream
Raspberry cream cheese
Dark chocolate cream cheese
Toasted sesame buttercreamFillings:
Passionfruit curd
Raspberry jam
Pistachio butter
Espresso pastry cream
You’ll also have access to an array of edible decorations such as fresh fruit, sprinkles, edible flowers, and more. Everything you need to make it your own.
Your ticket includes light snacks and your first beverage. Gluten-free accommodations are available; we’re unable to accommodate celiac or dairy-free needs at this time—thank you for understanding.
Two seatings are available: 3–5 PM and 5:30–7:30 PM.
100% of Nom & Salome’s proceeds after expenses from this evening will be donated to Minneapolis community mutual aid efforts, including rent assistance and legal funds.
Come make a unique cake for your valentine!
Guest Selector Series ft. Lily Belle
Lily Belle is a Minneapolis-based musician, member of the local band Seven Pines, and a restless creative driven by sound and connection. Raised on everything from roots rock and bluegrass to bossa nova and funk, she weaves genres together naturally, inviting love and inspiration into the room through music. At Small Hours you’ll hear a collection of female-fronted folk, jazz, and French pop, plus plenty of soul and R&B in the mix.
Guest Selector Series ft Eli Hansen
Eli is a Milwaukee transplant to Minneapolis of over two decades, during which time he has actively collected records of all kinds. He currently fronts the indiepop group Real Numbers, releasing music on Slumberland Records. Beloved Radio featured his monthly "Burning Blue" program and he ran the near-mythical KAKE 87.9 "The Cake" from 2018 - 2022.
In Dialogue at Small Hours Vol 1: "Hats" by The Blue Nile with James Diers and Dave King from Halloween, Alaska
Introducing In Dialogue at Small Hours. A new series of intimate, live conversations with music lovers about records they cherish. For our inaugural edition, we’re going long on the Blue Nile’s second album, “Hats” from 1989. Join us as we welcome our friends James Diers and Dave King from the band Halloween, Alaska in for a chat with Sam about this classic record.
The Blue Nile was a Scottish band, active from 1981-2004. Their seminal record “Hats” was release in 1989 after a long period of studio time fraught with starts and stops, inter-band tension, and even a ceremonial burning of the tapes of an abandoned set of songs. Despite these difficulties, the results are immaculate. Hats has stood the test of time and continues to find dedicated devotees to this day. A gem of a record.
Halloween, Alaska was co-founded in the early 00s by Dave King and James Diers. Initially started as a true side project, an outlet for indulging electronic tones and an almost meditative restraint. Over the last two decades, the group has adapted and endured with a collaborative, experimental spirit. Five albums and more than two decades later, the band has announced their final perfomances at the Dakota on January 23rd. Their legacy is sure to live on as one of Minneapolis’ finest musical projects.
Hats has been a go to album at the bar since we opened. It also had a hand in the architecture of Halloween, Alaska. On the heels of Halloween, Alaska’s final show we’ll talk about the history of that project, the history of the Blue Nile, and how one informs the other. We’ll listen to a song or two during the conversation, and even give away a record to a couple attendees. Price of admission includes a glass of wine and a reserved seat in the dining room during the chat.
NEW YEARS EVE DINNER
Don’t fight for a last minute reservation, join us for one of two dinner seatings from 5:00-7:00 or 7:30-9:30. Your ticket includes a table reservation for two or four, a glass of sparkling wine to get the evening started and a decadent family style Ossobuco with a side of broccolini.
A la carte additions will be available, including starters and dessert.
Family style vegetarian dish available. Non-alcoholic beverages available.
$75 + tax and gratuity
Wine School: Living with wine
PART III — PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: LIVING WITH WINE
The final session is the capstone of the series, tying together everything from the previous classes. Four wines and snacks from the kitchen guide a conversation about how structure, style, and place interact in a glass. We’ll focus on reading wine labels and lists with confidence, trusting your palate, and understanding why your preferences matter more than rules. You’ll also gain tools for stocking a small but versatile home collection and a perspective on how climate and wine-growing regions influence flavor.
By the end of this class, you’ll walk away with confidence in tasting, describing, and choosing wine at home or in a restaurant, practical skills for navigating labels and lists, and a reflective, confidence-building perspective to carry into the new year.
Guest Selector Series ft. Jake Rudh
An evening of Sophisti-pop, bossa nova, cool & west coast jazz
Holiday Market
Join us for our first ever Holiday Market! We’ve selected some of our favorite small, local businesses to fill the dining room for a curated and intimate shopping experience. Little Jazz Bar will be spinning vinyl all evening, setting the tone for a warm and lively gathering. We’ll have seasonal snacks and wine available for purchase throughout the evening.
Your ticket includes:
Entry to the market to shop ceramics, jewelry, prints, vinyl, textiles, florals, and more!
One beverage of your choice
Seasonal snacks
Additional wines will be available by the glass, and any bottles you’d like gift this holiday season can be ordered through our retail partner.
A limited number of tickets are available for each time slot to facilitate a comfortable shopping experience in our intimate space. Please choose the 1-hour time slot that works for you and arrive at any time during that hour.
A cozy, celebratory way to shop small, sip something delicious, and ease into the holiday season.
Wine School: Living with wine
PART III — PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: LIVING WITH WINE
The final session is the capstone of the series, tying together everything from the previous classes. Four wines and snacks from the kitchen guide a conversation about how structure, style, and place interact in a glass. We’ll focus on reading wine labels and lists with confidence, trusting your palate, and understanding why your preferences matter more than rules. You’ll also gain tools for stocking a small but versatile home collection and a perspective on how climate and wine-growing regions influence flavor.
By the end of this class, you’ll walk away with confidence in tasting, describing, and choosing wine at home or in a restaurant, practical skills for navigating labels and lists, and a reflective, confidence-building perspective to carry into the new year.
Wine School: Beyond The Basics: Structure, Style, And Place
PART II — BEYOND THE BASICS: STRUCTURE, STYLE, AND PLACE
This session builds on the foundations from Wine 101. With a flight of four wines and snacks from the kitchen, we’ll explore what gives wine its character — structure, balance, and style — and how climate, soil, and winemaking choices shape flavor. You’ll also spend time recognizing your own palate preferences and why they matter, as well as learning to articulate more nuanced qualities in wine.
After this class, you’ll have a deeper understanding of how wines differ and why, more confidence exploring new wines on your own, and a foundation to bring into the final, capstone session.
GUEST SELECTOR SERIES FT. Grady (Not Grady)
Grady (Not Grady) has been collecting and playing records for over two decades. After growing up in Tucson, AZ, he learned to DJ in the early 2000's while running a live/work/performance space in Chicago known as Texas Ballroom. He later spent 7 years in Honolulu where he was a resident at the now defunct thirtyninehotel - playing alongside DJs like James Murphy, Prins Thomas, and fellow resident DJ Harvey. Since moving to Minneapolis, he's DJ'd sets at The Lowry, Steady Pour, Beast Barbeque for Housewerk, Dusty's Bar for The Nitty Gritty, and moto-i for Hi-Fi Pop-Up. Grady thrives on discovery, seeking out overlooked gems, strange hybrids, and forgotten grooves that lie at the intersections of disco, jazz, punk, ambient and global dance experiments. He'll be bringing a selection of some of his favorite records for an evening of warm, spacy, cosmic sounds with a few surprises.
Wine School: Beyond The Basics: Structure, Style, And Place
PART II — BEYOND THE BASICS: STRUCTURE, STYLE, AND PLACE
This session builds on the foundations from Wine 101. With a flight of four wines and snacks from the kitchen, we’ll explore what gives wine its character — structure, balance, and style — and how climate, soil, and winemaking choices shape flavor. You’ll also spend time recognizing your own palate preferences and why they matter, as well as learning to articulate more nuanced qualities in wine.
After this class, you’ll have a deeper understanding of how wines differ and why, more confidence exploring new wines on your own, and a foundation to bring into the final, capstone session.
GUEST SELECTOR SERIES FT. VOGUE MEMORY
Vogue Memory is a selector/DJ based in Minneapolis. Cutting his teeth as the electronic music show host at Radio K before spending some years in the Northeast, his selections are driven by his belief that listeners are willing to explore more eclectic sounds with the right guidance. His quieter sets span experimental, ambient, DIY pop, folk, and anything else that catches his ear. His sets in more dance-like settings oscillate between menace, mania, and melancholy, featuring industrial-leaning techno, mutant electro, and percussive tracks that don’t neatly fit into genres. True to his range, he’s played in dive bars, dance spaces in Brooklyn, DIY venues, and cafes/wine bars
Toujours-L’Amore
Join us this Saturday night from 10pm-1am for a special dance night: Toujours-L’Amore featuring DJs Maddy Meloy and Tyler Derginer.
The night will be an exploration of French and Mediterranean dance music from 1960/80s, incorporating influences from North and West Africa, American disco/boogie, hip-hop and euro-pop.
We’ll have a French inspired menu of bistro wines, vermouth carafes and spritzes late into the night.
Wine School: Wine 101
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.
GUEST SELECTOR SERIES FT. marzyjane
marz is a Black, queer, mama, artist, and student midwife dedicated to building sustainable, equitable practices for our most vulnerable communities. As the founder of And Still We Ride, and co-founder of Community Birth Twin Cities and PURRR, she weaves biking, birthwork, food sovereignty, and unapologetic queerdom into her organizing. Born in Minneapolis, marz comes from a lineage rooted in music, social justice, and radical caretaking.
GUEST SELECTOR SERIES FT. MARK WARREN
They really don’t make em like Mark anymore. He’s an old school hospitality guy and you might recognize him from Myriel in St. Paul where he’s the bar manager. Mark is a dedicated record collector- collecting since the late 80s. He’s likely sold more records than most of us have owned.
Wine School: Wine 101
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.
Guest Selector Series ft. Aidan Dillon
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.