READ
Wayzata-area resident Margaret Wurtele published a pair of well-received memoirs upwards of a decade ago. In her beautiful debut novel, The Golden Hour, Wurtele takes us to Tuscany in the summer of 1944. Giovanna Bellini, the daughter of a wealthy aristocrat and vineyard owner, has just turned 17 and is on the cusp of adulthood as war bears down on her peaceful little village.
When her brother joins the Resistance, he asks Giovanna to hide a badly wounded fighter who is Jewish. As she nurses him back to health, she falls helplessly in love with the brave and humble Marco. They pledge their love as the fighting intensifies between the Nazis and Allies. –Besides being the owner of the Bookcase in Wayzata, the Twin Cities’ oldest independent bookstore, Charlie Leonard has been at various times a writer, editor and teacher, and is currently the founder and executive director of Blue Water Theatre Company in Plymouth.
607 E. Lake St.
Wayzata
952.473.8341
DRINK
Muga Rioja Reserva Unfiltered is a beautiful Spanish Rioja blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha and a touch of Mazuelo and Graciano. This wine is produced in an amazing “new world” style from one of the most respected vineyards in Rioja. Juicy, red berry fruit is perfectly balanced with toasty oak and seductive floral aromas. This offering has been aged for six months in traditional oak vats, then transferred to smaller barrels where it’s aged for two years before spending the last year before release in the bottle. This Rioja would be a wonderful pairing with red meat, wild game or by itself. This is one of my favorite Spanish selections. –Tyler Melton is the manager of The Wine Shop. Sign up for their weekly recommendations by e-mailing wineshopmtka@gmail.com, and read their best seasonal drink pick on this page each month.
17521 Minnetonka Blvd.
Minnetonka
952.988.9463
LISTEN
Cloud Nothings' Attack On Memory doesn't reinvent any genre, but it's a left turn for the band. Dylan Baldi's one-man project now has the backing of his touring group, adding an airtight rhythm section that transforms Cloud Nothings' once-light tunes into scorching, venom-fanged screeds. This propulsive focus works best on the nine-minute "Wasted Days." Like all of Attack On Memory, this juggernaut borrows just enough of the dark, jagged tones of Slint and Nirvana to lend weight to Baldi's impassioned plea, "I thought I would be more than this." On paper, that reads like bratty self-pity, but Baldi screams the phrase like it's the existential anthem of a generation caught in the panic of a hazy future. –Jack Kentala is a local filmmaker and writer. He has directed two feature films, Transmissions (2009) and Archetype (2012). He also finished his first novel, Meridien K, last year.
13131 Ridgedale Dr.
Minnetonka
952.546.2006
