What Wine Goes with...

Do you celebrate Easter? Are you planning an Easter menu? Maybe you’re considering a honey baked ham with cheesy au gratin potatoes, fresh asparagus, and carrots. Or perhaps a leg of lamb with roasted red potatoes, scalloped corn, and rolls. No matter what type of meal you’re planning, you’ll need a good wine to go with it.

If you’re planning a traditional ham dinner, you’ll want to select a neutral wine that’s light and sweet. You can’t go wrong with a Riesling, and one of our favorites is Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler 2016 Riesling. This prototypical Riesling comes from the Mosel region of Germany. With its peach and apple flavors, it has the perfect balance of sweet and dry and will satisfy many palates. If you are serving asparagus, you know that asparagus can have an almost bitter taste and is notoriously difficult to pair with wine. This Riesling works well, because it balances the bitterness with the sweet. If you are having a vegetarian meal, Riesling’s light, crisp flavors will pair nicely with all your dishes.

If you are planning to serve lamb or a roast, you’ll need a robust red wine that stands up well to red meat. We recommend Howard Park 2014 Flint Rock Shiraz. When some people think of Shiraz, they think of the “critter” label wines. You know which ones I mean, all those cheap Australian wines with the brightly colored labels featuring kangaroos and other animals. Those wines are sweet, easy to drink, and have little character. Although it comes from western Australia, Howard Park is no critter label wine. It has a rich, dark purple color and a fragrant nose of blackberry, mocha, and vanilla oak. The taste will fill your palate with fruit, but this wine has a great structure and a long finish.

Are you hungry? We are!

We’re always talking about wine! Join the conversation on Facebook at facebook.com/itscriminalbwb/. You can also see what’s happening behind the scenes at It’s Criminal! on our Instagram account. Follow us at instagram.com/itscriminalbwb/.

Wine or Rum?

I can't believe it either, but I actually convinced the Chief Wine Officer to trade in wine for rum and sandy beaches for an entire week! Cell service in the Caribbean is notoriously unreliable, so we're taking the opportunity to really disconnect and relax. We'll be back with a new blog on Tuesday, March 27. In the meantime, the bar is open, and our staff is ready to help you with all your book and wine needs. Look out, Punta Cana! Here we come!

Where Words Leave Off, Music Begins

Music In Our Schools Month®
and MIOSM® are registered
trademarks of NAfME.

As the parents of two kids who lived for choir, show choir, and band, music education and the importance of music in our schools has long been a passion of ours. We supported our school district’s music program every way we could – by volunteering, attending concerts and fundraisers, donating money and items for silent auctions, and cheering the kids on at every opportunity. Singing, dancing, and playing an instrument are activities a person can do for their entire lifetime, and we believe kids should be provided opportunities to explore different types of music, and the arts in general, at a young age.

March is Music In Our Schools Month®. According to nafme.org, “the purpose of MIOSM® is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children – and to remind citizens that schools is where all children should have access to music."

So, this week, we encourage you to join us in celebrating Music In Our Schools. All week, we’ll have instore specials and feature products that showcase our love of music. On Friday, March 16, from 7-9 p.m., we’ll host performances by students from the Altoona High School Jazz Band, and we’ll also donate 10% of Friday’s sales to the Altoona Music Boosters. Many people in the Altoona School District were instrumental in fostering our kids’ love of music, and we want to ensure future generations have the same opportunities. After all, music connects us.

Our Favorite Author

 As the owner of a mystery bookstore, I'm asked all the time who my favorite author is. Find out on our very first podcast!

Here's the link or you can choose SoundCloud in the Connect with Us section. 

We have more great podcasts planned, so if you like what you hear, follow us on SoundCloud.

Happy listening!

Kooky, Spooky, Ooky

“They're creepy and they're kooky, 

Mysterious and spooky, 

They're altogether ooky, 
The Addams Family.”

John Astin & Carolyn Jones
as Gomez & Morticia Addams

Wait…what’s The Addams Family, you say? Drawn by Charles Addams, this unusual family first appeared as a cartoon in The New Yorker. In the 1960s, the cartoon was the basis of a hit TV show starring John Astin as Gomez Addams and Carolyn Jones as his wife, Morticia. In 1991, The Addams Family was a hit movie starring Anjelica Huston and Christina Ricci. Now it’s been adapted into a Broadway musical comedy opening Friday night at the State Theatre in downtown Eau Claire. The show is being produced by the Eau Claire Children’s Theatre and features talented local performers in the roles of Gomez and Morticia, their daughter Wednesday, son Pugsley, Uncle Fester, and their butler Lurch.

We’re excited to see this show, so this week, we’re having some fun celebrating all things kooky, spooky, ooky.

We’ve turned over Wednesday’s Wine of the Week, fittingly, to Wednesday Addams, and we can’t wait to see what she’s chosen for us.

While you're here on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. for our book group discussion of Final Girls by Riley Sager, be sure to check out our display of spooky mystery books.

Now a hit Broadway musical

The Addams Family is playing at the State Theatre this weekend. Show times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Reserved seating tickets are available online at www.ecct.org or by calling 715.839.8877. Show us your ticket stub this weekend, March 9-11, and we’ll take 10% off your total purchase and donate it to the Eau Claire Children’s Theatre.

“So get a witch's shawl on 

A broomstick you can crawl on 

We're gonna pay a call on 
The Addams Family.”

Snap! Snap!

The Addams Family theme song lyrics courtesy of Lyrics on Demand. 

Our First Promotional Commercial!

We're so proud of our first commercial promoting It's Criminal! Book & Wine Bar. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Mystery Madness Coming March 15!

We have amazing news to share with you! We’re thrilled to welcome Robert Zeller and Ann Franklin to It’s Criminal! Robert is a representative of Larkspur Press, and Ann represents Twisted Candle Publications, two of the world’s largest publishing houses. They’ll be visiting Eau Claire on Thursday, March 15, and their program will begin at 7:00 p.m.

During their visit, Robert and Ann will showcase some of the new mystery books scheduled for publication this spring. They’ll have lot of awesome goodies and giveaways for our book lovers, so this is one presentation you won’t want to miss. There will also be drawings for a gift basket filled with the latest mystery books, bottles of wine, and a $50 It’s Criminal! gift certificate.

You must be present to win, so bring your friends and join us for this special sneak preview of the spring catalog with Robert Zeller and Ann Franklin on Thursday, March 15, at 7:00 p.m. We're looking forward to seeing you there!