601. Roses Fine Food and Wine – January 29, 2023 – Detroit, MI

Roses left me absolutely charmed!

The Detroit-based café and bakery serves up sweet vibes along with its sweet treats. It’s a place where you can get a delicious baked good; a great cup of coffee; a fresh-made loaf of bread; an artfully crafted panini, soup, or salad; or a bottle of natural wine. Or take a class on topics such as cake decorating and bread-making. You can even join one of Roses’ monthly wine clubs, opting for one of two subscriptions: one of which offers a fresh-baked loaf of sourdough bread along with the featured bottle of wine (Wine and Bread club? Yes, please!).

I came to Roses as a Sunday afternoon treat: a caffeine-and-dessert-fueled journaling session. I sat at the long counter facing the food-prep area and ordered a rose latte and a raspberry oat bar.

The rose latte was wonderful with its rich espresso flavors, delicate foam, and sprinkling of crushed dried rose petals. And the raspberry oat bar was absolutely delicious. I expected it to be dry and crumbly in texture, but it was oh-so-soft, with lusciously sweet raspberry jelly and a delectably moist oat crumble. WOW, do I want another one of those oat bars!

I topped off my time at Roses with an espresso, which was such a wonderful treat, rich and flavorful.

I savored the ambiance of Roses much as I savored that espresso. The café is incredibly cute. It’s housed in this charming old building whose exterior is painted mint green; roses and other flowers in shades of pink, peach, red, and yellow garland the doorway.

The interior is small but cozy. Chandeliers crafted from faux flowers hang from the tin-paneled ceiling, and little round marble-topped tables hold vases of flowers on their gleaming surfaces. Blackboard signs showcase the shop’s fares in colorfully chalked script, and a rack near the back houses Roses’ carefully curated selection of natural wines.

Custom-made cakes are a big part of what Roses offers. Check the Custom Cakes section of its website to see pictures of its gorgeous cakes with their elaborate designs done in buttercream frosting.

Roses’ website is also where you can view its current class offerings. Check it out and daydream about a visit to Roses. Then make that visit happen and experience the charm for yourself!

10551 E. Jefferson Ave.

Detroit, MI 48214

www.rosesfinefoodandwine.com

569. Motor City Wine – July 23, 2022 – Detroit, MI

Motor City Wine is many things: a wine shop, a wine bar, a host of live music . . . and the site of one of the most gorgeous patios in Detroit!

Motor City Wine’s offerings have obviously been thoughtfully curated. There are more than just the usual varieties from the usually-featured winemaking regions. Stroll through its Instagram account (motorcitywine) to see wines from all over the world: the Czech Republic, South Africa, the country of Georgia. Buy a bottle from the shop and drink it in the bar by paying a $10 corkage fee. Or purchase a glass featured on the bar’s menu. Wine not your thing? Motor City Wine also serves beer.

Live music is another regular offering at Motor City Wine. Its website’s September calendar shows DJs and musicians playing sets Thursdays through Sundays. Restaurant pop-ups are also a regular occurrence.

And that patio! It’s a pretty, greenery-infused retreat – the perfect place to savor a glass of Motor City Wine’s wares.

1949 Michigan Ave.

Detroit, MI 48216

www.motorcitywine.com

557. The Wine Garden – April 22, 2022 – Sterling Heights, MI

The Wine Garden is an oasis of alcoholic options!

This Sterling Heights-based shop boasts row upon row of wine bottles, a plethora of varieties and price points. It also showcases a hefty selection of beers and spirits. It’s the place to pick up your favorite craft beer – and discover a few new favorites. Or buy that hard-to-find wine you fell in love with on vacation.

That latter scenario? That was mine at The Wine Garden. I’d visited Chile about a month prior and become enchanted with one of its popular wine varietals, Carménère. The red wine is ubiquitous in Chile but tough to find in the United States. But The Wine Garden had two different types of Carménère!

I’d also gone to The Wine Garden seeking a craft beer as a gift for an IPA-loving friend. I came out with Pigeon Hill Brewing Company of Muskegon’s Philosoraptor IPA – a brew she’d never tried and said was delicious. The Wine Garden for the double win!

Check this place out the next time you’re looking for an interesting liqueur or a bottle of wine that’ll impress guests. The Wine Garden’s friendly owner and staff are happy to help you score your own winning finds!

13927 19 Mile Rd.

Sterling Heights, MI 48313

www.winegardensterlingheights.com

390. House of Pure Vin – February 3, 2019 – Detroit, MI

House of Pure Vin!!!! What a delight this wine shop is. It also has the distinction of being the 50th – and final – locally-owned, new-to-me place that I visited in Detroit proper during Blog Year Five (which ran from February 8, 2018 through February 7, 2019). My 50-visits-in-Detroit-in-one-year goal was achieved!!!!!

When I walked into House of Pure Vin, one of the owners welcomed me and urged me to browse the carefully curated selection of reds and whites from wineries all over the world. She later joined me mid-browse and offered me samples of a few wines that were out to taste, then showed me the room where tasting events are held and explained the shop’s wine club.

House of Pure Vin’s monthly wine club is offered in two tiers. The Beaujolais membership is $35 a month and allows subscribers the choice of two bottles of wine per month, plus the ability to attend store-run tastings and events exclusive to club members. Additionally, a patron of this membership tier is afforded the ability to schedule two private wine tastings a year for himself/herself and up to nine guests. It also affords a 10 percent discount in-store. The Grand Cru wine club membership is $75 a month and allows the choice of two bottles of exclusive-tier wines (wines not offered in-shop) per month; four annual private tastings for the subscriber and up to nine other guests; invites to store-held events exclusive to club members; and a 20 percent discount in-store. Monthly wine selections can be picked up in-store by club members or shipped to their homes for an additional fee of $10 per month.

I appreciated the owner of House of Pure Vin who I met during my visit for taking the time to give me a personal tour of the store, explaining the wine club membership and tastings, and giving me free samples. At the end of our interaction, I was very tempted to join the Beaujolais-level wine club! I find it quite reasonable in value, and it’s a someday-goal that I hope to achieve in the near future, belonging to a wine club, as I LOVE wine and wouldn’t mind stepping up my sophistication around it and veering away from those budget-bottle grocery store varieties!

I did conclude my visit at House of Pure Vin that day by purchasing a bottle of one of the wines I sampled, a lovely white-wine blend (called Oriana) by Washington-based winery Brian Carter Cellars. It’s still sitting in my improvised wine cellar (a basement closet), awaiting a special occasion. That special occasion may simply turn out to be a beautiful summer’s evening sometime very soon. 🙂

1433 Woodward Ave.

Detroit, MI 48226

www.houseofpurevin.com