Wine and Ice at Camelot Cellars

Wine and ice cream are the magic healing balm for many of my single-girl heartbroken mope sessions, so forgive me for failing to imagine that the two could, maybe, find a more gourmet pairing than "red wine that is also cheap" and "something with chocolate and peanut butter."

But that's what I discovered between bites of key lime pie ice cream while attending the first Wine and Ice event at Camelot Cellars, a monthly series that will pair up Camelot's original wines with a local ice cream purveyor (right now, they're working with Clintonville's Vienna Ice Cafe.) Pair them right, i.e. not while holding back tears in the ice cream aisle at Kroger, and the flavors will sing harmoniously.

To put together the pairings, the staff at Vienna Ice Cafe picked out a few of their favorite flavors, keeping in mind which ones lended themselves to going well with wine, and then the staff at Camelot Cellars selected the right wines as accompaniments. The three pairings--a strawberry white merlot with strawberry champagne ice cream, riesling ice wine with lavender and honey ice cream and peach ice wine with key lime pie ice cream--were all quite sweet (fair warning to those of you who are sugar-rush resistant.) But for dessert-hounds (me!), it was fun to see how the flavors developed after a little wine.

My friend and I both adored the lavender and honey, with its balance of sweet and floral amplified with a sip of riesling. And we were equally enamored with Camelot's comfortable bar area, where we could linger and enjoy both our desserts and one another's company. I may just be convinced to enjoy wine and ice cream together again, regardless of my relationship status.

Want to check this event out for yourself? Camelot is putting together the second Wine and Ice evening on August 14. For $10, you get to sample all three pairings. Pick up tickets online here.

Camelot Cellars

958 N. High St., Short North

614-441-8860