Tassel Ridge Winery–March 10, 2010
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Tassel Ridge Winery Events
Thursday, March 11
Girls’ Night Out at Tassel Ridge Winery—Sold out!
Thursday, March 18
Girls’ Night Out at Tassel Ridge Winery—Sold out!
Friday–Sunday, March 12–14
New Brianna wine is Released
Saturday, March 13
Artist in the Visitor’s Gallery at the Winery
Saturday, March 27
Moroccan Inspired Wine Dinner—Space available!
For reservations, call Tassel Ridge Winery at 641.672.WINE (9463)
Spring Events Program Is at the Printer
The Tassel Ridge Winery Spring Events Program is now at the printer. You can get an advance look at the Events Program by clicking here.
Friday–Sunday, March 12–14—Come to the Winery to Taste the New Brianna Dry White Wine
Our first Brianna will be released and available for tasting beginning Friday, March 12. This is a dry white wine with honeydew, pear, and citrus on the nose and melon, pear, and apple on the palate with subtle oak and buttery notes on the finish. It will pair nicely with chicken, white fish, or shellfish prepared with butter or light sauces. 2008 Iowa Brianna should be served chilled.
The grapes for our 2008 Iowa Brianna are grown in the northwest corner of the Tassel Ridge vineyard. We have only about 370 vines or about 0.6 acres of this variety. This Brianna was made from the 2008 harvest. It was the first time we’d harvested this variety and, not surprisingly, we didn’t get much fruit. Brianna, by the way, is another Elmer Swenson hybrid that he developed on his farm in western Wisconsin. It is what is called an interspecific hybrid or cross between Vitis Riparia and Vitis Labrusca. The former is native to the Upper Midwest and the latter is native to New England.
The 2008 Iowa Brianna was aged in oak for about a year and then filtered and bottled in February.
Saturday, March 13—Artist Sam McNeely Displays Turned Art Made From Wood
Time: 12:00–4:00 p.m.
Location: Tassel Ridge Winery Visitors’ Gallery
Artist Sam McNeely began woodworking while growing up in Marion County. Now 23 years old, and self-taught on the lathe, Sam was tutored by a good friend and gifted craftsman who made tables and chairs. Sam finds the more dense the wood, the easier it is to work with. Using all native lumber from his property, Sam finds that the wood chosen decides the shape of his project, and makes each piece unique. Sam likes working with maple, oak, and chestnut, and because he finds that different grains add character. Now self-employed, Sam lives in Knoxville, Iowa.
Friday, March 19—IWGA Wine Reception Open to the Public
Time: 6:30–9:00 p.m.
Place: Des Moines Airport Holiday Inn
The Wine Reception at Iowa Wine Growers’ Annual Conference is Open to the Public and will take place from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Des Moines Airport Holiday Inn at 6111 Fleur Drive, Des Moines. Sample wines from across the state and enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres. Price is $55.00 per person for non-IWGA members. Tickets may be purchased by calling 515.262.8323 or go on-line at www.iowawinegrowers.org. Tassel Ridge is scheduled to pour that evening.
Saturday, March 27—Join Us for a Moroccan Inspired Wine Dinner
Wine Tasting: 7:00 p.m.
Dinner Seating: 7:30 p.m.
Price: $50 per person, plus tax (includes wine and gratuity)
Enjoy a three-course dinner under a Moroccan-style tent featuring a Moroccan Date and Orange Salad, Couscous Royale with chicken and a variety of vegetables seasoned to your taste with Harissa Paste, and an array of delicate Moroccan desserts. Each course will be paired with select Tassel Ridge wines. Advance reservations are required by Wednesday, March 24.
Last year a storm raged outside while everyone appeared to forget the weather and enjoy great food and wine. In fact, we were seated in the visitors’ gallery in our Moroccan “tent” and we could have been out on the Sahara Desert….without the sand fleas! After our long winter, some time in the desert sounds pretty good to me.
Anyhow, some people are a little concerned about eating something with a strange name like couscous. Couscous is a North African pasta. It looks a little like rice but it is made entirely from Semolina flour just like penne or spaghetti. Your plate will have a little mountain of couscous onto which you will put some nicely spiced chicken and vegetables. Then, you will take the ladle and take a portion of broth to which you will add as much harissa paste as you want. The harissa paste is made from ground chilies and olive oil and it is HOT! But, it provides great flavor. The entire meal is just made for dry red wine.
I first encountered couscous in the 1970’s when I was visiting Paris on business on a regular basis. In those days, couscous restaurants were not tourist magnets. In fact, the Algerian war for independence from France was winding down and most of the clientele for these restaurants were Algerian ex-pats living in Paris. I’d find one restaurant I liked and the next time I’d be in Paris, it would have closed. I’d do a little checking and would find out that it had been shot up. This happened twice. Finally, I found a nice couscouserie and I understand that it is still open for business. In those days, the wine of choice was an Algerian red. These wines were pretty rough. I think you will like our dry reds much more.
I don’t expect any excitement at our couscous dinner but I can guarantee some great food and wine and a nice evening.
—Bob Wersen, President
2008 LaCrescent Wins Silver at 2010 Grand Harvest Competition in Windsor, California
The 2008 LaCrescent from Tassel Ridge Winery won a silver medal at the 2010 Grand Harvest Competition in Windsor, California. The 2008 LaCrescent had prominent grapefruit aromas and then a pleasing complexity on the palate that started with grapefruit and migrated to stony fruit like peach and nectarine. It is a semi-sweet white wine. Unfortunately, the 2008 is now all gone but the 2009 is available for tasting and sale.
Red Wine Lovers Event Was a Big Success
On February 27, about 35 people gathered to taste our 2009 Marquette and 2008 Merlot directly from the barrels. I was pleasantly surprised with the Marquette. It had great cherry and plum flavors with nice tannins and vanilla notes on the finish. The Merlot was very tannic (think pucker power), but had great flavors. We will need to do some blending with this wine before bottling. This tasting was designed to give attendees a chance to taste the wines as they are developing, complete with all of their faults.
You will enjoy reading what one of our guests had to say about the event. You can read his blog, Two Wine Brothers Midwest Wine Tasting A Holy Grail, by clicking here.
The next red wine lovers event is April 10 and includes a dinner.
—Bob Wersen, President
Twilight Still Available at Tassel Ridge Winery
The Tassel Ridge Twilight is made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes we brought in from California in 2006. This wine has now been in the bottle for more than two years and it is yummy. The problem is that Twilight is almost gone. We have about 20 cases left at the Winery and it is priced at $20 per bottle. This is a great wine for meals that feature roast beef or almost any grilled meat. I am struck by the fruit notes because they help the wine add so much to big meals. I’ve seen a few bottles lurking on shelves at retailers but if this wine is for you, you may have to schedule a visit to Tassel Ridge Winery soon. We won’t be making more Cabernet Sauvignon because we now have our own grapes from which we can make an Iowa wine.
—Bob Wersen, President
What is Happening Now in Our Vineyards?
We started pruning on Monday, March 1. The bad news was that it was cold, and we had to remove the snow from the rows between the vines first. The good news was that we got about 7% of our pruning done before it started to rain. We won’t have much snow to plow but it is going to be real soggy!
We measured pruning weights for all varieties in order to set the bud count for each variety. Then we reviewed our pruning practices with our season vineyard workers. We start by long pruning those varieties that are least likely to bud immediately after pruning. For example, the first varieties we will prune are St. Croix, Frontenac, and then Sabrevois. All pruning done after April 12 will be short pruning. We have to go back and short prune the first three varieties we started with.
—Bob Wersen, President
2010 Iowa Wine and Beer Directory Now Available
The new 2010 Iowa Wine and Beer Directory is now available at Tassel Ridge winery. It lists 71 wineries and 23 breweries. It is a great tool to use in planning your tour of Iowa wineries.
Positions Open In Tassel Ridge Winery Tasting Room
We are now hiring employees for part time positions in the Tassel Ridge Winery tasting room. Most positions involve weekend work and some evenings. Click here to download a job application.
Our Hours:
In March 2010, we are open seven days a week, weather permitting, for tours, tasting, and wine and gift shop sales:
• Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Sunday, Noon–6 p.m.
Our Location:
Tassel Ridge Winery is easy to find. It is just south of State Highway 163 on 220th Street in rural Leighton. From Ottumwa and Oskaloosa, drive northwest on 163 to 220th Street and turn left toward Leighton. From Des Moines and Pella, drive southeast on Highway 163 and turn right at 220th Street. Drive west on 220th about 0.7 miles from the Highway and right into the Tassel Ridge Winery parking lot. view maps
E-mail Jody Brockway at info@tasselridge.com to sign up a friend for our e-newsletter.
