Tassel Ridge Winery–April 7, 2010
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Test Your Wine Knowledge
When wine is made from most grape varieties, the color comes from
- a. the pulp of the grape, or
- b. the skin of the grape
(answer at end of this e-letter)
Tassel Ridge Winery Events
Saturday, April 10
Sherry Orr Art Exhibition
Saturday, April 10
Red Wine Lovers Event and Dinner
Saturday, April 24
Girls’ Day Out for Wine & Vine Wreath Making
Saturday, May 1
Girls’ Day Out For Wine & Vine Wreath Making
Saturday, May 8
Multi-Artist Exhibition
Sunday, May 9
Join Us For Mother’s Day Brunch
For reservations, call Tassel Ridge Winery at 641.672.WINE (9463)
Spring Events Program Has Been Mailed
The Tassel Ridge Winery Spring Events Program has been mailed. If you did not receive a copy, you can view the Events Program by clicking here.
Saturday, April 10—Sherry Orr Art Exhibition
12:00–4:00 p.m.
Join us as we welcome artist Sherry Orr to Tassel Ridge Winery. Inspired and encouraged by her sister’s passion for painting flowers in watercolor and her success in shows and contests, Sherry began painting while working as a secretary in Indianola. Sherry loves color and learning the concepts of composition, perspective, and design. Flowers are Sherry’s favorite subject to put on canvas. Sherry lives in Knoxville. Check our website at www.tasselridge.com to see examples of Sherry’s artwork to be displayed.
Saturday, April 10—Red Wine Lovers Event and Dinner
Special Cellar Wine Tasting: 6:00 p.m.; Dinner: 7:30 p.m.
Price: $60 per person, plus tax (includes 1 glass of wine with each course and gratuity)
Calling All Red Wine Lovers! If you love red wine, this event is for you. The evening will begin in the cellar with a special tasting of our Marquette and Zinfandel right from the barrels and tanks. Appetizers specially chosen to complement our other red wines will be served.
Winemaker, Rhonda Taylor, will lead a tour of our cellar, and Steve Richardson, our Vineyard Manager and Certified Wine Educator, will talk about grape production. Steve will join Rhonda in a discussion of the evolution of these wines from harvest to release.
A three-course dinner will begin with roasted tomato basil soup paired with Tassel Ridge Pizzeria & Pasta Too! followed by beef tenderloin with a Tassel Ridge American Syrah reduction, garlic smashed baby reds, and balsamic grilled vegetables paired with Tassel Ridge American Syrah. For dessert, flourless chocolate cake with raspberry hot fudge will be paired with Tassel Ridge Finalé Raspberry dessert wine. Advance reservations required by Friday, April 9.
Twilight Still Available at Tassel Ridge Winery
While we are talking about great dry red wines, a few cases of the Tassel Ridge Twilight are still available. This wine was made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes we brought in from California in 2006. It 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 dry red 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
Saturday, April 24—Girls’ Day Out for Wine & Vine Wreath Making
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Price: $25 per person, plus tax (includes lunch, 1 glass of 2008 Iowa Edelweiss, and bundle of vines for making 1 grapevine wreath)
Join us at Tassel Ridge Winery for our 2nd Annual Wine & Vine Wreath Making Girls’ Days Out. We’ll show you how to make your own grapevine wreath out of vines from our
vineyards. A picnic lunch, served under our tent, will feature an Asian chicken salad croissant, mandarin almond salad, and a luscious tropical dessert bar paired with
Tassel Ridge award-winning 2008 Iowa Edelweiss. Advance reservations required by Wednesday, April 21.
Saturday, May 1—Girls’ Day Out For Wine & Vine Wreath Making
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Price: $25 per person, plus tax (includes lunch, 1 glass of 2008 Iowa Edelweiss, and bundle of vines for making 1 grapevine wreath)
Join us at Tassel Ridge Winery for our 2nd Annual Wine & Vine Wreath Making Girls’ Days Out. For more information, see event on April 24. Advance reservations
required by Wednesday, April 28.
Saturday, May 8—Multi-Artist Exhibition
12:00–4:00 p.m.
Tassel Ridge Winery is excited to host its first multi-artist exhibition. Come meet the artists and see their artwork displayed under a tent on the lawn overlooking our beautiful vineyards. Click on the following artists' names to view their bio and work: Chris Abigt, Deb Baughman, Mike Corum, June Donner, Joan Fall, Misao Fishwick, Scott Gray, Steven W. Huffman, Gin Lammert, Suzanne Millius, Barb Vaske, and Christina Catron.
Sunday, May 9—Join Us For Mother’s Day Brunch
Brunch Seating Times:
11:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.
Price: $30 for adults, plus tax; $15 for children 6–12, plus tax; children 5 and under free (includes 1 glass Tassel Ridge Special Mimosas for adults 21 and over, winery/grapemobile tours, and gratuity)
Winery Tours: Conducted on
the hour
Grapemobile Tours: 12:00 p.m.; 2:00 p.m.; & 3:00 p.m.
Spend some quality time with Mom or the special women in your life and enjoy everything the winery has to offer this Mother’s Day. Brunch will be served in a tent
overlooking our vineyards and will feature Tassel Ridge special Mimosas made with our Oskyfizzante® White. Complete your visit to Tassel Ridge with a tour of the winery
and/or a Grapemobile tour through our vineyards (weather permitting). Limited seating available. Advance reservations required by Wednesday, May 5.
Brunch Menu:
• Quiche Lorraine
• Cheddar Parmesan potatoes
• Orange-glazed ham with specialty mustards
• Romaine salad with strawberries and raspberry vinaigrette
• Maple brown sugar glazed carrots
• Seasonal fresh fruits and berries with honey yogurt sauce
• Green beans almondine
• Artisan-Style and breakfast breads
• Assortment of miniature desserts & pastries
• Ice Tea & Orange Juice
Tassel Ridge Winery Wins Four Medals in National Women’s Wine Competition in Santa Rosa, CA
In the Dark, Red, White, & Blue®, and Pizzeria & Pasta Too! from Tassel Ridge Winery all won silver medals in the National Women’s Wine Competition in Santa Rosa, CA. Iowa White Blossom won a Bronze Medal.
The National Women’s Wine Competition started in 2007 and the judges are all women in prominent positions in the wine and food industries. The inspiration of this competition is that women purchase about 60% of the wine sold in stores in the U.S.
Love Wine and Like to Learn More? VIN 150 from DMACC Will Fill the Bill.
If you are interested in taking a serious step in learning more about wine, consider enrolling at the Des Moines Area Community College in VIN 150 taught by Paul Gospodarczyk. The course covers producing wines, understanding wine labels, matching wine with food, and analyzing the smells and flavors in a glass of wine. The class meets on Tuesday nights on the DMACC Ankeny campus. Class meetings are combined with online instruction. This class runs May 25 through August 5. For more information, click here and scroll down to the summer sessions. This website will provide information about DMACC’s entire Viticulture and Enology Program.
2010 Iowa Wine and Beer Directory Now Available
The new 2010 Iowa Wine and Beer Director 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 April 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
Wine knowledge: answer
b. skin of grape: Most grape berries have a white or gray pulp so all color comes from the skins. There are a few grape varieties that have red pulp. They are called teinturer (dyer in French). One of these varieties that is grown in the U.S. is Alicante Bouschet.E-mail Jody Brockway at info@tasselridge.com to sign up a friend for our e-newsletter.
