Tassel Ridge Winery–December 2008
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Thursday, December 11, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m:
Music, Appetizers,
Wine Tasting, and
Gift Shopping
Enjoy an evening at Tassel Ridge with music, appetizers, and wine tasting while you select gifts for the people on your Christmas shopping list. Our gift shop will be decked out with festive items that make great holiday gifts including gift baskets, gift packages that include a bottle of wine and one or more complementary items from our gift shop, as well as wine friendly food items. Enjoy some hot mulled wine as you stroll around our gift shop. Our staff of wine experts will be available to help you with holiday wine and food pairing recommendations. And, gift wrapping is part of our service.
This event is complimentary.
Friday, December 12 thru Sunday, December 14:
Prairie Snow Release Party
Our newest wine is Prairie Snow, a sweet wine made by a unique process of freezing grapes picked at the peak of ripeness. It has concentrated notes of apple, pear, and nectarine on the nose with honey, apple, pear, and peach on the palate. This wine should be served well chilled and is great as dessert, served with dessert, or sipped alone after dinner.
Prairie Snow is 58% St. Pepin, 34% Vignole, 4% Chardonel, and 4% Seyval Blanc, all of which were grown at our Meadowcreek and Newport Lane vineyards in 2006 and then frozen. The grapes were partially thawed and then pressed in a basket press. This process yields 50% or less juice than we’d normally expect…but what juice! It is very fruity and aromatic and oh, so sweet! The process is called cryoextraction and it allows the flavors and natural sugars to be concentrated.
We bottled this wine in tall, clear 375 ml bottles, making this wine a stunning and rare gift.
Prairie Snow — $29.00 plus tax in a 375 ml bottle
2009 Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Passport Makes a Great Gift
A 2009 Heart of Iowa Passport makes a great gift for people interested in wine or simply interested in learning about places located around Des Moines. The Heart of Iowa Wine Trail includes fifteen wineries located within about 60 miles of Des Moines. Each winery offers a different experience, different wines, and a different and very interesting story. The Passport recipient presents his/her passport at each of the member wineries and it is stamped with that winery’s special stamp. A full passport earns the passport owner a set of two engraved Heart of Iowa Wine Trail wine glasses. As you purchase passports for folks on your gift list, get one for yourself so you, too can enjoy the pleasures of the Heart of Iowa Wine Trail wineries.
2009 Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Passport—$25.00 plus tax
Gift Baskets Combine Wine and Food
Tassel Ridge Winery gift baskets make spectacular gifts. We offer 20 or more different gift baskets that are ready for sale. Pick the one you like and you are ready to pay for it and head for your car. Or, organize your own gift basket with items you KNOW your friend or loved one will appreciate. You can include wine, cheese, chocolate and other candy, a cutting board, Tassel Ridge Winery glasses, and maybe even a Tassel Ridge shirt or hat. We will be happy to put it all together for you so that you will be taking a gift that will be long remembered.
Prices on gift baskets start at about $35.00 plus tax
Interested in Pairing Specific Foods With Tassel Ridge Wines?
Are you interested in suggestions of foods that pair well with specific Tassel Ridge wines? We’ve put some suggestions on our web site under Recipes and Food Pairing Suggestions. You can link directly to this page at www.tasselridge.com/recipes.htm.
Last Call on Wines About to Run Out
We are nearly sold out of the following three wines:
- 2006 Iowa St. Croix
- Fruit Stand Raspberry Fruit Wine
- Fruit Stand Cranberry Fruit Wine
We have small quantities of each of these wines available at the Winery on a first come, first served basis. Case discounts of 10% on twelve bottles of any of our wines apply.
Our Hours:
In December 2008, we are open seven days a week for tours, tasting, wine, and gift shop during the following hours:
- Monday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Tuesday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Wednesday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
(Closed at 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve
and 4:00 p.m. New Year’s Eve) - Thursday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
(Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day) - Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Sunday, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Our Location:
Tassel Ridge Winery is easy to find. It is just south of State Highway 163 on 220th Street in Leighton. From Ottumwa and Oskaloosa, drive northwest on 163 to 220th Street and turn left toward Leighton. From Des Moines and Pella, drive southeast 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
—Bob Wersen, President
Email Jody Brockway at info@tasselridge.com to sign up a friend for our e-newsletter.