The 2019 Iowa Nouveau is our first wine of the season to be made from grapes growing on the vine as late as September. It is a red wine made from a blend of Marquette and Foch. The Foch was made using carbonic maceration. This technique involves putting the grapes in a variable capacity tank and then sealing it. The weight of the grapes in the upper part of the tank gradually crushes the grapes at the bottom releasing their juice. This juice then starts to ferment with the natural yeasts that are resident on the grape skins. After about a week, we blend this partially fermented juice with the Marquette and inoculate the entire batch with a commercial yeast that takes the fermentation to completion. The result is a very fruity, dry red wine. We will then sweeten it slightly to balance the acid that is in all of our grapes.
The 2019 Iowa Nouveau is an excellent wine for the traditional holiday turkey dinner. It is dry enough that dry wine lovers will find it appropriate while its very fruity character makes it acceptable to sweet wine lovers. 2019 Iowa Nouveau has had no barrel ageing so it is a simple wine that is all fruit.
I like the 2019 Iowa Nouveau with ham and all the holiday trimmings. It is big enough that it carries the flavors in the ham without overpowering them. And, it is a perfect wine to serve with holiday dinner leftovers.
2019 Iowa Nouveau is available at Tassel Ridge Winery and at a growing (but small) number of our retailers all over Iowa.
