We started the fermentation on the second tank of Edelweiss last Friday and added the lag nutrients on Sunday. We have totes each containing small batches of red wine (about 175 gallons in each tote) and we are punching the cap down in them twice per day.
Read more →We planned to pick Petite Pearl on Tuesday however 0.75 inches of rain on Monday forced a delay. First, the wet vineyard floor won’t support the harvester and related equipment. And second, we were worried that the rain might have diluted the juice in the grapes. We
Read more →If extinct species interest you, you’ll find the woolly mammoth skeleton at the Environmental Learning Center in Oskaloosa very interesting. The first bones were discovered by a Mahaska County landowner in 2010, and a dig supervised by the Mahaska County Conservation Board was conducted from 2012 to
Read more →Processing the grapes includes weighing them in, lifting the macrobins filled with fruit and dumping the grapes into the hopper-elevator. The fruit is metered into the destemmer-crusher where each grape is gently broken open. Grapes that will be made into white or rosé wine will be pumped
Read more →Harvest is everything right now. The week began with the Marquette harvest. This is a nine acre vineyard block so we allowed most of two days. The good news is that it only took one long day. The bad news is that because of the very dry
Read more →Perfect for grilling, game watching and tailgating…Marinated Chicken Breasts with Harissa Sauce and Iowa Edelweiss. Marinated Chicken Breasts with Harissa Sauce and Tassel Ridge Iowa Edelweiss are a perfect combination. Harissa is a flavorful but strong seasoning, and Tassel Ridge Iowa Edelweiss, a semi-sweet white wine with
Read more →We started with LaCrosse last weekend. Since the grapes were warm, we put them in a reefer trailer which we have rented for harvest again this year. The LaCrosse was chilled and then processed on Sunday. Because we have a lot of Edelweiss (17 acres), we harvested
Read more →Pair Blackberry Sangria with Hot Weather, Long Weekends, Game Watching, & Tailgating! Tassel Ridge® Blackberry Sangria, made with Tassel Ridge Blackberry Wine, is the perfect blend of blackberry and orange flavors with a touch of sweetness.
Read more →Everything is ready! The machines are all clean and lubricated. The crush pad is clean and ready for action. We are just waiting for the grapes to get fully ripe. Actually, last week we did harvest about 700 pounds of Itasca, a white grape that was developed
Read more →Grilled Coffee Chipotle Steaks and Chilled Iowa Silky St. Croix…perfect for Warm/Hot Evenings! Tassel Ridge® chilled Iowa Silky St. Croix, a semi-sweet red with cherry notes on the nose and palate, is a perfect pairing for the very flavorful spice rub on Grilled Coffee Chipotle Steaks and
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