Tassel Ridge Winery–January 29, 2010
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Tassel Ridge Winery Events
Saturday, January 30
Wine & Fondue Dinner—Sold out!
Saturday, February 13
Valentine’s Wine Dinner—Sold out!
Sunday, February 14
Valentine’s Wine Dinner—Space available!
Invite Tassel Ridge Wines to Your Super Bowl Party
Sunday, February 7— Celebrate Super Bowl 2010 with Tassel Ridge wines!
There's no reason why you can't serve both wine drinkers and beer drinkers, at your Super Bowl party this year. Here are suggestions on Tassel Ridge wines that pair well with your usual Super Bowl foods:
Try Pizzeria & Pasta Too! with Pizza
If pizza is on your menu, try Tassel Ridge Pizzeria & Pasta Too! This is a really fruity dry red, food pairing wine with hints of plum and black cherry on the nose, and it follows with plum on the palate. Pizzeria & Pasta Too! pairs well with pizza and pasta with tomato-based sauces.
Try Oskyfizzante® Red with Nachos
Oskyfizzante® Red is a refreshing, sweet, fruity, and fizzy red wine with cherry and green apple notes on the nose and cherry and plum on the palate. Oskyfizzante Red is made from a blend of Zinfandel and Muscat grapes. Pair with spicy appetizers or just chill, open, and celebrate!
Try Tassel Ridge 2009 Iowa Nouveau with Brats
The 2009 Iowa Nouveau is a red wine that is traditionally the first wine of the season to be released. It is typically very light and fruity. This year, our 2009 Iowa Nouveau is slightly spritzy. This combination of attributes makes this an ideal wine for celebrations and meals.
Hearty Winter Meals Work Best with Dry Red Wines from Tassel Ridge Winery
Cold weather begs for hearty meals such as grilled meat, stews, hearty soups, and pasta dishes. These meals will usually include hearty flavors and spices that pair especially well with dry red wines. Consider some of these ideas for your winter meals.
2009 Iowa Nouveau
2009 Iowa Nouveau is our first wine of the season at Tassel Ridge Winery. It is made from St. Croix and Foch grapes grown in our vineyards. It is a dry red wine but it is very fruity. One visitor to the Winery last week said that 2009 Iowa Nouveau is the best red wine he has ever had. He said that he doesn’t like red wine because it is too aggressive for him. But, the fruity 2009 Iowa Nouveau is perfect for the meals he prepares in the winter!
Consider pairing 2009 Iowa Nouveau with a hearty vegetable beef soup with a tomato base. Or, a beef stew or goulash will be a nice alternative.
Consider serving 2009 Iowa Nouveau slightly chilled. And, plan to consume this wine soon. It drinks best when young and fresh!
Price: 2009 Iowa Nouveau—$14 per 750 ml bottle, plus tax and bottle deposit
American Syrah
The Tassel Ridge Winery American Syrah is a big red wine that is outstanding with grilled meats including beef, seasoned pork, and even well seasoned chicken. It offers light oak, plum, and baking spices on the nose with black raspberry, plum, baking spices, and black pepper on the palate. American Syrah is made entirely from Syrah grapes and is aged in French, American, and Eastern European oak for 23 months.
Price: American Syrah—$20 per 750 ml bottle, plus tax and bottle deposit
Zinfull Red
Tassel Ridge Winery Zinfull Red is my choice of wines for well-seasoned steaks. It is a dry red wine that offers blackberry jam, plum, and black pepper on the nose and raspberry, cherry, and spice on the palate. This wine has been aged in French oak for one year.
Price: Zinfull Red—$20 per 750 ml bottle, plus tax and bottle deposit
Twilight
Twilight is outstanding if you want an elegant, well-aged wine that pairs well with fully flavored meats and pastas. This was the first dry red wine from Tassel Ridge Winery, and we have only about 25 cases left. It has run out at most retailers and is available only at the Winery.
The Tassel Ridge Twilight is a dry, red wine that displays jammy fruit and vanilla on the nose with plum and spice on the palate. It is made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and was aged in American and Eastern European oak for 14 months.
Price: Twilight—$20 per 750 ml bottle, plus tax and bottle deposit
In the Dark
Tassel Ridge Winery’s In the Dark is our very popular big, dry red wine. It offers hints of cherry, plum, and white pepper. It is made from St. Croix and Foch grapes grown in our vineyards blended with juice from Syrah grapes. This wine will go well with grilled meats and pasta dishes with spicy red sauces.
Price: In the Dark—$20 per 750 ml bottle, plus tax and bottle deposit
Pizzeria & Pasta Too!
The Pizzeria & Pasta Too! is made entirely from Sabrevois grapes grown in our Tassel Ridge Vineyard. It is very fruity and I think it works exceptionally well with pizza and pasta dishes with spicy red sauce. I like to put pepper flakes on my pizza to make it really spicy, and Pizzeria & Pasta Too! is an outstanding complement. This is a dry, red wine with hints of plum and black cherry on the nose followed by plum on the palate.
Price: Pizzeria & Pasta Too!—$13 per 750 ml bottle, plus tax and bottle deposit
Boeuf Bourguignon
We recommend the Tassel Ridge Winery 2009 Iowa Nouveau with this dish.
Recipe provided by Chef Hang of Central College Catering in Pella
6 oz. chunk of bacon
1 T Cooking Oil
3 lbs. Lean Stewing Beef
3 sliced carrots
1 sliced onion (large)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 T Flour
3 cups full-bodied young red wine (2009 Iowa Nouveau)
2 to 3 cups beef stock
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. thyme
Crumbled bay leaf
1 lb. quartered fresh mushrooms
Remove rind and cut bacon into sticks (1/4" thick and 1 1/2" long)
Sauté bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.
Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.
In the same fat, brown the sliced carrots & onions. Pour out the fat.
Return the beef and the bacon to the pot and toss with salt & pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set pot uncovered over heat in order to brown the flour and cover the meat with a light crust.
Stir in the wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Add garlic and herbs. Simmer and cover the pot. Cook for 1 1/2 hour.
Add the mushrooms and cook for another hour.
The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
Serve with boiled potatoes or buttered noodles and fresh peas. You can also just serve this dish with crusty breads and a nice salad.
What is Happening Now in Our Vineyards?
This photo of our Edelweiss covered in ice says it all!
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.
Our Hours:
In January and February 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
—Bob Wersen, President
E-mail Jody Brockway at info@tasselridge.com to sign up a friend for our e-newsletter.