Tassel Ridge Winery–October 2006
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Our Hours
Effective October 1, 2006, we are open for tours, tasting, wine, and gift shop sales:
Wednesday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Thursday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
We are closed on Monday and Tuesday except by prior arrangement.
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 towards Leighton. From Des Moines and Pella, 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.
Tassel Ridge Winery Now Ships Wine to Iowa Addresses
We can now ship wine to Iowa addresses via UPS provided the shipment can be received by an adult. The approximate cost for shipping two bottles of wine in Iowa is about $10-15 and the cost for shipping a twelve bottle case is about $15-20. Normal delivery time is 2-3 days from date of shipment to most addresses. Are you out of your favorite Tassel Ridge Wine and can’t make it to the Winery to pick up a new supply? We will make it easy for you to keep your wine cellar full. Or, would you like to give someone a gift of Tassel Ridge wine and have it sent directly to them? Give us a call. We will get your order on its way to you.
What’s New in Our Vineyards?
Vineyard maintenance and harvest: This year, harvesting began on August 21 and by the beginning of September we had finished picking Edelweiss and Sabrevois. In early September, we picked the remaining St. Croix and Foch at Newport Lane Vineyard and then picked Frontenac, St. Pepin, and La Crosse at both Newport Lane and Meadowcreek vineyards. We finished up by picking the Vignoles, Steuben, and Norton right at the end of September. The Norton was slow to ripen as usual. This year, early September was cool and rainy but the hotter days right at the end of the month brought the sugar level in the Norton up very quickly so that we harvested at 25.5º Brix (or 25.5% sugar). The juice was not only sweet but it was very flavorful. We are all looking forward to see what kind of wine our Norton will produce this year.
Frontenac harvest in the Newport Lane vineyard.
We discovered that the Frontenac harvest in Meadowcreek North was very light compared to harvest quantities in Meadowcreek East and in Newport Lane so we have commissioned soil surveys to determine if lack of essential nutrients are causing the problem. This process involves picking 150 leaves of each variety in each vineyard. We pick our leaves at random in order to get a representative sample of conditions in each block. We then cut off the leaf and keep just the short stem or petiole. We send these petiole samples in carefully labeled bags to a test laboratory for analysis. Considering that the petiole is essentially the pipeline for nutrients to the leaf, it stands to reason that each petiole will contain traces of all of the macro and micro nutrients that the leaf needs in order to do its job. The lab will test for both macro and micro nutrients and based on the results of this testing, we will know what is missing in the soil in each vineyard block as well as what is present in excessive amounts. We will use this information to apply dry fertilizer this fall and to apply foliar sprays during the growing season next year. Our vineyard crew will collect additional petiole samples during next year’s growing season and we will carefully monitor our progress so that we apply just the fertilizer that is necessary and no more. We expect that this carefully planned and monitored fertilization program will increase our yields, improve the quality of the grape we grow, and improve the health of the vines in the long term.
We will undertake one final pass through the vineyard in October removing weeds.
New vineyard construction: We’ve now finished pounding the posts for the vineyard at Meadowcreek West and South where we will plant Marquette next May. Sometime this fall, we will install the row and variety signs in this area. We are excited about Marquette’s potential because it could help us make an outstanding dry red wine. Marquette is a brand new variety that was developed at the University of Minnesota. It has Vitis Riperia and Pinot Noir in its parentage so the possibilities are intriguing. We will plant 5500 plants. We expect our first harvest of this variety in 2009.
What’s Happening in the Cellar?
This time of year, we are monitoring the fermentation process of several different wines all at the same time. Most of the time, alcohol fermentations finish for red wines in about one week and for white and rosé wines in two weeks. We determine whether the fermentation is finished by testing the wine for sugar using a hydrometer. We want to make sure that all of the sugar was consumed during fermentation.
Sometimes however, fermentation just stops and needs to be restarted. This happened to us in late September with two white wines we are making. In one case, we determined that a fermenting white wine had gotten too hot and in the other, the wine had gotten too cold. These events were caused because our chiller system was not functioning on automatic with these two tanks. In both cases the yeast cells were killed. We have to test the partially fermented wine to make sure what caused the fermentation to stop. We correct the problem and then inoculate the wine again in order to get the fermentation restarted.
Once the alcohol fermentation is complete, we run red wines, skins, and seeds through the press and put the remaining wine into another tank. White wines are moved from one tank to another. In both cases, we then thoroughly clean out the tank.
Most red wines are then inoculated for a bacterial malo-lactic fermentation. We will also run some of our dry white wines through a malo-lactic fermentation if we want to de-emphasize the fruity characteristic of the wine and highlight the buttery character. Chardonnays are a prime white wine candidate for M-L fermentation. In all wines, a M-L fermentation converts the malic or fruity acid to lactic or buttery acid and in the process, improves the mouth feel of the wine.
At this time of year, our cellar staff may be working on 10-15 different wines in 30 tanks simultaneously. Frequently, there just isn’t enough labor available right when we need it to get everything done. So, when one or more wines need to be put on hold, we can accomplish that by just reducing the temperature of the tank in which the wine is held so that biological processes are stopped. We can hold a wine in suspended animation for some time in this manner.
In next month’s edition, I will talk about what happens next in the wine making process.
As of October 2, our 2006 Nouveau was being cold stabilized. Our Syrah fermentation was nearing completion. Our Steuben had been crushed and was ready to inoculate for the alcohol fermentation. Both the Foch and Frontenac had been racked and pressed and were ready for the M-L fermentation. And, the Norton had just arrived at the Winery and was ready for initial processing.
Our major construction project in the cellar right now is to get the new 2,000 gallon tanks hooked up to the chiller, get the additional catwalk installed, and to run electrical to the waste water treatment ponds so that we can get our aerator pumps operating.
Wine Grape Varietal Table
De Long’s Wine Chart is a fascinating way to compare 184 white and red grape varieties based on their acidity and body. In addition to nearly all of the Vitis Vinifera varieties, some of the more common cold climate hybrids are also included. The Wine Chart is 23x35.5 inches and is rolled for easy mounting and framing. A 90 page book provides additional information about each grape variety.
The DeLong’s Wine Chart belongs in any serious wine cellar and it makes the perfect gift for the wine enthusiast “who has everything!” Price rolled in a cardboard carton is: $35.00.
Tassel Ridge Winery Poster
The 2006 Tassel Ridge Winery Poster is a celebration of great wine photography. It is 23x 35.5 inches and is suitable for framing. This colorful poster features several bottles of Tassel Ridge Winery wine in a setting that suggests a picnic with an assortment of cheeses and bread. Warning: don’t look at this poster late in the afternoon. You WILL get hungry!
The 2006 Tassel Ridge Winery Poster will be a great addition to the wine cellar and will also work well in the dining room. Price rolled and ready for framing is: $15.00.
Gift Cards
Just in time for holiday giving, Tassel Ridge Winery announces its new gift cards. They can be issued for any amount. All gift cards are valid for purchase of wine and non-wine merchandise only and no cash refunds will be made. Gift cards are sold in an attractive gift envelope. They make a great gift for people who like wine.
Recipe and Wine Pairing Suggestion
Grilled scallops and saffron rice paired with Tassel Ridge Candleglow White
Ingredients for two servings of scallops:
1 pound of scallops
Pam vegetable spray or bottled vegetable oil to coat scallops and grill
Spice Islands Beau Monde seasoning
Lemon wedges
4 small strips of bacon fried and diced fine
Tartar sauce – optional
This recipe uses frozen scallops. Substitute fresh scallops if you can get them. Note: scallops that are frozen without any additives are called “dry packed” while scallops that are treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) are called “wet packed.” STP causes the scallops to absorb moisture prior to the freezing process. STP also makes scallops appear more appealing when they are thawed so it results in high prices per pound. But, this moisture makes them very difficult to brown when grilling or pan frying. Our suggestion is to avoid STP treated scallops whenever possible.
Thaw the scallops overnight in the refrigerator, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels. Place on a tray or disposable aluminum foil pan, spray lightly with Pam vegetable oil or coat lightly with bottled vegetable oil. Season lightly on both sides with Spice Islands Beau Monde seasoning. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator if they are going to be held for more than 30 minutes before grilling. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before grilling.
Prepare the grill. Use a generous amount of charcoal. These scallops were grilled on a Weber Smoke Joe. Standard size or other charcoal grills will work as well. When the coals are hot and you are ready to cook, spread out the coals and place the grill on top. Clean the grill with a grill brush or crumpled aluminum foil using tongs. Make a crumpled piece of aluminum foil and lightly coat with vegetable oil or Pam spray and rub this over the grill to lightly coat it with oil.
Place the scallops on the grill with a timer handy. Cook from 4 to 10 minutes depending on the degree of doneness you like. Turn after the first two minutes and turn again every two minutes. Check on the cooking progress by feeling how firm the scallops feel with the tongs. If you are using a gas grill, you may have to adjust the cooking times depending on how hot the grill is.
Remove to a warm dish and either serve immediately or hold covered with foil in a 150ºF oven for a short time.
Serve on warm plates with the diced bacon either sprinkled over the scallops or served in a side dish with lemon wedges and tarter sauce.
Ingredients for two servings of classic saffron rice:
1 cup of long-grain white rice
2 cups of water or chicken stock
1 T butter
1 T finely minced onion (optional)
½ tsp salt
1 small pinch Saffron, crumbled
Place butter and minced onion in a heavy quart saucepan. Sauté over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add rice, Saffron, water or stock, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil. Cover, reduce heat to simmer, cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed (about 18 minutes). Note: this is based on a recipe from Penzeys Spices at www.penzeys.com. Preparation time is 10 minutes. Total cooking time is 25 minutes.
Grilled scallops and Saffron rice paired with Tassel Ridge Candleglow White
See Tassel Ridge Winery at:
Wednesday and Thursday, October 11 and 12: Des Moines Products Show for Business and Industry. Hours: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Wednesday and 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Thursday. Venue: Hy-Vee Hall at the Iowa Events Center, Des Moines.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 20-22: Autumn Festival Arts and Crafts Show. Hours: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Sunday. Venue: Hy-Vee Hall at the Iowa Events Center, Des Moines.
Thursday, October 26: Hy-Vee Wine and Spirits Wine Club of Pella tour and tasting at Tassel Ridge Winery. Hours: 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Monday, October 30: Wesley Retirement Services event. Hours: 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. Venue: West Des Moines Marriott Hotel.
Friday, November 3: See, Eat, Drink, Indulge! Hours: 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. Venue: Art 316 located at 316 SW 5th Street, Des Moines.
Previous Issues:
September 2006: www.interpower.com/trwinery/newsletter9-06.htm
August 2006: www.interpower.com/trwinery/newsletter8-06.htm
July 2006: www.interpower.com/trwinery/newsletter7-06.htm