Tassel Ridge Winery

Tassel Ridge Winery–March 2007

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Our Hours:

Effective March 1, we are open for tours, tasting, wine, and gift shop sales as follows: Wednesday-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. 

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 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.

New Wines:

2005 Iowa Finalé

The 2005 Iowa Finalé is a rich, fortified, dessert wine made entirely from St. Croix and Foch grapes grown in our Mahaska County vineyards.  As its name suggests, our Iowa Finalé is the perfect wine to consume at the end of a meal, with dessert or by itself. 

The 2005 Iowa Finalé initially offers black cherry and plum notes with a hint of nutmeg on the finish.  It pairs well with salted cashews, dark chocolate, and Maytag Blue Cheese on crackers.  Or consume the 2005 Iowa Finalé by itself.  Serve at room temperature.

If you are looking for the perfect gift for a discriminating wine lover, the 2005 Iowa Finalé ought to be on your list.  It is presented in a tall, thin bottle that makes for an elegant package.  Combine the Iowa Finalé with the delicate Dark Chocolate Truffles made for us by Van Veen Chocolates, and you’ll have a dessert that everyone will remember. 

Price: 2005 Iowa Finalé in 375 ml bottle is $17.00.  5 ounce package of Dark Chocolate Truffles is $8.00.

2005 Raspberry Finalé and 2005 Blackberry Finalé

The 2005 Raspberry and Blackberry Finalés are both made entirely of fruit juice and are then fortified.  Both are rich, full bodied, dessert wines.  Consume them exactly as you would the 2005 Iowa Finalé. 

Price: Raspberry and Blackberry Finalés are sold in 375 ml bottles for $17.00. 

Chocolate Truffles

Our new Dark Chocolate Truffles and the Finalé Chocolate Truffles are great by themselves or when served with one of our Finalé dessert wines.

The Dark Chocolate Truffles are made from rich, smooth 72% cocoa solids dark chocolate.  They feature a dark chocolate shell and a decadent dark truffle filling and are the perfect compliment to any of our Finalé dessert wines.

The Finalé chocolate truffles are made with a dark chocolate shell and a silky smooth truffle filling that contains Tassel Ridge Finalé Premier Red Wine.  Enjoy these chocolate truffles by themselves or with any of our Finalé dessert wines.

All of our truffles are handcrafted for us by Van Veen Chocolates in Pella. 

Price: Dark Chocolate Truffles are sold in a 5 oz. package for $8.00.  The Finalé chocolate truffles are sold in a 5 oz. package for $10.00.

New Dipping Oils

New in the Tassel Ridge Winery Gift Shop is our line of ten different dipping oils.

The dipping oils are olive oil based and blended with spices typical of Mediterranean cuisine.  Pour a little of the oil into a saucer and then dip your bread in it for a yummy mixture of flavor.  Our dipping oils include:

A loaf of an artisanal bread with one of our dipping oils and a bottle of Tassel Ridge Brett’s Blush or possibly Candleglow White make a great way to unwind from the week and start the weekend.

We are tasting a different selection of the dipping oils every day at the Winery.  Help us decide which of our wines best compliments each dipping oil.

Price: Dipping Oils are $16.50 in a 355 ml bottle. 

Cheese Toppers

Now, if you haven’t heard of a cheese topper before, don’t feel alone.  I hadn’t either.  But, imagine a soft cheese like a Brie with a topping of one of the sweet sauces listed below.  What a yummy combination of flavor!  It is a great way to serve a different appetizer at your next party.  We offer the following flavors:

Come to the Winery to taste the cheese toppers and help us determine which of our wines work best with each cheese topper.

Price: All Cheese Toppers are priced at $8.50.  While exact weights vary, they are all about 200 g or 7 oz. 

Tassel Ridge Wines Win Three Awards in Tastings

Three Tassel Ridge wines won recognition in competitive tastings recently. 

Tassel Ridge Winery Prelude won acceptance as one of the Iowa Wine Growers Association Convention Dinner wines.  Served with the Cream of  Broccoli Soup course, Prelude was selected blind by a team of wine experts.

Tassel Ridge Winery Tickled Pink was awarded a Bronze Medal at the Florida State Fair.

Tassel Ridge Winery 2006 Iowa Nouveau was also awarded a Bronze Medal at the Florida State Fair.

What’s Happening in the Cellar?

March cellar operations will focus on making wine from the Chardonnay and Muscat juice that we received from California in late February.  We will also be bottling wine and labeling wines that have already been bottled.  Otherwise, this is a quiet time of the year in the cellar (but don’t say that to the cellar staff).  Both the In the Dark and Syrah will be resting in stainless tanks in contact with oak staves in food-grade nylon tea bags.  The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon continues its ageing in American and Eastern European oak barrels.  And, we will start work on our 2006 Cherry, Plum, and Cranberry fruit wines.

Meet Jim Carmichael, Tassel Ridge Winery Cellar Technician

Jim Carmichael makes things happen in the cellar at Tassel Ridge Winery.  He is in charge of all of the machinery, safety, quality, and sanitation at the Winery.  He is the first to master a piece of new machinery and then he makes sure that the other team members who will use that machinery know how to use it safely. 

Jim is an “aw shucks” kind of guy.  He grew up in Keota, Iowa as the son of a well- known local veterinarian, went away to Iowa State to become a vet himself, and ended up marrying a vet.  They decided that two vets in the family was enough so Jim took his degree in animal husbandry to Cargill to learn about fermentation technology.  After making citric and itaconic acid at Cargill for several years, he decided to try making wine at Tassel Ridge Winery.  Since everybody knows that it takes a lot of beer to make good wine, Jim was obviously the man for the job.  But, Jim is studying wine these days and his family is really impressed with what he has learned.  His kids still think that he goes to work as the “cellar troll” at the “wine factory!”

Jim is a self-confessed “gear head” with a soft spot for early Ford Mustangs. (I keep mine locked up to protect it from him!)  With three active kids and a veterinarian wife who thinks four legged critters are pretty cool, Jim doesn’t get much time to work on the four wheeled loves of his life but in the meantime, he helps make some pretty good wine.

Calendar

The 2007 Tassel Ridge Winery calendar is now available. It is produced in a large 10.5 by 16 inch format and includes 13 full-color images of Tassel Ridge Winery, our vineyards, and our cellar. The calendar includes some interesting facts about some of the varieties of grapes we grow in our vineyards as well as images of members of our winemaking team. The calendar is now free while supplies last.

Gift Ideas:

Wooden Gift Boxes of Wine

These gifts can include 2, 3, or 12 bottles of wine. The 2 bottle box will include two Tassel Ridge Winery glasses. These wine boxes make a very classy and memorable gift. Prices depend on specific wines included but are in the $50-60 range for 2 and 3 bottle boxed gifts and $250 for the 12 bottle box.

 

Gift Baskets with Wine

Does a gift basket work better for you? We offer gift baskets with two bottles of wine and several complimentary items for about $55.00 (price will vary with items you select). These baskets are very attractively packaged in cellophane and make a striking gift.

 

Gift Cards

Tassel Ridge Winery gift cards are an appropriate gift for wine lovers any time of the year. 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.

Tassel Ridge Wines Now Appearing in Retailers Near You

For a complete list of retailers, click here. The retailers listed below were added in February. Note that most retailers do NOT offer all of our wines but rather focus on those wines that sell the best.  Ask your retailer or contact us directly for other wines.

Bonaparte: Bonaparte Pottery, 411 1st Street

Des Moines: The Wine Experience, 101 Jordan Creek Parkway, Bldg 6000 (Yonkers)

Des Moines: Ingersoll Wine & Spirits, 3500 Ingersoll

Des Moines: Hy-Drug Store, 4100 University

Fairfield: Adela’s, 301 South Main

Indianola: Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits, 910 N. Jefferson

Kalona: Tuscan Moon Grill on 5th,  203 5th

Knoxville: Hy-Vee Food Store, 809 W. Rock Island

Knoxville: Swamp Fox, 116 N 2nd St.

Newton: Hy-Vee Drug Store, 1207 1st Avenue East

Ottumwa: Hy-Vee Food Store, 2453 N. Court

Washington: Heritage Gallery, 2193 Lexington Blvd                                   

If you have a favorite retailer where you’d like to purchase Tassel Ridge wines in the future or a restaurant where you’d like to consume Tassel Ridge wines, please e-mail me at bwersen@interpower.com and we will arrange to contact them. 

Tassel Ridge Winery Now Ships Wine to Iowa Addresses and Eleven Other States including California:

We can now ship wine to addresses in Iowa and the following states: Alaska, California Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.  California was added in February. We ship via UPS provided the shipment can be received by an adult.

The approximate cost for shipping two bottles of wine in Iowa is $10-15 and the cost for shipping a twelve bottle case is about $15-20. Normal delivery time to Iowa locations is 2-3 days from date of shipment. 

The cost for shipping outside of Iowa depends on the weight and which state we are shipping to.  For example, the cost for shipping two bottles of wine to New Mexico is $13-18 and the cost for shipping a twelve bottle case is $15-22.    

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 or to people located in the states noted above.

So, why can’t we just ship to any state in the U.S? Didn’t a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision “free the grapes?”  The Supreme Court decision just said that all wineries in-state and out-of-state had to be treated the same.  Some state legislatures have decided that wineries that are shipping wine to their citizens will have to register, pay a fee, put up tax payment bonds regardless of whether the wineries will have any tax liability, collect sales and use taxes, and in some cases file regular reports.  Each state is different.  It is not practical for a small family owned winery in Iowa to file quarterly reports in 20-30 different states, particularly if the volume of wine shipped into those states is small.  So, we are starting with the states that are easiest for us to deal with and adding additional states as we hear from customers that they want us to ship wine to them.  If you’d like to ship wine to people in a specific state, let us know.  This information will help us decide where to put our compliance resources.

Now Available Free at the Winery:

2007 Iowa Bed & Breakfast Directory: More than 100 Iowa B&Bs are listed in a 32 page directory that is available at the Winery free of charge.  Please ask for your copy.

Winter 2007 edition of Edible Iowa River Valley. The latest edition features locally produced foods and their producers.  Learn about La Quercia prosciutto, Bud’s Custom Meats, native Iowa meats, and other locally produced food products.  Pick up your free copy at the Winery. 

Email Brian Babcock at info@tasselridge.com to sign up a friend for our enewsletter.

Upcoming Events and Local Wine Tastings:

March 9
Burlington—Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits
3140 Agency St.
4:30-6:30p.m.
with Assistant Winemaker, Rhonda Taylor

March 9
Des Moines—Hy-Vee Drug Town
3580 EP True Parkway
5-7p.m.

March 10
Knoxville—Hy-Vee Food Store
809 W Rock Island St
2-4p.m.

March 15
West Des Moines—Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits
555 S 51 and Mills Civic Parkway
4:30-6:30p.m.

March 16
Bloomfield—Keith’s Food Store
207 E Locust
4:30-6:30p.m.

March 17
Pella—Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits
3-5 p.m.

March 30
Altoona—Hy-Vee Food Store
100 8th St SW
4-6:30p.m.

March 31
Wine of Note Festival with the Ottumwa Symphony Orchestra
Brigeview Center
Ottumwa
6-8p.m.

April 5
Des Moines—Hy-Vee Drug Store
4100 University
6:30-8p.m.

April 6
Albia—Hy-Vee
3-6p.m.

April 7
Fairfield—Hy-Vee Food Store
2100 W Burlington Rd
2-4p.m.

April 13
Windsor Heights—Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits
7101 University
3:30-6p.m.

Complete list of events

Complete list of local wine tastings

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--Bob Wersen, President