Amateur Wine Competition Winners Named

 The inaugural Amateur Wine Competition, as part of Iowa’s Premier Wine & Food Expo, judging was held today at Hy-Vee Hall. 60 entries competed for the top honors. The contest was only open to local wine clubs and hobbyists – commercial wineries were not allowed.

The contest was sponsored by Make Mine Wine Magazine, Indianola, Iowa and BlueStem Winery, Parkersburg, Iowa. The award-winning wines will be featured next weekend at Hy-Vee Hall at Iowa’s Premier Wine & Food Expo.

Judges critiqued the wines based on color, aroma, body, taste and finish. All winemakers will receive their score sheet with judges comments, which may be helpful when they start on their next batch of wine.

And the winners are:

Best of Grape Wines-Robert Smith from Webster City. Smith’s entry was a 2008 Barbera.

Best of Non Grape Wines-Bob Whitlock from Indianola. Whitbeck’s entry was a 2008 Elderberry.

Best of Meads & Ciders-Joel Duden from Marshalltown. Duden’s entry was a 2008 Sparkling Apple Mead.

ABOUT IOWA’S PREMIER WINE AND FOOD EXPO, PRESENTED BY HY-VEE Live demonstrations will be taking place in the Celebrity Kitchen Theater, sponsored by Kitchen Classics, by popular celebrity chefs, including Andrew Zimmern of Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods” and Duff Goldman, host of “Ace of Cakes” on the Food Network. The celebrities will participate in meet and greets and autograph sessions in Hockenberg’s Celebrity Meet ‘n Greet Zone. Autographs are on a first come first served basis as time allows.

Celebrities aren’t the only ones with a chance to show off their culinary skills. The You’re Cookin! Stage will showcase local and regional chefs.

The Emporium, sponsored by Mrs. Clark’s features retail, food and service vendors from all over the Midwest. Buy it, leave it, and take it home, or BLT. When attendees purchase items at Iowa’s Premier Wine & Food Expo, they can leave those items at the convenient, on-site drop-off location at no charge and free their hands for more shopping.

Over 280 wines, beer and spirits from around the world are at the show.  The Sampling Zone will be open for individuals to try various beers, wines and spirits for only $12 (must be 21 years of age to sample). When guests are finished at the Sampling Zone, they can visit the Hy-Vee Wine Shop to purchase their favorite sampled bottle of wine or specialty beer.

Regular tickets are priced at $20 for the day or $35 for both days and are on sale now. Children six and under are admitted into the show FREE of charge. Tickets are available at the Wells Fargo Arena Ticket Office, all area Dahl’s Foods locations, online at dahlstickets.com, or charge by phone at 866-55-DAHLS.

The full schedule and detailed information can be found at www.iowaeventscenter.com/wineandfood.

Sponsors include Hy-Vee, The Des Moines Register, Factory Direct Appliances, Kitchen Classics, Mrs. Clarks, Hockenbergs, Iowa Beef, Pork and Turkey Producers, Renaissance Savery Hotel, and WHO-TV-Channel 13.

About Make Mine Wine Make Mine Wine and the Make Mine Wing blog offer weekend inspiration with regional wine, go-with recipes, fun, getaway, home and entertaining ideas for wine lovers. The magazine immerses the novice or more sophisticated wine lover in the culture of wine, specifically in Iowa and the Midwest.

Advertisers reach women and discretionary income that make most of the decisions on where to spend money on things they love: dining, travel, home décor, entertainment, shopping, personal, financial and medical services, and more.

The Make Mine Wine audience enjoys wine as pat of a lifestyle choice that involves family, friends and fun.

Make Mine Wine is published by Rasko Publishing LLC., founded in 2006 and headquartered in Indianola, IA. For more information or to subscribe to Make Mine Wine ($12.72 per year) call 515-962-5515. The Midwest wine events list and the Make Mine Wine blog are on line at www.makeminewinemagazine.com. Follow @MakeMineWine at www.twitter.com

About BlueStem Winery Vern Holms made his first batch of wine in 1976 and today produces and sells wine and offers wine-making classes at BlueStem Winery. At www.bluestemwine.com he sells beer-brewing and winemaking supplies and kits to more than 3,000 customers in numerous countries and in all 50 states. BlueStem Winery is located at 305 Third Street, Parkersburg, Iowa.

Bet you can’t sample just one!

I had lunch this week with Holly Kjeldgaard, Assistant General Manager for Global Spectrum at the Iowa Events Center/Wells Fargo Arena, I was amazed to learn how many wines, beers and spirits would be available for sampling at the Iowa’s Premier Wine & Food Expo.

Take a guess.

Holly said there will be over 270 wines, beers and spirits from around the world in The Sampling Zone and the Hy-Vee Wine Shop. Those folks who wish to sample can do so by paying an additional $12 charge to enter the Sampling Zone and attendees admitted to this area or the Hy-Vee Wine Shop must be 21 years of age of older. In the Hy-Vee Wine Shop you can purchase wine to take home.

This event is also Iowa’s largest culinary celebration with Celebrity Chefs Duff Goldman from The Food Channel’s Aces of Cakes and Andrew Zimmern of Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods. There will also be cooking demonstrations from area chefs and restaurants. It’s a great place to browse wonderful food and entertaining ideas as well as pick up useful and fun ideas and cooking tips to try at home.

I attended the event last year and I can tell you it was a lot of fun.

Tickets are on sale now for the event November 13, Noon – 10 p.m. and Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. in Hy-Vee Hall in downtown Des Moines. Check the details at www.wineandfoodexpoiowa.com

See you there!

 

Cheers!
Barbara Rasko, Publisher

Make Mine Wine

www.makeminewinemagazine.com

Halloween Party at Sugar Clay Winery

Frank and Amy Faust host great events at Sugar Clay WInery and there is a good one coming up this Saturday night, October 31st.

Spooks, soup, games, music and fun await party goers at this Halloween bash. A prize will be award for best costume and music will be performed by Rick Hillyard and Jim Chambers.

It’s just $5 for the soup and music. Soup starts at 6 p.m. and the music is from  7 – 10.

And then there is the award-winning wine … and craft beer!

Sugar Clay Winery’s full-bodied, dry red,  2007 Cynthiana won a silver medal at the Mid-American Wine Competition (flavors of black pepper, plum and oak).  Concord (grape jelly in a glass) won a bronze and Bandana Red (jammy red with tastes of dried cherries and blackberry) also won bronze.

They have a complete selection of wines from dry to sweet and it is likely you will find something you will enjoy very much.

Don your costume and head for the beautiful Loess Hills this weekend — the trees are beautiful — and then stop in for some fun at Sugar Clary Winery.

Cheers!

Barbara Rasko, Publisher

Make Mine Wine

www.makeminewinemagazine.com

Women & Wine at Summerset Winery!

If you’re like me, you deserve a leisurely afternoon with a glass of wine in hand and nothing to thing about but girl talk, lunch, shopping and fun!

You can be living that dream at Summerset Winery on Saturday, November 7th!

Here’s what they have planned -

Wine reception, gourmet boxed lunch, wine, gift bag and giveaways.

Sassy selections from the ladies of Off the Cuff Quartet

Professional Organizer, Mary Sigmann, will speak on clearing clutter from our lives.

Lunch will be catered by Judge’s Signature catering and will include a turkey croissant with cranberry chutney, pasta salad and seasonal fresh fruit. A decadent dessert table will be offered following lunch.

You can browse display tables filled with jewelry, spa related items, clothing, and more from: Ultra Salon, Morning Rain Massage and Day Spa, Silpada Designs, Iowa Bed & Breakfast Guild, Sassy Serving & Glassware, Various & Sundry, Wooden Expressions, Good Health, Southern Living at Home, The Possibilities Room, Private Quarters, Jeff Gilbert Photography, Scentsy, Miss Spenser’s Special Tea’s, and Mainstream Boutique!

Call the winery in Indianola, Iowa, to make your reservations – 515/961-3545.

You’ll have a wonderful stress-free day!

Cheers!

Barbara Rasko, Publisher

Make Mine Wine

www.makeminewinemagazine.com

Tassel Ridge Winery to Host First Winemaker’s Dinner

Winemaker Rhonda Taylor will host her first winemaker’s dinner on Sunday, November 8th at Tassel Ridge Winery near Leighton, Iowa.

Rhonda was featured in the Summer issue of Make Mine Wine magazine. She works with 15 varieties of grapes (nearly 100 tons) and is responsible for crafting 28 wines. She often works with 20 or more different batches of wine at one time and her daily operations including tracking all of the batches, performing lab work to comply with regulations and following the winery’s own procedures to maintain a safe and clean environment for the wine and employees.

Rhonda graduated from Iowa State University with a biology degree and a chemistry backgound. In 2005 Bob Wersen, owner of Tassel Ridge Winery, invited her to become assistant winemaker. After training with Dr. Murli Dharmadhikari, currently director of the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, Rhonda became Winemaker and Cellar Manager in August, 2007.

The Winemaker’s Dinner will pair Tassel Ridge wines with the flavors of a three-course Italian dinner. The Antipasto platter is paired with Tassel Ridge Oskyfizzante White, followed by Pasta Puttanesca with Tassel Ridge Pizzeria & Pasta Too! Dinners will indulge in Tiramisu with Tassel Ridge Chocolate Granfinale for dessert.

After dinner Rhonda will lead a private tour of the Tassel Ridge Winery Cellar.

Advance reservations are required by Thursday, November 5th. The price is $25 per person, plus tax. Wine Tasting begins at 6 p.m. with dinner at 6:30.

My husband and I have attended the wonderful wine and food pairing dinners at Tassel Ridge Winery and I know you will especially enjoy this one. It will be a great chance to meet Rhonda and learn more about the wine and the winery experience at Tassel Ridge.

Cheers!

Barbara Rasko, Publisher

Make Mine Wine magazine

www.makeminewinemagazine.com

Ready for Some Winery Fun?

Dance, taste, dine and play in Iowa Wine Country this fall. Join your girlfriends for a fab night out. Sample wine and food pairings on The Iowa Wine Trail. Laugh your boots and hats off on a great couple’s night watching a mystery play. Plan a wine country getaway complete with wine, dinner and an overnight. Enjoy!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Bill Martin Group (variety and dance music)

Snus Hill Winery, Madrid

www.snushillwinery.com

Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18
Oktoberfest

Eagles Landing Winery, Marquette

www.eagleslandingwinery.com

Saturday, October 17

Brother Tucker

Dale Valley Winery, Stuart, Iowa

www.dalevalleyvineyard.com

Sunday, October 18

Buck Hollow Band and Rican Ribs

Winneshiek Wildberry Winery

Decorah

www.wwwinery.com

Sunday Tunes, October 18,  3–6 p.m.

Tony Valdez & Don Jaques

Summerset Winery, Indianola

www.summersetwine.com

Sunday, October 18, 2 – 5 p.m.

Sumpin’ Doo (blues)
Snus Winery, Madrid

www.snuswine.com

Thursday, October 22, 6 – 8 p.m.

Girls’ Night Out

Advance reservations required.
Tassel Ridge Winery, Leighton

www.tasselridge.com

Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24

Randy Manning’s Jest Mysteries

“A Fistfull of Hollers” Murder Mystery Dinner

Advance reservations required.
Tassel Ridge Winery, Leighton

www.tasselridge.com

Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25

Eagle City Winery Fall Open House

Wine Tasting and Hors d’Ouevres, Horse Drawn Trolley Rides, Live Music

Eagle City Winery, Iowa Falls

www.eaglecitywinery.com

Saturday, October 24, 2 – 4 p.m.

Iowa’s Wine Cellar One-Year Anniversary

Iowa’s Wine Cellar

Ames

www.iowaswinecellar.com

Thursday, October 29, 6 – 8 p.m.

Girls’ Night Out

Advance reservations required.
Tassel Ridge Winery, Leighton

www.tasselridge.com

Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8

The Iowa Wine Trail Food Pairing

Food from Around the World
“A World of Food with Iowa Wines” will be the theme for The Iowa Wine Trail’s

November wine and food event to be held Saturday, November 7 and Sunday,

November 8.  Each winery will serve samples of their award winning wines paired

with food from around the world.

At each winery, adventurous wine tasters will have the opportunity to sample

foods from around the world paired with unique, locally made wines.  There will

be foods from Argentina at Daly Creek Winery, Anamosa, foods from Germany at

Eagles Landing Winery, Marquette, foods from Ireland at Engelbrecht Family

Winery, Fredericksburg and Park Farm Winery, Bankston, Tex-Mex foods at Sutliff

Cider Company, Lisbon, French foods at Tabor Home Vineyards, Baldwin, foods from

around the world at Wallace Winery, West Branch, food from Italy at Wide River

Winery, Clinton, and food from the Caribbean at Winneshiek Wildberry Winery,

Decorah.

Tickets for the two-day event may be purchased in advance for $25 each, or

one-day tickets for $20 each in advance.  Tickets are $35 the day of the event.

Visit www.iowawinetrail.com for the Early Bird Special (four tickets for the

price of three) if ordered before November 1.  Tickets can also be purchased at

any of the Iowa Wine Trail wineries, by calling 563-557-3727 or online at

www.iowawinetrail.com.

Visitors who attend all nine wineries during the weekend will be included in a

drawing for special door prizes.  www.iowawinetrail.com or call 563/557-3727

Wine and Dine Des Moines

Jasper Winery, Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse, Radisson

Discover a wine excursion – right here in Des Moines! The Radisson Wine Experience includes transportation from the hotel to Jasper Winery in which you will have a tour, enjoy a wine tasting and a gift certificate to Jasper Winery. Your evening continues with a wine tasting dinner for two at Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse and you will receive two commemorative Johnny’s wine glasses. End the evening with a luxurious overnight stay at the Radisson and wake to a breakfast buffet – all for only $199 plus tax. Limited packages available – call to reserve your Des Moines Wine Tour today!
Call (515) 285-7777 to make a reservation

Have fun!  Cheers!

Barbara Rasko

Make Mine Wine magazine

Expo for Lovers of Wine and Food and Fun!

Grab a pen and your calendar and write in Wine and Food Expo on the squares for Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14.

If you are like me, you don’t want to miss the fun and excitement at Iowa’s Premier Wine and Food Expo at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.

Celebrity Chefs scheduled to appear at the event include Andrew Zimmern, of The Travel Channel, and The Food Network’s Duff Goldman. That could be zany, fun and exciting!

You can pick up food, wine and entertaining ideas from more than 50 local businesses, sample food and wine and purchase treats and goodies for yourself and holiday gift-giving.

This year the Expo also features the winners of the new Amateur Wine Making Contest, sponsored by Blue Stem Winery and Make Mine Wine. A lot of Iowans are making wine at home … some have been doing it for years and years … and we’re excited to showcase the winners of this year’s competition.

Local and regional chefs will demonstrate some tasty recipes using Iowa pork, beef and turkey that you can recreate at home for family and friends.

This is a wonderful event with something for everyone that enjoys food, wine, entertaining and fun. Check out the schedule, the details and ticket information today at http://wineandfoodexpoiowa.com/

800th Hit this Month makes 21,000 Total for Make Mine Wine Blog

Thank you to everyone who has visited Make Mine Wine blog.

The first blog was posted on October 9, 2006 — Tailgating Tips. Like many of my early posts, I did not add tags or categories. That seems pretty funny today.

Once again, thank you and I look forward to keeping you informed on the wines, grapes, wineries and events in Midwest Wine Country.

Cheers!

Barbara Rasko, Publisher, Make Mine Wine

Unexpected Variety in Cork Christmas Trees

How do you imagine a cork  tree would look? If you were going to make one, what construction method would you use?

In 2006 I posted a photo of a cork Christmas tree that was made by gluing wine corks together into a smooth cone and attaching small ornaments.

I recently received an elaborate cork Christmas tree uses various sized wine corks. The corks were drilled to allow a dowel to be placed through the center and wires were inserted into corks to create branches. This one is complete with lights, grape cluster ornaments and an angel tree topper. Neat!

Another reader chose to create wine cork palm trees — creative and fun.

The trees will be shown in the next issue of Make Mine Wine which will come out in November.

In the meantime, let me know how you have — or would — construct a cork tree.

Cheers!

Barbara Rasko, Publisher, Make Mine Wine

Enthusiasts Invited To Submit Homemade Wines In New Competition

Iowa’s Premier Wine & Food Expo Presented by Hy-Vee

Hy-Vee Hall, Downtown Des Moines – November 13-14, 2009

Iowa wine lovers who craft their own wine gather fruit or ingredients, crush, add water and sugar and yeast, wait through fermentation and rack again and again until the wine is clear. When the wine is stable, it is time to bottle and then wait for six months or a year to taste the fruits of their efforts, hoping it turned out just as they planned. When the wine is good, they like to spread the news…. and hope they can get it to turn out just the same the next time!

The new Amateur Wine Competition at Iowa’s Premier Wine & Food Expo will offer the winning winemakers bragging rights and visitors to the Expo a peek into the world of homemade winemaking.

The contest is only open to local wine clubs and hobbyists – commercial wineries cannot apply – and is sponsored by Make Mine Wine Magazine, Indianola, Iowa and BlueStem Winery, Parkersburg, Iowa.

Judging will be held Saturday, November 7 in the Hy-Vee Hall Business Center. The award-winning wines will be featured November 13-14 in Hy-Vee Hall at Iowa’s Premier Wine & Food Expo, and all winning entries will be on display on the event floor in a designated contest area. Judges will critique the wines based on color, aroma, body, taste and finish. All winemakers will receive their score sheet with judges comments, which may be helpful when they start on their next batch of wine.

Prizes include certificates for each winner, ribbon for Best of Show, a subscription to Make Mine Wine Magazine, gift certificates for wine making supplies at BlueStem Winery, along with various other rewards. Gold and silver may be awarded in each flight. Contestants should note that judges reserve the right to combine categories when the number of entries is insufficient.

Entry guidelines The deadline for entries is Friday, October 2 at 5 p.m., and the entry fee is $2.50 per bottle. One Wine and Food Expo ticket (valued at $20) will be provided for every two bottles entered. Entry forms will be accepted by mail at: Iowa Events Center, Amateur Wine Competition, 730 3rd Street, Des Moines, IA 50309, or forms can be delivered to the Administration Offices in Hy-Vee Hall, to the attention of Holly Kjeldgaard or in Parkersburg at BlueStem Winery, which is located at 305 Third Street. The full entry fee must accompany the form, which is available online at www.iowaeventscenter.com/wineandfood. Once the completed form is submitted, entry tags will be mailed and are to be completed and placed on each wine bottle. Tags must be filled out completely to ensure accurate judging. Entries without tags will not be judged.

Rules - Exhibitors may submit four exhibits per class per household, but each exhibit must be significantly different in style, taste and ingredients used – Entries must list major ingredients (type grape, berry, etc.) and sugar percentage – Entries must have been processed by fermentation, and produced and bottled exclusively by entrant – Wines must be free of artificial coloring and/or flavor enhancers – No commercial wines are allowed – Wines should be in standard wine bottles, at least 16 ounces, with labels removed and entry tag attached – Contest is open to Iowa residents only – Note: Management will use diligence to ensure the safety of articles after their arrival and placement, but in no case will they be responsible for any loss or damage that may occur.

Classes Class 1 – Grape Wine 1. Dry Red (Vinifera) 2. Dry White (Vinifera) 3. Sweet Red (Vinifera) 4. Sweet White (Vinifera) 5. Sparkling (grape) 6. Dry Red (Native/Hybrid) 7. Dry White (Native/Hybrid) 8. Sweet Red (Native/Hybrid) 9. Sweet White (Native/Hybrid) Class 2 – Non-Grape Wines 1. Dry Fruit 2. Sweet Fruit 3. Dry Berry 4. Sweet Berry 5. Rhubarb 6. Dry Vegetable or Flower 7. Sweet Vegetable or Flower 8. Sparkling (non-grape) Class 3 – Meads and Ciders 1. Dry Mead 2. Sweet Mead 3. Cider

Did You Know? – According to the Iowa Grape and Wine Development Commission, there are currently 410 commercial vineyards covering more than 1,200 acres in Iowa, compared to 1999 when there were only 13 wineries, 15 growers and 31 acres of commercial vineyards in the state. – As of January 2009, there are 72 federally licensed wineries in Iowa – As of November 2007, Iowa was ranked 14th in number of wineries and 23rd in total wine production – Native wine sales equaled 176,185 gallons in 2008 – Iowa adults consumed approximately 1.7 gallons (or 8.5) bottles in 2008 – The national adult average consumption was 3.2 gallons (16 bottles) in 2008 Information as seen in the Spring 2009 Make Mine Wine Magazine and provided by Mike White, Viticulture Field Specialist, Iowa State Extension Service, Iowa State University.

ABOUT IOWA’S PREMIER WINE AND FOOD EXPO, PRESENTED BY HY-VEE • Live demonstrations will be taking place in the Celebrity Kitchen Theater by popular celebrity chefs, including Andrew Zimmern of Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods” and Duff Goldman, host of “Ace of Cakes” on the Food Network. • The celebrities will participate in meet and greets and autograph sessions in Hockenberg’s Celebrity Meet ‘n Greet Zone. Autographs are on a first come first served basis as time allows. •

Celebrities aren’t the only ones with a chance to show off their culinary skills. The Vittles to Vines Stage will showcase local and regional chefs. • The Emporium features retail, food and service vendors from all over the Midwest. • Buy it, leave it, and take it home, or BLT. When attendees purchase items at Iowa’s Premier Wine & Food Expo, they can leave those items at the convenient, on-site drop-off location at no charge and free their hands for more shopping. • The Sampling Zone will be open for individuals to try various beers, wines and spirits for only $12 (must be 21 years of age to sample). When guests are finished at the Sampling Zone, they can visit the Hy-Vee Wine Shop to purchase their favorite sampled bottle of wine or specialty beer.

What a great idea for holiday gifts! • Regular tickets are priced at $20 for the day or $35 for both days and are on sale now. Children six and under are admitted into the show FREE of charge. Tickets are available at the Wells Fargo Arena Ticket Office, all area Dahl’s Foods locations, online at dahlstickets.com, or charge by phone at 866-55-DAHLS. • The full schedule and detailed information can be found at www.iowaeventscenter.com/wineandfood. • Sponsors of Iowa’s Premier Wine & Food Expo include Hy-Vee, WHO Channel 13, Des Moines Register, Iowa Pork Producers Assn, Iowa Turkey Federation, Iowa Beef Industry Council and Hockenberg’s. Produced by Global Spectrum.

About Make Mine Wine Make Mine Wine and the Make Mine Wing blog offer weekend inspiration with regional wine, go-with recipes, fun, getaway, home and entertaining ideas for wine lovers. The magazine immerses the novice or more sophisticated wine lover in the culture of wine, specifically in Iowa and the Midwest. Advertisers reach women and discretionary income that make most of the decisions on where to spend money on things they love: dining, travel, home décor, entertainment, shopping, personal, financial and medical services, and more. The Make Mine Wine audience enjoys wine as pat of a lifestyle choice that involves family, friends and fun. Make Mine Wine is published by Rasko Publishing LLC., founded in 2006 and headquartered in Indianola, IA. For more information or to subscribe to Make Mine Wine ($12.72 per year) call 515-962-5515. The Midwest wine events list and the Make Mine Wine blog are on line at www.makeminewinemagazine.com. Follow @MakeMineWine at www.twitter.com

About BlueStem Winery Vern Holms made his first batch of wine in 1976 and today produces and sells wine and offers wine-making classes at BlueStem Winery. At www.bluestemwine.com he sells beer-brewing and winemaking supplies and kits to more than 3,000 customers in numerous countries and in all 50 states. BlueStem Winery is located at 305 Third Street, Parkersburg, Iowa.