All work and no play … you know what they say … so head out to a winery and have some fun!

Spring in Midwest Wine Country can be stressful with the relentless threat of thunderstorms, floods and tornadoes. Neighbors help neighbors and a strong sense of caring starts the healing process. My home state of Iowa has been hit particularly hard this year, and our thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost loved ones, had homes damaged or destroyed or seen recently-planted fields turn into lakes.

 

If there is an upside to the fierce weather, it is the lush green landscape!

 

If you need an escape this weekend, or next, I recommend you get out and enjoy your close-to-home Midwest Wine Country events.  Check out www.makeminewinemagazine.com for a more complete list of all of the events. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are hopping at the wineries!

 

Here are some suggestions for the weekend of June 20^th – 22^nd:

 

Imagine a beautiful lake, rimmed with white tents, live jazz, gourmet pork creations and Iowa wine. What is it? The not-to-be-missed, Second Annual SWINE Festival at the Ankeny Campus of Des Moines Area Community College, Saturday, June 21^st from 4:00 p.m. -9:00 p.m.

 

You can sample 10 gourmet pork dishes created by area Chefs and Iowa wine samplings from Cedar Ridge Winery (Cedar Rapids), Eagle City Winery (Iowa Falls), Grape Escape Winery (Pleasantville), Jasper Winery (Newton), Madison County Winery (St. Charles, IA), Park Farm Winery (Bankston), Santa Maria Winery (Willey), Snus Hill Winery (Madrid), Southern Hills Winery (Osceola), Summerset Winery (Indianola), Sutliff Cider Company (Lisbon), Tabor Home Winery (Baldwin), Tassel Ridge Winery (Leighton), and White Oak Vineyards (Cambridge).

 

Janey Hooper will entertain with her mix of jazz, blues and rhythm and blues. For $35 you can taste, sample and listen – and receive 1 free bottle of wine (your choice). Advance tickets are $30 at iowatix.com. The event will take place rain or shine.

 

The Heart of Iowa Wine Trail event, Picnic Time in the Vines, continues through July 31^st, at 15 Central Iowa wineries. For more information, check out heartofiowawinetrail.com.

 

Tassel Ridge Winery at Leighton invites you to a Wine and Food Pairing Dinner, Sunday, June 22^nd. It is a great opportunity to try Caribbean flavors paired with wine. Reserve by June 19^th. www.tasselridge.com

 

Enjoy live music with your wine on Sunday, June 22^nd. It’s The Bar Gators at Southern Hills Winery near Osceola, www.shwinery.com. Mike and Amy Finders Band will entertain (Bluegrass) in Ames at Prairie Moon Winery, www.prairiemoonwinery.com. You can listen to Latin jazz with Tony Valdez at Snus Hill Vineyards and Winery, Madrid, www.snushillwine.com. Head out to Summerset Winery in Indianola to hear Perry Weber & the Devilles. The Southeast Minnesota Bluegrass Association will hold at Jam session at Winneshiek Wildberry Winery, www.wwwwinery.com, in Decorah. Tabor Homes Vineyards at Baldwin (www.Taborwines.com) will feature live music by Bryce Janey. On Solid Ground will play in Thurman at Sugar Clay Winery, www.sugarclarywinery.com.

 

If you’re going to be in Michigan, don’t miss Diva’s Uncorked – an evening devoted to women and wine, presented by the Old Mission Wine Trail. See the details at www.wineriesofoldmission.com.

 

 

Cheers!

Barbara

Make Mine Wine

www.MakeMineWinemagazine.com

Expect a Great Event!

If you’ve seen the striking, fun advertising for SWine or their Web site www.swinefestival.com, you’re probably looking forward to the event as much as I am.  This Saturday, July 14^th, cork meets pork at the First-ever Iowa Premiere Pork and Wine Event. You’ll experience gourmet pork creations from some of Central Iowa’s finest chefs and restaurants, assisted by the Iowa Culinary Institute at Des Moines Area Community College. You’ll also have the opportunity to taste, and purchase bottles of, delicious Iowa wines. The event is accompanied by music by Taste of Revival. 

Stop by the Make Mine Wine Booth and pick up a copy of the gorgeous summer issue … and say hi. I would love to meet you. Our editor, Kent Darr, will be around with his camera — SMILE!

 The event is paired with the First-ever Mid-American Wine Competition and you’ll have an opportunity to meet the events world-renowned judges at SWine. Tickets are $25 at the event and are all-inclusive for the wine samples and the food. You can also purchase tickets in advance from iowatix.com for $20.00. Children under 5 are free. Designated drivers and folks 6 – 20 pay $20 to get in.  If you enjoy our regional wine, you’ll be glad to know the proceeds from SWine will benefit the new Viticulture and Enology program at DMACC. You may have read about that in the Spring 2007 issue of Make Mine Wine. This is a fabulous program under the direction of Paul Gospodarczyk, instructor of enology, and Randall Voss, viticulture instructor, with great support from the DMACC administration. They are organizers of the Mid-American Wine Competition, and have been unpacking and organizing the hundreds of wine bottles for the judges! Take a look at http://www.dmacc.edu/ici/winecompphotos.asp SWine will be held under big tents to protect from sun (or rain) from 4:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the DMACC campus (next to the lake), 2006 South Ankeny Blvd in Ankeny.  See you there! Cheers!
Barbara Rasko