Sure you can image it, but I’m telling you, it’s not the same!

Every day I receive announcements of upcoming events in Midwest Wine Country. I can read the details and imagine the fun while staring at my computer, but it’s sure not the same as being there … drinking some wine, listening to the music, seeing friends and neighbors and joining in the good-natured camradarie. Maybe you’re prefer dressing up for Halloween and sitting down to a chef-prepared feast. Or you might choose to view holiday lights from a helicopter and come back to the winery for dessert and wine. You can’t imagine the entertainment options at the wineries near you!

 

Next weekend, November 1st and 2nd, is a special one with wine trail events and a special open house –

 

Eagle City Winery, Iowa Falls

Open House November 1st and 2nd – Meet winemaker Dr. KenGroninga and sample some of his award-wiinning wines. Choose some to bring home to pair with your Thanksgiving meal – you and your guests will love them! The winery is about one hour north of Des Moines and worth the trip! www.eaglecitywinery.com

 

The Iowa Wine Trail Holiday event features eight Iowa wineries in the Upper Mississippi River Valley – if you haven’t visited this wonderful collection of wineries, this is the perfect chance. If you have, no doubt you’ll be going back. Added incentive is the holiday treats that will be paired with the delicious Iowa wines. If you’re from the Chicago-land area, plan a weekend getaway and hit The Iowa Wine Trail. Details are at www.IowaWineTrail.com.

 

Getting out and having fun is a good mood lifter – so do it this weekend and the next and the next! You’re going to love these wine-related, close-to-home events. Reservations are required in some cases so check the websites. The hospitality is genuine, the cost is low, and great to buy local! Here are a few of the upcoming events – and remember you can check out the events list for more ideas at www.makeminewinemagazine.com

 

Have fun!

 

Tonight, October 23rd, in Sandwich, Illinois, get on over to Girl’s Nite Out. Fox Valley Winery and JJJitters Coffee Studio will offer live music, snacks and more. It’s free. www.foxvalleywinery.com.

 

Saturday, October 25th, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m., $5 cover

Live music featuring Ben Green Original Acoustic Blues

Sugar Clay Winery, Thurman, IA   www.sugarclaywinery.com

 

October 25th, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Linn Creek, Missouri

Seven Springs Winery’s Halloween Bash

Enjoy live bluegrass music with Cletus McDuff and Blind Willy from 11:30 – 5:30. Enter to win a prize: funniest, scariest or best couple costume and jack-o-lantern  judging at 4:00 p.m. www.sevenspringswinery.com

Sunday, October 26th, 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Summerset Winery Sunday Tunes with the Bob Pace Band featuring Barb Miller

 

Friday, October 31st, Washington, Iowa

Dress up and go to dinner at Café Dodici in Washington, Iowa, where Mike Tschantz is the guest chef for the evening. There’s a 10% discount if you wear your Halloween costume. http://www.cafedodici.com/

 

Friday, October 31st, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., Indianola, Iowa

Summerset Winery’s Fall Case Club Costume Party

Stop out at Summerset Winery and buy a case and you’ll receive an invitation to this fun event – great food, live music preformed by Blues Bureau Trio, door prizes, prizes for best costume, discounts in the gift shop … and your favorite Summerset wines.

 

Saturday, November 15th, 11:00 – 3:00

Summerset Winery, Indianola, Iowa

Women & Wine: A culinary and shopping experience

Wine reception, lunch with wine, gift bags, giveaways, shopping and a ton of fun! www.summersetwinery.com. Reservations required.

 

November 20th – December 20th, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings

Renner, South Dakota

Strawbale Winery presents Twilight Flights – enjoy appetizers and wines, hop a helicopter to view the holiday lights of Falls Park and Sioux Falls, then return to the winery for dessert and wine. Details at info@strawbalewinery.com or call 605/543-5071.

 

 

November 26th, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Whether you are a beginner or a wine enthusiast you can learn about tasting wine at , you can take a class and learn more about tasting wine at Vineria Wine Shop in Cedar Rapids. If you enroll by the 22nd you pay $25.00. It’s $30 after that. www.vineriawineshop.com

 

Many wineries host music events on Friday, Saturday or Sunday night, so check the website for your closest winery. Be there and enjoy!

Cheers!

Barbara Rasko

Publisher

Make Mine Wine

You can Skip the Spring Cleaning this Weekend, But Don’t Miss the Iowa Wine Events!

Starting tonight you have so many great opportunities to sip some wine and have some fun in Midwest Wine Country! You can listen to live music or ladies, gather your girlfriends for a wine and shopping outing. 

Get an early start on the weekend with tonight’s Ladies’ Night Out — wine tasting and shopping at Earl May Nursery & Garden Center, 5910 Douglas Avenue in Des Moines. There is no cost and the events run from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Don’t forget to try Tassel Ridge Winery’s new Oskyfizzante!

Pop the cork Friday, April 4^th at one of these events: 

This week’s Friday Night Wine Down at White Oak Vineyard, Elkhart features Tony Valdez & Don. $5 cover. 

If you live near Dubuque, you can sit back and relax as the Stone Cliff Winery Tasting Room turns into the Star Wine Bar with live music – this week, April 4^th, pianist Mary Mabusth will entertain from 7:00 – 11:00 p.m. 

Become a regular at Friday Nights at the Winery … Southern Hills Winery near Osceola, is a great place to kick-back and unwind from 5:00. – 8:00 p.m.  

Little Swan Lake Winery at Estherville opens the season with their Thursday Night Happy Hour with Billie James from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. This week Billie and Ceolmhor will entertain! Sunday, April 6^th from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m., Billie James will be joined by Glenn Henriksen. Stop by and enjoy!

 

You need reservations, but it is worth it to hear Kevin “BF” Burt at Music in the Tasting Room at Wallace Winery at West Branch – the number is 319-643-3000 and the cost is $15.00 per person which includes appetizers.

 

Front Porch Fridays! At Snus Winery near Madrid will feature One Night Stand with classic rock and roll this week and the entertainment for Snus Sundays will be Billy Martin Group with jazz.

There are two big events this weekend for the ladies  — I hope you already have your reservation for Summerset Winery’s Women and Wine Luncheon on Saturday. If not, check out the details for a great event at this Indianola winery at www.summersetwine.com.

 

If you’ll be in Decorah, don’t miss Winnesheik Wildberry Winery’s Women’s Weekend Out – it is Saturday, April 5, from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 6, from 12:30 – 5:30 p.m. Taste the wine and shop for beautifully designed items from some fine Iowa artists. You may find just the thing to put you in the mood for a great Spring – Paula Brown’s beaded jewelry, Roxeanne Snitzler’s intricately designed purses, and Cynthia Buria’s fine knitted accessories. Learn about Arbonne Skincare, Mary Kay products and Pampered Chef. Tour the winery, taste the wine and have fun!

 

The Ottumwa Symphony Orchestra will benefit from the wine tasting held on Saturday from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Wines of Note event in the main lobby at the Bridge View Center. Tickets are $30 and you can find directions and more information at www.bridgeviewcenter.com.

 

Sugar Clay Winery at Thurman will feature Matt Cox from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night followed by Southpaw Bluegrass Band. Be there early for the All-U-Can Eat Soup – just $5.00 – at 5:30 p.m.

 

If you live by Boone, don’t miss the Tasting of Spring Wine and Food Festival at the Iowa National Guard Building, 700 Snedden Drive. You can sample Southern Hills Wines between 6:30 and 11:30 p.m.

 

And don’t forget Sunday Tunes from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Summerset Winery. This week the Bob Pace Band featuring Steve George will be on stage. Food is available – so you won’t have to cook when you get home!

By the way … you can stop by any of your local wineries — meet the winemaker and sample the wines. That’s the beauty of Midwest Wine Country!

 

This weekend with all of the great Midwest Wine Country events feels like the start of the season — so get out there and pop the cork on a season of wine, music, entertainment, friends and fun!

 Cheers!

Barbara Rasko, Publisher

Make Mine Wine magazine

www.makeminewinemagazine.com 

Women and Wine … Always Fun! Fun! Fun!

Spoil yourself and kick-off spring with your friends at a relaxing, just-for-women, wine and fun event hosted by Summerset Winery, April 5th from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 

A melt-in-your-mouth lunch, Puffed Pastry Filled w/ Chicken Salad, Ginger Wild Rice and Vegetable soup, Chocolate and Blue Salad, and Bite Size Cheesecakes, (by Flarah’s of Beaverdale, with Summerset Wine), sets the stage for a “what’s fresh” fashion show presented by Coldwater Creek.  You’ll receive a gift bag and be eligible for the giveaway drawings. 

Then, browse and shop the Women and Wine Showcase. You’ll find beautiful jewelry by Silpada Designs, the latest from The Pampered Chef, and inspiring ideas from Gold-Fire & Glass, Arbonne, Slumber Parties, Blue Frog Arts and Heartland Prairie Massage.  

Call your friends today and let them know it is time for a Women and Wine Escape. Make your reservations for an afternoon of fun. The cost is $40.00 per person and Includes wine reception, lunch, wine with lunch, gift bag, giveaways, a fashion show presented by Coldwater Creek – and tons of fun! Reservations required and tickets are non-refundable. Call now – 515-961-3545. Space is limited! 

It’s going to be another great time! 

Cheers!
Barbara Rasko

Publisher

Make Mine Wine

www.MakeMineWinemagazine.com

Enjoy Women & Wine Lunchon at Summerset Winery

Ladies – are you looking for some fun — specifically wine, shopping and seminars with lunch on the side. Then Summerset Winery’s Women & Wine Luncheon is for you. The event is this Saturday, November 17th, so call your friends, and make your reservations today. The culinary and shopping experience includes:

• food & wine paring
• chocolate sampling
• mini spa stations
• wine tasting
• holiday shopping

Plus, you can get a free chair massage from Heartland Prairie Massage during the event. There will be delectable samples and these fabulous door prizes:

Tastefully Simple – Tastefully Simple gift pack
Silpada Designs – $25 gift certificate
Ultra Salon – Gift basket and gift certificate
Wine Bottle Creations – Wine bottle wind chime
The Pampered Chef – Large round stone with handles
Iowa Bed and Breakfast Guild – $100 B&B gift certificate
Heartland Prairie Massage – Free 1-hour massage
Pearls and More – Single strand fresh water pearl necklace
Gold, Fire & Glass – Jewelry gift
Honey Sweet Gourmet Foods – Gift certificate  

The holidays are coming and you know how hectic that will be, so treat yourself now to a relaxing and fun experience. Reservations are required. For more details, visit summersetwine.com. 

Cheers!
Barbara Rasko, Publisher

Make Mine Wine

(Now there’s a great holiday gift idea!)
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