Spectacular Wines: Prairie Berry Winery (SD), Calamity Jane

The third in our series of award winning wines from the Mid-American Wine Competition comes from South Dakota.  After tasting this wine during the 2010 MAWC, I was impressed with the expertly crafted Concord wine expressing everything desirable in a Concord grape wine.  Prairie Berry Winery's Calamity Jane won the “Best Off-Dry Red Wine” during this important competition.

Prairie Berry Winery (SD), Calamity Jane

Mid-American Wine Competition

Best Off-Dry Red Wine

The Wine: Calamity Jane — Our traditional sweet and fruity Concord grape wine.

Buy Prairie Berry Wines: Click here to Purchase!  

The Winery:  “Our original family homestead near Mound City, South Dakota, where Great, Great Grandma Anna Pésa Vojta first made wine from the "prairie berries" she found growing nearby.  Anna and her husband Jon settled in the Dakota Territory after arriving from Moravia (Czechoslovakia) in 1876 bringing their winemaking with them from the "old country."

Frances Kalda Vojta continued on with the family's wine recipes.  Her son, Frank Vojta passed the winemaking gene on to Ralph Vojta, 4th generation winemaker. Ralph and his daughter Sandi Vojta turned the family winery into a commercial venture in Mobridge, South Dakota  in 1998.  Prairie Berry Winery relocated to its current Hill City location in 2004.

Today, Sandi is the family's 5th generation winemaker handcrafting award winning "new world" wines, using old family recipes, fruits of the prairie, grapes & honey, making more than 30 different varieties of wine.

Visit: Prairie Berry Winery     

I Drink Local Wine Campaign

Join us in supporting the "I Drink Local Wine" campaign by copying this image and posting it on your website, social media pages, and your blogs.

Image design by: "OurGirl"
Follow on Twitter as @ourgirl
Read Wine Blog, "The VineyardWife"

Spectacular Wines: Summerset Winery Iowa Frontenac (NV)

In our continuing series of Spectacular Wines from the Mid-American Wine Competition (MAWC) we focus on the top five wines recognized as sweepstakes winners.  In the 2010 MAWC, the award for Best Dry Red Wine was given to Summerset Winery’s Iowa Frontenac.

Summerset Winery Iowa Frontenac (NV)

Best Dry Red Wine, MAWC

The Wine: “A spicy dry red with hints of black cherry and currants.  This French Hybrid varietal is grown on the north slope to accentuate the floral tones and balance of the wine.  Fermented on French oak.”

Buy: Summerset Winery Wines

The Winery (via winery website): “Ron and Linda Mark opened Summerset Winery in the summer of 1997 and became one of the first estate wineries in Iowa. They began growing grapes on the scenic Summerset ridge above the Middle River in 1989. Ron experimented with several grape varieties in order to find what could withstand the cold Iowa winters and thrive in central Iowa.  The first yield was processed in 1993 and the idea of Iowa wine was realized.  In 1997 the winery opened it's doors to the public via the owners’ home. The basement was redesigned into a tasting room and the wine production occurred in the modified garage. As the popularity of the winery grew, so did the need for a larger production facility. Since 2001, the winery has resided in a large, upscale barn that was designed to house a cellar, wine tasting room, gift shop, meeting room, and grand banquet hall. 

Today the winery is nestled on 12.5 acres of vineyard just 7 miles south of Des Moines and twenty minutes from the downtown area. The driveway winds through the vineyard and concludes at the winery and tasting room. Summerset Winery’s estate offers an oasis of lush landscaping, expansive decks and terraces. The winery is host to many group tours, special events, wedding ceremonies and receptions, as well as live music every Sunday afternoon. The Arbor House provides the perfect backdrop for wedding ceremonies and concerts. During the summer months, the green grass is laden with lawn umbrellas that offer shade to the wine enthusiasts enjoying picnics and live outdoor concerts. From the back patio, guests can enjoy the picturesque flora as well as the downtown Des Moines skyline. 

Over the years the winery has increased its production capacity substantially….The winery now produces 150,000 bottles of wine a year and has continued to be one of the largest producing wineries in the state. In addition, Summerset Winery is in control of over 100 acres of Iowa grapes through agreements with other farmers. Over the years Ron and Linda have taken on more staff to help run the business and now employ 9 full-time staff members and many part time employees to help with weekends and events.

Ron and Linda’s dream of owning a winery with a quality product has become a reality. Ron has become a pioneer of the Iowa wine industry and has been an integral force behind the resurgence of the industry in the state. He continues to focus on the development of the industry. He was one of the founders of the Iowa Wine Growers Association and has served as its president. He was heavily involved in the creation of the Iowa Wine Development Commission with the Iowa Department of Agriculture. Ron and Linda’s main goal was only to make a really good bottle of wine. Thanks to them, people from all over Iowa, and the United States, can enjoy a great bottle of Iowa wine too”.

Visit: Summerset Winery

Spectacular Wines: Prairie Moon Winter Moon Ice Wine (2007)

Moving on to another important wine competition that focuses solely on wines made in the Midwest is the Mid-American Wine Competition.  The Mid-American Wine Competition focuses only on the wines of the Midwest. The competition is open only to commercial wineries of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas and Oklahoma

An impressive panel of wine judges, possessing tremendous depth and breadth of knowledge, is topped by Doug Frost (chief judge) and Bob Foster (competition organizer), and skilled panelists with experiences ranging from winemaker, sommelier, food and wine writer, enology professor, and wine enthusiasts.

For this series of Midwest Wine Review, we’ll spotlight the top 5 placing wines for the 2010 Mid-American Wine Competition.

Prairie Moon Iowa Winter Moon Ice Wine (2007)

Mid-American Wine Competition

Dick Peterson Trophy, Best Iowa Wine

The Wine – Vidal Blanc: As Iowa’s ONLY Ice Wine Maker, Matt Nissen strives to create the best. Winner of the 2010 Dr. Dick Peterson Award and voted Best Iowa Wine 2010, Winter Moon gives you the ultimate dessert wine experience. Made from 100% Vidal Blanc grapes, frozen on the vine and pressed to extract the syrupy, sweet juice, creates a taste like no other. The palate will be teased with a spectrum of tastes from a warm earthiness to the sweetness of the tropical lychee fruit. Best enjoyed ice cold and complimented by dark chocolate. Not for the faint of heart.

Purchase Prairie Moon Wines: Click Here  

The Winery: “Welcome to Prairie Moon Winery and Vineyards. Located in Ames, Iowa, we started with a passion for fine wine and a need for expansion in Iowa's agricultural diversity.

In 2000,Steven  Nissen planted the first vines of what now has become an eighteen acre vineyard. The dream was to grow high quality grapes, in order to create fine estate wines, without having to buy grapes from established growing areas like California. It has been a slow process, but we believe our products reflect the care and precision put into the raising the grapes and making the wine.

Not only is the quality of grapes a main concern for us, but also the land on which they are grown. It is said that 80% of making a great wine is the quality of the grape you start with; therefore we take great pride in doing what we can to ensure this quality with our main asset, Iowa soil. We emphasize this through the practice of Organic Viticulture. This includes no use of insecticides, pesticides, or herbicides on our grapes. Even though this is a challenging task we know this will contribute to a quality product for generations to come, not to mention it keeps our precious waterways clean and protects the natural balance of our fragile eco-system.

Our mission is to produce the finest wines in Iowa through this and other methods such as, small batch fermentation, Iowa-grown French Varietals, knowledge of fine wine making, and using local Iowa made products in order to support the economy which we are concerned with.”

Visit Prairie Moon Winery Website: Click Here

Exceptional Wines: Fireside Winery Iowa Frontenac (2008)

The Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition brings together internationally recognized judges to evaluate more than 600 exemplary wines.  The top 70 wines represent those wines of Extraordinary character, wines nominated to earn a Jefferson Cup.

The second award winning wine also comes from Iowa.  Fireside Winery won a Jefferson Cup “Nominee” acknowledgment with their Frontenac wine during the 2010 competition.

Fireside Winery Iowa Frontenac (2008)

Jefferson Cup Nominee

The Wine – Frontenac: ”seductively hued garnet wine was crafted from our own Brickyard Hill vineyard.  Our first estate grown dry red wine evokes a complex interplay of jam and black currant on the nose, while dark fruits, cherry and hints of cedar awaken the palate and treat you to an irresistibly long finish.  (Currently sold out - $14).

Buy Fireside Winery Wines: Click Here  

The Winery:  Fireside Winery is the culmination of our life-long dream to pass our farm and our family’s land heritage on to our children. As Iowa farmers whose ancestors tilled the very land on which we live and work today, it has been our hope to offer our children the agricultural legacy that has defined our family for four generations. Our farm has always been a place that has fulfilled our family, where our work bonds us and the harvest sustains us, just as it has for the previous generations that have called this farm “home.”

We have planted our vineyards and built Fireside Winery for our children, and their children, and for the continued livelihood of our family’s land. With our winery, we hope to continue to draw family and friends back to this special place for years to come.

We invite you to share Fireside Winery with us. Bring the family for an afternoon midst the beautiful rolling hills of Iowa, or gather with friends around one of our fireplaces or our fire ring for a relaxing evening with a bottle of our very special hand-crafted native Iowa wine. We believe that life, family, and traditions are meant to be celebrated — and we hope that Fireside wines will soon become part of your family’s traditions and celebrations, too.

Visit Website: Fireside Winery  

Exceptional Wines: Tassel Ridge Winery Prairie Snow (NV)

The Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition solicits more than 600 wines from some of the best winemakers across the country.  Many of those wines originate from the Midwest.  “These wines were nominated by the five judging committees to be considered for Jefferson Cups. Out of those seventy honored wines, the judges collectively picked twenty wines to be awarded the Jefferson Cup” (Jefferson Cup Press Release).  These 70 are regarded as Jefferson Cup “Nominees.”

The Midwest Wine Review recognizes these “nominees” as “Exceptional — Wine of exceptional quality; excellent and highlights the best expression of varietal characteristics; Reflects very high standards of quality; equivalent to Gold medal.”

Tassel Ridge Winery Prairie Snow White Iowa (NV)

Jefferson Cup “Nominee”

The Wine -  (LaCrescent/St.Pepin/Edelweiss) - Iowa Prairie Snow is a sweet, iced wine made from grapes picked at the peak of perfection and frozen after harvest. With its concentrated notes of apple, pear, and nectarine on the nose followed by honey, apple, pear, and peach on the palate, Prairie Snow is best sipped with or as dessert. Prairie Snow pairs well with apple tarts and lemon desserts. Serve well chilled. Store at 55°F.  $29.00 per bottle, plus tax.

Buy Tassel Ridge Winery Wines: Click Here.

The Winery: Family-owned Tassel Ridge Winery is located on highway 163 between Pella, and Oskaloosa, and opened to the public in May 2006. The winery site, on a ridge between the South Skunk and Des Moines River drainage areas, was used for growing corn and bean for over 70 years – thus the name Tassel Ridge. Most of our wines are produced from grapes grown on our 59 acres of vines planted in our four Mahaska County vineyards.

Our goal is to produce outstanding wines with a distinctive character that distinguishes them as extraordinary “Iowa Wines”. We currently grow 11 different varieties of cold climate grape varieties, and most of our harvest is done using our new mechanical grape harvester. We also do hand harvest some varieties which are used for special wines. Our wines are all produced in all new, state-of-the-art equipment specially selected to produce the highest quality wines possible. Currently we have the capacity to produce approximately 43,000 gallons of wine per year, and produced over 30 different award-winning wines (full list) www.tasselridge.com/wines.htm

The winery was designed to help visitors learn about how cold climate grapes are grown and how we make wine from those grapes. Our knowledgeable staff guides visitors through our Visitors’ Gallery as they look down into the cellar production area, look out over the crush pad, and watch our professionally produced video presentations about the history of Iowa grape growing, harvest, crush, winemaking, bottling, and the many uses for wine. The tour ends with a wine tasting in our Tasting Room and Gift Shop, all complimentary. In late spring, summer, and early fall, weather permitting, visitors can also enjoy a tour of our Tassel Ridge Vineyard on our “Grapemobile” (small cost involved).

Visit Winery Website: Tassel Ridge Winery

Spectacular Wines: Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Franc (2008) Ohio River Valley

This is the third installment of Spectacular Wines as judged by the prestigious Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition.  Whereas most Midwestern wines are crafted from grapes known as hybrids, grape plants whose heritage comes from genetically crossing vinifera (traditional, European varieties) x and American vines to create, what is frequently termed “hybrid” and “cold-hardy” grapes; this Midwestern award winning wine comes from Cabernet Franc, grown in Ohio.

Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Franc 2008 Ohio River Valley

Jefferson Cup Winner

The Wine - Cabernet Franc: “Hand-harvested on October 13, this wine's fragrant aromas of violet and black cherry precede a taste of full-bodied, richly flavored complexity, with raspberry and spice overtones. Enjoy with beef, turkey, pork and rich stews. $18.95. Production: 388 cases.” (via website).  Alcohol 15.0%

Note: “Since this wine is now fundamentally sold out, except for what we are holding for restaurants, it will not be entered into the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition or others. So we will never know how it would have fared.”

Buy Kinkead Ridge wines:  Click here - Kinkead Ridge

The Winery: Kinkead Ridge (OH) excerpts from website: “With many years of experience in the Oregon vineyard and winery industry, and owner of Chehalem Valley Vineyard, a 40 acre parcel near McMinnville, Oregon where he grew Pinot Noir, Ron was ready for a new challenge. He and Nancy researched eastern Washington, southern Oregon, and southern Ohio, and determined that the unglaciated limestone ridges near the Ohio River had the potential to produce world-class vinifera. The Oregon vineyard was sold to Tony Soter (Etude, Beacon Hill). After moving to Ohio, Ron served on the prestigious Viticulture Consortium at Cornell University, which disperses grant money to grape research in the Eastern United States. Ron has also been a resource for Northern Kentucky winegrowers, also located in the Ohio River Valley appellation.

The initial vineyard was planted in 1999, and a second section in 2001. It includes an experimental section to test rootstock and scion wood and alternate varieties, and Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Petit Verdot and Roussanne. 

Serious problems with a local architect precluded building the winery on the vineyard property in time for the 2002 harvest, and a small production facility was built near downtown Ripley for the second crush. This facility can handle up to 2000 cases of ultra-premium vinifera. At some future date, we may build a winery on the vineyard property, and the current facility will become a warehouse for finished wine (or... maybe like the Hargraves on the North Fork of Long Island, we can just wait for some Italian millionaire to buy us out, and THEY can  build a new winery on the property!)”

Visit: Kinkead Ridge Vineyard and Winery