Don't talk to your friends until you read this! The fool-proof way to get purple feet.

Registration is now open!  Click here to register for the annual Four Daughters Grape Stomp.

Recipe from our Executive Chef. Beef Tartar

Recipe:   Beef Tartar                                                             
Yield:  4 Serving

Amount	Unit	Ingredients
3	Each	Anchovies-Rinsed and minced
2	Teaspoons	Capers-Drained
3	Teaspoons	Dijon Mustard
2	Each	Egg Yolks
10	Ounces	Beef Tenderloin-Cut into small dice
2	Tablespoons	Red Onion-Finely diced
2	Tablespoons	Italian Parsley-Finely chopped
1/2	Teaspoon	Franks Hot Sauce
1/2	Teaspoon	Worcestershire Sauce
To	Taste	Salt and Pepper
		Toast Points and Quail Egg if Desired.

Procedure:

1.    Combine anchovies (if using), capers, and mustard in a nonreactive bowl. Using a fork or the back of a spoon, mash ingredients until evenly combined; mix in egg yolks.

2.    Use a rubber spatula to fold remaining ingredients into mustard mixture until thoroughly combined. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately with toast points

Four Daughters Rings in 2015!

We celebrated the New Year by opening up our new 300-person Barrel Room and 80-person Cocktail Room.  Happy New Year!

The Country Music Awards Back Story. How did we end up there??

We’ve gotten this question a lot over the past week, so we’re excited to be able to tell you all the details!  If you grew up in a small town, you can appreciate the lifelong friendships you are able to develop from knowing people your entire lives.

About two weeks ago, we got a very exciting call.  Universal Music Group was knee deep in planning for their huge CMA after-party and were suddenly in need of a winery to provide the wine for their guests.  In a serendipitous moment for us, an old friend from Grand Meadow High School suggested that she should contact Four Daughters.

From there, we started planning immediately and hit the ground running.  We could easily provide the wine they needed, but we would need to have it all in Nashville within a few days.  Not an easy feat!  Luckily, we like to think on our feet and we quickly handled all the details of its safe arrival.

When our Loon Juice reached the party location early in the day, Sam Hunt quickly snatched one up for himself and took it home!  So cool!!

From what we hear, the party went great and we’re hoping we’ll get to work together in the future again!  Here are a few pics from the after-party.  Notice the singers in the back?  It’s Lady Antebellum. J

We feel very grateful for old friendships and the small town way of life this month!

Grape Stomp Festival 2014

Announcement

Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery is now advising that all bottles of their current Sparkling Moscato be refrigerated and stored upright.  A natural, secondary fermentation is occurring in some of the bottles which may cause increased pressure on the cork. 

A secondary fermentation occurs when yeast has been reintroduced into the wine after the initial fermentation.  Yeast is naturally occurring everywhere in our environment and while we do everything in our power to remove it from a finished wine, this does occur occasionally.  Oftentimes in sparkling wine production, a secondary fermentation is desired and takes place within the wine bottle that the wine will be sold in. This is most commonly known as the méthode champenoise or "Champagne method" (after the region most noted for sparkling wine production).  This secondary fermentation, also known as bottle fermentation, is often the process that makes the wine "bubbly" due to the containment of carbon dioxide which is normally released as a by-product in regular fermentation.  In this instance, it was not intended, but it will not affect the wine’s taste or quality or in any way. 

This wine was made extremely delicately as to preserve the flavors of the grape, but by taking this approach for maximum taste and flavor, we’re asking that our guests handle this wine with the same delicateness.  If your bottle is currently cloudy, the wine is safe and the taste is the same, but fermentation is occurring.  Refrigerating the wine will substantially slow down the process and stop the pressure being put on the cork.

If you have already encountered an issue with your Sparkling Moscato, please contact us at info@fourdaughtersvineyard.com so we can exchange the wine and offer our sincere apologies!  Alternatively, if you are worried about storing it or would just like to exchange your bottle, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@fourdaughtersvineyard.com or visit us at the winery.  Thank you for your understanding!    

Balsamic BBQ Salmon and Sugar Snap Pea Slaw Recipes

Balsamic BBQ Salmon

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

4 Salmon fillets

1 cup Balsamic BBQ Sauce (recipe below)

2 cups Sugar Snap Pea Slaw (recipe below)

1 cup pea shoots

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Season the fish with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place fish on grill or in sauté pan and cook on one side. Flip to other side and glaze with the BBQ sauce. Cook until desired doneness. Brush again with BBQ sauce.

2. Place Slaw on plate and top with the fish.

3. Toss the pea shoots in olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well.

4. Place salad on top of fish.

Balsamic BBQ Sauce

Ingredients (makes 1 ½ cup):

1 cup Balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup minced shallots

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

½ cup ketchup

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon molasses

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Bring balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until vinegar is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add in shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in reduced balsamic vinegar, ketchup, honey, brown sugar, mustard, molasses, Worcestershire, and white pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Season with salt and additional pepper to taste.

Sugar Snap Pea Slaw

Ingredients (makes 4 servings):

2 cups sugar snap peas – sliced

8 radishes – thinly sliced

¼ cup red onion – thinly sliced

¼ cup toasted walnuts

½ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Juice of one lemon

1 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Combine balsamic vinegar, syrup, mustard and lemon juice in bowl and mix well. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Combine all ingredients and mix with the dressing. Let sit for 30 minutes to develop flavors.

Upcoming "Dine in the Vines" dinners will be held August 10 and September 6. The September date features an always popular New England style Lobster boil.

Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery is a fully operational winery, vineyard and restaurant. Nestled in rural Southeastern Minnesota, the winery is now the exclusive home of Four Daughters wine, Sunflake wines and, the soon to be released, Loon Juice hard cider.

For more information about the "Dine in the Vines" dinners, click here.

Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery Launches New Wine Brand

June 12, 2014. Spring Valley, MN— Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery, Minnesota’s largest winery and the leading producer of premium wines, announced today the release of their new line of blended wine, Sunflake Wines.  Sunflake is the first wine to introduce up and coming Minnesota grapes, including Marquette, Frontenac and LaCrescent, to a national audience. 

The name Sunflake is a nod to the extreme viticultural conditions of Minnesota vineyards, as well as the ideal growing conditions of the more traditional wine regions of sunny California and Washington. The inaugural vintages of Sunflake include a 2013 Moscato and 2013 Riesling, blended with a variety of Minnesota grapes.  Because Moscato grapes produce a low acid wine, they are an ideal match for the high acid wines that Minnesota wineries are able to produce. 

The wines are crafted by up-and-coming winemaker Justin Osborne, who won the Minnesota Governor’s cup in his first year, and who has received multiple accolades from wine competitions across the country. 

Four Daughters’ Sparkling Moscato was awarded a prestigious Double Gold at the Indy International Wine Competition in its very first vintage and has become a mainstay each year.   Justin Osborne, winemaker at Four Daughters said, “Wine drinkers across the nation have shown that Moscato is here to stay.  Winemaking is about chemistry, so when wines are being made you can either adjust your starting grape juice chemically or you can adjust it by blending.  These wines are made much better by blending in Minnesota grapes.”

“I've spent the last few years working to transform what Minnesota wineries are capable of by turning University of Minnesota bred grapes into premium wines.  With Sunflake, I want to reflect within the wine what makes our region and grapes so unique.” 

Four Daughters first became intrigued with creating a new wine brand after blending these wines for guests in their tasting room.  As the blends caught on, Osborne saw the opportunity to expand and introduce something new.  As wine drinkers begin to look for the next interesting blend, while also relying on familiar favorites, Sunflake is the chance to try something new and different.  “I saw an opportunity to make a wine unlike anything that’s out there currently,” said Osborne. 

"As a family-owned and operated Minnesota winery, we’re proud of the grapes we have to work with.  We love creating new wines that share the same quality and unique tastes that our Four Daughters wine has become known for and that has driven our success since we opened our doors,” stated Vicky Vogt, owner of Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery.  "Wine consumers will soon begin to take notice of grapes from this region.”

The new line-up is available in liquor stores beginning this week and will soon be appearing in restaurants. 

About Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery

Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery is a fully operational winery, vineyard and restaurant.  Their highly anticipated new event facility will be opening in the fall of 2014.  The property will soon boast 18,000 sq. feet which includes a tasting room, production area, expanded kitchen and event facility, as well as a 6 acre vineyard on the property. Nestled in rural Southeastern Minnesota, south of Rochester, , the winery is now the exclusive home of Four Daughters wine, Sunflake wines and the soon to be released, Loon Juice hard cider. 

Located adjacent to Minnesota’s bluff country and just down the road from the Mayo Clinic, the winery is close to the city but far from hustle and bustle.  The culture is a blend of Minnesota-nice and casual elegance.  Check them out at www.fourdaughtersvineyard.com. 

Patrick Sween knows how many Gs he can safely pull in a Cessna and perhaps the latest schematics for increased aerodynamics. Neither of those things, however, is on his mind as he trims another vine. Meet the vineyard manager at Four Daughters Vineyard and Winery.

Flight suit aside, the aerospace engineer from Grand Meadow is quite comfortable in flannel and a gardener’s hat, a typical outfit, as he propagates the future of the family business.

“It was a chance for me to be living back here in my hometown and doing something useful and fun with my time,” he said.

Patrick – a tall, intellectual and charismatic father of five who is married to Shawn Vogt Sween, one of the winery's "four daughters" – lived in California while doing design and project engineering on prototype aircraft.  “I worked in that field for about 10 years after college,” he said. “That’s kind of what I always thought I would be doing for my entire career.”

Thing about aerospace engineering is, it’s rare in the Midwest – even more than viticulture. Furthermore, the job skills in each field aren’t exactly identical.  Regardless, about six years ago Patrick joined the family discussions about opening a vineyard and winery in the middle of cornfields, next to a highway. It wasn’t California that sparked his interest in wines.

“My wife and I had always been talking about ‘how could we work it out to be able to move back to Minnesota permanently?’” he said. “It finally sunk in that if I wanted to be doing aerospace in a serious way, I wasn’t going to be doing it in the Midwest.”

While his wife had an opportunity to open a law practice in Grand Meadow, Patrick had a chance to work hands-on with grapes at the southeastern Minnesota winery. He liked that. Despite his lingering passion for flight and mechanics, he loosened ties with that sort of work as both he and Shawn could continue careers where they grew up.

“Those two things together were all the push we needed to be back here permanently,” Patrick said.  Aside from growing some hobby gardens and table grapes in his California backyard, Patrick had no practical experience with viticulture or winemaking.

No matter. Thing about aerospace engineers is, they’re a smart breed.  “I thought I would enjoy the outdoors aspect of it and growing things,” Patrick said. “Even though I had never done it before, it was something that interested me.”

He arranged to return to Minnesota and attend viticulture classes at the University of Minnesota while family planted the first acre of grapes he now oversees.  “I moved back here in December of 2010, and immediately took my first viticulture class through the Vesta program that spring,” Patrick said.  The next year, Patrick helped plant an additional five acres, which now includes cold-hardy varietals such as Brianna, St. Croix, Edelweiss, Marquette, Frontenac Gris and a red Frontenac. In his studies, Patrick learned how vines mature, and the importance of pruning and removing fruit during a plant’s juvenile years to strengthen root systems and fortify the entire vine structure. Since planting, Patrick was able to use more grapes for production each year as the vineyard matured. As of 2014, vines at Four Daughters had entered their fourth and fifth growing seasons.

“Year four is kind of your finished product, so to speak,” Patrick said.

That means increasingly, Patrick sees the fruits of his labor, literally.

He’s happy with the maturation of the quaint, six-acre vineyard among the corn and soybean fields.  “You can really see what is happening,” he said. “You can tell if you’re doing it right, which is satisfying.”  While the vineyard has reached maturity, Patrick’s job isn’t done. Like any gardener, he follows a process each year: As soon as the calendar shows January, he begins pruning. That process, depending on weather, can continue into April, as it did this year. After a “hands-off” period, as Patrick calls it, chutes with tiny grapes appear. A spray schedule follows, every two weeks to prevent fungus and pests. As grapes start maturing near the peak of summer, spraying schedule ends. From early-September through mid-October is harvest, an enjoyable and gratifying time. Leaves fall from the trees, humidity dissipates, and grapes are ready for picking. The work may not be as mentally engaging as designing a new fuselage or wing, but it’s peaceful, especially with a little sunshine, and the faint rumble of an airplane in the distance. It’s a good gig.

Tradeshowgate 2014. What really happened at the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago?

A lot has been said about me the last few days and I’ve gotten support and criticism from people all over the country.  It’s hard to know what really happened from just a snippet of a story in the newspaper, so I thought I’d share the details with all of you here.

I certainly didn’t go to the convention with the intent to cause any kind of trouble and anyone that knows me would definitely confirm that.  I’m far from a troublemaker!  I did go to the convention to attend the once-yearly educational sessions and check out the tradeshow, which is really valuable to our business.  

Here’s how it all went down.  Believe me, this is far less dramatic than you’re probably imagining.  The aftermath for everyone else to debate was a much bigger deal, it seems!

I attended last year with my parents (and no kids, since my two older children stayed home with my husband) and the entire weekend was incredibly valuable.  We learned about trends in the wine industry, what consumers were currently looking for and how to improve our business over the next year.  We also made some really valuable connections that could not have been made without attending the show, including meeting wine buyers for national restaurant chains.  We loved the conference and were excited that we had made the decision to attend.

This year, we planned to go to the annual show for months in advance and were very excited about attending and being a part of the International Wine, Spirits and Beer show.  This was a really big deal for us!  I had worked with show coordinators for several months beforehand and then created all of the marketing materials we would bring.  I also talked to media contacts that would be attending to be sure we could meet up with them there.  Because my baby was due right around then, we decided to play it by ear and see how I was feeling.  My husband and my mom would attend regardless, but we’d wait to see how things were going with the new baby.  

The group was planning to leave early Saturday morning and on Friday evening, I decided I would attend too.  I was feeling great, my baby was thriving and everything was good.  In fact, I was excited that I would actually get a few days of rest while there (anyone with older children knows what I’m talking about)!  We packed up and headed out early the next morning.

After arriving in Chicago, we headed to the show.  I put my 10 day old baby in a moby wrap (a baby carrier/sling), he snuggled close to me and slept, and we started our work for the day.  In the first hour alone, we talked to some great people and were finding tons of info for our business.  We discussed things like chairs and online marketing programs. I stepped out to feed my baby in the hallway and when I walked back in, the security guards smiled at me, commented on the tiny, cute baby and let me walk right past without any trouble.  A few minutes later, someone tapped on my shoulder and told me that I would need to leave.  I was surprised, because I didn’t know what the problem was and like I said, I’m far from a troublemaker!  They walked me back to the security guards that I had just passed and they notified me of the rule that no one under 16 was allowed.  The man actually said to me, “can’t you just leave him with his dad all day tomorrow?”  They then walked me out the door.  The security guard assigned to walk me to the door was actually kind and felt awful. I called my family and they met me at the door.

We talked to a few people at the registration desk who told us we could speak to the National Restaurant Association managers.  We walked to a different floor, waited awhile and talked to a woman who informed me of the rule.  Because she told me that it could be a safety issue, I asked if I could attend just the education sessions.  She told me that I would not be allowed anywhere at the conference.  We then left the show and headed back to the hotel and went out for a nice dinner (where they actually brought champagne to the other members of the group to celebrate a new baby joining us!  Go to Senza if you’re ever in Chicago!).    

So, that’s the story.  Not too dramatic, huh?  Was I disappointed?  Of course!  Did I put up a fight?  Definitely not.

I’ve noticed a few questions that several people seem to have had about the situation, so I’ll also answer those.

Did I know about the “no children” rule when I attended?

I honestly did not.  Like I said, I attended last year, but didn’t have a nursing infant at the time, so it wasn’t an issue.  This year, I decided to attend about 12 hours before we drove there.  I’ve attended all sorts of things with a nursing infant and have never encountered an issue before.  In the article, I’m quoted as saying that I knew about the rule and still asked if I could stay.  Yes, I knew about the rule after I was escorted out of the building!  I asked management if I could stay after the security guards informed me and when they said no, we left the show with no further issues.

Couldn’t someone else have attended in my place?

Well, no, not really.  We’re a small business and I’m the only one who does what I do.  Everyone else has different roles in the business.  I was going to attend the educational sessions pertinent to my area of expertise, while others went to theirs.  Many people have asked why my husband didn’t attend in my place.  He did attend, but he’s a winemaker, not a marketer.  He was busy pouring wine at the show (which I did not do and did not plan to do, because I had my baby with), while I had planned to network, pick up marketing information and attend the classes.  It’s a big deal for us to attend shows like this and see what’s happening in the industry and also what’s coming up in the year ahead, so I didn’t want to miss this once-yearly show.

Why didn’t I leave my infant at home?

Any breastfeeding mother out there knows the answer to this one. I'm no crusader. I left my other boys with sitters when it was appropriate. But this baby was 10 days old and the American Academy of Pediatricians does not recommend giving a bottle to a breastfed infant at this age.

There are knives and open flames at the show!  Couldn’t your baby have been injured?

I was in a trade show talking about some pretty mundane things.  There were no cooking demonstrations near me or sharp knives at any time (in fact, I never saw either of these things at any point).  It’s disappointing that people don’t give a mother the benefit of the doubt that she wouldn’t put her infant near these types of things anyway!  My 10 day old was pretty stationary, so reaching for things, crawling or putting things in his mouth is not going to happen.  I could understand their rule though so when I spoke with management, I asked if I could attend the education sessions.  They gave the same reasoning.

Are you ‘generic internet person?’

This is the only phrase I can think of to describe how people seem to treat each other when we’re separated by a computer screen.  I’ve been on the receiving end of some of the nastiest things ever said to me or about me.  I’m typically very kind to people and don’t cause much of a stir.  I’ve found this week that it’s easy to judge when you don’t know the whole story or if you don’t know the person.  I get that, but I hope that some of these people don’t typically treat online strangers this way and certainly not people they meet in their everyday lives!  When I’ve replied to the personal messages sent to me, I’ve been quick to get an apology.  I’m sure their emotions about an issue  just took over and they thought of me as a faceless stranger.  The emails below were not just online commenters on an article or blog, but they sought me out personally to send a message.

SELF-ABSORBED PRICK! CALL A NANNY NEXT TIME!

I sent him a reply email and shortly after, I received this:

Im very sorry I didn't mean to insult u

or this one:

Buy a breast pump and find a reliable local sitter.  Expecting an entire trade show to cater to your infants feeding schedule again is ridiculous. And frankly sub par parenting.  

I sent her a reply and shortly after, I received this:

I am very sorry.  My email was thoughtless and completely out of place and caused you hurt.  Thank you for kindly responding.  Again I am very sorry.

The apologies were really nice to receive and meant alot.  I hope people can realize that when you’re yelling at a stranger on the other side of the computer screen, that it’s still a real person.  

Why do I think I’m so special?  

I don’t think I’m anything special, but I do think babies are pretty special!  As a society, we’ve made some great strides in making breastfeeding possible for so many women (laws regarding nursing in public places, laws regarding pumping/nursing in the workplace, etc.) and I guess I’d never encountered an issue with this in my day to day life before.  Everyone has always been so tolerant and supportive of an infant’s need to be with their mother.  People have also inquired whether I would take my baby to work with me and yes, I do every day!  That’s why we started this business.  We wanted to run a family friendly business and we do!  I’m so lucky to work with my family and our great staff!  We’re extremely supportive of nursing mothers that work with us also.  If you’ve visited us before, you’ve probably seen us with one of our children!

I was contacted by Good Morning America, CNBC, CBS News, Chicago news stations and papers from across the country and England.  I wasn’t interested in taking the issue further because honestly, I was home with my children at that point and didn’t want to engage the people that this seemed to upset so much.  I learned that people feel very, very strongly about this matter!  I’m pretty non-confrontational, so, like I said, I was on the receiving end of some of the nastiest things I’ve ever heard in my life.  Over what?  I asked someone if I could keep my baby with me and stay, they said no and I left. But I also received some of the nicest messages from people all over the country!  They were kind and supportive and really thoughtful.  

Here are some of my favorites:

• Wishing you all the best, Mama! And I am so very sorry that you were treated this way in Chicago. You and your baby were doing the right thing!

• I come from a family of farmers.  My mom was a farmer and so was her mom.  They lived and worked their farm though WWII and the Civil War in Greece.  My grandmother had 7 kids, all of which she carried on her back at some time in the fields.  By the age of 5, my mom was up at dawn getting the kindling and starting the fire to prepare the daily meals for the family and the field workers, most of the time on her own.  When my sister and I came along, my mom still worked (though in Chicago) from 6am-9pm.   
   
  Now I am a working mom and I understand the love and agony that comes with it, especially with a newborn.  But we are working women and this is what we do.  We work for our family, to leave our kids a legacy and to teach them that work is valuable and worthwhile for so many reasons.  This is especially true of farmers and winemakers when your work involves the whole family and it is something you breathe and touch and nurture every day.
  
• I would argue her treatment — from the trade show officials to Twitter, where the 31-year-old Osborne is also being pilloried — represents all that's wrong with this country.  I would argue that from the moment their infants are born, moms — parents, really — are given a stew of messages so conflicting and contradictory that "mixed" doesn't even begin to describe it.
• We are so thankful and grateful to you for being such a good example in this world that so often makes us choose between our work and out kids. Hopefully things will change before our daughters are having babies.   I just hope you have a wonderful baby carrier to keep your hands free as you work! 

• I just read about your disappointing trip to the convention in Chicago.  As a mom who nursed her kids while working, I took them everywhere with me.  The way you were treated in McCormick Place is reprehensible and the staff there was so narrow-minded.  Clearly none of their wives worked and nursed at the same time.   If they did, I am positive what you experienced would not have happened.

I can't even imagine driving down here so quickly after having a baby, being a mom of two older kids and then going to a trade show.  You are a strong, wonderful mom.  Please know the rest of Chicago is much more open minded and real when it comes to nursing moms.

• In these economic times, this woman should be commended for trying to put food on the table and achieve the American dream. Certain conservative pundits have called maternity leave a "racket". In a country that doesn't seem to value unpaid caregivers or maternity leave in the first place, I'm surprised this woman isn't being hailed a saint for putting work first.

What a week!  Thank you everyone for the support and nice comments.

Kristin Osborne

Guided Tour and Tasting with the Winemaker. April 12th

The four new wines that we released last Friday are some of the best made wines we've ever had.  They could have been bottled around Christmas and they would have been good, but I thought the potential for greatness was there and spent the next 4 months fine tuning and evaluating them with professional tasters.

I'd like to take everyone on a little tour and guide them through a tasting of the four new offerings.  Everyone will get 3 ounces of each wine, which adds up to roughly two and a half glasses total.  Then, we'll go through some basics of tasting, what to look for in a quality wine, and what processes I used in the making of these four wines that is making 2013 an exceptional vintage year at Four Daughters.  You'll leave with a greater knowledge of and appreciation for wine.
--Justin

To sign up for the 3:30 pm guided tour and tasting, click here, call 507-346-7300 or email events@fourdaughtersvineyard.com.

To view information on our website, click here.

State of the Wine Union Address. Take 2.

Aaaaannnnnnndddddd we're BACK!  Welcome to the updated state of the winery address.  With you here is your local enologist updating all you oenophiles on all of this years.....enos?  Yeah that's not a real word but it seems like it should mean wine.  Anyway, I join you now with a belly full of sloppy joe nachos and a test bottle of sparkling La Crescent.  When you work at Four Daughters and eat lunch here every day, you really have to pace yourself because there are so many good options available.  The sloppy joe nachos are my guilty pleasure, and i rarely have them except as an occasional treat.  But, when you consume a bottle of sparkling wine beforehand in the name of science, your judgement gets a little cloudy.  Did you all know that the carbonation in sparkling wine causes the alcohol to enter your bloodstream faster than still wine, and that just two glasses of bubbly can significantly impair you?  Well its true, i just tested it out.

I've said it before that everything in the winery is subject to change, and this year is no different.  Below you will find my assessment of the wine from a couple months ago, and in parenthesis you will find my current assessment.  My how things have changed...    

1. Brianna – Different this year, it’s lighter, a little drier (less sweet), a little more complex, more tannin.  It still has that hallmark Brianna taste, but after 2 years, I’m just trying something a bit different.  Available December 2013.  (This is still forecast to be the same wine, but due to some issues beyond our control, the bottling date is somewhere in the end of February.)

1. Currently unnamed – This used to be Edelweiss, it is now an Edelweiss based blend of 4 wines, and possibly a 5th.  It is the driest white wine we’ve ever had at 4DVW and I think it could be a candidate for some hardware at the next cold climate awards.  I always try and balance the sweetness and acidity of my wines, and it is pretty rare that a cold climate wine could be dry and not acidic, but this is one of those wines.  Available December 2013.  (The wine is now named Chad's Folly, come on in to find out why its called that.  This will be bottled end of February as well, and i think its one of the better wines we've had here.)

1. Frontenac Gris – I know many of you love our current Frontenac Gris, and we have several thousand bottles still available of that, but our 2013 Gris will be different.  I think we have some of the best Gris growers in the state, and this year I got some really apparent peach aromas out of those grapes.  So think of our 2011 LaCrescent, aka” the grapefruit wine”, only this time its Frontenac Gris, aka “the peach wine.”  Available January 2014.  (The Frontenac Gris has turned into Nude Etude II.  If you liked Nude Etude, you should really like this.  This years version is slightly more mellow, i sometimes feel i can retain so much varietal character of Frontenac Gris that it almost becomes too much.  This years wine just seems to be nicer than last years.  Coming out end of February.) 

1. Frontenac Rose – This wine will always be about the cherry flavors, but this year I’m trying to introduce tannin and a couple other rose’ wines in to create some complexity and a little more interest for the drinker.  Available February 2014.  (Blended into polygon)

1. Sparkling Marquette Rose – A new one for 2013, I’m hoping this reads somewhat similar to traditional rose’ sparklers that are blends of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  No clue when this might come out.  (Blended into polygon)

1. Sparkling LaCrescent – Think Moscato, but with LaCrescent.  Sweet and lots of citrus, I think this will be a popular one. Available Feb 2014.  (This is looking good.  It is going to be a champagne style wine, made in the traditional methode champenoise.  This is going to be a nice wine, probably a contender for some high awards, but it will take time.  I wouldn't expect this until summer.)

1. Sparkling Moscato – Don’t fix what isn’t broken…not too much new here!  All Moscatos start with a base wine, and this year’s base wine tastes better than it ever has in the past, which should mean an even better finished wine.  Available January 2014.  (I would push the bottling date to March)

1. Rose’ Blend Sparkler (unnamed) – Think Moscato, but add cherries.  I really like where this wine is at right now—big aromas and lots of fruit.  This will be a popular wine.  Available February 2014.  (This wine will be apart of new brand to be rolled out before memorial weekend in liquor stores only.  We'll keep you updated)

1. Zinfandel – This wine is a bit of a mystery to me.  It’s got some good things going, but I’m unsure exactly what this wine will turn into. It’s reading like bing cherry as opposed to black cherry, so perhaps it will be the heir to our Sparkling Pinot Noir, or it will go on to carry the Big Boy torch.  Available late summer 2014.  (The flavors of this are developing and deepening nicely.  Still a ways off though.)

1. Marquette – Marquette is always a tough one to evaluate before the malolactic fermentation is completed, and that is what is going on here.  Marquette is always at best a light to medium-light bodied wine.  I can always get bigger flavors out of Marquette that are usually associated with bigger bodied wines.  This year though, I’ve tried a few new things and the Marquette is looking pretty thick, so I may have actually bumped this wine into a higher “body” bracket, if you know what I mean.  No clue when this might be out.  We still have plenty of 2012 Marquette which will give this more barrel time, which improves the quality.  ( This is still my big unkknown.  I know its going to be good, but there are so many directions i can take it, i just don't know what the finished product is going to look like.  To make a great wine takes time, it has to start out pretty harsh and then soften up, and that's what i've got going on here.  Its  going through the processes required to become exceptional later on.)

1. Cabernet Sauvignon – These are high end grapes from a high end vineyard in California and so far, it’s producing a high end wine.  I have high expectations for this wine; the crummy part though is it may be a 2 year aging process.  Don’t worry, when this wine is ready, we’ll definitely let everyone know.  The Vikings might have a decent quarterback by the time this wine is released. Until then it’ll be relaxing in French oak.  (No changes here) 

1. Last but not least exciting, we are going to bottle the cider this year.  2012 was a terrible year for apples, but 2013 is much better, so we’re gonna hit the cider hard this year to ensure it will always be available.  Expect a big announcement when the cider is finally ready, probably in the first few months of 2014.  (no changes here either)

The big obvious change is that most of our rose wine has been axed and blended into a single wine that we are calling Polygon.  It is 6 separate wines blended to make one exceptional rose.  This is easily our best rose ever, an in house favorite, and something we're excited about. Look for this wine to be released  the same time as the Brianna, Chad's Folly, and Nude Etude II.  I know the International Cold Climate Wine Competition is trying to focus more on rose' wines, and I'm quite sure they'll be focusing on this one plenty.

Lastly, I've been doing some experimenting with our Marquette, Zin, and Cab, as well as a few leftover barrels of 2012 syrah, 2012 petite syrah, and 2012 Zin to come up with another vintage of the Big Boy Blend.  So far, it looks promising.  The code name for these trials is BB3.    

Thanks for reading everybody!  

Justin