Post Bulletin covering our big NYE dinner!

Four Daughters Winery Has Plans For New Year's Eve

Four Daughters Winery to Hold Annual New Year’s Eve Bash
A special food and wine pairing event.

December 29, 2013—Spring Valley, MN.  Four Daughters Winery is gearing up for their 3rd annual New Year’s Eve special event, which features one of the most diverse and unique menus around.  The 11-course dinner is carefully crafted by their team of chefs and the suggested wine pairings perfectly complement each dish.

Because they are the only winery (or restaurant!) in the state to make their own bubbly, this event has grown larger and more exciting each year.  This year, Four Daughters Sparkling Moscato will greet guests as they walk through the door.  Throughout the evening, the winemaker will be visiting tables to discuss wine and suggest wine pairings.

Commenting on the night, owner Vicky Vogt said, “This has become a flagship dinner for us.  When we opened 2 years ago, this was our first big event and it continues to hold a special place in our hearts.  We try to make each year bigger and better than the last!”

Reservations are required and can be made by calling the winery or by signing up directly from their website, www.fourdaughtersvineyard.com.  Interested parties can also peek ahead and check out the menu on the winery’s blog.

ABOUT FOUR DAUGHTERS VINEYARD & WINERY
Four Daughters Vineyard and Winery is the perfect location for locals, visitors and tourists.  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.  

New Year's Eve Menu Revealed... 2013 Food and Wine Event of the Year

Social Hour
 Hor d’eourves. Glass of Sparkling Moscato included. 

Veal
Roasted Veal Bone Marrow, Grilled French Bread, Parsley-Citrus-Shallot Salad

Oyster

Blue Point on the Half Shell with Sparkling Moscato Mignonette

Duck
Seared Duck Breast, Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Red Onion, Pretzel Bread Crostini, Warm Blueberry Vinaigrette

Lamb Chop
Pureed Rutabaga, Beet Jam and Veal Stock Reduction

Pear
Marquette Poached Pear, Field Greens, Amablu, Candied Walnuts, Braising Juice Vinaigrette

Lobster
Butter Poached Tail, Preserved Lemon Mashed Potato, Grapefruit-Knuckle and Claw Buerre

Sorbet
Hard Cider Sorbet with Roasted Apple

Beef
Porcini Crusted Tenderloin, Oyster Mushroom and Pearl Barley “Rissotto”, Demi

Cheese
Candied Lemon Stilton, Thyme Shortbread

Dessert
Chocolate Mousse and Brownie Parfait with Fresh Raspberries and Whipped Cream

Reservation only.  To reserve a spot, click here.

$95

(tax and service fee not included)

Register online or call 507-346-7300 or email events@fourdaughtersvineyard.com for reservations.  

For a printable certificate to give as a gift, click here.

Tips on how to Chill, Handle and Open Sparkling Wine for the Holidays

Watch the video here! (link to KAAL.com)

UPS Zone Map

Need wine shipped?  There's still time!  Check out the UPS zone map below to see how long it will take your shipment (by regular ground) to arrive.  UPS delivers up until December 24th!  1 day and 2 day AIR delivery by request. 

KAAL Visit

Watch for the segment on the KAAL morning show and evening show on Monday.  Our winemaker, Justin, will be sharing tips on serving sparkling wine over the holidays!

Bottles & Baskets!

CYBER MONDAY OFFER!

CYBER MONDAY OFFER! Today only, our Bottles & Baskets gourmet gift-making event is 20% off.

Join our winery's professional gift-basket creator and create your own one-of-a-kind gift baskets! We'll provide the upscale basket and the packaging material, as well as give you a glass of wine and appetizers to snack on while you create! We'll also give you a 5% discount on all of the retail items you purchase for your basket! We'll have a large selection of wines, gift items and unique wine accessories to fill your gift baskets with. So, just gather your items and start assembling. We'll help you with the rest! We're excited to spend a day Christmas shopping with you!

You can sign up right from our website or by emailing events@fourdaughtersvineyard.com.

$20  TODAY ONLY $16
December 8th. Register here.
December 15th. Register here. 

New Year's Eve Printable Certificate

Brunch Changes

We are revamping our Sunday Brunch for the winter!  Our chefs have been very busy creating new menu items that will keep us warm until spring.  In addition, we're switching Sunday hours from 10-5 and will serve brunch items all day.   

New items include:

Chimichurri Breakfast Tacos

Ham and Brie Stuffed French Toast

Hollandaise Fondue

Frittata Skillet

Chilaquiles (a tortilla casserole topped with eggs and pork belly)

Watch for more fun changes throughout the winter!

Interested in Seeing an Active and Alive Fermentation?

Our winemaker, Justin, shows you an insider's view of what an active fermentation looks like in the hard cider tank!

Comedy Show--Printable Certificate. Great Gift Idea!

State of the (Wine) Union Address from our Winemaker

Hello there oenophiles.  What’s that?  You didn’t know you were an oenophile?  Well look it up, because chances are if you’re reading this blog, you too are a lover of wine.  I’ve pulled my hands out of grapes just long enough to get them on a keyboard and give everyone an update on what’s cooking in the production room. 

This year we’ve invested heavily in upping the amount of wine we make.  We’re shooting to produce around 26,000 gallons this year.  To put that in perspective, the largest winery in the state last year made 20,000 gallons.  The driving force behind the increase in production is that in 2014, Four Daughters wine is going to be available at liquor stores across the state.  Ask your local liquor stores if they carry our wine.  If they don’t already carry it, after you ask for it, they will.

Our 2013 vintage will feature a lot of new wines.  It’s always a delicate balance between keeping everyone interested and giving them what they love.  I do put a lot of thought into our wine lineup and I always make sure I have something for everybody.  I really don’t try and make wine that everybody loves; I try and make many different styles and tastes so everyone can find one that they love.  With just a little further ado, I need to say that the following list is subject to drastic modification, but as of right now this is what our wine lineup is looking like…

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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Sparkling LaCrescent – Think Moscato, but with LaCrescent.  Sweet and lots of citrus, I think this will be a popular one.  Available Feb 2014.
7. 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.
8. 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
9. 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. 
10. 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. 
11. 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. 
12. 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.

There you have it, the wine plan for the 2013 vintage.  I do believe this is shaping up to be our finest vintage to date, and I’m not just saying that.  Even though all these wines were good in 2012, I believe that the Edelweiss, Brianna, Frontenac Gris, and Sparkling Moscato will all be better in 2013.  Our new sparkler will be loved I’m sure, as well as the Sparkling LaCrescent.  The Cabernet is a wine that has the potential to find its way into the top steakhouses in Minneapolis, and our Marquette supply has caught up with demand so now we can really work on the aging process before we release it.  If anyone out there hasn’t tried it in a while, I do believe our 2012 Marquette is the best red wine I’ve ever had from Minnesota.  The wine did well in competitions last year, and now that it’s had almost a year of bottle aging, it’s really firing on all cylinders.  As one of my wine professors said, “magical things happen in the bottle.”  If the 2013 vintage is like the 2012, I’ll be happy.  Look for the 2012 Marquette to start bringing in some big medals as we start entering it into contests again.

Thanks to all of you who have ever drank any wine that I may have made over the years.  Remember that wine is a great gift and reason for celebration.  During this season of harvest and thanksgiving, remember Psalms 4:7, “You have made me happier than those who have abundant grain and new wine.”  At 4DVW, we have an abundance of new wine.   

-- Justin

Spooky Gourmet Dinner. 2013 Halloween!

Escargot with Amablu Fondue in Pipet

Beef Tartare

Bloody Mary Salad

Black Spaghetti with Butternut Squash Confit

Scallop with Blue Corn Polenta and Red Pepper Coulis

Braised Frog Legs with Beet Oatmeal, Crispy Leeks and Tomato Buerre

Orange, Chocolate and Butterscotch Cheesecake with Candy Corn Crumb, Peanut Butter Cream and Salted Caramel

Makeup Time

Wondering who did our makeup on Friday night for the Spooky Gourmet Dinner?  Here's where you can find all of their info!  

About Face

Christmas shopping!

Is there anyone on your Christmas list who likes wine?  We kind of thought so!

On Sundays during the Christmas season, join our winery's professional gift-basket creator and create your own one-of-a-kind gift baskets!  We'll provide the upscale basket and the packaging material, as well as give you a glass of wine and appetizers to snack on while you create!  We'll also give you a 5% discount on all of the retail items you purchase for your basket!

We'll have a large selection of wines, gift items and unique wine accessories to fill your gift baskets with.  So, just gather your items and start assembling.  We'll help you with the rest!

We're excited to spend a day Christmas shopping with you!

$20.  
December 1st. Register here.
December 8th. Register here.
December 15th. Register here. 

that!

Four Daughters Halloween Gourmet. Squash Confit and Brown Butter Pecan Sauce recipe included!

Black and Orange Pasta

Squash Confit with a Brown Butter Pecan Sauce

Black (or regular) Pasta Noodles, 1LB par cooked
Confit Butternut Squash (recipe below)

Bacon Bits, 1CUP
Grated Parmesan, 1TBSP

Brown Butter Pecan Sauce:

Butter, 1/2 LB
Brown Sugar, 1 TBSP
Fresh Sage, 1 TSP chopped
Pecan Pesto, 2 TBSP (see recipe below)

Serves 4

To make Pasta
1 Heat a thick-bottomed skillet on medium heat. Add the sliced butter (sliced so that the butter melts more evenly) whisking frequently. Continue to cook the butter.
2 Once melted the butter will foam up a bit, then subside. Watch carefully as lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan. Smell the butter; it should have a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and whisk in the brown sugar, pesto and fresh sage.
3. Warm the pasta in hot water and add hot noodle to the sauce.  Also add the bacon and squash confit.  Toss all of the ingredients.  Place in bowls and garnish with fresh parmesan

Squash Confit
Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and cut into large dice-1EA
Whole Garlic Cloves, 1/2Cup
Fresh Thyme Sprigs, 3 to 4 each
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil

To confit, place all ingredients into a baking dish and cover with olive oil.  Cover with foil and bake at 300 until the squash is soft but not falling apart.  Remove squash from oil.  (Tip: after you remove the squash from the oil, strain the oil and save in a jar in the fridge.  You will have a nicely flavored oil that can be used for sautéing, vinaigrettes or anything else you would use olive oil for.)

Pecan Pesto
Toasted Pecans, 1Cup
Shredded Parmesan Cheese, 1/4Cup
Minced Garlic, 2tsp
Fresh Parsley, 1/4Cup
Salt and pepper, pinch of each
Olive Oil, 1/4Cup

In food processor combine all ingredients except the olive oil and pulse to combine.  With the machine running slowly, add the olive oil to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed and store in fridge.

KARE 11 Visit

We visited KARE 11 again today to do a cooking segment, which means we've got another recipe to share from our kitchen!  With our Spooky Gourmet Dinner coming up quickly, our chefs definitely have their creatives juices flowing.  Check out some of the fun things that Chef Erik brought to the studio today.

Beef Tartare--yep, that looks like a brain. :)

Syringe-dressed Escargot

Bloody Mary Salad, with a side of 'poison' dressing

Four Daughters Marquette Caramel Apples with Four Daughters Marquette salt

And now to see it all in live action!

Ask Us Anything!

We get all sorts of questions from the many visitors who come through our doors!

We thought we'd give you all the chance to ask all of us (the owners, the winemaker, the managers, the vineyard team, the chefs, the daughters...) some of the questions you might have!  

Just post a question in the comments below and we'll start answering them the best we can.  Excited to hear what you're all thinking!  

GSM 744 is on its way!

We have a brand new wine hitting the shelves in about a month!  GSM 744 is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre.  For those of you unfamiliar with some of these wines, here's a quick tutorial:

Grenache (pronounced gren-aash): is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world.  It is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate with a relatively high alcohol content.

Syrah: Not to be confused with Petite Sirah, this is touted as Australia's spicy, big-hitting red wine.  Why the confusion between Shiraz and Syrah?  It's the same grape!  In France it is known and grown as Syrah, and responsible for some of the Northern Rhone's big, bold red wines.  However, in Australia and South Africa it goes by Shiraz.

Mouvedre: This variety can be a difficult grape to grow, preferring "its face in the hot sun and its feet in the water."  The vines produce intensely flavored fruit  that is not overly jammy or herbaceous.  The wines often has wild game and/or earthy notes to them, with soft red fruit flavors.

Now that you know about the varieties, here's a bit of info about our wine!

• The grapes all came in fresh from California.
• Our winemaker barrel-aged the separate varieties for nearly a year.
• The finished blend is described as fruity and oaky.  

GSM is pretty obvious, but what does the 744 stand for?  Good question!
There were 7 barrels of Grenache, blended with 4 barrels of Syrah and 4 barrels of Mouvedre. Naming magic!

September Recap!

Wow--September has been an exceptionally busy month for us.  From making wine to stomping grapes to serving a record number of tastings, we're all pretty excited about how the month went!  It seems as if everyone loves wine as much as us!

Lobster Boil

This was a sold out event and everyone that came had a great time, including us!  It was an awesome kick off to our 2nd annual Grape Stomp Festival.  Each guest had a full lobster and following that, the chefs dumped out pots of crayfish, sausage, corn, clams, shrimp and potatoes.  A true New England experience!

Grape Stomp

The next few days were a crazy blur of grape stomping!  It started with our celebrity grape stomp on Friday night and continued into team stomping on Saturday.  There were some awesome costumes!

The grapes are ready to be smashed!

Post Bulletin editor Jay Furst stomped with his wife!

Betsy Singer took on Team Post Bulletin.

Tom Overlie, dressed as a newsman, was a stomping machine.

Jennifer Koski, from Rochester Magazine, stomped with us for a second time.  Read about her experience here.  She also took all of these photos!

Betsy Singer (KAAL) and Tom Overlie (KTTC), former co-anchors, went head to head!

Defending champs, Dunken & Samm, from the KROC morning show, were the team to beat.

In the end, it was almost too close to call.

So we brought in the big guns--Betsy.  Tom Overlie was the winner!  He donated the Four Daughters' annual grape stomp charity check to Paws & Claws this year!

On Saturday, we welcomed our team grape stompers.  Check out the video below to see how that went!

KTTC Rochester, Austin, Mason City News, Weather and Sports

And now, we wait patiently as the 2013 vintage ferments and turns into wine!  Big month around here!

Setting up for tonight!!

Largest lobster eating group you've ever seen?

How to press grapes and start making wine, explained in 30 seconds or less.

You dump multiple bins (called picking lugs) into the top of the crusher/destemmer.  Voila!  The process has begun.

The crusher/destemmer has that name for a reason.  Notice how cleanly the stems shoot out?  Don't you wish you had known about this machine when you were feeding your hungry 3 year old grapes all afternoon???

The crusher part of the equipment cuts open each grape, preparing it to be pressed momentarily.  

We employ many pumps.  This powerful pump moves the crushed grapes from the crusher/destemmer over to the press.

And right into the press.  Isn't that nifty??

The crushed grapes wait patiently in the press until their cycle begins.

 Even before the pressing begins, the juice starts flowing out.  Music to our ears!

 Our gigantic press is ready to begin!  This is a new addition to our harvest equipment this year.

Now, let's put all those steps together in live action. 

Who's ready to help with harvest now?  Let the wine making begin!