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!  

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