Archives for September 2013

October – From the Editor

September 30, 2013 by

It’s been a bit of a whirlwind month for us here at Iowa Decanted.  We’ve had some great feedback, met some amazing people, and had our fair share of surprises.

Among the many surprises is the reach we’ve had on social media alone.  It was certainly a shock to see our Facebook page had garnered views from well over a thousand people.  That certainly exceeded our expectations.  Considering we had only put out one issue, you can imagine how astounded I was at hearing that news.

Iowa Decanted was established with the goal of connecting enthusiasts from around the state not only with invaluable resources and information, but also with one another.  We also hope to strengthen and support the Iowa wine industry by providing a platform of communication between producers and consumers, in a friendly environment of candor and transparency.

Our site will be in a state of constant evolution as we adapt and respond to the interests and needs of our readers.  I would encourage you to become involved; let us know what we’re doing right, or let us know what you’ like to see.  Make a comment on our site, find us on social media, or if you prefer, contact me directly at nick@iowadecanted.com.

In the coming months we’ll be implementing a number of exciting pursuits, and among them will be our ‘bottle-finding’ functionality.  When we review a wine, we’ll provide you with the locations where you can find that particular bottle if you feel like trying it.  It’s just one of the things we’re putting together to make your experience on our site all the better.

We’ll also be implementing our Generosity 1.0 support structure and starting up our own marketplace, where we’ll be offering item designed exclusively for us by Wild Canary Graphics & Design.

These are exciting times for all of us.  I’m glad you’re along for the journey.

Cheers!

Nick Thornburg
founder, Iowa Decanted

Filed Under: News

Seth Miller, Cedar Valley Winery

September 30, 2013 by

The noise of the nearby freeway, with its grumbling cars and roaring trucks, seems to evaporate on the grounds of the Cedar Valley Winery in Batavia, Iowa. It is replaced by the hum of insects, and the gentle sounds of wind blowing through the distant trees. The scene is composed of carefully manicured and well-kept rows of grapevines, expanses of green grass, and the rustic charms of a red barn.  A windmill sits above it all, its rotors spinning to the measure of the wind. It has the look of a traditional Iowan farm with the perfect pastoral touches that make it feel like home, but with the added touch of something reminiscent of a west coast vineyard – as though it had been transplanted from the idyllic set of a Hollywood film.

The atmosphere seems effortless, like it sprang into existence and immediately fit perfectly into the landscape, but this is not the case. Cedar Valley Vineyard and Winery came about after years of hard work and dedication from the owners, the Miller family.

“The two things that I enjoy most are the experience that our customers have whether it is just appreciating the wine itself or coming out to our facilities and having a really fun time getting away from life and being able to relax with friends,” said Seth Miller, winemaker of Cedar Valley Winery. “The other thing is the compliments that we get on the high quality of the wine that we produce.”

The vineyard began in 2002 with three grape varieties on 1.5 acres.

“In the first three or four years we would pick 30 to 40 pounds and take it up to the house and stomp it and get the juice out of them,” said Miller. “I have to admit the wine wasn’t that good. So I realized if we were going to do this on a commercial scale making thousands of gallons of wine, I was going to have to learn a lot more to get high quality wine and have that consistency.”

To begin his wine and grape education, Miller began attending the annual conferences held by the Iowa Wine Grower’s Association, hearing from professors and speakers from across the country, places like UC Davis, Cornell, University of Minnesota, and University of Missouri. According to their articles of incorporation, the Iowa Wine Growers Association was established to help people like Miller by improving “conditions of those engaged in viticulture” as well as “the quality and marketability of grapes produced in Iowa through the use of education and research.” IWGA conference attendees like Miller are given the chance to hear from experts experienced in making wine and spirits from places as far away as South Africa and Australia.

Conferences are split into a viticulture & vineyard track, and a winemaking track. When Miller started attending, he began with the vineyard classes.

“We would go to all of the vineyard stuff, and as we progressed into making wine, I started going to the wine-making classes, and they were very informative and very helpful,” said Miller.

Another resource he took advantage of as he worked to get the vineyard and winery off the ground was the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute out of Iowa State University, specifically the help and advice of Dr. Murli Dharmadikari.

“He started reaching out to all of the Iowa wine-makers and offering suggestions on how to improve the quality of the wine – from the grapes in the field all the way through the bottling process,” said Miller.

When contacted by Iowa Decanted, Dr. Dharmadikari said the questions he gets from vineyards and wineries have to do with everything from how to grow the best quality fruit, to how to be successful and profitable in the business. But the biggest piece of advice he gives is simple.

“Have a sound business plan before starting the venture. Spend time and money to make sure you have the passion, funds, and a sound plan to grow and profit from the business,” said Dharmadikari.

This advice seems to be working for the Millers and Cedar Valley Winery.

“They are a small but excellent family winery,” Dr. Dharmadikari said. “They produce quality wines from grapes adapted to their soil and climate.”

As Miller learned, the family vineyard was expanding to 5 acres with seven grape varieties by 2007. That same year the winery began making wine on a commercial scale, and by the next year they produced around 2,500 gallons of wine from the very grapes grown in their vineyard.

Miller said learning everything behind the production of wine, including the chemistry and science, has helped in his creation of the popular and well-respected wines that Cedar Valley Winery is known for.

“If you’re diligent in monitoring, and you know all the chemistry behind the wine, you can see where it’s going, and you can keep track of it to make a high quality wine,” said Miller.

After going through the process of starting a vineyard and winery and learning as much as he could about grapes and wine, Miller said the biggest piece of wisdom he can offer to others just starting their own vineyards and wineries is to start on a small scale and get in touch with all of the resources available to them (such as the Iowa Wine Growers Association and the Midwest Wine Institute) in order to learn how to make quality wine before going into a commercial scale.

“I think the biggest concern that most Iowa wine makers have is that somebody new wants to jump in immediately and then they come out with good quality wine, but they also might release wine that is not as good as it could be which then impacts every customer out there and gives them a negative inference on what Iowa wine quality is like,” said Miller. “So starting off small…before they start making wine on a commercial scale helps them make consistent good product to submit out to the market place.”

All of this hard work and dedication is paying off for Cedar Valley as they were named the Iowa Winery of the Year at the 2013 New York International Wine Competition out of 1,000 entries from the United States and over 30 countries from all over the world.

“We’ve submitted wines to numerous competitions over the past several years, and it’s always nice to have individual wines recognized for their quality,” said Miller. “But to actually be named the Iowa Winery of the Year in a national wine competition was very exciting.”

As the Millers keep learning and growing, it seems likely that many more awards will be in their future.

Filed Under: Personality Feature

Movers & Shakers: Lauren Chalupsky-Cannon

September 30, 2013 by

Last month we featured Lauren Chalupsky-Cannon, owner of The Secret Cellar in Shueyville, in our Q&A.  We had such a good experience that we decided to feature her in our first ‘Movers and Shakers’ feature, where we follow a person of interest in the wine industry.  Watch the video and browse the slideshow of photos taken by staff writer Julia Jessen.

Filed Under: Movers and Shakers, Personality Feature

DIY Netting

September 30, 2013 by

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It is extremely frustrating when you are ready to pick your grapes and find out that birds have beaten you to the fruit.

Netting is one of the most effective ways to keep those birds off.  I use lighter netting that I can stretch over the vines.  If I stretch it tightly so that it doesn’t droop on the vines, the mesh is constricted in such a way that the edges of the net do not reach the ground.  But if the net is not stretched  the birds are able to sit in the loose folds of the net and easily reach my grapes.

I have two ways to deal with this.

I have steel posts in the vineyard to hold the top wire.  I take a 1 ½ inch diameter piece of PVC pipe about one foot long.  I drill a ¾ inch hole in one end and put a 30 inch piece of ½ inch plastic black water pipe through the hole.  I place the pipe on top of the steel post with the water pipe perpendicular to the row.  This holds the net up and away from the grapes so the birds can’t just sit on the net and eat to their heart’s content.

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I then buy a roll of plastic material used to hold large round hay bales together.  There are many thousands of feet of material that can be used for netting.  It is about 5 ½ to 6 feet wide.  I roll out the hay netting and fasten to the bottom of the nets stretched across my vines.  This hay netting is long enough to reach the ground, acting as an extension to my regular netting.  It the hay netting gets a hole from a critter like a raccoon it is not big deal and can be repaired or replaced with little time, effort and cost.

Not only can this inexpensive hay netting be used as an extension to regular netting, it can also be a good alternative for regular netting.  Keep in mind that several lengths will have to be used to stretch over a grapevine.

I have used this hay netting to hang from electric fences so that deer can see the fence.  I just used plastic zip ties to hold it to the wire.  This deters the deer to some degree since they will avoid obstacles they can see, particularly one that moves and flutters in the breeze.

If you are careful you can roll up the hay netting and reuse it the next year if it is not badly damaged.  If it is too far gone just roll it up and recycle.   But be sure to not leave any netting behind which can be wrapped up in a mower, that’ll just turn our little money-saver into a bigger hassle then you want!

Filed Under: Winemaking/Viticulture

Q&A: Kurt Garretson

September 30, 2013 by

The Iowa Wine Grower’s Association held its first ever amateur wine competition in 2013, awarding six Double Gold, nine Gold, twenty-six Silver, and nineteen Bronze medals to Iowan winemakers.  Amateur Wine of the Year was awarded to Joel Garretson of Salem for his Green Gage Plum Wine.  Iowa Decanted caught up with Joel, Kurt, and Justin Garretson of East Grove Farms to get their perspective on a few things.  The spokesman of this unique family farm, Kurt, was kind enough to answer our questions.

Iowa Decanted: What is the philosophy of East Grove Farms?

Kurt Garretson: As a family we have been living in Iowa for 176 years. That is seven generations of Garretson’s and we hope to create opportunities that keep another seven generations on the farm. We do that by implementing conservation practices that improve soil fertility, developing agritourism, and expanding into what we believe is an emerging market for wines or meads that represent the native fruits in Iowa. The name East Grove comes from the original community that settled in and around the farm. We like to continue that tradition of pioneers by honoring the past while planning for the future.

ID: How did you become interested in winemaking?

KG: My grandfather Joel Garretson Sr. used to make elderberry wine in his basement. And later my dad Joel Garretson Jr. started making elderberry wine in his basement, so it seemed appropriate that the next generation start making elderberry wine in the basement. Outside of our Grandfather’s shop there used to be an Elderberry bush that grew from the left over pressings from wine.  That bush is gone, but around the corner there is a field of fruit trees and Elderberries. Fermentation is a great way to preserve what we grow on the farm, and as a family we have been doing that for decades.

ID: What has been your most significant challenge in regards to winemaking?

KG: We want everything to be as local as possible. Most of the fruits will be grown on the farm or in the surrounding area. As with all farming operations, the weather is a constant challenge. We have the additional challenge of trying to make a high quality wine using fruits that don’t produce as much sugar as grapes while still holding true to our values. This is why we are looking to start with a selection of meads, or honey wines. The honey is locally produced and adds the sugar needed to produce a good wine. We are working on some Elderberry recipes that use grape juice as a base as well.  These are still experimental but I think there is a lot of promise for a blend of grape and elderberry.

ID: Much of the wine you produce has been made from fruit other than grapes.  Is there a particular reason you focus on non-grape wine?

KG: We started growing Elderberries because we believe there is an emerging market for them due to their health benefit. There is a lot of scientific research going on right now into Elderberries as the next super fruit. Our goal is to grow many of the native Iowa fruits like Elderberry, Aronia, Juneberry and Persimmon as well as other heirlooms such as the Green Gage Plum and White Peach. In my opinion a good wine is free of technical flaws and has a clean fermentation that brings out the flavor of the fruit. We want to fill a different niche by providing a taste of the native, locally grown fruits of Iowa.

ID: What do you think the biggest misconception is about Iowa wine?

KG: We are not sure if there are many people outside of Iowa that have any conception of Iowa wine, but those that do probably think of the sweeter table wines. Most Iowa wine is sold to Iowans and they generally buy sweet wines, so that is what people produce.  The grape wine market is very competitive, and until recently it was difficult to make good dry wines from Iowa grown grapes. The Midwest Grape & Wine Industry Institute and the Northern Grapes Project are doing a lot to raise the quality of wine made in the upper Midwest. New varieties of grapes are coming out that are capable of producing a world class wine.

ID: Where would you like the Iowa wine industry to be in ten years?

KG: In order for the Iowa wine industry to grow, there will need to be something that differentiates it to people outside of Iowa. East Grove Farms is doing something completely different, but it is also untested. We would like to see Iowans work more with fruits that naturally grow well here. At one time, Iowa was the leading producer of apples in the the U.S. and hard cider is making a comeback as a popular drink. For the grape wine industry we would like to see the new varietal wines like Marquette become respected household names like Cabernet.

Filed Under: Q&A

Cato the Elder

September 30, 2013 by

De Agri Cultura, written by famed Roman soldier, author and statesman Cato the Elder around 160 BC, is among the earliest manuals covering the growing of grapes and the making of wine.  In it he writes detailed instructions on the proper establishment of a profitable farm and vineyard.  He emphasizes the careful selection of vines, taking into consideration the specific type of soil of the vineyard site.

“In soil which is thought to be best adapted for grapes and which is exposed to the sun, plant the small Aminnian, the double Eugeneum, and the small parti-colored; in soil that is heavy or more subject to fogs, plant the large Aminnian, the Murgentian, the Apician, and the Lucanian. The other varieties, and especially the hybrids, grow well anywhere.”

He gives a complete list of the staff needed to manage a vineyard of 100 iugera (66 acres), including “an overseer, a housekeeper, 10 labourers, 1 teamster, 1 muleteer, 1 willow-worker, 1 swineherd — a total of 16 persons,”  and his list of equipment is comprehensive, listing even the number of candlesticks and pruning-hooks the prospective vineyard manager will need.

The 1st century B.C. manuscript reads almost like a modern instruction manual for vineyard management, exhibiting a sophistication that is hard to believe existed over two thousand years ago.   Cato encouraged vineyard managers to take an active role with grapevines with vigorous training, pruning, and fertilization.

“Tie a well-knotted vine straight up, keeping it from bending, and make it grow vertically, so far as you can. Leave fruit-bearing shoots and reserve stubsat proper intervals. Train the vines as high as possible and tie them firmly, but without choking them… In an old vineyard sow clover if the soil is lean (do not sow anything that will form a head), and around the roots apply manure, straw, grape dregs, or anything of the sort, to make it stronger.  When the vine begins to form leaves, thin them. Tie up the young vines at frequent intervals to keep the stems from breaking, and when they begin to climb the props tie the tender branches loosely, and turn them so that they will grow vertically. When the grapes begin to turn, tie up the vines, strip the leaves so as to expose the grapes…”

Filed Under: Historical

Simple Savory Spaghetti Squash

September 30, 2013 by

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Simple Savory Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
¼ Cup of grated Asiago cheese
1 tbsp chopped basil leaves
1 garlic clove, minced

Heat the oven to 450 degrees .

Take half of the olive oil and brush it over the cut sides of the squash.  Salt and pepper lightly.  Lay the squash cut side down in a baking dish and roast on the middle shelf of the oven until tender, 25-30 minutes.

When squash is tender, remove from the oven and let cool for five minutes cut side up.

Use a fork to shred the innards of the squash into a large bowl.  If the squash is still too warm to handle, use a dish towel or an oven mitt to keep your hands from burning.

Drain off any liquid from the shredded squash and stir in the grated Asiago, basil, the garlic, and the rest of the olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Pairing tip

Try pairing this with a dry white wine, perhaps something that has undergone a secondary fermentation and barrel aging, like Cedar Ridge Winery’s Candlelight.

Filed Under: Recipes

Ardon Creek – ‘Commission Man Red’, Dry Red Wine

September 30, 2013 by

The deep rich red coloring to this wine borders on black.  When swirled in the glass it leaves strong legs and a trail of sediment.  Fresh fruit, cherry, vanilla, and green vegetal notes on the nose.  Slightly sour on the tip of the tongue with a healthy dose of tannins and earthiness on the finish.  Hints of black pepper.

4/5

Click here to see where you can get a bottle of this.

Filed Under: Wine Reviews

Tabor Home Winery – ‘Barn Dance Red’, Upper Mississippi Valley Marechal Foch

September 30, 2013 by

Nearly black with purplish hues.  Hints of browning at the edge.  There are few legs, but the wine clings to the glass.  Toasted oak is prominent on the nose, along with fig and a bite reminiscent of nail polish.  Sharp acidity on the palate, but sweet at the same time.  Hints of black licorice.

3.5/5

Click here to see where you can find a bottle.

Filed Under: Wine Reviews

Park Farm Winery – ‘Picket Fence’, American Vidal Blanc

September 30, 2013 by

Strong straw coloring with bubbles which cling to the glass.  Broad legs when swirled.  Green apple, citrus, and dried apricot on the nose.  On the palate it is soft and slightly sweet.  Though the fruit is more apparent on the nose, it still pleases the taste buds.

4.5/5

Filed Under: Wine Reviews
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