Iowa's Premier Wine Publication
This wine, made from the Briana grape, is bursting with tropical fruit notes, including pineapple, peach, citrus, and grape. Although this is a dry wine, it gives the impression of sweetness simply from its fruit forward nature. If enthusiasts are interested in tasting a wine which exhibits the true characteristics of the varietal – this would be a perfect example.
5/5
Visit Odessa Vineyards’ website.
It wouldn’t be March if we couldn’t celebrate the Irish! Try this traditional recipe for Irish soda bread, you won’t be disappointed.
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 ¼ cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
Set your oven to 375 and lightly grease a baking sheet.
Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of the buttermilk and egg.
Place the dough on a floured surface and knead briefly. Form it into a round and place it on the baking sheet.
Combine the melted butter with the remaining ¼ of buttermilk and brush the dough with this mixture. Cut an X into the top of the round.
Bake until a toothpick comes out of the center of the loaf clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Check after 30 minutes and keep a close eye on it. Continue to brush the loaf with the melted butter and buttermilk mixture while it bakes.
There are numerous variations and tweaks that can be done to add a bit of kick to this traditional recipe. We like adding just a hint of ginger and a pinch of cinnamon. Try this bread as an appetizer with a dry white or as part of a heavier meal with a medium to full bodied red. Enjoy!
While you are working in the vineyard this spring you may like to measure the tension of your trellis wire. An easy to do this is to buy a fish scale, the kind you would use to measure that trophy fish. They are inexpensive and easy to carry.
Take a 6 inch by 42 inch board and draw a line to divide the board in half lengthwise. Measure in from each end 1 inch and put a nail in. These nails should be 40 inches apart. Next draw a line to divide the lengthwise line in half. Put in a nail ½ inch below the crossing point. This nail is in the middle between the outer nails. Your device is now finished.
Hold the board so that the trellis wires are above the outer nails. Connect the spring scale in the center of the wire and pull down until you touch the center nail. Read the scale and multiply the number by 20. This will be the tension of the wire. If the scale reads 10 pounds then the tension is 200 pounds.
The Iowa Wine Growers Association is holding its annual conference on March 7 & 8 at the West Des Moines Marriott. For additional information about the event, find the informational brochure here.
Iowa Decanted will be attending and we hope to see you as well!
Nestled in the Louisa county countryside is a winding road that leads to an acreage and an unassuming, small brown building. Contained inside that building is a blue walled tasting room filled with the aroma of oaky reds, floral whites, sweets, semi-sweets and more. This is Odessa Vineyards.
“We want to make this a destination, not just a stopping point along the way,” said Corey Nichols, co-owner of the vineyard. “We want them to say, ‘Ah, let’s go over there again that was a really wonderful experience and a good wine.”
Corey owns and operates the vineyard with his wife Tami. The couple began the venture in 2006 after careful consideration of what they could do with their land; starting a Christmas tree farm was a possibility, but they enjoyed the idea of a vineyard and winery more and decided to take classes at Des Moines area Community College to grow their knowledge base. The endeavor started with the planting of five varietals of grapes. Currently that number has risen to seven, comprised of both American and French-American hybrids. These grapes are then made into small batches of wine which are carefully quality controlled by the husband and wife team.
The Nichols said they have a humble goal for the growth of the vineyard and winery.
“We just want to have it be self-supporting by the time we both retire, so we can supplement our retirement income off of it and really enjoy what we’re doing with retirement,” said Corey. “We don’t want it to get huge; we don’t want it to get that big really, just something the two of us can manage.”
The couple doesn’t have employees. They do everything themselves from harvesting to bottling to working in the tasting room. Tami said in addition to the production of uniquely Iowan wines, their customers value that personal, hands-on approach.
“They don’t like to have the person behind the bar not know the wine, not know the vineyard, not know what’s going on in this winery,” she said. “We have the Iowa grapes and we make Iowa wines and that’s what they like to see too. They don’t like to see the cabernets and the merlots because that’s not from Iowa- that’s shipped in juice.”
Also adding to the appeal of the Odessa Vineyards is the relaxing atmosphere the couple worked to cultivate.
“We always try to talk to them and make them feel at home and have them ask questions,” Tami said. “You know the ones who felt really comfortable compared to the ones who, for some reason, didn’t enjoy the experience and there’s very few of those.”
Tami and Corey said they encourage new wine drinkers by not berating them with rules or making them feel bad about their taste preferences. Often they see customers, whose palettes change over time, moving from sweets to drier wines. However, they said it’s not a problem if that never happens.
“You don’t have to drink specific wine with specific food, and you don’t have to feel ashamed that you don’t know what’s going on,” said Corey. “Arrogance is unnecessary. You just want people to feel comfortable.”
Corey said his personal favorite wines they make at the vineyard are the dry, oaked reds, but the most popular is the sweet Randa’s Blush. For him, the most important element in the production of a good quality wine is a simple one.
“As long as you start with good quality grapes, the best thing you can do is maintain that quality product,” he said. “You’re not going to improve upon the grape at that point, but you just need to work at it so you don’t ruin the wine as you go along.”
The quality of other growers’ grapes has been a source of frustration for the couple when they need to buy grapes from elsewhere and find that the care they take with their own grapes is not mirrored in some other vineyards.
“We’re just the two of us so we’ve got a lot to do, and it’s hard for the winemaker or buyers to monitor what they’re doing and it’s unfortunate that a lot of them who have gotten into it haven’t done it correctly,” said Corey.
Despite this frustration, the Nichols said one of the most enjoyable parts of owning and operating a vineyard and winery is getting to meet other Midwestern wine professionals and swapping ideas. They said they look forward to the industry growing even more in Iowa and for the Iowa product to become better defined.
“We have so many different hybrids out here, so I think once we’ve matured enough that we get down to a handful of grapes that really everybody’s going to grow and make a good wine, I think we’ll grow even more at that point,” said Corey. “Up until now, we’re still sort of feeling our way around.”
Odessa Vineyards joined the Scenic River Wine tour in the past year, and they plan on expanding their marketing as they move forward.
“We both work full time elsewhere, so as we get to that point when we’re retiring then we’ll get out and do a whole lot more and maybe get involved in more of the wine industry,” said Corey.
In the meantime, the Nichols will continue to enjoy the experience of wine and sharing that experience with others.
“Wine really kind of brings people together,” said Corey. “There’s something exciting about opening a new bottle of wine with friends- you never know when you open the next bottle what it’s going to be like.”
On the nose this wine is dominated by smoke and toast, with undertones of stewed fruit and cherry. The wine itself is medium bodied with a slight acidic edge. Flavors in the wine are similar to the nose. This wine is good for pairing. Try it with something with heavier, more complex flavors.
4/5
Ever walked into a wine shop and instantly feel overwhelmed? Sometimes choosing the right wine can be an intimidating process. Lauren Calupsky-Cannon of The Secret Cellar and Nick Thornburg of Iowa Decanted discuss this challenge and ways to approach choosing the right wine for you.
For this month’s Movers & Shakers feature, we visited Kirkwood Community College, where students are given a chance to learn the workings of the wine industry, and experience firsthand just what it takes to grow grapes and produce wine in Iowa.
Check out our Facebook page for photos of our visit.
This quick and easy recipe makes for a perfect appetizer or snack – and you won’t believe just how delicious they are!
Ingredients
16 oz package of bacon (we enjoy using thick-cut Hickory-smoked, but regular works just as well)
8 oz package of pitted dates
Toothpicks
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Slice the bacon strips into thirds, then wrap each piece around a date. Secure the bacon in place with a toothpick and place in a baking dish.
Once all the dates are wrapped, place them in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until crispy.
Let cool for 5-7 minutes and enjoy!
Try these with a wine which will complement the sweetness of the date. Try to avoid bold red wines. Instead, try this with a semi-sweet white or maybe even a sparkling!