Tasting Events, Appetizers, Meet the Winemaker Fernando

It's going to be a great couple weeks here at Trade River Winery!

Tuesday at Mona Lisa's in Eau Claire from 6-8pm Nicki will be serving up samples of premium wines. Stop in and try them out!

Wednesday the winery is open from 2-6pm.

Thursday is Ladies' Day at the winery. 1/2 price tastings for ladies, $1/minute massages, cheese and crackers....more details to come. We're open from 2-6pm.

Friday at the winery, we are open from 2-8pm. From 5-7 pm we will serve Greek Meze paired with premium greek wines. The menu includes Domades (stuffed grape leaves); Mediterranean Olives; Fresh Tomato with Feta Cheese and Pita. Wine pairings include Lafkiotis Moscofilero (white), Lafkiotis Kleoni (rose), Lafkiotis Agiorgitiko (red). Only $8!

Friday in Rice Lake, WI Nicki will be at Burnell's Decor sampling out wines during their "Afternoon with the Arts" event. 2-4 pm.

Saturday we're open at the winery from Noon-8pm. Come and meet Fernando Festa, owner and winemaker of Cavas de Chacras from Mendoza, Argentina. Buy some of his organic and biodynamic Cavas de Chacras or Festa wine and have him autograph your wine bottle! Also, from 1-3pm we have the Bright Knights Barber Shop Quartet playing. Support the Grantsburg 8th Graders' trip to Washington DC by having lunch with us from Noon-3.

Also on Saturday, from 12-3pm, support the Grantsburg 8th graders by having lunch at the winery. All proceeds go towards their trip to Washington DC.

Sunday we're open from 1-5pm.

Next week

Fernando Festa, owner and winemaker of Cavas de Chacras wines from Mendoza, Argentina will be at Bistro 63 in Barronett, WI on July 8 from 6-8pm. Enjoy complimentary appetizers and wine samples.

Thursday, July 9 Fernando will present his wines at a Argentinean style BBQ dinner at Nokomis in Duluth, WI.
http://nokomisonthelake.com/events.htm

The theme for Small Plates night on July 10 is Argentine (served from 5-7pm)...come and meet Fernando from 2-4pm! $8 (more details to come).

After his afternoon of meet and greet at Trade River Winery, Fernando Festa will head down to Vinifera in Wabasha, MN to share his wine and knowledge. Reservations recommended. (651) 565-4171.

Week of June 22 at the Winery

Wednesday we're open from 2-6pm or by appointment.

Thursday is Ladies' Day! Ladies receive 1/2 price wine tastings, $1 per minute messages, a featured bottle of wine for $10 and bread and dipping oil samples.

Friday is our first in a series of "Tapas" nights - small plates of delicious food. This week's theme is Italian. Food served from 5-7pm (winery is open from 2-8pm).

Other events:
Thursday, June 25th, the Frederic Golf Course is hosting a "Ladies Guest Day" starting at 4 pm. $18 includes 9 holes of golf, Dinner, Door prizes, Games and Wine Tasting with Lisa from Trade River Winery! Pre-register by calling 715-327-8250.

Frederic Golf Course
905 Wisconsin Ave. (State Highway 35)
Frederic, WI 54837

Next week:
Tuesday, June 30 at Mona Lisa's in Eau Claire, WI - Nicki will sample out our Alvor White, Cantine Mothia Vela Latina (Grillo/Chardonnay blend), Cantine Mothia Hammon (Nero d'Avola/Cabernet Sauvignon Blend) and Cavas de Chacras Pinot Noir. Free samples - hope to see you there!

Friday, July 3 at Burnell's Decor in Rice Lake, WI - join us for an Afternoon with the Arts as we provide wine samples from 2-4 pm.

Grecco's Dinner Tonight

Inspiration Vineyards' Owner & Winemaker at Grecco's in St. Croix Falls tonight!

Come enjoy a special wine event. Jon Phillips from Inspiration Vineyards, considered a 'best in class' California winemaker, will be featuring the vineyards' handcrafted Russian River Valley wines at Grecco's.

Justin's pick are: Old Vine Zinfandel & Pinot Noir.

To make reservations, please call 715-483-5003.

Meet the Winemaker in Wabasha - Wednesday

Vinifera Vine & Dine is hosting a special winemaker’s dinner this Wednesday, June 17th with Jon Phillips from Inspiration Vineyards. Come enjoy a California inspired four course chef’s tasting menu paired with four of Jon’s fabulous wines. Dinner will begin at 7:00, but come early to meet Jon and talk about wine. Price is $45 per person, and seating is very limited for this event so reserve your seats now! Cheers!

Vinifera Restaurant
260 Main St W
Wabasha, MN 55981
(651) 565-4171

Some easy steps to food and wine pairing…

When the food is…

TART:
*Serve a wine that is equally sharp or even more so, or the wine will taste off and shattered.
*Avoid red wines, except those of a sharper nature (Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, Gamay)
*Don’t overlook dry roses and sparkling wines as options.

SLIGHTLY SWEET:
*Make certain that the wine accompanying the food shares its personality traits: choose a wine that is slightly sweet, such as Chenin Blanc, Riesling, or even Sake.
*If you really want a dry wine, serve one that’s young and very, very ripe.
*Remember that sometimes a wine with oak can work if the wood’s sweetness mirrors that of the dish; however success is not guaranteed.

SALTY:
*Pick wines with low to moderate alcohol content, as the salt will exaggerate the wine’s heat.
*Play with wines that have some sweetness; salt and sweet can enjoy each other’s company!
*Avoid wines with high levels of oak or tannin.

SPICY OR HOT:

*The spicier the dish, the more difficult it is to pair with wine. Select young wines with low to moderate alcohol content, minimal (or no) oak, and if possible, some residual sugar (for whites or roses).
*Among still wines, stick to off-dry whites and roses; sparkling wines can also be nice foils for heat.
*You may have to forgo wine with Texas five-alarm chili or those Thai, Indian, and Korean dishes that make your hair stand on end. Opt instead for beer and yogurt-based drinks, along with large, large bowls of rice!

BITTER:
*Select wines with bitter components (oak aging, tannins) to complement the personality of the recipe.
*Try wines with high acidity. This doesn’t always work, but it’s better than the opposite extreme. After all, tannin is an acid.

DOMINATED BY A STRONG SAUCE OR CONDIMENT:
*Forget the main dish and match the wine to the sauce or condiments and side dishes.

SERVED VERY HOT!
* Allow the dish to cool off, or it will ruin your enjoyment of the wine and make the alcohol (by heating it) seem overwhelming.
*Serve chilled wines if it’s essential that the dish be served very hot.

Winemaker Visit

Jon Phillips, owner and winemaker of Inspiration Vineyards from the Russian River Valley in California will visit us June 16-18. Please join us at one of the following events to meet Jon, try his wine and enjoy some delicious food!

Please make reservations directly with the restaurants:

Wednesday, June 17 at Vinifera in Wabasha, MN (651) 565-4171

Thursday, June 18 at Grecco's on the St. Croix in St. Croix Falls, WI (afternoon tasting and evening dinner). (715) 483-5003

June's Featured Wine

Each month we will have a featured wine on sale in the gift shop. June's selection is Ciavolich "Ancilla" Trebbiano from the Abruzzo region of Italy.

This is a brilliant, light and delicate white wine that offers a fragrant, fruity bouquet and a taste that is crisp and refreshing!

Regualar price: $15
Price for June: $12

Fortified Wine

What is fortified wine and how is it made? Some wines are classified as fortified because their alcohol has been strengthened, or fortified, by adding a high-alcohol spirit (brandy) to the wine. The most famous are Port, Sherry, Marsala and Madeira.

Why did people start fortifying their wine? To stabilize them and preserve them for shipping/travel (started by British merchants who shipped the wine long distances as they built the British wine trade).

If a spirit is added during fermentation, as in Port, the spirit will raise the alcohol content to a level at which fermentation will stop (around 15%) which means that not all sugars will have turned into alcohol leaving the port sweet. If the spirit is added after fermentation, as in Sherry, the sugars in the grape juice are all converted to alcohol, producing a dry wine. It can be sweetened later in the process if necessary.

Fortified wines are often used as an aperitif with nuts, olives and cheese or as an after dinner drink. If the fortified wine is sweet it is often a wonderful match to a variety of desserts. If you are serving a dessert and want the perfect wine match, just ask and we'll help you pick it out.

Check out our selection of port, sherry, madeira, and marsala at www.traderiverwinery.com/wine