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

Free Wine Sample!

Bring in any unused hotel toiletries and place them in the big yellow bin. Items will be donated to local hospitals. By donating you earn one free wine sample!

We also have a paperback book exchange! Free of charge. Drop off and find books in the upper level of the gift shop. Grab a book, a glass of wine and enjoy the beautiful outdoors on one of our lovely patios!

Business as Usual

As you may know, we applied for a new zoning permit this morning. We are happy to announce that the permit was passed through to the county board. We are able to continue business as usual, with live music and tastings until 8pm. Come out and celebrate with us!

2009 Schedule

Thursdays at Trade River Winery will be Ladies Day starting June 11! This includes:
*1/2 Price Wine Tastings
*Featured Wine of the Day for $10
*Chair massages $1 per minute or by donation
*Each week will have a different feature in addition to those already listed. Some features include: Makeup Lessons, Recipe Exchange, Manicures, Gardening Tips, Wellness Tips and Wine Education. If you have an idea for Ladies Day, just let us know!
Winery is open from 2p.m. - 6p.m. on Thursdays

Friday nights are "Tapas" Nights (small plates). Food is for purchase and prepared by local caterers and chefs. Optional wine pairings are available. The theme schedule is:
June 26 - Italian
July 3 - Greek
July 10 - Argentine
July 17 - Spanish
July 24 - Specialty Cheeses
July 31 - Portugese
August 7 - Greek
August 14 - Italian
August 21 - Spanish
August 28 - Specialty Cheeses
Winery is open from 2p.m. - 8p.m. on Fridays

Saturdays at the winery we host several low-key music groups for our Music on the Patio series. Our schedule is:
June 27 from 4 - 7p.m. is BT & Suz
July 4 from 1 - 3p.m. is Bright Knights Barber Shop Quartet
July 11 from 4 - 7p.m. is City Vibe
July 18 from 4 - 7p.m. is BT & Suz
July 25 from 4 - 7p.m. is Bo Billy
August 1 from 4 - 7p.m. is New Roots Duo
August 8 from 4 - 7p.m. is Bo Billy
September 5 from 4 - 7p.m. is Rex Cactus
September 19 from 4 - 7p.m. is City Vibe
September 26 is German Fest featuring the Elk River Band.
Winery is open from Noon - 8p.m. on Saturdays

*Also open Wednesdays from 2-6p.m. and Sundays 1-5p.m.

To receive weekly update emails regarding our Ladies Day, Tapas and Music please contact info@traderiverwinery.com.

Don't forget to become our friend on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (boutiquewines)!

Laurel Supper Club Wine Dinner

This week on Wednesday at 6:30 pm, Lisa will be at Laurel Supper Club in New Richmond, WI presenting at a wine dinner. To make a reservation, please call 715.246.5121. The menu features:

Assorted Cheese platter paired with Wooden Valley Riesling.

Carrot & ginger soup paired with Manzanilla Sherry.

Poppyseed salad paired with Salvano Roero Arneis.

Filet of sole with scallop, shrimp, & clam sauce with potato and mixed vegetables paired with Malat Steinbuel Riesling.

Pineapple Cheesecake paired with Moscato d'Asti.

Memorial Day Weekend

Jens is out cleaning the tables, chairs and umbrellas for the patios; Patty is making up the seasonal work schedule; Marge and John are taking one last vacation (well, not a very relaxing vacation as they are cleaning Louie and Jeanie's winter home in Florida) - so you know what this means!! We're open on the patio starting this weekend!

The tasting chalet will be open, pouring unique wines from around the world. $5 for 5 wine samples (includes 10% off your wine purchase in the gift shop).

Memorial Day weekend hours:
Saturday Noon - 8pm
Sunday 1-5pm
Special Holiday Hours: Monday Noon-6pm

Next week begins our extended hours schedule:
Wednesdays 2-6pm
Thursdays 2-6pm
Fridays 2-8pm
Saturdays Noon-8pm
Sundays 1-5pm

Check back for more information regarding our Ladies Day, Tapas Night and Music schedule.

Wine Pairing Lunch

This post is a little past due, but I wanted to share a wonderful 5 course wine and food pairing lunch I hosted for my mother-in-law on Mother's Day. It turned out to be a wonderful lunch with excellent pairings.

1. Stilton Cheese with Vista Allegre Tawny Port

2. Salad greens with basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts and fresh mozzarella with Salvano Gavi Cortese

3. Butternut Squash Risotto paired with Cavas de Chacras Viognier

4. Lamb chops, sweet potato puree, summer ratatouille paired with Pontval Syrah

5. Affogatto (chocolate gelato with espresso) paired with Tezza Recioto. This is the only pairing I would have changed. The Recioto's raisin flavors didn't match very well with the milk chocolate in the gelato. I might have tried the Cantine Mothia sweet Marsala from Sicily as that might have been good with the coffee flavors.

10 Things You Should Know About Sulfites in Wine

One of the wineries we visited with in Idaho last summer was Indian Creek Winery. They just posted this to their blog at indiancreekwinery.blogspot.com and we wanted to share it with you!

1. Sulfites are naturally occurring in all wines, this is because they are a natural by-product of fermentation. Very rarely, if ever, is a wine made that is truly sulfite free.

2. By adding sulfites, the natural flavors of the wine are allowed to shine through. This is because sulfites are primarily used for their anti-oxidant and anti-microbial properties.

3. Sulfites are not related to the headaches some people get from red wine. Many scientists believe that it is actually the natural histamines that are found in red wines.

4. Many dried fruits contain a lot more sulfites than wine. For instance, a 2 oz. serving of dried apricots contains more than ten times the amount of sulfites than is in normal glass of wine.

5. In the USA, all wines that have more than 10ppm (parts per million) must show "CONTAINS SULFITES" on the label, whether the sulfites are natural or added.

6. Sulfites are not bad for you. In fact, the human body produces about one gram of sulfites everyday. This is nearly 100 times the amount in one glass of wine.

7. Wines without added sulfites spoil very quickly. This is due to the lack of oxidant and microbial control that the sulfites provide.

8. Sulfites were first used in winemaking by the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians to sterilize their wine vessels and have been added directly to the wine since the 17th century.

9. Despite popular belief, sulfites are not just used by American wineries. In fact, most wineries around the globe use sulfites...yes even the French.

10. Less than 0.25% of the population is allergic to sulfites and many scientists believe that it is somewhat correlated with those who suffer from asthma.

Amateur Photo Contest!

How it works:
1. Take photos of or at Trade River Winery.
2. Upload pictures to: www.flickr.com/groups/trw
3. Upload by the end of the day on July 18, 2009.
4. Possibly WIN a $100 Gift Certificate to Trade River Winery

Photos containing recognizable people must be accompanied by a signed permission form which needs to be submitted to Trade River Winery. Photographers retain the copyright to their photographs. By entering the contest, photographers agree to grant Trade River Winery irrevocable license to use their photograph(s) at any time, in any manner and in any medium without any fee or other form of compensation.

Wine Tasting Friday & Sale

Lisa will be sampling our Trade River Winery wines at Oak Park Wines and Spirits in Stillwater, MN. Begins at 3:00 p.m.
5805 Neal Ave N
Stillwater, MN 55082
(651) 439-2184

Our blowout sale ended this past weekend on select wines and T-shirts. However, we have another sale going on! Pick up a 1.5L bottle of Trade River Winery wine for only $14.

New Wine Club

We restructured our wine club so that it's one set price, taking the guesswork out of what you'll be billed - and the best part, it includes FREE shipping!

For only $39.95 per month you can receive 2 bottles of unique wine from around the world (Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Germany, Austria, California).

Choose between the Insider's Club (receive 2 bottles of wine every-other-month and charged only in the months you receive wine) or the Ethusiast's Club (receive 2 bottles of wine every month and charged each month).

You can even request to have red wines only; white wines only; or a mix.

Each shipment contains wine tasting notes. As a wine club member, you receive some pretty great benefits which include:

*Invitation to Members-Only events such as "Meet the Winemaker"
*Exclusive 15% off discount on all purchases in-store and online
*Complimentary VIP tasting pass for you and a guest which includes two keepsake glasses
*Refer a friend and earn a free bottle of wine
*Newsletter with updates on wines and events
*Advance notice of new arrivals and sales

Contact us to receive an application or if you have questions:
715.327.4193
info@traderiverwinery.com

Offering samples!

This week is jammed full of events we'll be at offering samples to our fine guests! Check us out at:

Warren G's in Baron, WI on Thursday, April 30 from 3-6pm

Friday is the Taste of St. Croix Valley just north of St. Croix Falls at Chateau St. Croix from 5:30 - 9pm $20 gets you in to try lots of delicious food and beverages from area restaurants, breweries, wineries, etc.

Saturday, Cadeaux Gifts in downtown Eau Claire is celebrating their 1 year anniversary - tastings from Noon -3 - wines paired with delicious appetizers served by Laurel Robertson of Dinner's On.

Women's Expo is Saturday at the Hog Wild in Luck, WI with wine tastings from 12-3.

Gift shop at the winery is open from Noon - 5pm on Saturday! Last weekend for our blowout sale prices on select wines and t-shirts!

Spread the word!!