As autumn arrives……
by Carol Jobman

Most native South Dakotans posses a character trait that embraces the change of seasons. The diversity of our seasonal climate engages each of us to enjoy every moment that each season offers us. I love the arrival of autumn with clean crisp air, cold frosty mornings, and the sound of dry leaves blowing in the wind. I will admit that in this move to autumn I can also feel some sadness. The flowers of summer slowly diminish from vibrant hues to the grey and brown of their autumn retreat for the winter to come. The first taste of autumn always seems to be a shock when in western South Dakota outdoor temps can drop significantly from one day to the next.
As the seasons march forward, wine and dining entertainment moves from the outdoor barbeques of summer to the comfort foods that are enjoyed with colder weather. A fall favorite at my home is Tuscan Pasta. This hearty dish is easy to prepare leaving plenty of time to enjoy guests gathered on a crisp fall evening.

Tuscan Pasta
1 750 ml bottle red table wine
1 lb angel hair pasta
3 T olive oil
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
4-5 cups sliced veggies to include broccoli, red or green pepper, onion, or cauliflower to your liking
Grated fresh parmesan cheese
Pour the entire bottle of red wine into a large pan; add water and fill the pot up as you would to cook pasta. Bring the wine and water to a boil over high heat. When the liquids boil, add the pasta; cook to al dente. While the pasta is cooking heat a large skillet over medium heat; add 2 T of olive oil and the mushrooms and sliced veggies. Cook 6-8 minutes until the mixture is deeply golden. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and simmer for about 1 minute. Add a couple of ladles of the pasta cooking liquid to the pan and cook for a minute to tender the veggies and reduce the sauce a little. Drain the pasta while the mixture is reducing and add to the skillet. Drizzle the remaining 1T of olive oil over the pasta and veggies. This dish will compliment oven roasted chicken breast or sliced buffalo flank steak. Pass the remaining grated cheese at the table.

A hearty cabernet or pinot noir wine will pair nicely with this meal and will enhance the flavor of the wine cooked pasta.
Enjoy the season!

by Holli Edwards

After seeing my daughter off to her first day of kindergarten, I was reflecting, through my tears, on how important that “first” occurrence is, no matter the milestone. Will it be fun, exciting, scary? Will it make you want to never experience that event again or want to experience it over and over? These thoughts lingered as I considered my blog entry. When was my first day of wine drinking? Did I enjoy it, what details come to mind, and how did that experience shape who I am as a wine drinker today?

I don’t recall too many of the specifics, but I do remember it being a dirt cheap bottle consumed in a plastic cup. I somewhat enjoyed it and felt an air of sophistication over my beer drinking counterparts. How did I get from there to the wine lover I am today? Patience and practice.

If your first wine experience is reminiscent of “scary” or “intimidating,” or it was too long ago to recall the sordid details, it’s time to give it another try. This isn’t a situation of you’ve tried one, you’ve tried them all - there is that special bottle for everyone! Once you find a varietal you enjoy, you are armed and dangerous to select more winners.

I just got back from a trip to my brother and sister-in-law’s, who have never liked wine. Even though they have a wine connection in me, a stronger bond was developed years ago with a dry, Hutterite wine, given to them by a neighbor. Thinking all wine was dry and mouth puckering, aside from highly potent, their wine drinking days were limited.

Overcome your inhibitions, dare to sip again and find the wine that is your match! I found a match for my brother and sister-in-law, a Black Currant, fruit wine…full bodied, smooth, fruity finish. No, it may not be a wine that some connoisseurs would admit to enjoying, but everyone is their own connoisseur who is more than capable of knowing what they like and more importantly, what they don’t like. What’s cool is that my brother and sister-in-law are now excited to try more wines and are proud members of the wine loving crowd.

So be patient, you may not find your match right away, but don’t give up. Wine drinking is much too fun to pass up, which brings me to the practicing piece. Keep trying new wines with new foods and new friends. That first experience will be easily replaced with a lifetime of wine enjoyment!

by Lisa Rensch

I love drinking wine with food. Having just the right marriage of flavors between your dinner and wine makes the experience that much more enjoyable. So, what are the guidelines for pairing wine and food? It seems the general rule of thumb has been- red wine goes with red meat, white goes with poultry and fish, maybe choose a rose’ for your pork.  What kind of wine do you pair with a dolmas and roasted eggplant, or grilled portobella mushrooms and a red pepper quinoa salad?

Since becoming vegan in January, this topic has been brought up more than once. I often get quite annoyed that a large majority of pairings seem dependent on the meat in the main course. So, whether or not you are a meat eater, vegetarian, flexitarian, or vegan, remember; the goal is to find synergy. Neither component should overpower another. The very basic guidelines are lighter wines for more subtly flavored dishes and heavier, full-bodied wines with rich and intensely flavored dishes. The most important thing when drinking wine with your meal, is that you enjoy the way that it tastes. So, with that said- there are some “exceptions to the food pairing rule”! Here are a few ideas on pairing and a recipe that I think is appropriate for these beautiful Black Hills summer evenings.

The key to any wine and food pairing begins with how the food is prepared and seasoned. Let the spices and flavors be your guide. If it’s an earthy or nutty dish, a Pinot Noir or a Chianti could be great. If it is a lighter dish with fresh or sauteed green veggies, you might try a white such as a Sauvignon Blanc or an Un-oaked Chardonnay. Onion and leek dishes, especially when roasted or sauteed, allowing the sweet caramelized flavors to come through, go nicely with Riesling and Gewurztraminers which are generally off-dry to semi sweet white wines.

Opposites can attract! A relatively sweet wine often goes with sour or acidic food.  Spicy and salty foods are often paired with fruity, sometimes sweet,  low tannin wines. Sparkling wine with salty food is also complimentary to each other. A full bodied red wine, like a Cabernet Sauvignon or Petite Sirah pairs superbly with dark chocolate as well as big garlic flavors and red sauces.

Rich vegetable  dishes, such as eggplant and marinated portobello mushrooms often work well with full bodied  traditional (oaked) Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Red or White Zinfandel. Big garlic and tomato based dishes can be paired with a mellow Merlot or Sangiovese. Smokey and grilled foods do well with a silky red that isn’t too tannic, such as Pinot Noir Cabernet Franc or a hybrid grape variety such as Frontenac.

More sweet than savory dishes such as slow roasted vegetables caramelized nuts, grains like bulgar wheat or quinoa with sweet peppers or  fruits call for a wine that is just a bit sweeter than the dish itself, so the food does not taste bitter in contrast to the wine.  Something like a White Zinfandel, Pino Grigio, Reisling or Viogner.

The Black Hills are so green right now! The days of July have been super for hiking, enjoying the thick foliage and hanging out on the deck or patio well into the evening. Last weekend I noticed the leaves on the wild grapes  growing along rapid creek were getting big… still really green and not spotted… perfect for picking. Yes the leaves are edible! But you must steam them first!

STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

by Michele Slott

There’s an article in the July 31 issue of Wine Spectator called “Some Like it…Tart” by Matt Kramer, who describes the process of making fine red wine vinegar, and it got me thinking. I love tart flavors too, just as Kramer does. I choose Granny Smith apples, like extra lime in the guacamole, lemon vinaigrette on my pasta salad, sour gummi worms …My husband? Not so much… He makes the funniest faces when he gets a dose of sour and moves quickly on to something else. My four-year-old son learned, “cheeseburger, no pickles” from him months ago.

What wines go well with tart? Chardonnays and dry Rieslings are nice, as are Chiantis… and sometimes something a little sweeter can be a good match, too… How about you? Do you have a favorite wine to go with a tart dish? Please post a comment!

My youngest recently came home from daycare and said proudly, “I ate pickles on my hamburger today.” Hurray for sour!

by Kim Flick

In today’s world, we all are watching our pennies. A few years ago spending $50 on a random bottle of wine was an occasional indulgence for me … not today! If I’m spending $50 on wine, I need to know that it will be worth the cost (and it will probably be consumed on a special occasion!). So, “how can I stretch my wine-dollars?” is a question I have asked myself more than once in the recent past. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of each sip:

- Ask! If you are in a restaurant with well trained staff, you should be able to get some honest feedback from your waiter. Local wine shops are also great resources that are willing to share what’s tasty AND reasonable. Try the 350 ml. bottle if it’s an option in a restaurant. They are half the size of a regular bottle and usually half the cost (also a nice way to pair different wines with different courses of the meal).

- Take advantage of quantity purchases. Many shops offer discounts on 6 or 12 bottle purchases. Pay attention to when they are running specials on your tried and true favorites … and stock-up!

- Lazy summer days on the patio … sipping wine … try a sweet wine with some club soda added. It adds a refreshing element perfect on those hot days - and you will get almost twice as many glasses than with the wine alone. Try a Muscato this way - redolent of champagne but lighter bodied.

- Look at Wine Spectator’s suggestions … leave it to the professionals to weed out the money-wasters for you! Go to www.winespectator.com and check out the free daily wine picks on the home page. They always have a suggestion for less than $15 - sounds like a bargain to me!

- Drink other people’s wine whenever possible. Seriously, maybe you will find something that suits your fancy - and your friends have already done the leg work!

Here’s to an economical summer filled with food, friends, family … and good (money well spent) wine.

By, Angela Avila

In college, at the ripe old age of 21, I thought I would have myself a dignified, sit-down dinner party with friends. On the menu: Pasta Primavera. I asked all of my friends to bring a bottle of wine to share. Among the bottles on the table was a small bottle of Port a friend had taken from his parents house (we were poor college students after all). Dinner was served, the bottles were opened and we sat down to enjoy our very “sophisticated” dinner. After a bottle or two of Merlot was enjoyed, the Port was passed around. As we sipped the drink with our pasta dish, I watched the faces of my friends contort as they drank the wine. While some had a look of surprise, other faces showed pure disgust in what they had imbibed. Curious, I took a sip. WHEW! Strong…and sweet! I coughed to catch my breath. We quickly decided as a group that the Port was disgusting! A bottle of Chardonnay was quickly opened.

I laugh as I remember my first experience with Port wine. Little did I know at the time that I was drinking it “wrong”. That is to say, there is a time and place for Port and at the dinner table with Pasta Primavera was not it. Port is a dessert wine…a sipping wine.

A true Port wine comes from the Douro Valley in Portugal. Typically, Port is a sweet red wine that has been fortified with a spirit, often Brandy. Many port-style wines are now produced around the world and can also be found in dry, semi-dry and white varieties.

Traditionally, Port is served as an after dinner drink, often with desserts. It is also referenced as a dessert wine because its sweet and strong character makes it a great wine to serve with dark chocolate or cheesecake.  Furthermore, Brandy is known as a digestive aid, so a small glass of port (fortified with Brandy) may help you fill less full after a big meal. I can’t help but think of a bunch of old men sitting around a fire, loosening their belts after a big meal, sipping on Port and puffing away on big cigars.

Well, you don’t have to be an old-man or a cigar smoker to enjoy a glass of Port. If I had only known in college what to do with that small mysterious bottle at the dinner table, I could have offered dark chocolate mousse with a small glass of Port to each of my guests. I would have probably walked away from the dinner party as a Port lover and wouldn’t have waited so many years to give it another try!

If you have never tried Port or are looking to try something new, Prairie Berry Winery produces a Port-style dessert wine called Great Grandma’s Chokecherry Bliss. It is made from hand-picked South Dakota chokecherries and is a premium sipping wine. A fun way to serve Great Grandma’s Chokecherry Bliss is to dip the rim of a frozen cordial glass in melted chocolate, and then add the wine. It’s a classy presentation and you can enjoy your chocolate and wine together with every sip! As for me, my re-introduction to Port will continue with a bottle of Rosenblum Cellars Desiree Chocolate Port. I have been hearing wonderful things about it. Desiree is a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah and chocolate…how could I go wrong. Perhaps I’ll pick up a bottle tonight for dessert!

by Michele Slott, Prairie Berry Winery

If you are just starting to blossom as a wine lover and thinking about traveling to other areas to do some tasting, be sure to plan ahead about getting your purchase(s) home. You wouldn’t think that getting something from point A to point B could be a big frustration, but it’s important to remember that alcohol is a highly regulated commodity. Following is just an illustration of what CAN happen. Thinking ahead can prevent it from happening to you.

Okay, now pretend you’re on a trip, meeting some friends in Napa Valley, California. Your friends are a couple who had just recently moved to Salt Lake City, and after you all spend a few days enjoying wine country and San Francisco, you’re going to finish out the vacation week at their new home in Utah, then return to South Dakota. At one tasting room you find a wine you both particularly enjoy and want to take home to commemorate the occasion. But wait, there’s a discount if you buy a case… And then you can enjoy it for longer, so what the heck? You’re on vacation! Then you start talking to the staff about shipping it back to your home states… What? Your friends can’t ship to Utah because it’s against Utah state law. You, on the other hand, being from South Dakota, have no problem shipping it home.*

Okay, change of plans… So, you ship a case home to South Dakota and your friends decide they will buy just a few bottles and stash them in their bags. They make the purchase, take the bottles back to the hotel and wrap them carefully in clothing to prevent breakage and zip the suitcases shut. Just as on the trip out, they plan to take their bags as carry-on to avoid the checked baggage fees, the possibility of losing belongings, and having to deal with waiting at the baggage carousel. As you all stand at security chatting, waiting to put your bags on the scanner, you see someone ahead of you pulling wine bottles out of their own bag and chucking them in the garbage. Suddenly you remember — wine is a liquid. Bottles of liquids larger than 3 oz. are not allowed in carry-on baggage. What were you thinking? Well, of course, you were all on vacation and weren’t really thinking… Sadly, your friends chuck their vino too. The security guard gives you a sad smile and says, “Thanks.” You assume it’s for not making a stink about throwing wine/money away… But you figure you should have known better, and he’s just doing his job.

As you get your shoes back on and grab your bags to head to your gate, you see a gift store with an espresso bar down the way. It’s not too busy and you’ve got time to kill (and you’re feeling kind of lousy about tossing the wine), so you offer to buy your friends a grande anything to lift their spirits. As you’re waiting for the Barista to make your beverages, you look around and your gaze falls on a display of local wines, including the same variety your friends had just thrown in the garbage a few yards back at security. Choking on your tongue, you ask the Barista what she knows about getting the wine on the plane.

“Oh yeah, if you buy it AFTER you’ve gone through security, you can take it as carry-on. If you buy it BEFORE going through security, you have to send it through checked baggage.”

Yes, it’s true — so be forewarned as you travel. There are over 10,000 rules and laws governing whether or not wine can be shipped directly to someone — each state has it’s own ruling on things (counties and municipalities weigh in on it, too, in some places), and the laws are ever-changing. For instance,

• Some states have expensive permits wineries must purchase,
• Some require taxes to be filed and paid monthly, quarterly or yearly,
• Some require every wine label to be registered with that state
• Some just say “no” while others say “no problem.”

One winery may opt to not ship to a certain state just because it’s too big of a headache, while another winery down the road is willing to deal with those problems. And of course, shipping and handling is an additional expense to the consumer, too.

If you live in a “no-ship” state, remember what the Barista said: wine CAN be taken on aircraft, but only as checked baggage if purchased prior to going through security. It can be taken as carry-on if it is purchased AFTER going through security. Many airports do not have shops past security with wine for sale by the bottle, yet, but the number is growing (although it does generally make the wine more expensive).

If you’re travelling by car, then you’re only limited by your space — unless you’re going to Canada, in which case you are allowed to bring in no more than two 750 ml bottles per person.

DO go explore some other great wineries!
DO purchase wines you love (especially if you ask the staff and it’s a wine that’s not available anywhere except the winery itself) — it’s a great way to remember the trip and share with the people you love.
And more than anything DO plan ahead how much you can afford to purchase, and how you’re going to get it home. Don’t leave your vacation memories in the Security Screening garbage can!!!

* Note: If you live in SD and had been visiting a winery within your home state or tried to call and make a phone order, you’d be out of luck because South Dakota wineries cannot ship within the state of South Dakota as per state law, although out-of-state wineries CAN ship in so long as you are physically present at that winery to make the purchase. Oddly enough, in 2005 the U.S. Supreme Court overturned laws for New York and Michigan that allowed in-state wineries to direct ship to citizens within these states, but made it illegal for out-of-state wineries to ship to those same people. The Supreme Court said it was unconstitutional for the states to treat in-state wineries differently from out-of-state wineries.  For more information go to:   http://www.freethegrapes.com/state_laws.html.

by Carol Jobman, Prairie Berry Winery

I am a new member of the Prairie Berry staff having been employed since last summer.  Learning the wine business has been fascinating and rewarding and I have welcomed the opportunity to write submissions for the Wine Nose Blog.  I recently left a career in education and still find myself thinking about each new month with the anticipation of what the days to come have to offer in holidays, events, and seasonal changes.  With that in mind, I look at April as a month to promote recycling and sustainability noting that Earth Day and Arbor Day are a part of this month. Wineries as a whole are ag-based businesses, of course, due to the nature of our raw product. And as such, we have to be keenly aware of best practices for sustainability. We have a strong recycling program in place here and the winery staff continues to look toward improvements to be made to our practice. The efforts begin with each employee; grow to include the staff as a whole, and leads to an enhanced experience for each guest.  The well-known slogan, “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” is practiced throughout the winery.  Prairie Berry recently adopted a Recycling and Sustainability Guide that will lead to improved practices.  Some highlights of the guide include the following:
Reduce
•    All to-go items from our kitchen will be packaged in bio-degradable containers
•    We will not offer bottled water once our current supply is gone.  We will offer our guests great South Dakota drinking water right from the tap
•    We will strive to go paperless in many aspects of our business using instead electronic communication and whiteboards
Reuse
•    Recycled and/or Eco paper is used for our letterhead, envelopes, and brochures
•    We use rechargeable batteries
•    Wine case boxes are reused to box customer wine orders
Recycle
•    In the future, production waste and food waste from the kitchen will be composted.
•    Cardboard, glass, plastic, and aluminum cans are recycled
•    Prairie Berry will soon be offering a reusable eco-bag for guests to carry home their wine purchases
Soon the weather will warm and the growing season will once again be embraced by many.  The five generations of wine makers in the Vojta family have been resourceful stewards of the land, creating wonderful wines from the bounty of produce available in the Midwest.  That concept is likewise part of the green movement.  The very idea of sustainability can be strengthened by the resourcefulness of each of us.  So enjoy the season to come and consider what you can do to create your own “green lifestyle.”

By Holli Edwards

Yes, green beer is the most popular libation for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, but this year just might be the year to “go green” in another direction - the wine route!  It can be as easy as adding a little green food coloring to your favorite white or sparkling wine (don’t add too much, or your tongue won’t be the same for a week!)  Or, you can experiment with a new recipe, adding a little mint liqueur or making a wine slush (like the one you see in the photo using a Vineyard Frost wine mix and white wine).

You could also stay away from the food coloring all together and enjoy a traditional Irish wine, a Meade, which is made with honey.  Legend has it that this wine was first made in secret by Irish Monks. It’s popularity spread quickly and was often served at Irish feasts of all occasions, including weddings. The bride and groom were encouraged to consume generous portions of the intoxicating drink, particularly the groom. It was believed that the Meade had powers of virility and fertility. After the wedding, if the bride produced a child nine months after the wedding, credit was given to the Meade.

If you are planning on enjoying the traditional corned beef and cabbage, try a blush wine or a fruity Beaujolais, such as Prairie Berry Winery’s Frontenac 2007.  And, don’t forget to offer a St. Patrick’s Day toast to bring luck and good health!

St. Patrick’s Day Toast

Saint Patrick was a gentleman,
Who through strategy and stealth,
Drove all the snakes from Ireland,
Here’s a toasting to his health.
But not too many toastings
Lest you lose yourself and then
Forget the good Saint Patrick
And see all those snakes again.

‘Beannachtam na Feile Padraig!’
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

An Old Irish Blessing

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life’s passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

By Angela Avila

I’m lucky. Two of my favorite vices, chocolate and red wine, have been proven to have health benefits. In moderation, these two delicious indulgences can lower one’s risk for heart disease, dementia and other health problems. Apparently, I am not alone. Economists point to strong performances in both the chocolate and wine industries, even as the drum beats of recession grow louder and louder. Wine and chocolate–a match made in heaven–and recession!

With that in mind here is how I would suggest you treat your Valentine this Saturday. Skip the fancy dinner, the stiff clothes, the dozen roses and head to your local winery or wine shop. Pick up a nice bottle of red¦ might I suggest Prairie Berry’s Phat Hogg Red or Roots Run Deep’s luscious Cabernet, Educated Guess. Both are under $25.00. Next, stop by your local grocer or specialty shop and pick up a few different selections of chocolate. There are a lot of fun chocolates to choose from. Try chocolate covered almonds or a selection of dark chocolates. For a fun change, I would also suggest chocolate that has been sprinkled with sea salt or infused with chili pepper.

On your way home, pick up a good flick. There are plenty of good movies that revolve around our theme: Sideways, Chocolat, A Walk in the Clouds, Under the Tuscan Sun¦to name a few.

When you get home, turn the lights down, light a few candles, put your feet up, eat, drink and enjoy. You’ll love what the chocolate and red wine does to your palate, and you’ll love what a cozy Valentine’s Day at home will do for your wallet!