WINE G U I D E 2015
A Publication of Capital Newspapers
Capital Newspapers
WINE GUIDE
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
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Bekah Kates: Whether a lover of good wine, master chef, or a novice cook, Bekah Kate’s in downtown Baraboo is sure to have the perfect special something to catch your eye. For 11 years, this one-of-akind boutique has provided goods and services beyond those of your average kitchen, kids, and home store. Bekah Kate’s specializes in fine wine and food and gourmet kitchen items, such as cookware and bakeware, gadgets, and much more. It also offer cooking classes, knife sharpening services, and bridal registry, as well as regular events of interest to children and adults alike. Owners Bekah and Mark Stelling’s goals for their business, however, extend far beyond the unique selection of items on the shelves of their store. They located Bekah Kate’s in downtown Baraboo as a means of helping to revitalize that historic part of their city. Bekah Kate’s was recognized by the Sauk County Development Corporation as the 2013 Small Business of the Year, and is committed to providing an even greater shopping experience to its customers going forward. Last fall, Bekah Kate’s
upgraded its computer systems and now offers an easy-to-use iPadbased bridal registry service, as well as upgraded gift registry features. It also plans to launch an ecommerce website in the near future. For those looking for some help in the kitchen, or even just to have fun learning a new skill, Bekah Kate’s 2015-16 cooking class schedule is now available at the store and on the website. The new class schedule includes more classes offered on different nights and expanded options for children’s classes. Private cooking classes are available for bridal parties, birthdays (child and adult), and corporate team-building events. Owners Bekah and Mark Stelling would like to thank all of their loyal customers and look forward to serving them for the next 11 years and beyond. Bekah Kate’s is located at 117 3rd St. in downtown Baraboo and is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call (608) 356-3133 or visit www.bekahkates.com.
ING • KNIFE SHARPEN SSES • BRIDAL REGISTRY • COOKING CLA
• Kitchen Gadgets & Cookware • Home Accents • Children’s Clothing & Gifts
Taste
Wisconsin isconsi
Enjoy free Wine TAsTings in our old world store built in a hundred year old barn.
• Dry reDs • sweet whites • Fruit wines You WILL find something you like. Go for a free TrACTOr TOUr
through our 40 acres of pines and vines. Walk our trails, see our donkeys and have a picnic.
See our full menu ofcooking classes and special events at:
BekahKates.com
is proud to be a family-owned winery that takes pride in makingg ddelicious Wisconsin wines.
STORE HOURS Mon-Fri 10-6 Sat 10-5 | Sun 11-3
Specialty Foods &
WINE
Bring your family to meet ours!
W7817 Drake Road Just Off Hwy 51, Poynette WI
608-635-4339 Open Fridays 3:30pm - 7pm Saturday 10:30am - 6pm & Sunday 10:30am - 3pm
ntown Baraboo • 117 Third Street • Dow
866-88BEKAH •
608-356-3133
email: enjoywine@ rocknwoolwinery.com
www.rocknwoolwinery.com
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Wednesday, June 24, 2015
WINE GUIDE
Capital Newspapers
The Winemaking Sommelier Guide to Matching Wine with Food by Rob Lewis, Sommelier, Wine Educator and Winemaker for Lewis Station Winery
Most wines are produced as accompaniment to food and there are many established guidelines for matching wine and food successfully. Originally wine styles evolved to complement the cuisine of a region, so this is often a good starting point for finding a good wine and food combination. There is no single choice of wine that must be drunk with a certain dish, but some are definitely a better match that others.
The Basic Considerations To achieve the best match it is necessary to analyze the basic components in both the wine and the food. The principle is to try to balance these, so that neither the food nor the wine overpowers the other. The main elements to consider are: • Match the weight/richness of the food and the body of the wine. • Match the flavor intensity of the food and the flavor intensity of the wine. •M atch acidic foods with high-acid wines. • Match sweet foods with sweet wines • Avoid combining oily or very salty foods with high-tannin red wines. These guidelines will help avoid wine and food clashes, or one overpowering the other. Other considerations can help us find wine and food combinations where the wine and food really enhance each other. • Pair ‘chewy’ meat with tannic wines. • P air salty foods with sweet or high-acid wines. • Pair fatty and oily food with high-acid wines. • Match or contrast flavor characteristics of the food and the wine.
element to consider is flavor and how intense the flavor is. Flavor intensity, although similar to weight, is not the same. Think of a food that has a lot of weight but is low in flavor, say a plate of plain boiled potatoes or plain boiled rice; both are heavy weight but light in flavor. At the other end of the scale, think of a plate of raw, thinly sliced red or green peppers; these are high in flavor but light in weight. Wines can be the same. Riesling, for example, makes a lightweight wine that is intensely flavored, while Chardonnay makes a full-bodied, heavyweight wine that can sometimes be low in flavor. Delicate wines and strong flavored foods do not match. It is worth considering the way the food has been cooked. If a food is cooked by a moist, gentle method such as steaming, it will require a lighter-flavored wine than a food that is roasted, which will require a wine that is fuller-bodied and more robust in flavor because the method in cooking adds intensity of flavor to the food. A slow-cooked dish that has been braised or stewed will be weightier and need intensely flavored wines, because the foods flavors are intensified by the method of cooking.
flavors, like lemon, lime or vinegar, can be difficult and require care when matching as they will overpower many wines.
Sweetness in the Food and the Wine Dry wines can seem tart and over-acidic when consumed with any food with a degree of sweetness. Sweet food is best with a wine which has similar or greater degree of sweetness; the sweeter the food, the sweeter the wine needs to be. Late-harvest wines, especially botrytisaffected wines, and sweet Muscat-based wines are ideal for choice puddings and other sweet deserts.
Oil, Salt and Tannins
be superb with rich, oily foods, such as pate’. For example, Sauternes works well with foie gras. Here the weight of both wine and food are similar and the acidity in the wine helps cut through the fattiness of the food. This is also an example of matching a sweet wine to a savory food. Crisp wines such as Riesling and unoaked Barberas can make a good match with fatty meats such as duck or goose. Foods that have been cooked by frying will need wines with high acidity, because the method of cooking increases the fat content.
Key Flavors in the Food and the Wine
The flavor character of a food can sometimes complement or contrast with flavors in the wine. Often the dominant flavor of the food is in the sauce. Smoked Foods need wines with enough character to cope with the strength of the smoking. Lightly smoked salmon is a classic partner for Brut Champagne; ‘Chewy” Meat and Tannins smoked meats like pork can benefit Tannin in red wine reacts with protein. from slight sweetness in the wine like Foods with high protein content, particularly that found in German Rieslings; smoky rare red meat will soften the effects of the Weight/Richness of barbecued flavors suit powerful oaked tannin on the palate. This is why wines the Food and the Wine wines like Australian Shiraz. The stronger from high-tannin grape varieties, such as The first and most important element to the smoke, the greater the oak can be. Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah/Shiraz, go well consider should be to match the weight Acidity in the Food Spicy Foods are best matched by wines with roast meats, stews and steaks. of the food with that of the wine. Rich that are made from really ripe, juicy fruit, and the Wine Light, fruity red wines with low heavyweight foods, like game, roast either unoaked or very lightly oaked (many Sour flavors in the food make wines tannins like Beaujolais and Valpolicella, meats and red meat casseroles need a spices accentuate the flavors of oak). taste less acidic, and therefore less will complement white meats because full-bodied wine. Powerful red wines are vibrant and refreshing. For this Wines such as New Zealand Sauvignon these are low in proteins and lighter often the flavored choice, although it is Blanc can work well with highly spiced reason, any acidity found in the food than meats such as lamb and beef. the body of the wine which is the most foods, as can ripe Chilean Merlot. Spicy should be matched by the acidity in important considerations rather than the the accompanying wines. Acidity is Salty Foods and Sweet wines, such as Gewurztraminer can color or flavor. For many meat dishes, a or High-Acid Wines complement spicy dishes. (When describing something we rarely think about in food. rich full-bodied white wine is a better Salty foods are enhanced by a touch of a wine, the term ‘spice’ can mean a Tomatoes, lemons, pineapples, apples match that a lighter-bodied red wine. sweetness. Think of classic combinations number of different aromas and flavors and vinegar are all high in acidity. One Lighter food, such as plain white meat or of the characteristics of Italian red wines like prosciutto and figs. The same such as white pepper, black pepper, cloves, fish, is complemented by more delicate cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger) Hot spices is their noticeable acidity. This is because works with wine. Roquefort cheese and wine. Although white wines are the Sauternes, or Port and Stilton are famous like chili reduce the sweetness in wine and much of Italian cuisine is dominated by normal choice, light-bodied, low-tannin matches. Salty foods also benefit from a can make a dry red wine more astringent. two ingredients- tomatoes and olive red wines can also be successful. little acidity. Salty foods such as olives, Tame the heat…add sweetness. oil, and other acidic ingredients such Always remember the contribution of the as lemons, vinegar (balsamic) and wine oysters and other shellfish go best with Fruity Flavors in food can be matched sauce. A rich creamy sauce will need a crisp, dry, light-bodied white wines. often used - hence wines that go with with fruity/floral wines. For example, a wine with sufficient body to match the Although neither sweet nor high in acid, Muscat might be paired with a fruit salad. Italian food need high acidity. food and flavors that will complement Vinaigrette is an example of acidity being Fino Sherry is a classic accompaniment These guidelines and recommendations the smooth creamy, buttery taste. added to a dish. The oil needs to be cut by for olives or salted nuts. should avoid disastrous combinations, but Flavor Intensity of Fatty/Oily Foods the sharpness of acidity, so when making individual taste is the final consideration. vinaigrette you blend olive oil and vinegar the Food and the Wine and High-Acid Wines Experimentation can yield surprising results. together. Dishes dominated by tart acidic Wines with a good level of acidity can After weight, the next most important Cheers! Tannin in combination with oily fish can result in an unpleasant metallic taste, so the general recommendation is to avoid red wines with fish. However, low tannin red wines are fine with meaty fish. Wines with high tannin content can also taste bitter with salty foods.
Lewis Station Winery
We are a very unique winery in an early 1900’s remodeled vintage gas station in the heart of downtown Lake Mills, WI. Our winery has the feel of a vintage station with the amenities of a world class micro-winery. We specialize in small batch hand-crafted wines. Aside from being a winery, we also have a boutique wine shop featuring many Wisconsin wineries and wineries from around the globe. You’ll also find artisan cheeses, gourmet chocolates and premium cigars. Relax with a bottle of wine and a chocolate and cheese platter on our wine patio overlooking the beautiful park in downtown Lake Mills, or stay for a live theatre show in our tasting room. Owner, winemaker, sommelier and wine educator Rob Lewis also teaches wine classes in the tasting room. Look for a class schedule at the winery website or WisconsinWineSchool.com.
The Wines
Semi-Sweet Wines: Grist Mill Red(Blackberry Merlot), AztalanZin (Pomegranate Zinfandel), Lost Pyramid Red (Cranberry Syrah), Vertical (Black Cherry Pinot Noir), Sparkling Waters White (Tropical Fruit Viognier), Rock Lake Symphony (Mandarin Orange Muscat), Crazy A (Green Apple Riesling) Dessert Wines: Knickerbocker Ice Wine, Chocolat Cerise (Chocolate Cherry Port) Dry Wines: Silver Medal Winner - Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio Gold Medal Winner Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon Tastings: Free and available during business hours
217 N. Main St., Lake Mills, WI 53551 ½ hour East of Madison on Interstate 94
(920) 648-5481
Website: www.LewisStationWinery.com or www.facebook.com/LewisStationWinery Email: info@LewisStationWinery.com Hours: Wednesday – Saturday 12:00-8:00pm; Sunday 11:00-3:00pm
Bring this ad in and receive a set of 2 Free Tasting Glasses with bottle purchase!
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Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Capital Newspapers
WINE GUIDE
been bred to be more winter hardy. Most wine grape varieties cannot withstand the extreme cold temperatures in the Midwest region. The biggest challenge breeders overcame was finding an earlymaturing wine grape that will tolerate the extreme cold and short growing seasons. Marechal Foch, a wine grape from France, was the first selection to meet those two requirements.
Concord type grapes have been found growing in the Midwest for over a century. These vines are winter hardy and produce grapes that are used to make jams, jellies and juice for home table use. Wine production in the Midwest, using locally grown grapes, has been limited to concord type grapes until recently. Grapes grown in warmer climates, for wine production, have now
Frontenac Gris
Marechal Foch
Frontenac Gris was developed from a mutation of the Frontenac cold climate grape and has muscat-like characteristics. This winter hardy, late season, heavy bearing vine produces coppery-peach colored grapes in a loose cluster with peach and apricot aromas.
Marechal Foch is the earliest maturing, cold climate red wine grape grown in the Midwest. A French variety, the vine has small berries on tight, medium-sized clusters and ripens in mid-September. The character of the wine produced from this grape is dependent on the age of the vine.
Frontenac Gris produces a wine that is very fruity with dominant peach and pineapple flavors and a hint of honey. The color ranges from pale gold to amber. A very versatile wine, Frontenac Gris is used to produce semi-sweet to dessert wines and dry to off-dry table wine.
Frontenac The Frontenac red wine grape was developed by the University of Minnesota. This vigorous grape is a FrenchAmerican hybrid chosen for its loose clusters of dark blue-black berries and fruity aroma. The fruit matures in late September or early October. Frontenac produces a dry wine of a deep garnet color with an aroma of cherry and other red fruits with a palate of blackberry, black currant and plum. Frontenac grapes are also used in blush wines as well as a fortified wine in the port style.
Marechal Foch is a versatile grape. Picked early it can produce a light and fruity Nouveau, a cousin to Beaujolais. Left on the vine to ripen more fully, it produces a dark, red, full-bodied, dry table wine. It has strong acidity, and aromas of black fruits and in some cases, toasted wheat, mocha, fresh coffee, bitter chocolate, vanilla bean and musk. Grapes from older vines are made into an oaked, dry red aged wine and it is also used for sweet-fortified, port-style wines.
Cold-hardy wine grape breeding took a great leap forward, when the University of Minnesota developed a new cold climate wine grape breeding program in 1985. In 1996 Minnesota introduced Frontenac, which is now planted in the Midwest, New England, and Quebec. Elmer Swenson, a Wisconsin native, working in conjunction with the University of Minnesota, worked on breeding cold climate grapes. The grapes that were released from these breeding efforts are the backbone of today’s growing viticulture and wine industry in Wisconsin. semi-sweet table wine. It has flavors of apricot, peach, citrus and pineapple and sometimes muscat. It has a well-balanced, rich palate and lingering finish.
to amber in color and has the aroma and flavors of sweet peach, pear, honey and pineapple. It is also blended with Frontenac to produce a flavorful blush wine.
St. Pepin
Marquette
St. Pepin wine grapes make a fruity white wine similar to Riesling. These earlyripening grapes grow in medium to large-size loose clusters of white grapes with a golden color. It ripens early and is cold hardy.
Marquette is the newest cold climate red wine grape. Marquette has more characteristics of a vitis vinifera than other cold climate grapes as it has Pinot Noir in its ancestry. The vines have open, orderly and upright growth, which makes it desirable for efficient vineyard management.
St. Pepin wine is very refreshing with well-balanced acids, a sparkle, slight apple or nutty flavor and intense floral aroma. St. Pepin is also used as a base for blending. The fruit holds well on the vine and is used to produce some Wisconsin ice wines.
Edelweiss
Edelweiss has La Crescent green-white medium-sized fruit La Crescent in large, heavy cold climate wine clusters, sometimes grapes grow in weighing more loose, mediumthan a pound. sized clusters. This This white grape very productive grape is harvested develops a delicate floral aroma. The in mid-September, fruit ripens in late August and the vine if used for white table wine. La Crescent’s tolerates a wide range of soil conditions acidic structure makes it desirable for and cold climate. dessert or late harvest wines. Edelweiss produces a Riesling-like semiLa Crescent white wine has a crisp flavor dry, semi-sweet or sweet white table due to high acidity and is made into a wine. The wine is white to amber white
Marquette wine has a deep red color and desirable flavors and aromas of cherry and black currant. It also has more complex notes of blackberries, pepper, plum, tobacco, leather and spice. It is a medium-bodied red table wine.
Enjoy Wisconsin wine as you visit Wisconsin wineries. Request Wisconsin wine made with cold-climate grapes.
211 Canal Rd • Waterloo, WI 53594 www.wigrapes.org
Capital Newspapers
WINE GUIDE
Dorf Haus: Join in on the Gemutlichkeit on your next visit to the Dorf Haus.
omp-pa-pa bands, wedding receptions and more.
Located just over the hill from Wollersheim Winery, the Maier’s and Wollersheim’s teamed up and recently introduced the new Dorf Haus signature house wine - Gewurtraminer, a Gold-Winning fragrant, semisweet white wine, offers flavors reminiscent of candied fruit and pairs well with many Dorf Haus entree’s.
The 56 year old family-owned and operated business seats up to 450 guests. Sip on a Piesporter Michelsberg Auslese, which is German for “selection” with their Friday fish fry, which has earned “Best Of Madison” awards.
Made, bottled, and labeled by Wollersheim Winery this wine is a definite favorite and only available at the Dorf Haus. The Dorf Haus, in hamlet Roxbury, combines an award winning German-style supper club with dinner theater, banquet facilities (featuring a wooden dance floor),
Enjoy the Bavarian Smorgasbord –first and third Mondays of the month-with your favorite German Reisling, Wollersheim wine, German bier or cocktail. Don’t forget to ask for their Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned while you are there! Check out menus, hours, special events, wine list at www.foodspot.com/ dorfhaus (608) 643-3980 for Gemuetlichkeit at its best.
Fine wine, Back road beauty!
A grand wine tasting adventure awaits you on the Southwest Wisconsin Wine Trail. This Trail is an organization of six familyowned and operated wineries. Their aim is to offer you the most diverse sampling of wines that you will find in one area. A vast array of grape wines, many made using grapes grown by the winery, are the backbone of the offerings. Many kinds of fruit wines, as well as mead (wine made from honey) can also be found. These wines cover the spectrum from dry to sweet and even include dessert wines and ice wines. The Wine Trail is comprised of Weggy Winery just north of Muscoda, Spurgeon Vineyards west of Highland, Whispering Winds east of Fennimore, Bauer-Kearn at the base of the M northeast of Platteville, Sinnipee Valley just west of Kieler and Whispering Bluffs across from the brewery in Potosi. As you drive the trail, you will
Come for the food...
Stay For or The Exper Experience Best Of Madison 5 Award Winner
Serving Local And German Wines!
Please call or visit our websit website ebsit for Event Details and Tickets
spurgeonvineyards.com
608 929-7692 8931 Hwy. Y Sauk City, WI 53583
Featuring a Bavarian Smorgasbord First Monday of Every Month Year Round. First and Third Monday June-October.
608-643-3980 E-mail: dorfhaus@chorus.net www.foodspot.com/dorfhaus
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Southwest Wisconsin Wine Trail:
German & American Dining
Dining Hours: Wednesday-Thursday 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Friday- Saturday 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.; Sunday 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
(Spurgeon Vineyards)
be entrenched in the beauty of the hills of unglaciated Southwest Wisconsin. So let your adventures begin. If you visit all 6 wineries in a season you will receive a souvenir wine glass. Simply pick up a trail brochure and have it punched at each location. If you like wine festivals, the Trail offers 4 special events over the course of the summer. Any of the Wine Trail Events can be either enjoyed as a single day or two-day excursion. The purchase of a $15 trail ticket will admit you to the event at all six wineries. As a souvenir of this memorable experience, a Southwest Wisconsin Wine Trail wine glass will be included with each trail ticket. Tickets can be purchased at the first winery at which you stop. For more information please call Spurgeon Vineyards & Winery 608 929-7692 or check the website spurgeonvineyards.com.