Finca Don Cano Cabernet Sauvignon

It's been a long week. Heck, it's been a long couple of months. But our time as transients is coming to a close. We signed the closing documents on our house in Billings today. We close on our Brookings home on Wednesday. This is our last weekend in Watertown. Next weekend we will be in our house, unpacking boxes and cheering on the Jackrabbits at the Hobo Day football game (homecoming). Even better we are just a few short days away from our first pay checks in about 2 months! Which means, I'll be able to get more wine and so why not just drink what I've got?

Last night I opened this Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2010 from Mendoza, Argentina. I am very impressed with this region. I have yet to be disappointed in any of the selections from there. This is a solid, full bodied Cabernet, deep ruby red with purplish hues. Red & black berry aromas and a bit of a peppery taste. The label claims a "wild personality." It's a dry Cab and I think it would be good with some cheesy or spicy appetizers.

I believe this was a wine club, so I'm going to call it a splurge. I don't know that I would seek this out again, bit if I saw it on sale, I'd most likely pick up a bottle or two.

Mestis, Mustiguillo Winery

This wine is one of my last from the Simply Wine Club. And while I will miss Sue's selections, I'm happy I was able to get this last one!

 

A Spanish red blend from Bodega Mustiguillo, it has a strong spicy aroma which greeted me when I opened the bottle. The wine is so smooth and balanced, I enjoyed sipping it throughout the evening. Definite hints of a variety of berries and maybe some lingering coffee flavors.

 

I also love the label -- fun and artsy. I'm sure this is going to be even more enjoyable this evening.

 

As this was part of the wine club, I'm sure it's a splurge, but well worth it. I'm definitely keeping an eye out for this one!

Honey Wine

As my reward at the winery last weekend, I selected a Honey Wine. After tasting, I thought it would be a nice one to share with my mother-in-law [who loves Schade wine].

This is perfect at room temperature which is bringing out the sweetness and smoothness of the wine. The vineyard uses local honey and grapes.

These wines retail around $12. While a bit above my typical price range, as it is a local winery using local produce, I'm keeping this as a buy!

A Wine Stomping Good Time

Maggie & I met Rocky's sister Tammy and some of her girls at a South Dakota vineyard & winery. Yes, you read that correctly, a South Dakota Vineyard. I didn't realize this winery actually grew its own grapes. There is winery in Billings, MT that gets its grapes from other vineyards around the Northwest and I assumed this winery was no different. But I was wrong. Outside Volga SD, not far from Brookings, is Schade Vineyard & Winery. They have a number of rows of grapes, growing near a corn field. They use all locally grown fruits, including Black Chokeberry, Elderberry, Buffaloberry. My mother-in-law enjoys the berry wines, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that they also make "real" [grape] wine as well.

On Saturday, they hosted their annual Grape Stomp. For $5 a car and 2 buckets of harvested grapes, you get to stomp some grapes and take home either a gallon of grape juice or a bottle of wine. We got their early and helped harvest the Valiant grapes. Maggie wasn't quite sure what she thought of this part if the "fun," but she was a trooper! And what a deal for the vineyard! Lots of people paying for the privilege of harvest! People were lined up waiting for their turn as we finished and turned in our buckets & harvest tools.

 

Once we turned in our 2 buckets each, we headed back to the winery to STOMP! This was definitely Maggie's favorite part. They had music, food and later in the afternoon, a wine press demonstration, but we were ready to head back to Watertown around lunch time.

 

At the end of our turn, Tammy and I headed inside to taste some of their wines (Maggie & Taylor stomped some more). Schade has a great selection of grape and berry wines. I'd like to taste their grape wines again, especially not after drinking grape juice! Their juice is a little sweet and a little tart, and not Welches ;) I picked out a bottle of their Honey Wine [a sweet, light bodied wine with a bold finish -- waiting for a cool fall evening open this one; love a nice warm Mead] as my prize and purchased their Goldsmith White, which is a semi-dry white blend. I'm sure I'll be writing about their wines more in the future as I be these are very easy to find in the Brookings area.

 

Check out all the photos on Facebook.

Definitely going to make this an annual event and maybe get some of my wine loving friends to come out for the weekend to check it out!

 

Salut!

Cupcake Chardonnay

We found Cupcake Wines in South Dakota! This really is a great Chardonnay, smooth, buttery, creamy, crisp citrus, hint of vanilla. A little oak and slightly spicy finish complete this great wine.

As always, Cupcake does not disappoint and a definite purchase again!