SmilePolitely.com / Sam Vandegrift

A Case For Local Wine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0600

Warning! Querciabella Chianti 2004 only got 91 points from Parker. That’s only an A-minus. Only an A-minus! Never mind that reviewer Antonio Galloni said, “…[it] offers outstanding overall balance…setting a new benchmark for elegance in Chianti Classico.” Does this mean that Chianti is doomed to be just a successful, albeit barely honor roll, wine forever? If 9 out of 10 defines the benchmark for this classic Tuscan appellation, should they just rip out their vines and plant almonds? What about perfection? What about the 100 point score?

Great Combo at Kickapoo Creek Winery

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0600

Most wineries in Illinois moonlight as something else. Winery/pie shop. B & B and tasting room. Wine shop/coffee house. Whatever the arrangement, these conjoined operations offer some insight into the mind of the winemaker. My experience is that good wine usually accompanies a good secondary (or tertiary) product. So the absolute value of one's Chambourcin = the absolute value of one's fudge, etc.

This brings us to Kickapoo Creek Winery. Their model is Winery/nursery/wedding hall. Sometime back, a friend of mine asked for my future opinion of the wines poured at a wedding he’d just attended. He did not recall which wines they drank. All he knew was they came from the attached winery, and that the white surpassed the red. I had just tasted their Nort Noir port* days before, and it remains one of the best wines I’ve had from Illinois.

Vintage Illinois Provides Wide Range of Tastes from Illinois Wineries

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:00:00 -0600

For those of you who missed the trip to Matthiessen State park (one that may remain open even if Blago has his way) for Vintage Illinois this weekend, here’s the wrap-up. Funny, even pithy, t-shirts told wine wisdom. Lots of Harley guys who aren’t really Harley guys but fall into the tax bracket that allows for buying a ‘renegade’ lifestyle. Sunday was a totally chill atmosphere ripe for drinking good wine under a tree with a picnic all day long. One of my companions commented on this being the telltale Illinois festival, wine added. I found it well-organized but wanted better variety in food vendors.

Check out Vintage Illinois Next Weekend

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:00:00 -0600

For those of you who don't mind crowds and want get your Illinois wine on, Vintage Illinois pours next weekend, September 20-21, at Matthiessen State Park. And while entry is only ten bucks, you must buy $1 tickets for each pour. This gets pricey fast. However, pours usually are more than enough to get a good taste and then share with a friend. (Hopefully my companions won’t mind sharing more than just my witty company.) And kids, remember a designated driver. I am more than happy to help connect any of you looking to carpool. Just leave a post.

Hurry to Mackinaw Valley Vineyard Before Grape-Picking Season Ends

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:00:00 -0600

I realized that my childhood came full circle watching my critter run around the U-Pick grapevines at Mackinaw Valley Vineyard in Mackinaw, Ill., yesterday. My mother took me on seemingly endless trips each summer to pick fruit for that year’s jellies and jams. Memories of hours spend romping through Willamette Valley strawberry and blackberry fields still color attitudes about what food and wine ought to be. So standing in a long row of beautiful fruit watching my daughter cram grapes fresh off the vine into her mouth seems appropriate. We picked eight pounds of table grapes, and I was pleased to find subtle flavor differences between each. Store-bought varieties taste pretty much the same, and except for arbitrary childhood biases, I see little reason to buy anything but that week’s flier special. Himrod, a white skinned table grape had a honeyed character with a mild texture while the pink skinned Reliance, gave that classic Welch’s pungent foxy, grapey character. The tartness of the black Mars pleased me, and I plan on using this for the bulk of my weekend baking foray, grape pie with crème fraîche.

A Trip to Prairie State Winery

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0600

Last summer, I made my family take a two hour detour to Genoa, Ill., so I could snag the perfect wine for our concert date. Chambourcin, like so many grapes, offers a spectrum of styles, depending on how the vintner crafts the vintage. Our double bill of k.d. lang and Lyle Lovett needed a classy, yet country summer red (we were only eating saucisson after all) that we could drink chilled at the hot outdoor venue. I made my crew head to Prairie State Winery to grab just the thing. Rick Mamoser’s 2006 Prairie Red, a lighter style Chambourcin, provided the kind of bright cherry and cola splash needed for humid summer nights. Its dry, boisterous personality kept to its roots as a country wine that avoided trying to be something it wasn’t.

Spirit Knob Winery a Diamond in the Western Illinois Rough

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:00:00 -0600

Years ago, a Father’s Day gift led Matt Schulte to join his brothers and father as a home winemaker. Once he realized that local fruit made the best wines, he took the family green thumb and planted some vines: first Norton, Chambourcin, Chardonel and then others. Matt produced the first vintages in his basement. Guests brought blankets and chairs and sat on their hill overlooking the Mississippi lowlands. Everyone drank delicious wines from nearby. Thus Spirit Knob Winery began.

Sleepy Creek Vineyards Worth the Trip

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:00:00 -0600

Rarely do new businesses call on voters to approve their plans. Before producing wines from thousands of newly planted vines, Dawn and Joe Taylor had to call for a referendum in their part of Vermilion County (Catlin Township) that was still dry from prohibition. The overwhelming voter support (more than 88 percent of the electorate supported them) speaks volumes about these two. Dawn smiles when recollecting how they became part of the community, and how all their neighbors pulled for them. Sleepy Creek Vineyards fills a niche in East Central Illinois, giving us a number of solid wines grown and made just up the road. It's time for all you farmer's market disciples to drink local, too.

Illinois State Fair Competition Showcases Local Wines

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:00:00 -0600

I have no burning interest in the upcoming Beijing summer games. While I may try to watch some fencing or swimming, winter’s luge is more to my taste. Besides, the medal contest I really follow occurred in early June in Urbana.

Over 250 wines competed for medals at the Illinois State Fair Competition held at Bevier Hall on the University of Illinois campus. The judges assessed entries using a predetermined rubric. While each of the 12 judges added their own professional wine experience and personal taste to the process, this scorecard allowed objective comparisons between wines of different styles, sweetness and ingredients.