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Monday, June 6, 2016

The Magazine is Coming! The Magazine is Coming! Sip the Hills

And here is your sneak peek of the much talked about (by me) Sip the Hills publication.  Enjoy a few snipets from the editor (also by me):

Over a decade ago, I started a love affair… with wine.

I can still remember when this love started. It was on a beautiful summer evening on a patio at the (then) brand new Prairie Berry Winery. The facility had just opened the year before, and the winery was hosting its first wine dinner. I found two girlfriends to go with me because I thought this event sounded like so much fun, and I knew I had to take part! I was right not missing the occasion.

This was the time and place I can pinpoint my wine passion blossoming and turning into (dare I say) an obsession. This first Prairie Berry dinner was by no means the same as what the winery is known for today...

...at the same time, I looked around and noticed how the wine and beer industry was blossoming here in the Black Hills—pun intended...the number of possibilities for modern, trendy, and tasty fare kept increasing, as did the appetite for customers to learn more about and enjoy more of what was available to them...

...I made it my goal to promote these businesses and what I saw as an incredibly exciting and new trade, a truly ground-floor industry ripe for new customers (again, pun intended). Through these pursuits, I have witnessed the Black Hills wine and beer trade evolve and develop...

...for instance, Prairie Berry is now a leading establishment for foodies in the Hills, with marvelous chefs serving amazing treats for special occasions and every day. The Firehouse has grown and now also produces wine, including some from Black Hills grapes. Belle Joli keeps expanding and is doing something never done in the state before. Naked Winery is more than just a wine tasting room; it has also started making beer. There is a craft brewery in almost every town, from Newcastle to Sturgis. Botticelli’s wine list was recognized by Wine Spectator Magazine. Trip Advisor named Black Hills Burger and Bun a top ten burger joint in the country! Chubby Chipmunk chocolates were part of goody bags for the Grammy Awards. The list goes on and on...

...hence, my one-woman mission to support all wine, beer, and food activities in the Black Hills was born, and from that, the idea behind the Sip the Hills which you will soon be reading...
Look for this cover starting Friday, June 10 in locations all over the Black Hills:

Kol
Murphy's
Firehouse Brewing
Firehouse Wine Cellars
Juniper
The Wine Cellar
Belle Joli
Naked Winery/Sick and Twisted Brewing
Someone's in the Kitchen
T&A Brewing
Pizza Barn
The Knuckle
Bitter Esters
Prairie Berry Winery
Miner Brewing
Twisted Pine
Black Hills and Badlands Center
Smith's Liquor Gallery
Independent Ale House
Canyon Lake Liquors
and many others!

Features will include stories about pioneers in the beer industry, sparkling wines in South Dakota, and Black Hills grape growing.  Other pieces include guides to delicious chocolates, great restaurants, beautiful patios, and interesting wine and beer information.  Also check out the useful wine and beer map as the center of the publication with a directory of all of these establishments.  

This is the ultimate guide for tourists and locals alike.  Find a copy next weekend.  Then use #sipthehills to show your great wine, beer, and food adventures in the Black Hills.  I will be!