Big, Wonderful Wyoming--Table Mountain Vineyard

Over Easter (yes, I realize I am just a bit behind in blogging here!), I had the wonderful pleasure to visit big, wonderful Wyoming’s Table Mountain Vineyards (in Huntley, Wyoming), the only Wyoming winery growing or harvesting all of its fruit from within the state and producing all of its wines exclusively in the state as well.  My family and I showed up at the tasting room and small section of vineyard on a beautiful Friday afternoon.   The Zimmerer family has owned this farm land for four generations, and the grape growing actually began as a project for a class at the University of Wyoming.  This project then turned much larger as wines were experimented with from the vines that were experiments themselves.  Over time, business has grown, and continues to grow so much that a larger tasting room is being built near the original.  Events are already planned there for this summer, though the actual completion is still ongoing. 

There are several wines of note being produced at TMV.  First is the Cowgirl Blush, a semi-sweet blush wine that I would love to sit and sip on a hot summer day.  It just so happens to be a Gold Medal winner from the Finger Lakes Wine Competition as well.  My other favorite grape wine was the Frontenac Gris, a wonderful, off-dry hybrid grape wine that reminded me of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.  The final wine that impressed me was their Cherry Rush dessert wine.  Though the wine was sweet, it had undertones of spice, too; a wonderful contrast in the wine made from cherries that are harvested in nearby Torrington, from the yard of a 90-plus year old woman, who sits in the front yard and watches the cherry harvest, shouting instructions the whole time! 

I have to say how much I enjoyed TMV!  I love the fact that it is exclusively a Wyoming product.  There are several other producers in Wyoming making or bottling wine, but they are buying their grapes or juice from California or other popular grape-growing areas.  I’m not saying these aren’t good wines, but if I want a California wine (which I buy often), I want to buy that wine from a California producer, and I want to know exactly where the grapes were grown, not look at a bottle that appears to be “Wyoming Wine” when it’s not.  This is exactly what the term terroir means: grapes are produced into wines that reflect the growing environment where the grapes are grown.  Wyoming terroir is just slightly different than California (or about any other growing area).  Okay, it’s REALLY different than most areas.  Wyoming is cold, and some years dry, and most of the time windy!!!  This means that different grapes grow well here, so TMV grows hybrid grapes like Frontenac, Frontenac Gris, and Elvira.  These are different wine grapes than the traditional but because they are different does not mean they are bad.  So though you are not going to find a California Cab here, I am enamored with the idea that you will find something completely different, enjoyable, and unique…something totally Wyoming! 

Where You Least Expect It--Heaven to Earth, Gillette

My New Year’s resolution was to focus on businesses that promote wine, and though I haven’t posted every week since I began, I really have been trying not to neglect my blogging responsibilities.  Today, I’m focusing on the promotion of wine in a place many may not have necessarily expected it:  a gourmet kitchen store.  I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a “foodie” (only because of time and calorie constraints…hehehe), but I do love interesting and unique foods, both making them and consuming them.  I love so many aspects of kitchen stores and kitchen gadgets.   Most kitchen stores have a wine-related section that has wine tools and glassware.  However, Heaven to Earth in Gillette has taken this sometimes small relationship with wine to a whole new level!  A level I highly appreciate!

Gail and Emerald, owners at Heaven to Earth, approached me some time ago after they had surveyed their customers and found many were interested in wine, so Gail and Emerald were quick to oblige.  The proprietors of this wonderful store quickly came up with the idea to create a wine and food “club” so to speak, where students would first learn the basics of wine (that’s where I came in), and then learn different aspects of food and wine pairing, with monthly sessions that would focus on different foods, wines, and food and wine tools.  Gail and Emerald also wanted to have multiple sessions of the Intro to Wine Class, so that the large numbers of their interested patrons could ensure a date that worked for them.  I put together a class introducing the basics of wine with important terms, wine evaluation techniques, and food pairing basics.  If I do say so myself, I thought my class was first-class.  But even tooting my own horn, the information of my class was nothing compared to the atmosphere Heaven to Earth created for this class!

The tables were covered with black table clothes, set with glasses, Bling and Ty Nant bottled water, gold silverware, fun wine napkins, oyster crackers in artichoke shaped bowls, marinated olives in stoneware dishes, and a beautiful wine journal.   This was only the beginning of the fabulous spread for the evening.  During the tasting of the two white wines that evening, Gail’s kitchen staff served lobster ravioli with alfredo sauce, crusty bread with warm artichoke dip, and fresh vegetables.  With the two red wines, the kitchen presented a mini-cheese plate with hard salami, aged white cheddar, and mixed dried fruits.  The wines were great, and the food was wonderful!  The staff served the tapas portions to customers and made sure water glasses were full all night.  It was better service than I have witnessed in many restaurants.  Beverage Broker of Gillette—which I highly recommend readers check out—provided the wine and had the bottles that we tasted that evening for sale to take home that night.  Of course, Riedel glassware was available for purchase from Heaven to Earth, as well as the wonderful food we had with our wines and the many other gourmet products the store offers.  I left feeling these were the best classes I have taught!

In my quest of promoting wine in my rural area this year, I must remember not to overlook businesses that aren’t directly selling wine but may actually be supporting the wine culture on a whole other level!  Heaven to Earth is doing a fabulous job encouraging the wine industry, and they do it with extraordinary style!  I look forward to the classes I will be teaching there.  

Back to the Beginning--Prairie Berry Winery

This past Saturday, I attended the Saint Patrick’s Day wine dinner at Prairie Berry Winery, and during that event, hosted by the youngest of five generations of wine makers, I was thinking about my own wine history. 

I started drinking wine a little over ten years ago.  Like many, I started drinking sweeter wines and then branched out from there.  I would go to the liquor store and buy a select bottle or two, but always the same few bottles of wines that I knew I liked.  Then, I stopped at Prairie Berry Winery, just after its new location in Hill City, SD opened.  I initially stopped because I had heard of Pumpkin Bog wine…and I was intrigued.  Wine from pumpkins?!  Yes, I needed to try that.  I not only enjoyed Pumpkin Bog, but the honey wines Prairie Berry produced were great.  I also developed a fondness for Calamity Jane and Red Ass Rhubarb.  Other favorites stood out for me as my wine palette developed and PBW helped me branch out to try different wines, but my true passion for wine was still on the horizon. 

During Prairie Berry’s first summer in Hill City, the staff hosted its first summer bistro wine dinner.  I found two girlfriends—Sonja and Sally—to go with me because I thought this sounded like so much fun and knew I had to take part in this event!  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 PBW dinner was by no means the same as today’s culinary delights; they served us wine in regular wine glasses and food on Styrofoam plates with plastic utensils…so far from today’s up-scale, modern dinnerware and beautiful, varietal-specific Riedel crystal stemware.  However, the pairings of the food with the wine were wonderful, and these pairings were what totally fascinated me about wine.  I realized the difference that wine made with food and food made with wine.  It was a total “aha” moment, as Oprah would call it, and though I liked wine before, I was completely hooked!  My quest to try more wines and foods was in full gear, and my drive to learn about wine was kick started. 

From that summer evening on, I have rarely (I’d say never, but I think there have been a sprinkling of events I have had to miss) missed any of the PB events in the past eight years—wow, it’s been eight years, I think—and I only miss if I absolutely must because of schedule constraints!  I have watched Prairie Berry develop into a leading “foodie” in the Hills with marvelous chefs serving amazing fare for special occasions and every day!  It is my favorite treat to be able to stop in for lunch on an average day for a mouth-watering sandwich, delectable cup of soup, and a glass of wine.  I also love the perks of being a wine club member there:  VIP tickets to the Fezziwig Christmas Festival, wine club pick-up parties, and gifts at the wine dinners (now in the fall and spring, as well as summer).  Like the winery, my palette has evolved into something much more sophisticated, but like a fine wine, everything gets better with age.  Also like a wine, Prairie Berry still has new surprises in store for us as it develops, like this year’s Mother’s Day brunch…which I WILL be attending with my family!  Prairie Berry not only kicked off the wine boom in my life, but this business was at the heart of the wine boom that is spreading across the Black Hills with other wineries and wine bars opening their doors to wine fans; these businesses are possible, in part, due to Prairie Berry. 

So, thank you, Prairie Berry and staff, for taking the risk on the establishment that would make so many changes in the Black Hills.  You are definitely like an award-winning vintage wine, and I know you will only continue to better with age! 

Sex Sells--Naked Winery South Dakota

Haha!  I bet my title got everyone interested in my latest blog!  However, it is true; sex does sell, and the Naked Winery from Hood River Oregon is using this risqué idea to sell its wines all over the country, including at the Naked Winery tasting rooms in Custer and Hill City, South Dakota.  The first franchised tasting room opened last spring in Custer.  My friend Sonja and I heard about the opening and knew we needed to be there that day for the first pouring of Naked wines.  We drove over after work thinking that we had to support any venture that promoted more wine in the Black Hills.  We also thought this tasting room sounded like a lot of fun.  We specifically said, “This place sounds like a blast; we hope the wine is quality.”  We found out it was a lot of fun…and the wine was AMAZING!  The wine was so amazing, in fact, that we decided to work a part-time job at the Custer tasting room for the summer.  A second Naked tasting room opened mid-summer in Hill City.  Both have great atmospheres, entertaining staff, and unique events.  These two new businesses continue the expanding wine boom in the Hills area.

It is true, that a few customers have been disappointed when they arrived at the tasting room and found that the wines were not produced in South Dakota but, instead, were all produced in Oregon with grapes grown in Washington, Oregon, and California.  It is also true that some people have been offended by the risqué references in the wine names and descriptions.  However, when most people taste the wine, they are very impressed with the wonderfully made wines.  Serious wine drinkers love the quality reds ranging from a Pinot Noir to a Sangiovese to a Nebiollo.  Beginner wine drinkers will like the semi-sweet whites like Riesling and Gewurztraminer.  Then there are a myriad of great wines in between!

Though some find the idea of “Naked” to be offensive, I just find it entertaining.  Not only do I not offend easily, I get the marketing perspective behind the innuendo.  The informal and (dare I say it) cool feel of the wines and tasting rooms will attract those who once thought wine drinking was too stuffy and “hoity toity”…only meant for the old and the rich.  I support any wine producer and tasting room that increases the number of wines available to drink in my small area, and I applaud any wine producer and tasting room that can appeal to those who haven’t yet been exposed to the wonderful world of wine!  So, thank you, Naked Winery in Hood River, for spreading your Naked joy to the Black Hills.  I’m thirsty now…wink.

Keeping It Local--Cap N Bottle

My second Sweet Sommelier “travel” destination is actually in my own backyard.  Okay, not LITERALLY in my own backyard, but how cool would that be to have a liquor store in your backyard?  That is a privilege I am sure I would abuse!  What I mean is this week I am writing about my hometown liquor store, The Cap ‘N Bottle.  The Cap ‘N Bottle is something of an icon on Main Street.  I actually have memories of going through its drive-through window as a child passenger with my father.  (Yes, drive-through liquor store windows are also legal in Wyoming.)  The newest owners, Wade and Tonya, have only owned the business a few months but are already putting their mark on the establishment.  Just after opening, they hosted a craft beer tasting, which even though I’m a wine drinker, I attended.  (My craft-beer loving husband really enjoyed this!)  Just last week, Cap ‘N Bottle hosted a wine and chocolate tasting.  Tonya had the original idea of the tasting in honor of Valentine’s Day, and I assisted her in choosing some wines.  The owners plan to continue these tastings monthly, and I hope they do!  Events like this are the first step to getting many people to experience wines.

Speaking of the wines, Cap ‘N Bottle has the best selection in town.  About one-third of the store is dedicated to wine, which I love!  Of course, there are your standard box wines and white Zins (that all liquor stores do need to carry), but there are also whites with producers from France to Oregon and reds from Portugal to California.  Tonya will also special order items for anyone who puts in a specific request.  That is the beauty of a small-town business! 

I look forward to the future of Cap 'N Bottle.  I know Wade and Tonya have plans for remodeling and more special events.  I hope I get to be a part of and take part in these events!  Hats off to a home-town business for spreading the love of wine to both old "pros" and amateurs alike. 

New Year's Resolution: Wine and 2012

For my New Year’s wine resolution 2012 (yes, I’m well aware an entire month of 2012 has already sped past but…be patient with me), I am attempting to visit more Wyoming and Black Hills wine businesses in order to promote the growing wine industry in my big, but sparsely populated, state.  In order to do this, I will be putting many miles on my new car, but it’s all worth it in the name of wine!  My caveat (and bias?) is that I am making these stops to promote wine in the name of increasing wine appreciation.  I am telling you right now there will be no secret ambush on any business with a seething review because this “critic” wasn’t happy!  I want to make people more aware of the great companies in our area that are making opportunities to get great wines even easier, often in the middle of nowhere.  Sometimes it’s hard work to get wine to half a million people spread across almost 100,000 square miles, but I am going to help any little bit I can!

To start my New Year, I traveled to the center of big, wonderful Wyoming for my first official Sweet Sommelier stop at Popular Wine and Spirits in Casper.  From the first step inside the store, I liked it!  The large, open floor plan made it so easy to see the wine.  The wine was organized by country, then varietal, then price-point.  This was a unique idea, and I can see where it would make wine buying for certain situations easier.  If I want a $25.00 bottle of California Cabernet, I know right where to start looking.  Poplar Wine and Spirits also gets kudos for having a diverse selection of American wine; many international wines, both Old World and New World; and the first Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) I’ve seen in Wyoming!  TBAs are unique and rare wines that the grapes must ripen on the vines for a very long time to reach a certain level of sugar content; it is a rarity for vineyards and wineries to have these harvests very often.  Of course, I had to buy a bottle.  Because this is a rare wine, it is much pricier than other sweet, dessert wines sold in the half-bottle size, so I’m saving this special treat for Valentine’s Day.   Once I bought this wine and a bottle of twenty-year aged Port, I decided I might as well go for a “six pack” of wine!  (Man, my job is rough sometimes, isn’t it?)

As we were checking out, I introduced myself to the owner, Michael.  He was so gracious and friendly, telling my husband and I about the new building where the store and its connected wine bar, Vintage Wine and Martini Bar, are located.  Michael then took us into the wine bar, which was yet to open for business.  (Don’t judge how early I got to the liquor store, please.)  The ambiance was so warm and inviting in Vintage; it looked to be a wonderful place for people my age (clear throat, mumble, mumble, forty-ish, mumble, mumble) to go and actually visit with others in a non-smoking environment, which is not yet law in Wyoming.  The wine menu rotates fifty wines by the glass throughout the year; it boasts up to fifteen appetizers, made on site, also rotating seasonally.  I was unable to stay until Vintage opened the day I stopped, but I will be going back soon when I can experience the full effect of the wine bar. 

So, great job Michael and staff at Poplar Wine and Spirits!  You are creating a great wine culture in my home state!  Keep up the good work.  And I promise to keep traveling to find wine spots for wine lovers to stop! 

Celebration???

Thursday before Thanksgiving...most people in the wine world love to celebrate this special day--the release of that year's Beaujolais Nouveau.  I found myself in the Windy City and had scouted a place I was hoping to go to that day to toast the young, fun wine.  I found a spot online, and the establishment even had several good reviews, but I don't want to name the bar because this blog really isn't about them; it's about something much bigger.  I thought sure this would be my in-the-city, Nouveau experience, but it was evident I was wrong from the instant I sat down.  The waitress came over, and I excitedly asked if they had any Nouveaus on the menu for that night.  The young girl looked at me like I was a specimen stuck to the bottom of her shoe and said she would check, but I knew she wasn't going to check as she acted completely put out by my question.  I'm still not sure if she knew about the release date or didn't know and that's why she was so snotty to us.  But the snotty behavior continued when the two friends I was with (who do not drink, let alone drink wine) only ordered food items.  It overall was just not a good experience, and I didn't get any 2011 Beaujolais!  : (

 However, I digress.  This blog isn't to complain about any establishment.  I've worked in the service industry, maybe our waitress was just having a bad day.  What bothered me about this experience is the issue I see many times over again in the wine industry, and that is the need for some people to try to belittle others' knowledge or experience with wine.  One of the parts I love about being a sommelier and wine educator is taking that fear away from wine, especially for wine novices.  People in the wine industry need to spread their knowledge to others, not just try to prove to others how incredibly smart they are by making people feel dumb.  Wine is intimidating enough without servers and professionals making drinkers uncomfortable.  This was the first wine bar my two friends had ever been to.  I was hoping it was going to be such a positive experience, and they would want to learn more about wine or go to another wine bar some time.  However, instead of a positive experience, my friends took away even more intimidation from the wine industry.  The stereotype of snooty, unfriendly wine people was passed on to these wine beginners, who now have absolutely no desire to venture any further into the world of wine.  An opportunity to bring two more people over to the wine side was lost...and probably gone forever.

When I was telling some people about this experience, they, of course, wanted to know if I told our unfriendly waitress I was a sommelier or left her my card.  I didn't.  I decided to take the high road.  It would seem a bit hypocritical of me to complain about how snooty the server was and then turn around and treat her in the same manner.  The bottom line is I don't feel the need to prove that I have wine knowledge.  I know I'm confident with my ongoing education.  (The longer I am in the wine industry, I also know I want to learn more and more and more!)  Others may or may not know very much about wine, but I don't want to beat people over the head with my "expertise" and make them feel badly about themselves in the process.  It goes against what I feel is my goal:  to take the fear and intimidation out of wine, making it accessible for more people!  I hope you will all join me on this mission.  Oh, and I also hope you all enjoyed your 2011 Beaujolais Nouveau!  I've still yet to get mine.

I Often Cook With Wine...

Since I'm a sommelier, it goes without saying that I love pairing wine with food.  Often times, though, people only think they can pair wine with really complicated or unique foods.  To this I completely disagree.  I'm also a mother of picky children, so if I waited to have a glass of wine with my supper until I had complicated or unique foods, I would never get to enjoy wine!   Because of this, I have become simplistically creative when pairing wine with food.  For instance, last night I paired a 2005 Manzone Barolo with Pizza Hut supreme pizza...and it was an excellent pairing!  I have paired many reds--Merlots, Cabs, Noirs--with grilled steak because my son is a meat and potatoes guy.  I also have learned to marinade chicken and beef in simple sauces made with wine for a natural "marriage" pairing.  Ultimately, I have found that good wines go with so many different foods, not just foods that take hours of prep and hard-to-find ingredients.  So tonight, no matter what your meal, go to your wine fridge, cellar, or shelf and pull out a bottle.  Enjoy a glass of wine with your meal...I know I will! 

To help with your simple wine pairing, here are my two go-to, oh-so-easy wine marinade recipes:

White Wine Chicken Breast Marinade

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 white wine (your choice)
1/4 cup water
1 package Italian dressing seasoning
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine oil, wine, and water with the Italian seasoning packet in a bowl.  Add the chicken breasts.  Let marinade for up two two hours.  Grills until juices run clear.  Serve with the wine used in marinade and seasoned fries.  Enjoy!


Red Wine Beef Tips Marinade

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine (your choice)
1/4 cup water
1 package Montreal Steak seasoning
1 pound beef tips

Combine oil, wine, water, and Montreal seasoning packet in a bowl.  Add the beef tip chunks.  Let marinade for up to four hours.  Grill steak to medium rare.  Serve with wine used in the marinade.  Serve with baked sweet potatoes.  Enjoy!

You Can Take the Teacher Out of the Classroom...But She Will Just Keep On Teaching!

Yes, I'm a teacher by day, moonlighting as a sommelier at night.  Sometimes people give me a funny look, and I know they are wondering if educating students and enjoying wine may actually be a conflict of interests.  However, for several reasons, I say no!  The biggest reason it isn't a conflict is because I don't necessarily think of myself as a sommelier that is a wine expert.  (In fact, the more I learn about wine, the more I know I don't know, and the more I want to learn about wine.)  Instead, I consider myself a wine educator.  My favorite job as a sommelier is to teach other people about wine.  For years, many in my generation have been intimidated or scared of wine.  We grew up drinking beer, and though there is absolutely nothing wrong with this, it's left many people nervous about looking silly when consuming wine.  I love to take this "mystery" out of wine for drinkers by teaching them what the terms mean, how fermentation works, and why labels say what they say.  This knowledge of wine takes the unknown element out of wine, making it more likely that these now-educated people will drink more wine!  It's a win-win situation for everyone involved.  Consumers know more about wine and will enjoy wine more, and I get to keep teaching about one of my favorite subjects!  So, Tuesday, when I am teaching a section of my Wine 101 class, there is no conflict to be found, just more wine lovers waiting to learn!

Boom! Not Bust!

I live in a small town in Wyoming on the edge of the Black Hills.  Yes, you all heard me correctly...a trained sommelier in Wyoming!  (Believe me, stranger things have happened.)  I live in a magnificently beautiful state, filled with multiple natural resources, resources that have often caused our local economies to boom during the good times only to bust during bad times.  But today, I'm thinking about a different type of boom here in Wyoming and South Dakota, different than a natural resource boom.  I'm talking about the booming wine industry!  Wyoming and the Black Hills have always been a bit behind the times, and that is probably true of the wine business.  However, we are quickly catching up!  Interest in wine is growing to new heights in this area, and I love it!  Three new wine bars recently opened in Spearfish, SD.  One even opened in Sturgis, SD, better known for its biker babes in August than its grape varietals.  The Black Hills has its own wine trail, including several wineries and tasting rooms.  Wyoming grows grapes and makes wine in several different locations.  Liquor stores all throughout the Black Hills are expanding their wine sections as consumers want more selections to choose from and a higher quality of the selections already available.  Some friends of mine just purchased a small liquor store and have plans to continue the wine boom.  I'm leaving town to travel through beautiful Spearfish Canyon after work to enjoy my Friday evening at the Spearfish Creek Wine Bar.  Oh, there may be liquid gold in these there hills, and I hope to see the boom keep going!  All boom, no bust...I'll drink to that!

Summer Summer Summer Time!

Summer has finally shown itself in the Black Hills...thankfully!  It was a cold snowy winter followed by a cold snowy/rainy spring!  But this weekend, the sun is out, the school year is over, and the summer feels as if it has begun.  I love summer and summer wines!  Wine on the patio on a summer evening.  Wine paired with grilled meat off the barbecue.  Wine paired with friends in the hot tub.  Wine made into sangria and mimosas.  The smell of the season makes me happy.  Time to relax and be rejuvenated makes me even happier!  So cheers to summer and summer wines!  And cheers to all of you!