Northern Illinois Wine Trail

Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

In my continuing quest to try my local wineries, I headed out on a sunny morning to Carpentersville, IL to visit the Village Vintner. The winery was located in a strip mall on a developing commercial part of town. Located in the center of the mall, it was the main focal point advertising that they made wine and hosted parties for those who wanted their own specialty bottles.

As it was Tuesday and 11:30 am, I wasn’t terribly surprised that I was the only patron in the store. The winery is spacious with a good sized tasting bar from which you can see the aging barrels and stainless steel fermenters in the back. Beyond the primary fermenting room was an additional room for storage and a lab for quality assurance.

I spoke with Steve Boyer,the wine maker as I tried the tasting menu. He has been making wine for nearly twenty years after starting with some friends. He buys juice and grapes to produce his wine and makes about 50 different types of wine per year. Some of his wines are fruit wine) such as strawberry and Rhubarb which some are just pure flights of fancy such as the Wine-a-Rita, a Sauvignon Blanc mixed with lemon-lime flavorings that reminded of the wine cooler that I drank at parties in high school. A memory of simpler time.

And that is what I like about the Village Vintner. He understands the tastes of the people who drink his wine. He noticed that they liked fruity flavors and blends. He makes them those kinds of wine. To that end he has a chocolate port and a chocolate orange port. A bit much for summer drinking perhaps, but would be lovely with coffee in cooler weather.

To encourage his customers to try something new, he has even changed the name of a wine. When I asked about the origins of the GruVee, I was told that it was Gruner-Veltliner. When he sold it under the varietal name, no one would touch it. Now he can’t keep it around. Some might complain that he isn’t a serious winemaker be resorting to these tactics, but really he is expanding the wine horizons of his customer base.

The Village Vintner a does custom labeling, group winery parties, wedding packages, baskets and assists with group fund raising.

Village Vintner
2273 Randall Road
Carpentersville, IL 60110
(847)844-4900
www.thevillagevintner.com

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

Kevin and I were drinking er, tasting wine as we were waiting for him to cook me dinner…. (please note that this post was written before my self-imposed exile from the fruit of the vine. I am relatively certain that I can hold out THIS long)

Yes, I have a husband that cooks and I feel the pang of your jealousy. But as he is currently “exploring new options” I am going to take advantage of the time that I ma not required to cook every single night. And yes, he fixes me breakfast and lunch most days too.

But that isn’t what this piece is about.

It is about a wine that we received in a shipment from the Fox Valley Winery. A Vignoles from Illinois.

Kevin handed it to me before I saw the bottle. It smelled of heavy ripe pears and tasted of warm honey with a pleasantly sharp citrus finish. It was fruity and mellow and lovely.

Sigh.

Oh, I guess we better feed the kids, eh?

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

I am marking my calendar and hoping to see you there!

Amore Vino —
Galena’s Wine Lovers’ Weekend heats up March 26-29, 2009

Four-day event features vintage wine and celebrity chefs

GALENA, ILLINOIS—Four days of fine wine, culinary delight, celebrity chefs, pampering packages and all of the stops Galena can possibly pull out. Galena, Illinois’ Wine Lovers’ Weekend.

Now in its fourth year running, Wine Lovers’ Weekend is a spirited way to warm the winter and add romance—whether it be for vino, gourmet cuisine, or the love for a town with history and character all its own. Newly extended to accommodate even more to do, Wine Lovers’ Weekend begins on Thursday, March 26, 2009 with a Wine Symposium hosted by local and California Winemakers. Wine-inspired dinners, spirit tastings, spa experiences, history tours, cooking demonstrations, and shopping welcome and enchant visitors.

At the heart of the weekend is the Grand Tasting and Wine Auction—which quickly sold out in 2008. This year at the Grand Tasting, choose to sample from 200 varieties of hand-picked wines. Cost is $20 in advance (purchase online: www.wineloversweekend.com) or $25 at the door. Admission provides you with an opportunity to win a wine-themed trip to San Francisco. Additional chances may be purchased for $15 each. Auction items include vintage wines, artwork, large format wine bottles and related items of interest.

Lodging specials and package deals fuel the passion. From keepsake wine glasses to dining packages to pampering in luxurious accommodations and the warmest of hospitality, Galena’s finest provide a variety of options to cater to every taste and budget.

Visit www.wineloversweekend.com for a detailed listing of extended-weekend activities, links to lodging, and an opportunity to purchase tickets online. Additional area offerings may be found at the Galena / Jo Daviess County Convention and Visitors Bureau’s site: www.galena.org.

I love going to Galena and can’t wait to see what lodging specials will be offered… Kevin and I have stayed at the Goldmoor in the past which was always lovely.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

Big Terra Red

This is a wine that I got from the Fox Valley Winery wine club. Confusingly, it is advertised as “Red” while it appears to made of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. And as a California Red Wine when it is made and sold (only) in Illinois. By Fox Valley Winery. But grown in the Snows Lake Vineyard. And sold under Big Terra Winery.

Whah?

On the other hand, it was tasty albeit very dry, with a slight peppery taste.

Hey?! Does this count towards my Northern Illinois Wine Trail adventures? I think it does.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

Well, practically in my backyard anyway. This is Kevin and I arriving at Lynfred Winery. Lynfred is in Roselle, Illinois also known as the town my folks live in. Well, mostly Kevin as you can see, because, well… someone has to man the camera. Mostly that person is me.

Our stop here at the Lynfred Winery was our first official stop on our tour of the Northern Illinois Wine Trail and the closest to our house.

The strange thing is that while I have had their wine before it was only the Christmas Red which was always available for sale at Marshall Field’s wine shop back when we had Marshall Fields in town. For all I know they might still carry it at Macy’s. I just don’t go into stores and malls at the holidays anymore if I can avoid it. The internetz is my friend.

Any way, Kevin and I headed out towards my folks house but turned off on Roselle Road instead. The building that houses the winery is one of the oldest in town and was built on land owned by a member of the founding fathers Roselle Hough. Lynn and Fred Koehler who started the winery in 1979 restored the building and built it into the largest and oldest continuously operating winery in the State of Illinois.

In addition to producing over 50 varietals and over 25,000 cases of wine, the folks at Lynfred run a bed and breakfast (formerly run by my Mom’s neighbor, Kelly) and host public and private wine tastings and other events.

I loved the attention to detail in every part of the winery. The gallery around the fermentation tanks. The cameras around the winery that show what is going on in every part of the winery. the stunning stained glass and the carvings in the the tasting room (on the floor and in the bar).

I also got to meet Chris Anderson-Heller who is the winery’s marketing director. I was bold enough to offer a business card hoping that I could meet her as I had heard so much about her from our mutual friend, Tom Wark. She was everything that he described to me and more. And surprisingly enough, has read our efforts here at VinoVerve. (I never really believed that the hits from Roselle were from my folks. They often have trouble with their email and my father blows through at least 2 hard drives per year, and no, I am not making that part up)

That being said, the measure of any winery is the wine. And so, in my next post I will discuss wines that we tasted as well as the fantastic breads that they bake at the winery and sell as well as use during the tastings.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

I am ready to start my adventure on the Northern Illinois Wine Trail!

I made my map and now I just need to decide where to start first. (Although in all fairness, I have visited some of these wineries already, i.e. Fox Valley, Sycamore and Prairie State).

Interestingly enough, while I have had the Lynfred wine, I have never visited the winery. Perhaps that should be my first stop?

I think so!

Powered by Bookmarkify™