South Dakota | VinoVerve

Little Wine on the Prairie – Day 3

By admin | May 27, 2013 - 12:18 am |May 20, 2013 Books, Gretchen Neuman, history, Little House on the Prairie (series), local wines, Montana, South Dakota, VinoVerve, wine, Wineding Roads, Wyoming

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Day three!!! They Holy Grail on Ingalls! The Wilder side of Little House! De Smet, SD is the motherlode of Laura. By the Shores of Silver Lake, Little Town on the Prairie, The Long Winter, These Happy Golden Years and The First Four Years all happen here. Houses that the family lived in are here. Ma, Pa, Carrie, Grace, and Mary are all buried there. Whew. I am not sure where to go first. I am actually hoping to arrive the evening before so I can get my fill. Some of it will be odd. Silver Lake has dried up into a marsh. I think Big Slough is still there but I am not likely to go wandering into it. I learned that from Laura. No death trap dugouts just the ability to freeze to death in a winter with 32 blizzards and dwindling food supplies. And I am guessing no wine. Which would suck. Big time. Especially while you are grind wheat in a coffee grinder and twisting straw into logs until your hands bled. Bah. The town is largely laid out the way it was. The old General Store is still there and later in the summer they host a pageant. Not my thing but great for little girls I am guessing. And there is wine there now. Did I mention that before?

Wine? Champagne on the Prairie!

After leaving DeSmet, it is on to Montana to get ready for my bonus trip into Yellowstone. Cross your fingers on that one. At least I have learned from my trips of the past and have made a hotel reservation. Trying to find a room on a summer night in Montana is a bitch. And I really don’t want to roll into Missoula that late again. VOLCANO! Geysers, which I will pronounce like GEEZERS in an homage to Dr. Brian Cox, the James Blunt of Astrophysics on the Science Channel and the BBC (or the Beeb, as it is referred to in my abode)!!! I might start mumbling about ME-thane too. I will think of more stuff, never fear.

Even along this route there WILL be wine. At least nine wineries are located within a few miles of my pathway so this should be fun. The wineries include:

Broken Plow Winery
Schade Vineyard
Timmerman’s Vineyard
Prairie Berry Now with Locations in Rapid City and Hill City…. WE’VE BEEN THERE!!!
Naked Winery Hill City
Stone Faces WE’VE BEEN THERE!!!
Historic Schoolhouse Winery
Jackson Winery
Yellowstone Cellars

Little Wine on the Prairie – Day 2

By admin | May 24, 2013 - 12:40 am |May 18, 2013 Books, cider, Gretchen Neuman, history, local wines, Minnesota, South Dakota, State, VinoVerve, wine, Wineding Roads

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On the road again….

Oops. Wrong song, wrong theme. So, by now I should be in Minnesota. We have said our sad goodbyes to the Big Woods and to poor Freddie and Ma’s dream of a more comfortable widowhood…We are on to Plum Creek, Walnut Grove and Mankato. I don’t remember what the deal was with Mankato, except that it was the big city nearest to Walnut Grove.

What do I remember about this book? The Ingalls family lived in a house dugout of a hill literally on the banks of Plum Creek. This seems unwise and dangerous seeing how creeks often flood. In fact, the dugout is gone. Washed away by Plum Creek. I would have told them so, if they asked, but they didn’t. While living in this underground death trap, the Ingalls lost pretty much every crop they grew because the area was over run with crickets (Rocky Mountain Locusts). Oh, and baby Freddie was born here. Hard to believe that a child living in a dark, dank pit didn’t thrive. Oh, Freddie.

Road Trip - Day 2

Oh, there might have been a couple issues with birthday parties, Nelly Olson and leeches. Hard to believe that I haven’t re-read the books, eh?

Walnut Grove has a museum and the folks that own the old Ingalls property let people come look at the spot where the dug out used to be. I know I sound negative about it, but don’t think for a minute that I will skip it.

Nearby wineries include:

Painted Prairie
Doppeleichein Vineyards
Morgan Creek Vineyards
Harbo Cider
Javens Family Vineyard & Winery
Indian Island Winery

Choices, choices….

And now? Off to the Little House motherlode, South Dakota!

Road Trippin’ 2013

By admin | May 20, 2013 - 12:01 am |May 18, 2013 Books, Gretchen Neuman, history, Indiana, Iowa, local wines, Montana, National Parks, South Dakota, VinoVerve, Washington, wine, Wineding Roads, Wisconsin, Wyoming

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Little Wine on the Prairie Logo

As you may have noticed, I head out on a road trip nearly every year. Last year was the exception but only because my girlies started school the day before WBC12 began. Hm. Miss the last first day of school for daughter #1 after making a consecutive 14 previous? or skip the road trip for the year. Yeah. You know how I went on this one.

But this year, I am off again for adventures. I’ll be heading west to Penticton, BC for WBC13. This is the first Wine Bloggers’ Conference held in Canada and I am looking forward to it. The bummer? I need a passport this time. I know that this need seems self-evident for most of you, but as a gal who used to cross the border for dates in high school it seems a little crazy to me. Strangely enough, it isn’t getting into Canada that is the issue, but rather coming home and I am loathe to risk another lecture from a self-important douanière (long story).

Since I am largely taking the route that I took to Walla Walla for WBC10, I am looking forward to seeing some sights that I missed on my way out there – namely all the Little House on the Prairie historic sites. Knowing me as you do, you can’t be surprised that I want to do something so nerdy. I loved those books and know that I would have to make these stops sans ma famille. Why? Well, the girls would never put up with more than one stop. Heck, I couldn’t get them to even read the books. It breaks a mother’s heart, it does. But luckily I will indeed be on the road without them and am looking forward to stopping where I please. Oh. Did I mention that there is wine nearby at every stop. Yup. It’s true. Because of this, I have dubbed this trip: Little Wine on the Prairie.

Since Laura Ingalls Wilder never made it further west than the eastern portion of South Dakota, I’ve had to put on my thinking cap (bonnet) to come up with other plans. Here are a couple of ideas that I have thrown around:

Sturgis, SD – the location of the big biker rally every year. I believe it is in August. Good lord, I hope it is in August.
Yellowstone National Park – Yeah. I want to see the sites but I don’t want to camp or stay in the cabins and develop Hanta Virus (yeah, I said it). Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, Mud Volcano and the Mammoth Springs are tops on my list. Oh, and if I could figure out where the caldera edge for the mega volcano is, that would be swell too.
Lake Okanogan, BC – Naturally, I will be seeing the lake as I will be staying on it. But I think an extensive search of the lake to find the Ogopogo, the lake’s native monster. Is it a plesiosaur like the Loch Ness Monster and Champie from Lake Champlain are thought to be or a basilosaurus like other cryptozoologists think? Either way. Or not. With my luck my camera will jam as I am eaten by the thing.

But first? Before I leave, I must survive high school graduation. Not mine, of course, but rather Celia’s. Cross your fingers and hope for the best both before and after graduation.

Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

Deadwood

By admin | September 22, 2010 - 11:39 am |September 22, 2010 Gretchen Neuman, Merlot, Road Trip!, Seyval Blanc, South Dakota, travel, VinoVerve, wine, wine everywhere, Wineries

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Stone Faces Winery Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

Whenever I plan a cross country trip, I get a list of places that my folks think that I should. When I told them I was heading to Walla Walla, they immediately started forming the list. Wall Drug. Devil’s Tower. Mt. Rushmore. Deadwood. Deadwood was especially high on my folks list as they were lovers of the HBO series, ironic given my mother’s basic prudish nature and sheer volume profane language leaving Al Swearengen (Ian McShane)’s mouth. Nevertheless, I readily assented to that stop.

And why? Well, there is more than just gold in them there hills. There happens to be wine too.

Now, now, now… I know what you are saying… WIne in South Dakota? Well, yes. There was even a winery near the Laura Ingalls Wilder homesite, wine that I didn’t get to…. this time anyway.

Anywho, I was discussing Deadwood. So, I was gleeful as I reached the Black Hills. Wall Drug was stupid and a tourist trap that makes no sense to me. In all truth, I didn’t even stop. I know myself enough to understand that crowds and crap don’t attract me, but if that is how the town gets by? Go with God. You will get no complaints from me. Just don’t ask me to visit.

Tasting Room at Stone Faces Winery As it turns out there are five wineries in the Hills and two along my route. Stone Faces Winery, which had only been opened for a couple of months and the winery that I was originally heading for in the region, Prairie Berry. Stone Faces was so new that it had no offical signage. Not that this stops me.

I pulled into the new winery and walked in. The room was largely taken up by the large tasting bar, currently empty. But it was a Tuesday. It seems unlikely that this early in the summer that there would be a full room and during the Sturgis Rally? Well, forget about it. The place was probably packed. The winery is owned by the Nygaard Family of Valiant Winery, South Dakota’s first. In fact, Eldon Nygaard wrote South Dakota’s Farm Winery Act.

Having the winery pretty much to myself, I looked over the list and decided to try four options (my limit when I am on the road)

First up was the up was the Dakota’s Best Chardonnay. This wine had a light oaky flavor, but was generally too bland for me. I find that small wineries often have a harder time producing a full bodied dry white and this was true at Stone Faces. More impressive was the Canyon Lake White. This wine is semi-sweet and more like a Gewurztraminer though it is a predominantly Seyval blend. Still, a nice choice for spicy food or fresh caught Walleye or Catfish as is recommended by the winery.

Next up was the Sturgis Merlot. This wine had the proper body and juice but fell a bit flat at the end for me as there a smokiness that I wasn’t expecting.

The final wine that I tried was also related to Sturgis. The Full Throttle Wine is the Black Hills answer to Port. It is a fortified wine made exclusively for the Full Throttle Saloon. This was the best wine I had at the winery. I brought home a bottle for my Dad which we shared later.

So, yes. There is wine in the Hills. So get out there and start prospecting.

Stone Faces Winery
12670 Robins Roost Road
Hill City, South Dakota, 57745
Phone:605-574-3600
Fax:605-574-9555
Email: wine@stonefaceswinery.com

Crazy Stuff From The Road.

By admin | June 25, 2010 - 12:07 am |June 25, 2010 local wines, Locapour, Minnesota, Montana, Road Trip!, South Dakota, WBC'10, Wyoming

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

Travel is broadening because you never know what you are going to encounter… so you have to learn to be flexible.

And boy, am I finding the unexpected.

More explanations later.

I am just pleased to have survived to thunderstorms at night in the mountains.

Road Trip Planning 2010 – South Dakota

By admin | June 16, 2010 - 1:29 pm |June 17, 2010 Road Trip!, South Dakota, WBC'10, wine, Wine Bloggers Conference

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

Ok, I am a bit off in the order that I am travelling. But the point is still the same. I am stopping in all of these states! And today, I am highlighting South Dakota.

South Dakota has always been close to my heart since I was in Mrs. Herzig’s 2nd grade class and she taught us all about writing letters AND geography by making us all write to the tourism bureau of the various states. My state was South Dakota. Home at various points, to Laura Ingalls Wilder of the Little House Books which were a huge part of my 2nd and 3rd grade life. Ironically, she is not mentioned at all, as I recall, in their tourism literature (not the case now), but because of them (The SD Tourism Board) I was able to stun my parents with knowledge of the Mitchell Corn Palace when they had a chance to visit the state several years ago. Yes, that is the way my head works.

Armed with that knowledge, I have begun to consider places to stop in South Dakota. Luckily, I have been given some advice. Wanda, from the South Dakota Tourism Board has give me some advice.

As a result on my short list of wineries to visit are:

Prairie Berry Winery
Old Folsom Winery (biodynamic farming)
Schade Winery

As for possible adventures? Well, the Black Hills call me. Plus, I watched Deadwood. Oh and the Badlands too. I loves me the geology. Also Sturgis is along the route, though I think I will steer clear if it is crazy that week. Anyone? When do the bikers converge on Sturgis? Clearly the Mitchell Corn Palace deserves a look-see. And finally, DeSmet. Little House on Prairie-ville. That is a big Duh kinda-stop. (Oh, please don’t make it filled with re-enactors. I have issues, please note that I have been banned from the Freedom Trail (unofficially)).

Road Trip 2010 Planning!

By GMN | May 24, 2010 - 10:17 am |May 24, 2010 Idaho, Illinois, Locapour, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Road Trip!, South Dakota, Washington, WBC'10, wine, Wyoming

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

This year, I will once again, be driving out the Wine Blogger’s Conference. This year, the event will be held in beautiful Walla Walla, Washington. Naturally, I need to find places to stop along the way. No road trip is complete without a bite of the local color. So the key is to start planning now. I have two potential routes to adventure. I can either take the incredibly convenient to hop onto Interstate 90 which will lead me through Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington; OR the equally incredibly convenient to hop onto Interstate 94 which will lead me through Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho and Washington.

Choices, choices. The common denominator is the ease with which I will be able to hit the road as from Chez Neuman it is a five minute drive to either Interstate. Talk about your Gateway to the West!

Now is the time, for me to figure out as much as I can to make an informed drive. So if you know a cool, geeky spot, I should stop, a nice, but reasonable place to stay for the night, the local fare that should be tried or a great winery along the way? Email me at gretchen@vinoverve.com. If I use your suggestion a beautiful Locapour t-shirt could be yours!

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Category Archives: South Dakota

Little Wine on the Prairie – Day 3

Little Wine on the Prairie – Day 2

Road Trippin’ 2013

Deadwood

Crazy Stuff From The Road.

Road Trip Planning 2010 – South Dakota

Road Trip 2010 Planning!

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