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April 2009
IN THIS ISSUE:
Michigan Wine Month
Upcoming Events
Featured Wines
News from the Cellar
Sherrie's Recipes
FAQ's
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Dear Friend,
It's time to retreat from hibernation!
Spring is here, along with Michigan Wine Month...It's the perfect combination to get outside and visit The Round Barn for a
tasting and tour! Our tasting rooms are less busy in the spring and our tasting room staff is delighted to have more time to
offer you extra attention during your stay!
See you soon,
- The Moersch Family & RBW Staff
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April is Michigan Wine Month
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has declared April "Michigan Wine Month" to honor Michigan's wide selection of quality wines and the wine industry's significant
contribution to the economy. Michigan's wine and grape industries contribute nearly $800 million to the state's economy each year. Sales of Michigan wines rose 5
percent in 2008, while total wine sales experienced no increase. Additionally, eight new wineries are slated to open this year!
Find us on FaceBook
The Round Barn Winery is now on FaceBook. Become a fan!
Michigan Wine Country Magazine
The 2009 Michigan Wine Country magazine, an indispensable guide to the wines and wineries of Michigan, will also be released this month. The magazine contains maps and touring
information, as well as a section on "what's new at the wineries" and notes on the winemakers' favorite wines. To request a complimentary copy of Michigan Wine Country,
visit www.MichiganWines.com or contact the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council at 517-241-1207. The magazine is also
available at any of our tasting rooms.
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Wines of America Dinner at Soé Cafe - Sawyer, MI
Monday, April 20th, 7pm
Join us for a seven course meal paired with wines from The Round Barn Winery, Tabor Hill and two others from Oregon and Washington.
Cost is $50; please call 269-426-4878 for reservations. View the menu!
Brews, BBQ & Baseball Night at BW3's - South Bend, IN
Thursday, April 23rd, 6-9pm
What goes better with baseball than beer and wings? Catch your favorite baseball teams and sample some of The Round Barn Brewery's micro-brews.
Learn about brewing beer from The Round Barn's Brewmaster! Great giveaways and prizes!
Sip into Spring: 20+ Beers for $20 - Brasserie Jo, Chicago, IL
Friday, April 29th, 6pm
Usher in the Spring season with refreshingly cold beer! Sample more than 20 beers and passed appetizer pairings, with Round Barn beer as one of the featured beers.
$20 per person. Call 312-595-0800 for reservations or get your tickets online before their gone!
Event hosted by Metromix.com
Wine Dinner at Webster's Restaurant in Kalamazoo, MI
NEW DATE! Saturday, May 16, 6pm
Enjoy a 6 course meal each paired with a Round Barn or Free Run Cellars wine. Webster's offers the finest foods, wines and ambiance and is the
only Kalamazoo restaurant to win the AAA Four Diamond and Wine Spectator Awards. Cost is $65/person. Please call 269-343-4444 for reservations.
View the menu!
DiVine Vodka Open House - Our Baroda, MI Tasting Room
Saturday, May 23rd, 1-4pm
Help us celebrate the 3rd Anniversary of our very own DiVine Vodka. We'll be featuring martini cocktails, new wine
releases, discounts on purchases, and our fresh, new summer wheat beer. Don't miss it! Get directions.
For a complete list of events and more information visit our website.
Check our calendar often as some events pop up in between newsletters.
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Pinot Noir (pronounced Pee-noh-n'wahr) -
Pinot Noir may be the toughest grape to grow, but the effort is well worth the investment. It is a fickle grape calling for warm days consistently
supported by cool evenings. Pinot Noir is a lighter colored and flavored red wine compared to the Bordeaux varietals.
Winemaker's Notes: This is our third vintage using Burgundian clones of Pinot Noir which give this wine incredible length and fruit character on the palate.
It was aged in 2 year-old American and French oak for 18 months to add a rich complexity to the finish. Bright ruby in color with a delicate and complex bouquet of
rose petals and cherry aromas combine with strawberry tones on the mid-palate, garnet in color with a "terroir" finish usually found only in Burgundy itself.
The palate is generous and round with wonderfully balanced acidity and richness. It is estate bottled and we released about 125 cases in July of 2007.
Food Pairings: Pinot Noir is well-suited to pair with poultry, beef, fish, ham, lamb and pork. It will play well with creamy sauces, spicy seasonings and may just be one of the
world's most versatile food wines. |
Gewürztraminer (pronounced ga-VERTZ-trah-mee-ner) -
Gewürtztraminer wines are one of the hardest wines to pronounce, yet one of the easiest to drink. "Gewürz," meaning "spicy" in German is an apt indication of the wine's character and zest.
Gewürztraminer is the most typical French (Alsatian) wine. A member of the Muscat family with rich, pungent character and flavors, it is full-bodied, low in acid, and slightly oily
in texture. Flavor qualities include honey, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, apricot, pear, and rose. Gewürztraminer can be made in dry or sweet varieties (ours is sweet) and is generally best enjoyed sooner rather than later post-bottling.
Winemaker's Notes: A 65% blend of Gewürztraminer grapes from our vineyard and 35% from Washington State, this wine is aged and matured in stainless steel to preserve the fresh character
of the flavor and aroma. Rich aromas of rose petal and violet, this wine is softly sweet with characteristics of honey and vanilla. The finish serves up beautiful spice notes making this
a wonderful summer wine. Released this month we made about 800 cases.
Food Pairings: These wines tend to pair well with Asian dishes or zesty-flavored fare like mexican, BBQ or chicken wings. The flavor and aromas often include rose, pear, citrus, spice and mineral. |
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In the vineyard... we are happy to have finished pruning and tying up the grapes. Next, we're getting ready to treat the vines with initial sprays of the season to control the weeds and fungi.
In the cellar... we are putting the finishing touches on the wines that were crafted during last years Winemaking Classes. Also, we just
finished filtering Peach Demi Sec -- so for all you fans, this mouth-watering favorite will be available at the DiVine Vodka Open House on May 23rd (see Upcoming Events above for details).
In the brewery...
we have our new bottling line up and running
(thanks to our friends from Dark Horse Brewing in Marshall, MI). Check out the photos of our test run.
Stay tuned... you'll be the first to know when the
6 packs are available! In the meantime, any beer still left in our 750 ml champagne bottles will be on sale for $5 until they're gone. What a deal! Stop in and get em' while they last! (Available at the Baroda, MI tasting room only.)
In the distillery... WOW! A LOT of you are excited about the new whiskey we are working on! We couldn't be happier about that, however it's going to be a bit longer before
it's available. Don't worry though, it'll be worth the wait! And we'll be sure to give you the 411 when it's finally ready.
Cheers for now,
Matthew, Scott, Jason, and Jim
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Here are some recipes featuring Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer as well recipes for all those Easter left-overs!
Enjoy! Sherrie
Grilled Ham & Swiss Sandwiches paired with Pinot Noir or Gewürztraminer
Grilled Lamb Kebabs paired with Pinot Noir
Garlic-Rubbed Pork Shoulder with Spring Vegetables paired with Pinot Noir
Chicken Pad Thai paired with Gewürztraminer
Jasmine Rice, Chicken and Almond Stir-Fry paired with Gewürztraminer
If you have a favorite recipe that you make with our products and want to share it email us...
if we like it and use it in our newsletter we will send you a $25 gift certificate! |
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In celebration of Michigan Wine Month we thought we would entertain you with some fun facts about Michigan Wines and the industry.
How many gallons of wine does Michigan produce annually?
Michigan's 64 commercial wineries produce more than 1 million gallons of wine annually, making Michigan 13th in wine production.
The vast majority of production is from Michigan-grown grapes.
How many acres of vineyards does Michigan boast?
Michigan has 14,600 acres of vineyards making Michigan the fourth largest grape-growing state.
- Most of this acreage is devoted to juice grapes such as Concord and Niagara.
- About 2,000 acres are devoted to wine grapes, making Michigan the eighth state in wine grape production in the nation.
- Vineyard area has increased more than 60% in the last 10 years.
What types of grapes are used for wine in Michigan?
Three types of grapes are used for wine in Michigan:
- Vinifera varieties - these are the classic European varieties such as Chardonnay, Riesling (the most widely planted white), Pinot Noir (the most widely planted red),
Pinot Grigio/Gris and Cabernet Franc; about 65% of Michigan's wine grapes are vinifera. Since 1997, 90% of the new plantings in Michigan have been vinifera varieties.
- Hybrid varieties (sometimes called French/American hybrids) - these are botanical crosses between vinifera varieties and grapes native to North America.
Typical names are Vidal, Chambourcin, Marechal Foch and Vignoles; about 35% of Michigan's wine grapes are hybrids.
- Native varieties - actually close relatives of true native varieties. Typical names are Concord and Niagara. About 3% of Michigan's wine is made from these varieties.
Email us your questions and we will answer it in our next newsletter!
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