Simple Pairings: Brunch

Just in time for Mothers' Day on May 12, Fireside Winery is offering a few brunch ideas for fairly effort-free fun paired with several of our wines. See suggestions and recipes below.

BEVERAGE SUGGESTIONS

photo: tasty-trials.com

Offer chilled Serenade, BLU, or Firefly as an alternative to grape juice or mimosas and cut calories simultaneously. Add a decorative and tasty flair to a glass of BLU or Firefly by slicing a fresh strawberry from the tip almost to the stem, placing it on the rim of the glass.

BLU, a semi-sweet blend of Geisenheim and Seyval Blanc grapes, is refreshing white wine on its own, but it also adds a complementary touch when paired with egg dishes, French toast, fruit, cheeses or rolls.

Firefly, a slightly sweeter blush, also pairs well with breakfast dishes including plain Greek yogurt parfaits. Firefly adds a fruity note to croissants or other breads such as a bacon muffin. 

Serenade, with its Concord sweetness, can serve as a grape juice alternative or a dessert, and provides a sweet finish to homemade muffins.

BRUNCH RECIPE IDEAS (and Wine Pairing Recommendations)
Stuffed French Toast (BLU, Firefly)

1 loaf French, Italian or Texas Toast bread:  cut full loaves into slices 1.5" thick; if it is too fresh, allow it to set uncovered until easier to slice. Using a serrated knife, cut halfway down through the center of each slice, making a pocket with the tip of the knife. Spoon 1 1/2-2 teaspoons filling into pocket.

Filling: 

1 8-oz. pkg cream cheese                              1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1/2 cup chopped dates                                   1 1/2 tsp vanilla

a little milk

Mix all together. If done ahead, the flavors blend and the dates soften; be sure to stir again before filling bread slices.

Dipping Mixture:

4 eggs                                                             1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup of whatever milk you prefer, including cream or evaporated or a mixture

1 tsp cinnamon                                                           1/4 tsp nutmeg

Whisk together. Dip stuffed bread into mixture. Brown both sides in a small amount of melted butter.

Apricot Glaze (optional):

1 lb jar apricot preserves                                1/2 cup orange juice

Heat together, stirring. Use as toast topping. Maple syrup or powdered sugar are tasty alternatives.

(HINT: to save time in the morning, prepare the slices the evening before, making sure to lightly brown so as not to dry them out. Arrange in single layer in cake pan or cookie sheet, covering well.  Allow to come to room temperature then reheat in oven at 300 degrees or less in the morning. Leave covered at first, then uncovered if necessary.)

Yogurt Parfait (Firefly)

Layer plain Greek yogurt and fresh or previously frozen fruit of your choice topped with granola in a clear glass.  If you need sweetness added, consider agave syrup. 

 
Click on any of the links below for more breakfast recipes ideas.

Iowa Girl Eats Crock Pot Breakfast (BLU)

photo: IowaGirlEats.com

Bacon Muffin (BLU, Firefly, Serenade) 

photo: brooklynfarmhouse.com

Irishsoda bread with Rosemary (BLU)

Help Wanted: Full Time Weekend Tasting Room Manager

Fireside Winery is seeking a Full Time Weekend Tasting Room Manager.  The full description for the position is detailed below.   If you're interested in learning more about this position or joining our team, please contact Cassie Bott at 319-662-4222 or cassie@firesidewinery.com.

Position/Title:  Weekend Tasting Room Manager                           Posting Date:  4/24/13

Reports to:  Onsite Manager

Type:  Full Time Hourly

Hours:  35-50 hours per week; 2 weekends per month (Sat & Sun); most special events

Pay Scale:  based on experience

Job Location:  Marengo, Iowa

JOB SUMMARY
The Weekend Tasting Room Manager will be responsible for general operations within the tasting room on weekends and 2-3 days per week.  Duties include supervising tasting room staff, ensuring high levels of customer service, enforcing safe wine service, general winery cleanliness and proper inventory levels of all available products and services.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

1.      Assist customers with wine sampling and purchases.

2.      Provide excellent customer service.  Suggest areas for improvement.

3.      Become proficient with Fireside Winery’s Point of Sale System (VinNOW).  Be able to program, train and resolve issues with VinNOW.

4.      Reconcile daily receipts and identify/resolve inaccuracies

5.      Direct Tasting Room staff in regards to productivity, customer service and training.

6.      Open and close winery.  Ensuring the facility is safe and secure prior to leaving site.

7.      Identify training needs for winery staff and make appropriate educational suggestions to complete those training needs.  Develop and lead training sessions.

8.      Manage inventories of food, wine and retail items.

a.      Perform random inventory audits

b.      Keep food inventory on hand as determined by Onsite Manager

c.       Identify needs in gift and retail area; assist Onsite Manager with orders

d.      Maintain clean back stock area; ensure all retail items are stocked in front

9.      Monitor winery cleanliness inside and on winery grounds.

a.      Ensure winery sanitation and cleanliness standards are being complied with within winery and kitchen

b.      Work individually and with staff to make sure all facilities are clean at all times

10.  Be/become knowledgeable on winemaking and of Fireside Winery’s history, current productions and Fireside wines.

11.  Provide basic winery tours upon visitor request.

12.  Maintain a good working relationship with all winery staff.

13.  Enforce safety guidelines in regarding wine service, food safety, etc.

14.  Manage donation requests.  Compile by date, make recommendations to Onsite Manager.  Assist with fulfillment of requests.

15.  Create monthly schedule for part time staff. Coordinate multiple staff schedules.

16.  Oversee procedures for Fan Club member processing in VinNOW including renewals and special mailings.

17.  Work with minimal supervision and make decisions in the best interest of the winery and customer if owners or Onsite Manager is not available for consultation.

18.  Effectively communicate with owners and Onsite manager of problems and opportunities identified.  Suggest solutions.

19.  Assist Onsite manager wherever necessary i.e. special events, wine tastings, merchandising, etc.

20.  Advise the Onsite Manager of areas where the company can save money and promote company efficiencies.

21.  Other duties as assigned by owners.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

1.                  During the first week of employment, the new hire must complete the following training:

1. Introduction to Wine
2. State of Iowa Alcohol Service training

2.                  New hire must be physically able to:

1. Lift and move 45 lb cases of wine.
2. While carrying wine; bend, reach, squat, pull, and push.

3.                  Operate a motor vehicle.  Possess a valid drivers license and a clean driving record.

4.                  Proficiently use Microsoft Word, Excel

5.                  Email literate and ability to conduct professional business correspondence

6.                  Ability to operate calculator

7.                  Prior customer service experience

The following are not required but preferred:

1.                  Knowledge of wine making

2.                  Appreciation of wine

3.                  Prior management experience

4.                  Experience with VinNOW computer software or other Point of Sale Systems

Your Mother Will Love It

Still thinking of how to treat your mom this Mother's Day, Sunday, May 12th?  How about a Sunday afternoon picnic at Fireside's Brickyard Hill Vineyard?  

New this year, Fireside Winery is opening up its Vineyard, located 5 miles west of the Winery, to wine friends who would like to enjoy a relaxing and casual picnic among the vines.  The picnics are offered on the 2nd Sunday of each month, May - September, and will provide visitors with a chance to see how the grape vines unfold from buds in May to full, ripe berries in September.  


For $25, we'll provide a gourmet boxed lunch, bottle of wine, water and a blanket, all to be enjoyed at the Vineyard.   Reservations for lunches are required by the Thursday prior at 4 pm.  Call or email Cassie Bott, 319-662-4222 or cassie@firesidewinery.com.

On May 12, the picnic will consist of a Poppyseed Chicken Pita, Italian pasta, and a Peanut Butter Brownie.  And of course, wine and bottled water.  

Times for the event are 11:30 am to 1:30 pm and will be held rain or shine.  All parties attending the event should meet at the Winery at 11:15 am, and we'll travel in caravan to the Vineyard.  In the event of rain, the picnic will take place at Fireside Winery.  Feel free to bring extra blankets or camping chairs as well.

After the picnic we encourage you to come on over to listen to the Sunday Afternoon Tunes at the Winery.

Second Sunday dates for the 2013 season are: 
May 12, June 9, July 14, August 11 and September 8.

Doing our Part for Mother Earth

I love this plaque (available at the winery) to honor Earth Day.  

FIRESIDE - RECYCLES
Wine is one of many reasons we all need to do our part to protect Mother Earth.  Here at Fireside, we do our part by recycling.  Not only do we recycle cardboard, aluminum and plastic containers, we also collect all glass materials including our bottles and send them to a local redemption center where it is crushed down to be made into new glass products.  

I found this interesting article from the National Geographic about glass container recycling .  The article  stated, "Unlike many other recyclables, glass can be recycled an unlimited number of times." http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/glass-container-recycling-2826.html

Recycled Glass Container at Fireside Winery

FIRESIDE - REDUCES
Another green initiative Fireside Winery practices is using steam to clean our wine storage tanks and equipment.  Last year we invested in a new steam cleaning system.  Steam created by this system sterilizes the equipment without the use of harsh and environmentally harmful chemicals so we are able to reduce the amount of toxins that could potentially impact our air and water quality.  

FIRESIDE - REUSES
One of the main themes you'll find on our Pinterest page is to reuse many of wines bi-products (i.e. barrels, corks and bottles) to create beautiful things for your home or garden.  We invite you to check out our many pins but here are just a few of our favorites.

Free Wine in March

Well, that's one way to look at the savings potential during our bi-annual Case Sale weekend.  How is that, you ask?  Well on the weekend of March 22-24, Fireside Winery will be having its ever popular, bi-annual CASE SALE.  Case purchases (12 bottles or more) will receive a 20% discount.  If you figure the average cost of a bottle is $12, the 20% off savings for a case would be about $28.  So you see, the savings equals a little more than 2 bottles of wine for that particular case.  Now that's a deal worth driving for. 

Case Sale Weekend  March 22-24

We often get asked if the cases can be mixed and yes, they certainly can.  Also, Fan Club members may renew their memberships during this time if their within they're renewal period (call the winery if you're not sure).   We will not, however, enroll new Fan Club members during this weekend at the 20% discount.  To become a Fan Club member during the Case Sale weekend, the first case must be purchased with the normal 10% discount.

Fireside Winery offers the bi-annual case sales in March and November of each year.  This year's Spring Case Sale happens to be the weekend before Easter, a holiday where wine is commonly enjoyed with the festive meal.  Ham is often served during the Easter holiday. For white wine pairing ideas, we suggest our BLU, Firefly or Storyteller. These slightly sweet wines will be a great balance to the saltiness of the ham.  If you prefer red wines, we suggest a lighter styled red such as our Hearthstone or Frontenac that wouldn't overpower the meat.  And for dessert, forget that huge chocolate bunny you've been eyeing in your kid's Easter basket, and go for your own heavenly delight with a glass of our new chocolate and raspberry infused dessert wine, Sweetheart.  

Stay Home Date Night Ideas

While writing our upcoming e-newsletter, I began researching on the web for some date night Valentine's Day ideas that you can do at home.  I found a few websites that had some great ideas so I thought I'd combine my favorites from each page and make my own list.  Almost all of the ideas listed below would pair well with a bottle of Fireside wine.

Conversation Heart Bath Fizzies by Bathgasm 

• Make heart shaped pancakes for breakfast
• Spread a blanket on the living room floor and have an indoor picnic.
• Read old cards and letters from each other to one another.
• Dress up for your evening at home.
• Enjoy fast food or carry out pizza by candlelight on the living room coffee table by candlelight!
• Have fun with some of your favorite board games like Monopoly, cards, etc and have fun!
• Order wine from your favorite winery and have it delivered direct to your door.
• Surprise your love with a bubble bath for two.
• Bake cookies together.
• Have dinner in bed!
• Stage a progressive love dinner and serve each course in a different room with the dessert ending up in the bedroom!
• Plan a romantic dinner, with wine or champagne, candles, music... and just relish each other's company.
• Take a deck of 52 cards. Assign each card a thing to do. For example, Aces get a kiss, etc. Shuffle the deck and spread the cards out. You and your honey take turns drawing cards. Whatever a card says to do, your honey must do. Be creative with your ideas and have fun!
• Challenge your partner to a game of Wii bowling or any other fun sport that gets the heart pumping!!
• Hide Hershey's kisses around your home, and tell him or her to save the tags for real life redemption!
• If you're not married... propose! If you're married... propose again!!
• Take out the photo albums and stroll through memory lane; 
• Pop a batch of popcorn and curl up with your favorite movie (or the first movie you ever watched together)
• Call your favorite radio station and dedicate a song to your love.
• Every time you walk through a door together, kiss.
• Give her/him a quick foot or back massage. 
• Cook a gourmet meal together, or forget the main course and go right to dessert. Whipped cream is great … for sundaes, of course.

Got Plans for Valentine's Day?

If you've been shopping anywhere lately, I'm sure you've noticed all the pink and red hearts all over the place that signify Valentine's Day is approaching soon.  So what are you're plans for that day?  If you're like me, I like to wait until that day to decide my plans which rules out a lot of the fancy dinners where you need a reservation weeks in advance.  I'm also not a fan of paying super inflated prices for a dinner that is doubled or tripled on that day just because, well, its Valentine's Day.  

So what are some other options?  We'll, I have two fun ideas for you that, of course, involve Fireside Winery, require little planning and are very affordable.  The first idea is to bring your sweet heart out to Fireside Winery that evening to enjoy some of your favorite wine and our favorite acoustic guitarist Billy Heller.  If you haven't heard Billy before, you're really missing out.  He has an amazing voice that can sound like James Taylor one second and Willy Nelson the next.  I'd also like to mention we don't discriminate here at the winery so if you just want to come out and enjoy some live music with just your friends, that's fine by us too.  And to sweeten the deal, be sure to save room for dessert because Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory will be onsite sampling and selling their delicious truffles and creams.


Now for idea number two.  If you're from the Cedar Rapid area, you should join us at the newly opened NewBo City Market.  We'll be pouring samples of wine along with a dozen or more other Iowa wineries from 4-8pm. This event, named the Great Grapes of Iowa Wine Festival, was originally scheduled for December last year but due to a blizzard, the event was rescheduled for Valentine's Day.  So for a $10 donation to HACAP, you get a keepsake glass and ability to try wines from all over the state.  And the wines arent the only fun thing to sample at the market.  I'd be sure to check out all the other fabulous food vendors such as the Newbo Cheese Co or That One Cupcake Place (try the Chocolate Everything cupcake!!)  

Of course, you could just pick up a bottle of Fireside wine from your location retailer or from the winery (we ship too!) and enjoy a quiet evening at home too.  Sometimes watching TV on your couch with your super soft pj's and a glass of wine in your hand is the best seat in the house!