Simple Pairings: Dinner Ideas with Red Wines

An additional note to our earlier post regarding pairing Fireside white wines with dinner menus: our recently released LaCrosse, made with Iowa-grown white grapes, would pair well with most of the suggested recipes from the June 10 blog. It is an off-dry white which pairs nicely with food and provides a refreshing respite from summer heat. 

BEVERAGE SELECTIONS

CoCo and Cordovan are both dry red wines made from grapes that cannot grow in harsh Iowa winters. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are used for CoCo, and red Zinfandel grapes are primary in our Cordovan.

 

CoCo enhances the flavor of any red meat, but we have a recipe for rib eye steak you may not have tried before. Choose sides of potato halves and green beans with mushrooms to round out your meal.

Ribeye Steak with Red Wine Pan Sauce  (CoCo)

http://www.dadcooksdinner.com/2010/05/ribeye-steak-saute-with-red-wine-pan.html 

(if grilling is not an option, use ½ cup of CoCo for the pan sauce.) 

Baked Potato Halves 

1 potato per guest, scrubbed and halved lengthwise  Butter                                                                        Seasoning salt

Dried or fresh parsley                                  Parmesan cheese, if desired

Heat oven to 350 degrees (can be higher or lower to accommodate other dishes in oven). Melt enough butter to cover bottom of appropriately-sized baking dish. Sprinkle desired amount of seasoning salt and dried parsley over butter.

 
Arrange potatoes, cut side down, in buttered baking dish. Dot tops of potatoes with a little more butter. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes to 1 hour, depending on oven temperature, number of items in oven and rack location.

Remove when fork tender. Flip each potato over. Add cheese if desired. Just before serving, set oven to broil and brown the cut sides. Can serve with sour cream or ranch style dressing.

Green beans with mushrooms (or bacon or other favorite preparation) and the zucchini medley both make nutritious side dishes for the rib eye or the marinara dinner. The garlic bread loaf featured below is also a tasty accompaniment to either main course.

Marinara (Cordovan)
Use Cordovan for the red wine listed in this recipe. 

http://www.mommiecooks.com/2011/09/09/homemade-marinara-sauce/

Zucchini Medley

Zucchini            Fresh tomatoes             Mushrooms               Minced Garlic

Choose at least 2 other fresh vegetables to blend with the zucchini (carrots, green beans, onions, yellow squash, kale, spinach etc)

Sauté most dense vegetables and garlic first in small amount of olive oil. When they approach tender crisp, add at least 1 tomato with its juice. Add more tomatoes, mushrooms and squash last - unless you are using kale or spinach, both of which should be last - and cook until they have reached desired tenderness. Freshly grated parmesan can be sprinkled on top.

Garlic Loaf

1 loaf French or Italian bread, sliced in half lengthwise

Butter                                                              Minced garlic

Italian seasoning (optional)                             Cheese, if desired

Place loaf halves side-by-side on a cookie sheet. Butter them. Spread or sprinkle minced garlic over them. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning (optional). 

Put in oven to warm. Remove to add cheese if using it (parmesan, mozzarella, Italian blend, rounds of provolone). Cut into slices or chunks to serve.

Sangria Recipes Wanted

On August 3rd, we're hosting a Sangria Sunset Party with live music performed by OSG Soul. We are inviting fans to submit their favorite sangria recipes in to our Sangria Contest  The winning recipe winner will be awarded a $25 Fireside gift certificate and we will serve their signature concoction at the winery that day.  Recipes for consideration should be mailed to Cassie Bott (cassie@firesidewinery.com) by July 29th.

Fireside has served up some delicious Sangrias of their own.  Below are some recipes we've enjoyed.

  

Blonde Sangrias”

1 Bottle of white wine (Such as Fireside's BLU)

1/2 cup Welch’s Essentials (White Grape, Peach, Mango)

1/2 cup Ginger Ale (or more to taste)

1 orange, 1 peach, and 6 strawberries – sliced

Combine, stir, chill and serve. 

Dolce St. Croix Sangria – “St. Grias”

1 Bottle of Fireside Winery - Dolce St. Croix

1/3 cup Apple, Blueberry, Pomegranate Juice

1/3 cup lemon lime soda (or more to taste)

1 orange, 1 peach, and 6 strawberries – sliced

Combine, stir, chill and serve. 



For more Sangria recipe ideas, visit our Pinterest Page.  

Fireside Winery Home to Iowa’s Largest Wine Bottle

Watch out for brake lights and slow moving cars while passing by Fireside Winery in rural Iowa County thanks to a new attraction.  On Thursday, June 13^th, Iowa’s largest wine bottle was unveiled on the front lawn of Fireside Winery.  The metal wine bottle, measuring13’ 7” and weighing 1820 pounds was constructed by local metal artist, Randy Schnebbe.  Randy and his wife, AJ, are the owners of RS Welding Studio in Victor, Iowa which specializes in handcrafted, metal yard creations and has been in business for over 8 years. 

Fireside Winery proudly displays and sells RS Welding’s wine and garden art creations in their tasting room.  The idea for the wine bottle started 2 years ago, after Fireside received so many positive comments from Randy’s 291 wine bottle Christmas tree that he let them showcase in front of the winery during the holidays.  “It was fun to see how many people where snapping photos of it and that got us thinking, we should have a larger than life wine bottle for them to take pictures with too,” said Fireside Winery owner, Rona Wyant. 

Mr. Schnebbe was up for the challenge and got started with the project last year when he located a used Anhydrous Ammonia tank for the base of the bottle.  With the help of his cousin, Peter Miller (Vancouver, WA), they spent nearly 40 hours on the project which included sandblasting the exterior, removing the interior plumbing, adding the bottle neck and stabilizing feet, and fabricating the Fireside Winery label.  It took two material handling vehicles and 5 men to move the monstrous wine bottle from the transport to its new home located adjacent to Fireside Winery’s driveway on Thursday.. 

Fireside Winery owners, Bill and Rona Wyant also farm corn and soybeans near Marengo, Iowa so it’s fitting the new wine bottle shares a history of agriculture and is now part of their newer venture in the wine business.  Both Fireside and RS Welding are excited to share the new wine bottle with the public and hope it has a positive impact to both businesses.  To build excitement for the new creation, both businesses plan on running a Facebook Contest for fans to guess how many bottles of wine would actually fit inside the metal bottle.  Become a fan of Fireside Winery and RS Welding Studio on Facebook and watch for more details as they become available.  

Randy Schnebbe and Peter Miller

William Wyant

Randy giving it his final touches

Cheers to Iowa's Largest Wine Bottle at Fireside Winery

Simple Pairings: Dinner Ideas and White Wine Pairings

Dinner suggestions for pairing with our wines offer both inside cooking and grilling options. Enjoy your Fireside wine while you prepare these recipes as well as during your meal!

BEVERAGE SELECTIONS

Seyval, made of Iowa-grown grapes, is our driest white wine and has a light, oaky goodness. It is very refreshing alone and pairs well with white and light meats and combinations with heavier sauces. For the palate that prefers a softer, yet light and crisp wine, pair our Riesling-style BLU with these same meals. If you are fortunate enough to have a bottle of Fireside Vignoles remaining in your wine rack, it would also be an enjoyable off-dry accompaniment for these recipes.

DINNER RECIPES (and pairing suggestions)

Photo by Jim Lamb

P. F. Chang's Lettuce 
Wraps with Chicken

(Seyval, BLU)

Chopping and mixing the chicken filling ahead of time can help make this entree come together quickly at meal time.

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/292/PF-Changs-Lettuce-Wraps-wit105082.shtml

Try dicing chicken in small pieces if ground chicken is not available.


Salmon with Dill and Caper Sauce (Seyval, BLU)

By Dash

This skinny skillet dinner is simple enough for a weeknight meal, requiring few steps, enabling you to enjoy a glass of Seyval while mixing the sauce.
http://www.dashrecipes.com/recipes/dr/s/salmon-with-dill-caper-sauce.html  

Peppered Pork Loin (Seyval, BLU)

Blogger Megan (writing on Brooklyn Farmhouse) presents this recipe as super easy, simple preparation with simple ingredients  - in other words, perfect as a recipe to pair with our wine on a weeknight or weekend.

Times Record News

http://www.brooklynfarmhouse.com/2008/11/30/pork-tenderloin-with-black-pepper/ 

 

Another simple and easy pork chop recipe has only 7 additional ingredients to add to the meat. 

Easy Pork Chops 

(Seyval, BLU) 

Grill 4 pork chops.

Melt 1 Tbs butter in skillet. 

Add 1 Tbs oil.

Add mushrooms and lightly saute.

Add 1 cup any flavor broth and 2 Tbs chives.

Stir to blend, then warm chops in the mixture.

Remove chops to serving platter and keep warm.

Add 1/2 cup light cream and 2 tsp Dijon mustard. Bring to a boil, stirring until reduced and thickened to taste, adding salt and pepper if desired.

Serve with noodles or rice.  

A tasty side for the above dishes is applesauce, so two options given below are ideas for homemade versions.

Crock Pot Applesauce

http://myfrugaladventures.com/2012/10/easy-crock-pot-applesauce-recipe/http://myfrugaladventures.com/2012/10/easy-crock-pot-applesauce-recipe/

Stovetop Applesauce 

Peel, core and chunk apples of your choices. Cook on stovetop on low with a very small amount of water. Watch, stir and add water as needed. When cooked down to your texture preference, add cinnamon or other spices to taste (red hot candies are a fun option, but need to be added earlier, allowing time to melt).  Serve warm or cooled as desired.

  

Fireside Winery offers guests covered and enclosed areas in which to enjoy our live music Friday nights, 7-10, and Sunday afternoons, 2-5. We have you protected rain or shine, so come on out to try our wines and listen to some wonderful groups and soloists! Find our events listing at www.firesidewinery.com/events.

Simple Pairings: Lunch

 
Considering that the picnic season is about to kick off with Memorial Day weekend just around the corner, our luncheon suggestions can be loaded up and carried to your favorite sanctuary. That is not to say, however, that these recipes wouldn't be just as tasty on your deck or in your kitchen!

Be sure white and blush wines are thoroughly chilled and remain in a cooling device. They may not spoil as your main course might, but keeping them at a lower temperature will greatly enhance flavors.

BEVERAGE SELECTIONS

BLU, a refreshing blend of Geisenheim and Seyval Blanc grapes, is reminiscent of a German Riesling. This semi-sweet white wine will pair well with all recipe suggestions.

Seyval is made with Iowa-grown Seyval grapes and is Fireside's driest white wine. For those who prefer something less sweet than the sandwich, it will pair well with the chicken salad.


Storyteller is one of our sweeter whites. Made from Vignoles and Chardonel grapes, it offers tropical aromas and will pair with the sweet-sour flavor of the strawberries and the dessert.

Firefly, our semi-sweet blush, is blend of Cayuga and Catawba grapes with some of our red wine added for color. It finishes with a little tartness which is unlike most blushes.

Spark is our Iowa blush made using Edelweiss and LaCrosse grapes with a splash of Zinfandel. With floral aromas and juicy, melon flavors, it is considered sweet.

You can view all of our wine selections at http://firesidewinery.com/ .

LUNCH RECIPES (and pairing suggestions)

Chicken Salad Sandwiches (BLU, Seyval)
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Curried-Chicken-Salad-Sandwiches

A green salad of baby spinach, Mandarin oranges and sliced almonds tossed lightly with a balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing just before dining makes a tasty accompaniment.
 
Tropical Salad (BLU, Storyteller)
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tropical-salad-with-pineapple-vinaigrette/ 

These wines complement this salad and picnic additions such as freshly cut pears and apples and the strawberries as prepared below. Add a double cream Brie cheese and water crackers to round out your meal.
                                         
Balsamic Strawberries (BLU, Storyteller)
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/strawberries-   with-balsamic-vinegar/ 
                                     
Fruit Cup or Slush (Firefly, Spark)
Make frozen fruit cups consisting of dark berries, strawberries, tart cherries and purple grapes mixed with a small amount of juice of choice ahead of time. You could choose to add wine when assembling them to make slushies, or add a splash of wine to help thawing when you are ready to enjoy this tasty treat.

If you want a more typical dessert that would pair with these wines try a galette, a portable, rustic fruit pie-style dish. A sample recipe is below.
 

Photo by http://www.thelovelycupboard.com

Strawberry and Brie Galette (Firefly, Spark)
http://www.thelovelycupboard.com/2012/05/balsamic-strawberries-and-brie-galette.html  

Fireside Winery hopes you enjoy this weekend and all the picnic days in 2013.

And, remember: if you don't want the hassle of making an outdoor meal, order your picnic lunch, a bottle of wine and water to enjoy at our Second Sunday Picnic in the Vineyard. The next one is June 9; call by Thursday, June 6, to make your reservation with Cassie 319-662-4222.

Night Sky Adventure at Fireside Winery

Many visitors may have memories of toasty-warm, crackling fire pits, lively music, delicious wine and gorgeous sunsets when they think of Fireside Winery. With all the fun that's happening on the ground, we often forget to look up and enjoy the beauty above us.  That's why, on Saturday, June 1st, we've partnered with the Astronomy Club of Iowa City to offer our friends a Night Sky Adventure.   

If you love stargazing, have an urge to learn more about astronomy or are just looking for a unique experience, then join us on this special evening.   Astronomy Club members will be on hand to answer questions and guide our eyes through the night sky. They will also be bringing a telescope or two to share with the public for the evening.

We will start making our way to the observation area behind the Winery around 8:30 pm, but you're welcome to show up anytime that evening as we'll leave the doors open after 6:00 pm. You might want to arrive a bit early to allow time to "discover" the perfect wine for stargazing! There is no cost to attend this event; however, we would prefer reservations so please email Cassie Bott, cassie@firesidewinery.com or call the winery at 319-662-4222.

We suggest bringing the following items with you:

-Flashlight for walking. We'll keep as many lights off as possible to enhance your sky gazing experience.
-A chair or blanket for sitting.
-Binoculars for viewing.
-Long pants and sweatshirt, weather permitting.

-Bug spray if you're susceptible to getting bites.

For more information on the Iowa City Astronomy Club visit:  http://icastronomy.org/