iPICK iSTOMP iDRINK

It’s here!!!  The moment many of you have been waiting for!  The dates for the 2013 iPick, iStomp, iDrink!  After a cool spring, we anticipated a late harvest, starting in September; however, the heat we received in July moved our projections up.  The grapes look amazing and we’re anticipating a bumper crop this year!  If you need some convincing, below are some photos of the fun we've had over the years!

The dates for this year’s iPick will be:

August 24 (FULL)

August 31 

September 7 (FULL)

September 14  (FULL)

September 21 

Note: Picking dates are subject to change on short notice and are weather & grape ripeness dependent; grapes may be harvested faster than anticipated, therefore we recommend if you want to harvest to join us earlier in season.

Here are the details:

What:  Help Fireside Winery harvest the 2013 grapes.  In return, we’ll provide you with a lunch, free bottle of wine (for those 21 or older), grape stomp, production tour, and a 2013 harvest t-shirt.  Participants must be at least 15 years old to participate in the pick.

Where: Mainly at our Brickyard Hill Vineyard (Marengo, IA) about 5 miles west of the Winery.  Some picking will be done at the Winery.

Times: 7am-noon for picking; lunch and stomp to follow.

What to Bring:  Hat, sunscreen, gloves, water bottle and garden pruners if you have them.

REGISTER NOW: Send an email to Cassie Bott at cassie@firesidewinery.com to reserve your spot.  In your email, please identify the following information:
1) date(s) you’d like to attend (if you have an alternate date, please include)
2) the number in your party and their names
3) contact phone number for group leader
4) t-shirt sizes for those in your party

Fireside Winery, Marengo, Iowa
Please enjoy our wines responsibly.

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.