Set your alarms! Mark your calendars! Saturday is the good ‘vine’brations harvest festival!

The bless-ed time is upon us, dear Soldier Creek-ians! The harvest is *nearly* in (keep us in your good thoughts while we try to finish it up this week!) and we are ready to CELEBRATE! 

This is our time to have a festival and give you all something to party about! So, in true harvest style, put on some flannel and bring your slushie cups– we’re getting ready to throw down on some fun!

Here’s what you need to know:

WHEN: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND

TIME: 10AM-8PM

WHERE: SOLDIER CREEK WINERY– 1584 PARAGON AVE, FORT DODGE

sO, WHAT CAN YOU DO AT THE GOOD ‘VINE’BRATIONS HARVEST FESTIVAL?

Lots! Here’s the low down:

winding vine market:

Find just what you’re looking for in our open-air market nestled amongst the vines. I mean, not only is it scenic, there’s some pretty great LOCAL makers and vendors coming! The market starts at 10:00am and ends at 6:00pm. #shoplocal

STOCK UP with these vendors:
LimeLife by Alcone
LuLaRoe
Scentsy
Addison James Fashion Boutique
Tupperware
Usborne Books & More
Lipsense
Matilda Jane Clothing
DotDotSmile Little Miss M
Perfectly Posh

SHOP these fabulous vintage & handmade vendors:
Barrel Me This – Wine Barrel Furniture
White Barn Market – Vintage furniture and goods
Designed by Cary – Repurposed Jewelry
SueZee Soaps Etc. – Hand Crafted Soaps and Bath
K&E Beads – Custom Stamped Jewelry
First Footprint – Native American Sterling Silver
The Craft Addict – Wood and Pallet Home Decor Signs
Boone Forks Forge – Metal art, decor, gifts
The Upcycle Market – Vintage furniture and gifts
Faith & the Farmhouse – Handcrafted Candles
Geckopaw – Unique and Custom Jewelry

 

live music:

What even is Soldier Creek Winery without music? For that reason, we have live music all day!

11:00A-2:00P>> Beaver Creek 4
2:30P-5:30P>>> Jessica McClintock
6:00P-8:00P>> Lone Tree Revival

The lawn chairs will be set up in their usual spot on the lawn, the weather looks fine (high of 71 OMG YAY!), and the wine is delicious as always 🙂

grape stomp tournament:

STOMP. LIKE. LUCY.

Now’s your chance! Except, we have a few reasons why our grape stomping is way more fun than Lucy’s:

• PRIZES!
• You could win a case of wine!
• A CASE!
• THAT’S 12 BOTTLES!
• You get to stomp on grapes like you’ve always wanted to!
• YOU COULD WIN A CASE OF WINE!

Well, what do you think? Pretty good reasons, huh? I’m sure you have questions, here are the answers:

How long is the grape stomp tournament?
>> We heard you last year, so this year we shortened the tournament up! The qualifying round starts at 1:00PM and the final 4 teams will compete for the CASE OF WINE at 5:30P.

What are the prizes?
>>Every participant gets a stemless wine glass, the winners of the qualifying round (24 teams) get an *exclusive* Harvest Fest t-shirt (featuring our WINOSAUR stomping his heart out!), the winners of the semi-final rounds (4 teams) wins a bottle of wine to share, and the GRAND PRIZE is a CASE OF WINE.

Won’t I be dirty? How will I enjoy the rest of the day?
>> Fear not! We have a wash station complete with loofahs, soap, and aloe! We are prepared!

What is the entry fee?
>>The entry fee is $35 per team.

Can kids stomp?
>> Sadly, no. Since some of the prizes are alcoholic beverages, this tournament is limited to participants that are 21 and older.

How can I sign up?
>> You can sign up here! If there is still space, we will accept sign-ups on the day-of as well.

What are the rules?
>>Here’s a handy graphic:

winery tours and hayrack vineyard tours

Ever wonder just how big the vineyard was? Well, hop on the hayrack and take a tour with the Vineyard Manager! Bring your inquiries, but not your libations.

Do you want to see all the equipment we use to process the grapes and make the wine? Be in the winery for the start of a winery tour with ME (Meg)! Libations welcome. Questions too 🙂

food and treats vendors

Of course, we will feed you! You can grab some delish food or treats from these vendors:

Grub Hub
Pliners Kettle Corn
Schmidt’s BBQ
The Dariette

lastly, pull up a chair at our outdoor beer & wine tent!

It’ll be set up right next to the Grape Stomp tent so you can enjoy a beverage while you watch your competition stomp! We’ll have napkins and pens so you can write up your game plan on how to win a case of wine 🙂

 

I cannot wait to see you all there!

saturday september 22
10a-8p

with midbest love,

Meg

We invite you to help us celebrate a truly wonderful person

In June, we have a reason to celebrate someone. Someone with years of really great service. Someone who has been with us since the very beginning. Some who is pretty much family in all but name. Someone who inspires us. Someone who makes us better!

Please, help us raise a glass to Mary. 

Mary has been with us since the very beginning

“I remember she had just retired from teaching and we snatched her up.” says Anne. “And John [Mary’s husband] wasn’t very happy!” adds Amanda.

We have had the distinct pleasure of having Mary with us every step of the way, from our first attempts at crawling as a small business to our *current attempt* to run with the other big Iowa wineries.

“I love Mary so much, and I’ll miss her! She’s been like family since the very beginning of the winery. I’m sad to see her go, but I’m happy Griffin [Mary’s grandson] gets her!” said Tammi when I asked her how she felt.

I can personally say, it’s hard to find someone you want to simultaneously work with and share a glass of wine with. Mary is that lady– it’s easy to share a laugh, a smile, or a fond memory with her. And, she keeps it real. Working in customer service can be a challenging task, but Mary was always up for it and handled everything with a smile.

We’ve definitely changed as a business and “location” over the years (4 in July, guys!!) and Mary has been there through it all. But, she isn’t just a sentient being keeping the winery running–  she’s an idea woman, she’s an inspiration, she’s helping the winery run more efficiently, she’s just so much.

“She’s always been full of ideas for us to do business better, sell wine better, and keep customers happier. And, no matter what, she was always very positive.” says Anne, the winemaker.

Whether you’re in the winery family, you’re a customer, or a anyone…

Mary always makes you feel welcome. She had a real knack for helping you through the wine list, too!

“I’m sad that Mary is leaving, but I’m happy she’ll be able to retire closer to her grandson. They’ll have fun in the next phase of their life. Mary was so able in the winery, I’ll miss her ability to smile and greet every person entering the winery with fairness. Mary seemed very happy to see us succeed and was willing to do whatever was necessary to make it happen. That was very comforting for me.” said Bill.

If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of Mary’s helpfulness, you know what we mean. She doesn’t just help you– she teaches you, she shows you how.

“I really appreciate everything Mary has done for us. She helped us get things off the ground. She has put regimens in place that we still use! Also, she genuinely cares about Soldier Creek like we do. I will miss her so much!” says Amanda, the tasting bar manager and event coordinator.

In the last year, we welcomed a new member to our winery family– Cora. When we first brought her to the winery after she was born to introduce her to Mary, it was like introducing her to family.

“It’s always so nice to see her smile the moment you walk in the door. Her attitude was always so nice and welcoming for us to bring in Cora. ” says Rob, the vineyard manager.

We will miss mary dearly, but we are happy to see her move closer to her family.

But, if we can go back to the metaphor of Soldier Creek being a child for one minute, perhaps this is like a Mama letting her baby go out into the world once they’ve grown up a bit? We still have a lot of growing to do, but Mary has helped us learn and has given us the tools we need to succeed. And, for that, we are forever grateful.

with midbest love,

Meg

It’s may! The best time of year to celebrate iowa wine!

The sun is shining, the birds are singing their little hearts out, the bulbs are popping through the earth, and it’s finally getting a bit greener! What better time to celebrate the deliciousness of Iowa wine? Fingers crossed we don’t get a last ditch effort to dash all of our hopes of Spring from Mother Nature.

back to the important stuff

Wine. But more importantly, Iowa wine. Let’s talk about some fun facts about the Iowa Wine Industry! (The following information was compiled and shared to us by the Iowa Wine Growers Association, Thanks!)

• iowa is home to 95 wineries

• the maréchal foch grape was named after french marshal ferdinand foch who served as allied supreme commander of the british, french, and american armies in france during world war i. foch isn’t known for direct involvement in wine, but the french grape is named after him all the same.

• grapes were grown in the council bluffs area as early as 1857.

• iowa ranked 11th in grape production in the u.s. in 1899, then 6th in  1919.

• the 1900 u.s. agricultural census showed that iowa produced 7,403,900 pounds of grapes and 76.301 gallons of wine.

• these are the 3 reasons iowa’s grape industry disappeared in the mid-1900’s:

  • The use of the highly volatile 2,4-D herbicide on corn and pastures starting in the mid-1940’s
  • The Armistice Blizzard on November 11, 1940
  • Iowa’s crop base moving to more row crop production– primarily because of the USDA farm subsidy programs

• in 1964 a regional ban was imposed on 2,4-d herbicide formulations in the 5 counties where most of iowa’s grapes were being grown: muscatine, lee, harrison, mills, & pottawattamie.

• in 2010, iowa was nationally ranked #23 in wine production and #15 in number of wineries.

• iowa has 270 commercial vineyards throughout the state, encompassing about 1,200 acres.

• grape vines are pruned in late winter or early spring with about 90% of the previous year’s growth being removed.

• there are 40+ different grape cultivars being grown in iowa to produce iowa wines.

• the grape harvest season typically runs from early august through mid-october.

• grape yields can be anywhere from 3-8 tons per acre.

• one ton of grapes will typically yield 140-160 gallons of juice.

• grape vines are very sensitive to 2,4-d and dicamba (phenoxy type) herbicides used to kill broadleaves in lawns, crops, pastures, and roadside ditches.

• it takes approximately 150-200 hours of vineyard labor per acre per year to produces a crop of grapes in iowa.

• to harvest a full crop of iowa wine grapes, it typically takes 75-100 hours of labor.

• iowa grape growers cover their vines with netting to keep birds from eating all of their grapes.

• terroir (ter-wah) is a french term that describes the special characteristics that the geography, soils, and climate bestow on the wine. iowa has over 400 types of soils and many different types of geography that can affect the terroir of the wines.

• as of june of 2016, there were 7 mechanical harvesters in iowa.

• it takes about 500 grapes to produce a standard 750 ml bottle of iowa wine.

• iowa wineries are allowed to purchase beer wholesale for retail sale in their wineries. in 2017, iowa breweries were able to purchase wine wholesale for retail sale in their tasting/tap rooms.

• “iowa” labeled wines require 75% of the grapes to be grown in iowa.

• Fort dodge, iowa is the home of “the grapevine magazine” a national grape and wine industry magazine.

• total wine production for the 2017 year was 389,546 gallons.

• in 2017, 55.2% of iowa produced wine was sold wholesale for resale, 44.6% was sold retail.

• iowans purchased an estimated 4,793,278 gallons of wine from wholesale and 294,474 gallons from native wineries for the 2017 year. that’s a 6% share of iowa’s overall wine marketplace.

• the average 21+ year-old iowan consumed 2.13 gallons of wine in 2017.

now you can impress all of your friends!

Take this Iowa wine knowledge, equip yourself with the truth of your beautiful state!

or

Play an Iowa Wine Trivia game…while drinking wine.

I won’t judge you.

with midbest love,

Meg

Okay okay, i know there’s still snow on the ground

For some nonsense reason we still have snow in April, but that’s not going to prevent me from looking ahead to the summertime! Especially since we have so many things planned for the summer and fall!

You know what, I have just the list for this occasion! Let me plan your summer fun for you 🙂

1. get your summer bod in order

Yeah, you heard me. Get fit at the winery! We have 8 sessions of Vinyasa in the Vineyard planned on select Wednesdays from May through August.

The cost is $16 per session. But, if you think you could commit to 6 of the 8 sessions, sign up for our punch card! We will keep the punch card at the winery for you (so you don’t have to remember it) and you can just show up to whatever 6 sessions you can make it to! No signing up in advance! No more hassle! Additionally, you can share the sessions with friends– you will each use a punch. This is a great way to not commit to so many but still get your yoga on! Oh, and the best part: you save $2 per session by getting a punch card!

You can sign up here for any session or a punch card. No yoga mat? No problem, just select “I would like to borrow a yoga mat” and we will provide one at no extra charge.

2. wine + chocolate

We are so pleased to offer this class in April and May! Start your summer off right by expanding your knowledge of wine pairings. Erika with The Chocolate Season will provide various chocolates to pair with 6 of our wines. She will walk you through the flavors you are and should be picking up when you try her chocolates with select Soldier Creek wines.

We are starting the inaugural classes on weekdays, but we may offer some weekend classes in the future, so stay tuned!

April’s class is closed, but you can sign up for the class on Tuesday, May 22nd here.

3. sunday live music

Of course, what summer adventure is complete without Sunday afternoon music at Soldier Creek? You can hear free, live music on the winery lawn every Sunday afternoon from May 27th until the weather turns cold!

Check the upcoming schedule of musicians here.

4. craft night

Usually, we would take a break from Craft Night during the summer– but we have decided to continue to offer Craft Night this summer!

Follow us on Facebook or join our new Facebook Group “Crafters of Soldier Creek Winery” to keep up to date on future crafts!

5. and last, but not least…

SLUSHIES!  Once the weather is warm, the slushies are coming out! Fingers crossed we can have them out by Memorial Day! I saved this one for last because I know it’s your favorite summer treat 🙂

We will keep you up to date on the slushie prospects via Facebook!

 

until next time! with midbest love,

Meg

we have covered this topic before, screw caps are amazing.

But, in that blog post, I told you why we do it. Now, let’s talk about why screw caps are so superb! Stupendous! Stunningly simple to use!

One might argue that they miss the romantic feelings behind the classic *POP* of the cork…. or the pavlovian effect it has on them. But, I’d argue that the *CRACK* of the screw cap opening can certainly have similar effects on one’s salivary glands when it’s wine time. 

1. let’s talk about the ease

I mean, first of all, you don’t need world-class corkscrew training to open a wine bottle with a screw cap. Okay, I’m exaggerating, but I’ve seen many failed attempts at opening a corked bottle with what was *supposed* to be an easy-to-use corkscrew. Let me just be the first to say, I’ve never seen someone fail at opening a bottle with a screw cap.

2. the convenience when you’re away from home

Picnic? Camping? Out of town, but still want to enjoy your favorite Soldier Creek wine? Don’t worry about remembering the corkscrew! You don’t have to!

These screw cap wines got your back. 

3. can’t drink it all tonight? no problem.

Gone are the minutes, hours, days spent trying to find some way to re-cork the bottle of wine you don’t want to finish all in one sitting. (Just FYI, if you want to finish it all in one sitting, we don’t judge! You do you!)

We keep it simple: unscrew, pour, screw back on. Pro-tip: if you’re not drinking it all at once, put it in the fridge, no matter the color of the wine.

4. crafting

Look. I know there’s a whole world of Pinterest posts related to crafting with corks. But, I’m here to tell you that you can also craft with screw caps!

5. eco-friendly

That’s right, folks. You can feel all the warm fuzzies from knowing your giving Mother Earth a big hug while you’re drinking that delicious screw-cap wine. (It’s definitely not the wine that’s giving you the warm fuzzies, alright! You feel good about doing your part to love your planet!….. Okay. Maybe a little wine-induced.)