Wines We Make
First, a note about sweetness-- we make wines with different levels of sweetness, measured as percent residual sugar. This measurement doesn't mean much away from the wine, because sweetness is in the mouth of the beholder, so we've used a simple key to designate sweetness: VS (very sweet), S (sweet), D (dry-- the opposite of sweet), OD (off dry -- dry, with a touch of sweetness).
Some of our wines have lived in a barrel (yes, we use real American oak barrels made in Lebanon, MO). We designate these as "barrel aged" or "barrel fermented" and they will have the characteristic oak flavors and "pucker" associated with oak exposure, as well as a better structure for subsequent bottle aging once purchased.
Because our wines are made from fresh Kansas grown grapes and fruit, availability can vary. If you have a favorite, it is wise to call ahead to verify we have it in stock. The following is a list of all the wines we make, all from our own grapes or fruit unless otherwise noted.
Sweet Fruit Wines
- Apple -- from Blushing Gold apples. Great with barbecue; makes a wonderful BBQ sauce base. S
- Blackberry (375ml) -- from Lawson's Berry Patch (Vinland). Luscious! VS
- Bonne Pomme -- from Jonathans. After dinner favorite. Reduce it for ice cream topping. VS
- Peche (375ml) -- from peaches, one or more varieties. Indescribable. VS
- Poire (375ml) -- from pears, one or more varieties. A rare treat. VS
- Rhubarb (375ml) -- from Pendleton's Country Market (Lawrence). You haven't lived... VS
Dry Red Grape Wines
- Boujy Noveaulo -- from Norton. We release this tart and fruity nouveau style wine on November 17 every year. D
- Chat in the Dark -- from Marechal Foch. A good uncomplicated red that will not overpower simple pasta dishes. D
- Norton -- varietal*, barrel aged. Our 1999 vintage received an 83 score in the July 31, 2002 Wine Spectator magazine. With plenty of oak (but not overly so), Norton can be paired with anything normally served with Cabernet or Merlot. It gets lovelier with a little bottle aging. D
- Ruslan -- from Marechal Foch, barrel aged. Similar to a Pinot, and named for the heroic knight in the Russian fairy tale (and M. I. Glinka's opera), "Ruslan and Ludmila." D
Sweet Red Grape Wines
- Charlemagne -- from Chambourcin. Named for the noisy rooster in "A Year in Provence" (we had one just like him) and not quite as sweet as Charlotte's Red, you'll find a totally different taste. S
- Charlotte's Red -- from Fredonia. Probably our best seller, it is named for Charlee's mom, who loved a good sweet red wine. S
- Mandolin -- from St. Vincent from the Sterbenz vineyard. An homage to the Lawrence/Eudora area's really good mandolin players. S
Dry White Grape Wines
- Cayuga White -- varietal, barrel fermented. Cayuga takes to oak very well; serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. For Chardonnay lovers. D
- Chardonel -- varietal (Chardonnay x Seyval). Fruity, tart and crisp, this one has a touch of sweetness, not so much to preclude having it with a meal. OD
- Seyval Blanc, German style -- varietal. Tart, fruity, lower alcohol. Good acidity to balance richer dishes; works well with cheese and crackers, too. Riesling fans like this one. D
- Vignoles -- varietal. Vignoles tastes like no other wine; with its powerful fruit flavors, it needs no accompaniment. OD
Sweet White Grape Wines
- Aurore -- varietal. Floral aroma, pleasant flavor, soft and easy to drink. S
- Niagara -- varietal. This is Welch's White Grape Juice grape, a white version of Charlotte's Red. S
- Steuben -- varietal. Begins life as a blue grape. The skins don't yield much color, so we make a white and a rose' from this grape. S
- Vignoles -- varietal. See the Vignoles description above. S
- Vignoles, Late Harvest -- varietal. Harvesting late yields higher sugar and more intense pineapple and peach flavors. Outa this world! S
Sweet Blush or Rose' Wines**
- Marechal Foch -- varietal. Blush. S
- Mary's Blush -- from Norton, intensely flavorful and a very dark blush. Named for Mary Davenport, Greg's grandma. S
- Wild Irish Rose' -- made from Steuben. Rose'. S
Sparkling Wines
- Scrumpy -- from apples, fermented in the bottle with spent yeast left in, like a good home brew. "Blue collar bubbly", flavorful with a creamy finish. D
- *Varietal means the wine is named after the principal grape from which the wine is made. Federal law mandates that varietal named wines be at least 75% of that grape (French hybrids) or 50% for American varieties. At this time, all our wines are 100% of the named grape or fruit.
- **What's the difference between blush and rose' wines? Our blush wines are made from grapes that are crushed and pressed immediately prior to fermenting, resulting in a white to very light pink wine (except in the case of Mary's Blush). Our rose' wines are made from grapes that are crushed, fermented on the skins for a very short time, then pressed, resulting in a somewhat darker pink wine.