Day: August 15, 2017

Vol. 3 No. 9…Parlez Vous vin?

Since moving to Minnesota seven years ago, I have looked for local wineries to support. Through a friend I found Schram which I wrote about in Vol. 1 No. 4, and I am still very fond of. I visited one other winery in the vicinity that is really just an event venue with mediocre wines which shall remain nameless. However, the other winery that every time I tried to visit was Parley Lake Winery, finally I was able to visit it on Saturday.

First impressions are important but can cloud your perception. Thus when I tried to visit it before I notice an old barn with some old barrels on a rack outside and so I didn’t feel I had missed much…that is until I started talking to people in wine shops and a writer in the Minnesota Star-Tribune, Bill Ward. When I arrived there were quite a few cars in the lot and when I reached the winery I heard music coming from a pergola down the hill in the vineyard, and when I entered the winery I saw that it was not a run-down barn but a nice tasting room maintaining the barn interior but very nice.

There was a long tasting bar and it seemed pretty crowded but when I looked around I saw a small bar with just three people there. I walked up just as they were leaving and handed the man my card. Immediately he said you need to talk to one of the owners and pointed to the next room. A woman was seated drawing portraits and it turned out she is a sculptor and the wife of the winemaker and partner, Steve Zeller. She is very accomplished and has several bronzes in the area, some of which are rotated to other wineries and locales.

I introduced myself to Steve and he gave me a tour along with barrel tastings. They have quite a string of medals locally and from nearby states, as weel as the New York/Finger Lakes International Wine Competition and the Indiana – INDY competition, but this year Steve decided to submit several to the annual San Francisco Chronicle Wine Tasting, and Steve was pleased to receive two golds, a silver and a bronze. There are 60 judges and dozens of classes. Steve’s won the following:
Artist Series #14: GOLD for Merlot dominant wines… the other gold was to Markham. Steve used Napa Valley Merlot in the blend!
Frontenac Gris: GOLD for hybrid white wines. This wine was developed at the UMinn and is one of five since they just released a new one: Itaska. They have been cloned as vitis vinifera hybrids.
Marquette 2012 Ltd Edition SILVER in Native American hybrid red wines. This is a wonderful grape now evidenced by the fact some California growers are planting it.
Barn Quilt Red received a SILVER in Native American hybrid red wines.

Pretty impressive given that the wines were dominated by California, Oregon, Washington, and dozens of other states. Congrats to them on the effort!

They also make some fun wines so as not to take themselves too seriously that are very enjoyable such as Parley Vu Rosé, class that it becoming more appreciated and has been the fastest growing segment of wine sales (still only about 1% of total), for two years. This is very reminiscent of a Rhone style Rosé. Their limited edition wines also include a Frontenac red, Frontenac Blanc and La Crescent. A very nice palette of wines.  You can get a wine flight and glass of your favorite for $10 or a single glass for $6. Sounds fair to TB~

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