Holiday Hours And Holiday Pies Are Here

Thanksgiving is almost here! In order to make your life a little easier we have extended holiday hours. Today is the kick off to our 9 am to 9 pm hours! Here’s the holiday schedule:

9:00 am - 9:00 pm Daily
November 20 -December 23

Thanksgiving Day 9 -3

Christmas Eve 9-5
Closed Christmas Day

New Year’s Eve 9-5
Closed New Year’s Day

Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year or just heading over to your family’s dinner? Surprise everyone with a homemade pie… from Lynfred Winery! The winery chefs, Chris and Joe, will bake a pie just for you!

Pumpkin: $8.50
Apple: $8.50
Mincemeat: $10.00
Pecan: $12.50

Orders must be placed by the 9 pm on Monday. Call our tasting room at 630.529.9463 to order. Orders may be picked up either November 25 or Thanksgiving Day (pies will be made the day you specify for pick-up).

Cheers and have a GRAPE weekend!

Our Favorite Wines for Thanksgiving

Choosing wines for Thanksgiving can be quite a chore. With so many flavors of so many foods it is often hard to choose the perfect wine. We like to make things easy for our patrons so we’ve chosen a few Lynfred wines that will be perfect for your traditional turkey dinner.

With the many different flavors of Thanksgiving dinner we suggest an off-dry white wine such as Gewurztraminer, Riesling or our Governor’s Cup recipient: Seyval Blanc. Our Rose’ is a gorgeous choice with its fruity flavors yet dry finish. When thinking red, we love the Pinot Noir or our double-gold winning Merlot is spectacular. We highly recommend the Cabernet-Merlot (also a double-gold winner) and the best of show Cabernet-Shiraz. Never to be forgotten would be Cranberry or the just-released Pomegranate, the quintessential Thanksgiving wines.

For our favorite course, dessert, we recommend the newly-released Peravino Port-style wine with pumpkin, pecan or apple pie and our Ice Wine or Reserve Semillon are simply beautiful with Pumpkin pie, or just by themselves.

Just for fun I ran around the office to ask a few of our employees which Lynfred wines they are serving this Thanksgiving:

Lisa Klus, the Innkeeper: Cranberry (which she states she’s having for breakfast), Pomegranate, Riesling and Pinot Noir.

Rosemary, our Club Administrator: Cabernet Franc, Viognier and she’s making an aperitif of Pomegranate wine and vodka (hello!). Rosemary says, ‘Who needs turkey?”

Me, the Marketing lady: Starting off with some Pom Pom Cranny Martinis (recipe below) to get the party started, Oktoberfest, Cuvee White and Cabernet Franc with the turkey and Ice Wine with dessert.

Lori, Wine Liason: Pomegranate, Tempranillo (she has the last bottle, folks) and Viognier.

Andres, the Winemaker: Sparkling Rose’, Reserve Semillon, the ’97 Cabernet and Peravino.

Fred & Val, the owners, and daughter Diane the Tasting Room Manager: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, Cabernet-Shiraz, Cranberry and Peravino.

Pom Pom Cranny Martini

This little ‘devil’ of a cocktail is a favorite of the Lynfred ladies using Lynfred’s Pomegranate and Cranberry wine.

1 ounce Lynfred Cranberry Wine
1 ounce Lynfred Pomegranate Wine
1 ounce Vodka
Splash of Grand Marnier
Fresh Lime
Sprig of Orange Peel

Rub the rim of martini glass with fresh lime. In a cocktail shaker, with ice, mix Cranberry wine, Pomegranate wine, vodka, a splash of Grand Marnier and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Shake and serve with a sprig of orange peel.

What Lynfred wines are YOU drinking for Thanksgiving?

New Things are Bubbling Up

Due to popular demand we started a fruit wine club for our sweet wine drinkers in September. Recently we have received interest in a sparking, or sweet wine club, and since we love to make our guests happy…

Starting December 1 we will have the NEW Dessert & Sparkling Wine Club! Members will pay $20/month and have their choice among the ice wines (including the Cabernet Sauvignon Ice Wine) the port-style wines and the sparkling wines (including the Sparkling Brut, Berry, Peach, Cherry & Rose’).

Members will receive all the benefits of our other wine clubs. If you would like to join you may email our club administrator, Rosemary, at rosemary at lynfredwinery dot com with the subject of Sweet Sparkling Club.

Are you hosting holiday celebrations this year? Are you nervous about serving wine properly and want to look like a pro? Let us share our wine knowledge with you at our upcoming Wine Ed class:

A Feast For The Senses. Tasting & Serving Basics
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
6 pm - 7 pm
$20 per club member
$25 non-member

We also have a class all about Sparkling wines in December (to coincide with our new Sweet & Sparkling Club). Ring in the New Year a few days early! Join us for a tasting of Lynfred’s sparkling wines along with a discussion of the history & production techniques used to bring bubbly to life. It’s a great way to decide which sparkling wine – or wines – to serve as the clock ticks down to midnight on New Year’s Eve:

Wine Ed: Sparkling Wines
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
6 pm – 7 plm
$20 per club member
$25 non-member

Stay tuned for Thanksgiving wine pairings in tomorrow’s blog post! Cheers!

Where in the World is Lynfred Wine

It’s time for another installment of ‘Where in the World is Lynfred Wine’! This time Lynfred wines took vacations to Maine for lobster and to Aruba to hang on the beach.






"My husband and I went to Maine recently. The photos are taken in Maine with your wine."

Members Grace and Lester Omes







"Just got home from Aruba. Here are our pictures of Sauvignon Blanc and Mango on the beach. The wine is on a Divi Divi tree (the natives call it Watapana) that is native to Aruba. They all have their tops bent over and pointing to the West. This is the most famous of the Divi Divi trees. All of the pictures you find on the internet, calendars, postcards, etc is of this tree. Enjoy."

Michele & Chuck Lansing
Members since 1991
Currently members in Wheeling

Want to see your vacation with Lynfred photos online? Send your photos to us at wineinfo at lynfredwinery dot com.

Cheers!

30th Anniversary Wine Winners

Wine club members enter their receipts with each visit into our monthly drawing. October was our 30th Anniversary month so we decided to give away 30 prizes! 29 lucky winners will receive a two pack of our Cuvee Red and White wines and the Grand Prize winner receives a Salmanazar bottle (holds 12 bottles) of Cuvee Red!

Drum Roll Please......

Red and White Cuvee 2 pack Winners:

Jeff Boddeker, Gendale Heights

Len Prejna Jr., Rolling Meadows

Sandy and Tony Scalet, Hoffman Estates

Jaclyn Kelly, Pingree Grove

Mary Cukierski, Bartlett

Amanda Weed, Crystal Lake

Pat and Tony Jewell, Schaumburg

Kristin and Mark Tyszkiewicz, Roselle

Robert Hajduk, Roselle

Frank Gondermann, Lombard

David Cronan, Wood Dale

John Dawson, Carol Stream

Barb Reeves and Patricia Sweeney, Elgin

Doris Wentzel

Wheaton's October winners:

Jane & Fred Karier Winfield, Il
Tim Schmidt Wheaton, Il
Eric & Gail Larson Wheaton, Il
Dennis & Pam Thompson Winfield, Il
Mary Johnston Wheaton, Il

Wheeling's Winners:
Dan Swanson of Arlington Heights
Eric Miller of Crystal Lake
Jennifer Clark of Evanston
Mike & Juli Jennings of Lake Zurich
Barbara Klees of Arlington Heights

Naperville's Winners:
Brenda Ramsey of Woodridge
Patrick Brenn of Joliet
Brian & Kate Curran of Carol Stream
Charles Jenkins of Bolingbrook
Susan Johnson

Grand Prize Winner( A Salmanazar bottle of Red Cuvee):

Theresa Roti, Roselle

New Wines From the Cellar

Lynfred Peravino
Aged: Stainless Steel
A premium Pear dessert wine made from Bartlett & Anjou pears. The Peravino is made in the style of Port but since the wine is made in Illinois, rather than Portugal, federal regulations do not allow us to call it Port. 'Peravino' is a fictitious word combining the Spanish & Italian word 'pera' meaning 'pear' and the Spanish & Italian word 'vino' meaning wine.

This luscious Peravino is pear wine with brandy spirits added. A lovely accompaniment to your Thanksgiving dessert. $35.00 (375 ml).

Lynfred Pomegranate
Aged: Stainless Steel
We are delighted to announce the arrival of our first-ever Pomegranate wine! The pomegranate has appeared in myths, legends, art and history for centuries. Associated with health and rebirth, some scholars even place the pomegranate in the Garden of Eden, instead of an apple.

The Pomegranate wine is a very complex fruit wine with aromas of red currant and fresh herbs. This sweet and tart wine will be a new holiday tradition in our home! $13.00.

Cabernet Franc Reserve 2006
(New Release and Reds & Breads Clubs)
Aged: French & American Oak
Cabernet Franc is a Bordeaux varietal that is often used for blending but this batch of Cab Franc grapes from Washington state were so lovely, winemaker Andres Basso, made it as its own varietal. This wine is elegant in every aspect and displays notes of cinnamon, coffee and vanilla.

The Cabernet Franc is released, exclusively, to our Reds & Breads and New Release club members this month for $20.00 and will be released to the public February 1, 2010 for $30.00.

Vidal Blanc 2008
(White Wine Club)
Aged: Stainless Steel
Vidal Blanc is a French-American hybrid widely used throughout the U.S. The Vidal Blanc vine descended from the Ugni Blanc of France. Hybrids were largely created due to the vine disease Phylloxera, which in the mid 1800’s killed most European vineyards.

The Vidal Blanc grapes for this lively batch of wine came from Arrowhead Vineyards in the Lake Michigan Shore Viticulture Area. Arrowhead manages over 500 acres in southwest Michigan and grows seventeen different grape varieties, including the Vidal Blanc grown for this wine. Arrowhead Vine yards has been growing grapes in Michigan’s ‘fruit belt’ for over fifty years. Their belief is to combine new world technology with old world care.

Lynfred Winemaker, Andres Basso, received this batch of Vidal Blanc grapes in the fall of 2008. The wine was both fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks to capture its bountiful fruitiness and is reminiscent of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs.

The 2008 Vidal Blanc is released, exclusively, to White Wine Club members this month for $17.50 and will be released to the public February 1, 2010 for $20.25.

Recent Wine Reviews:

Lynfred Cuvee White – 100% Chardonnay - $30.00.
Lynfred Merlot 2005 – Double Gold Winner at San Francisco Chronicle Competition: $18.25.


Also not to be missed: Chuck Sudo’s (Food & Drink Editor of Chicagoist) recent trip to Lynfred Winery! Part 1 Part 2

Where in the World is Lynfred Wine

One of our favorite programs here at the winery is ‘Where in the World is Lynfred Wine?’. About eight years ago I had someone send me a ‘Flat Stanley’ for a picture at the winery. It was an inspiration. I had often heard of our customers bringing Lynfred wine with them on vacation so and idea of having them capture the travels of Lynfred.

The first photo I ever received was sent to me from Mike Magnini during a trip to Vegas:

Through the past eight years I have received hundreds of photos and had some pretty good laughs (and also wanted to plan my future vacations). Our wine has been seen all over the world; from Alaska to Zurich.

Just this week I received two new photos from some of our loyal patrons. One from Puerto Vallarta and one from Estonia!

“The 1999 Lynfred Cabernet Sauvignon at the "Virgin Tower" in the old towne of Tallinn, Estonia. The wine was quite tasty as well!” – Dave and Laura Broucek

“My wife and I have been big fans of Lynfred wines for many years. We were in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico this October and brought a bottle of Oktoberfest to enjoy in the Mexico heat. Nothing better than a nice cold bottle of Oktoberfest in 93 degree weather!” - Frank & Jodi Lynn Gondermann

If you would like to see more creative photos of Lynfred wine on vacation CLICK HERE We also have a full album of photos through the years on our Facebook page.

If you would like to see your picture on the blog just snap a photo on vacation and send it to wineinfo at lynfredwinery dot com.

Happy travels,

Christina, the Marketing lady

An Anniversary, Brunch, Candy & Divas = Eggcellent

This Wednesday, October 14, we will be celebrating our 30th anniversary of the winery! We are kicking off the festivities with a winemaker dinner with Lynfred founder, Fred Koehler, at Allgauer’s at the Hilton-Lisle. There is still room for this five-course-feast-of-the-senses and Fred will be there sharing his memorable stories of starting a winery in Illinois 30 years ago.

Friday night we will be pairing up Lynfred wine with Garrett’s Popcorn. Garrett’s is celebrating their 60th anniversary this year! We were introduced to Garrett’s Popcorn about six months ago by a member and helped them celebrate the opening of their Merchandise Mart. This event is currently sold out but if you are looking for a fun food and wine adventure I have one for you….

This Sunday, October 18, we are offering free tours of our B&B suites (call 630.529.9463 to secure your free and private tour) followed by a Halloween candy and wine pairing by Christine Blumer, the Chicago Wine Diva, with Lynfred wine. Don’t tell me you’ve never stole a bite or two of your child’s Halloween candy and had it with a well-deserved glass of wine… we know you have… this casual event will pair up our favorite Halloween candy with Lynfred wines! $15 per person. Call 630.529.9463 to make your reservation.

On Sunday we will also be featuring a cooking class with everything ‘brunch’. My favorite part of brunch? You can drink early in the day and not feel guilty about it!!! Head Chef, Chris Smith, will have the day off so while the cat’s away, the sous chefs will play! Join Chef Joe Hetman and Janaki (you can’t pronounce her last name) as share their secrets of the brunch recipes they prepare for our B&B guests! Enjoy wine and sparkling spritzers while tasting their delectable dishes. Whether you can cook or not you’ll leave ready for a nap! $30.00 per person (and worth every pretty penny)!!! Call 630.529.9463 to make your reservation.

Lynfred founder, Fred Koehler, and our winemaker, Andres Basso, will be signing bottles of your wine on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18, from 1 pm – 3 pm. Have them sign your newly purchased wines (especially our 30th anniversary Cuvee wines) or bottles from your cellar (for free)!

I hope to see you all at Lynfred this weekend! Call us at 630.529.9463 for more information on these events and more!

More Oktoberfest Tips: Getting Here

We are on the final countdown to Oktoberfest! The tent is up, the grapes are here for stomping and the chefs are roasting 1200 pounds of pork as we speak! This week I have been blogging with Oktoberfest tips and I thought ‘getting here’ might be of some importance…

If you can, we highly recommend taking the Metra. Take the Milwaukee District West line and get off at the Roselle station. We are a quick ½ mile walk from the train station. From the station: cross the road to McDonald’s and follow Maple Avenue west to Prospect. Turn right on Prospect Avenue (at the Fire Station). Walk a half block and turn left on Elm. Turn right on Fourth Street (our alley) and you are here!

We are located on the corner of Main Street and Roselle Road, just south of Irving Park, in Roselle. There is free parking throughout the village (just follow street parking regulation signs). The Harris Bank (2 blocks away) at Irving Park/ Prospect Street has also given our guests permission to park for free in their lot during the festival.

The entry to the fest is from the back of our building (off of Fourth Street). We have seating for about 600 and that can fill up quickly as the day goes on. If you are coming later in the day bring a blanket or collapsible chairs just in case.

The tasting room will take credit cards and debit cards for wine purchases but tickets for festival food and wine is by cash only. Be sure to stop at the ATM before you visit. If you forget there is a Harris Bank ATM just two blocks away off of Prospect/Irving Park Roads.

We LOVE our customers and want you to be safe! We recommend a designated driver for all parties but we will also have lists of cab companies readily available throughout the entire festival. Please do not hesitate to ask us for a list.

We hope to see you all this weekend. Bring your friends, bring your family and bring your appetite! Get ready to STOMP THOSE GRAPES!!!

Oktoberfest Tips For The Kids

Only two days left until Lynfred Oktoberfest! The fest is a great outing for all ages but just watching the smiles on the kids when their toes ‘smoosh’ their first grape is priceless!

Through the years we’ve learned a few things and one of them is that we recommend parents bring their kids to the fest earlier in the day (the more ‘adult’ crowd comes later in the day). The fest opens at 3 pm on Saturday and Sunday at noon. Sunday is the perfect day to bring the little tikes!

Of course we’ll have our pulled pork dinners and sandwiches but kids really go crazy for our sweet corn on the cob, hot dogs, caramel apples and sweet desserts!

All kids get a free balloon so be sure to visit the dessert tent to start off their fun! Don’t miss out on grape stomping and grape spitting; every child receives a participant ribbon, but we do have parents cheer on for the best grape stomper for a blue ribbon! Here’s the schedule for your little tyke:

Saturday Activities
3:30 - Kid’s Grape Spitting

4:00 – Kid’s Cork Tossing
5:00 - Kid’s Grape Stomping
5:30 - Kid’s Grape Spitting
7:00 - Kid’s Grape Stomping

Sunday Activities
1:00 - Kid’s Grape Spitting

1:30 – Kid’s Cork Tossing

2:00 - Kid’s Grape Stomping
2:30 - Kid’s Grape Spitting
5:00 - Kid’s Grape Stomping

For menu information and pricing see the previous blog. We hope to see you all there!