From Vine to Wine - Chocolate Strawberry

(Fall wedding on our beautiful grounds)

The month of September may not explicitly get the reputation of being romantic (like, say, February), but that in no way rules out its propensity for romance. For instance, September is one of the most popular months for weddings because of the general beauty of autumn (mild temperatures, leaves changing colors, et cetera). What could be more romantic?

            In keeping with the romantic overtones of September, we have made Chocolate Strawberry our wine of the month, so every bottle is 10% off during September.

            Our Chocolate Strawberry wine is one of the original Kickapoo Creek Winery wines. Dave Conner, the owner of Kickapoo Creek Winery, simply wanted to make a wine that tasted like a chocolate strawberry. However, it’s not just that simple; you may be asking, “How do you make wine taste like a chocolate strawberry?”

            First, real chocolate and real strawberries are made into flavorings that can then be mixed with grape based wine, and voila! A delicious chocolate strawberry wine is born.

            It would be remiss of me not to mention that both chocolate and strawberries are aphrodisiacs:

            Chocolate contains chemicals that work with our brain chemistry to promote sexual arousal and the feeling of falling in love.

            Strawberries contain vitamin C, which helps keep blood flowing to all regions of the body, if you catch my drift. In fact, there used to be a tradition of serving cold strawberry soup to newlyweds in the French countryside to get the blood flowing for the honeymoon.

            But wait…I must rewind. We’re talking about a chocolate strawberry WINE here, and there are no doubts in my mind those historic French newlyweds also had wine. There is, perhaps, no stronger aphrodisiac than wine!

            Therefore, and I dare say, our Chocolate Strawberry wine is one of the most potent love potions for a beautiful, autumn afternoon picnic shared by lovers.

            Beyond that, it goes great mixed with a nice, vanilla bean ice cream, or even as a dessert itself!

            I have even heard myths of soaking a tray of brownies with our Chocolate Strawberry wine. The myth is that you poke holes all over a tray of brownies then pour an appropriate amount of the wine over it, then let it sit in the fridge until the brownies have soaked up the wine. How incredible does that sound!?

            Let us know what kind of cooking and baking experiments you’ve done with our Chocolate Strawberry wine in the comments!

From Vine To Wine: Peche Blanc

        From Vine To Wine: Peche Blanc

        In celebration of peach being the National Fruit of the month, Kickapoo Creek Winery’s Wine of the Month is Peche Blanc, which means every bottle is 10% off when purchased in the Tasting Room or over the phone.

            Our Peche Blanc was released in 2011 and has since won a silver medal from the National Finger Lakes Wine Competition in Rochester, New York, and from the Illinois State Wine Competition in Springfield, Illinois.

            This award winning Peche Blanc is often described as “biting into a fresh peach” by those who consider it a favorite. It pairs well with the Turkey Reuben or the Turkey Club Wrap from the Tasting Room lunch menu, and is an excellent choice paired with dessert.

            To accurately describe how Peche Blanc went from vine to wine, here is an excerpt from our technical notes;

“Seyval Blanc grapes are removed from the stem and lightly crushed releasing pale green free run juice. The free run is collected before the grapes are pressed and sent to a separate steel fermenter where the juice is cold settled over night . After settling, clear juice is inoculated with a Riesling yeast noted for being a very good thiol releaser which can lead to enhanced aromas of guava, passion fruit, and grapefruit. Fermentation lasts 7 days at temperatures near 65°F. The wine is then racked off gross lees and allowed to age and settle for 3 months before cold stabilizing, infusion, and bottling.”

     








        

        To find a location that carries Peche Blanc near you, click here, but every bottle is 10% during August when bought straight from Kickapoo Creek Winery in person or over the phone (309-495-9463).

      Also during the month of August, online orders of 6 or more bottles (any wine) will be shipped for free with the promo code “freeshippingnewsletter” during the month of August.

The Heritage of Kickapoo Creek Winery

The Heritage of Kickapoo Creek Winery

            Driving on Illinois I-74, you’re beyond bound to see seemingly endless corn and soybean fields.  However, just 8 miles West of Peoria, easily accessed from the Kickapoo-Edwards exit, you can find Kickapoo Creek Winery: a modern oasis of beautiful countryside.

            In 2003, Dr. David Conner (a now-retired orthopedic and hand doctor) started planting grapes along with his pre-existing nursery, and with that began Kickapoo Creek Winery.  Fast forward to 2005, the Tasting Room and Café, banquet center, full kitchen, and winery were established. 

            From Tuesday to Sunday every week, you can visit the Tasting Room. It is great for smaller parties to enjoy an afternoon of wine tasting and lunch with fun and friendly service. While you can find Kickapoo Creek Winery’s wine at various stores through Illinois, all of our wines are stocked in the Tasting Room.

            For larger parties, we offer banquet and catering services. Typical events in our banquet hall include big birthdays, retirement parties, organizational gatherings, and other events similar. However, one of Kickapoo Creek Winery’s specialties is weddings. 

           From ceremony to reception, we offer our beautiful landscape and services to make every wedding we host as magical as possible. Our various locations for ceremonies include either of our two lakes, our grasslands, by our vineyards, or under our Prairie Star Pavilion. For receptions, the banquet hall is decorated, lit up, and filled with food for a perfect celebration of a special day.

            Kickapoo Creek Winery wasn’t always a beautiful escape for lunch and wine tasting, or for celebrating any of life’s joys. The land used to be a farm owned by a man named Olli Smith—the namesake of Smith Road. He raised corn and soybeans until it was purchased 1965 by one Dr. McKnight, with the intention of raising thoroughbred horses.

           Dr. David Conner purchased the property in 1986 and turned it into a cattle farm, but got tired of chasing cows around. So, he sold the cows and started a nursery in the early 1990s. However, competing flower sales with big brand stores became a nuisance, which brings us to 2003, when Dr. Conner started planting grapes.

            In 2007, Dr. Conner retired from his orthopedic and hand practice; around the same time, his son and daughter-in-law, Rory and Mary, took over managing Kickapoo Creek Winery.

 





Call (309) 495-9463 to make reservations, inquire about events or catering, order wine, or talk to the business office.

Kickapoocreekwinery.com

6605 N Smith Rd, Edwards, IL, 61528