From Vine to Wine: Red October

            Rich with Kickapoo Creek Winery history, we had to make Red October the wine of the month for October, which means every bottle in the Tasting Room is 10% off this month! You may be surprised by how the wine was named, however. It wasn’t necessarily named for its ability to pair perfectly with the various beauties that October brings (and it does sip well with a beautiful fall day); furthermore, Red October wasn’t named after Tom Clancy’s debut novel, but there’s a funny story relating to that.

            It was actually named after a hosta! You see, when the winery started up, it was still a hosta nursery as well. When the wines came to fruition and needed names, it was decided to name the wines after the hostas! Misty Creek and Jubilee Gold are also wines that were named after hostas.

            Now, what’s funny about the introduction of the wine to public comes from the grand opening of the winery to the public. The owner, Dave, had invited some folks from Caterpillar to visit and there happened to be some Russian businessmen visiting Caterpillar at the same time. The Red October of Tom Clancy’s novel, The Hunt for Red October, was a Soviet submarine, so those Russian businessmen got a huge kick out of the wine being named that. With that kind of impression of the wine, it had to be a mainstay at Kickapoo Creek Winery.



            Red October is KCW’s only dry, red blend; it is currently comprised of Foch, Marquette, Frontenac, and Norton grapes. According to Sandy, a veteran and legend of KCW’s tasting room, the slight changes in the blend has made Red October smoother and lighter over the years.

            As with any dry red, Red October goes great paired with juicy, red meat. If you found yourself in the Tasting Room for lunch, I highly recommend a glass of Red October with our charbroiled burger!

 

 

 

Don't have time to make it to the Tasting Room, Red October is also available online! (shop.kickapoocreekwinery.com)