Julien's Journal May 2016 (Volume 41, Number 5) | Page 53

Rose, Red Raspberry, and Heritage Red.
First Bloom is their first white wine. It is
made from Vidal Blanc and is their bestselling white wine. Catawba Rose is a
semi-sweet wine made from Catawba
grapes. Catawba grapes date back to the
early 1800s on the east coast of the United
States. Grown initially for jam and jellies,
the grape soon became a favorite for wines,
especially rose. Heritage Red, a sweet
dessert wine, is also made from Catawba
grapes. Red Raspberry, as you might guess,
is made from whole red raspberries. If you
want a burst of red berry flavor, this is the
one you want to try.
Paul, Martha, and their crew hope you
will join them for the 20th anniversary
summer-long celebration. There are a lot
of activities being planned and while I’ll
mention a few here, check their website for
details of everything that will be happening.
One of the more exciting elements of the
festivity will be a Jackson County funded
course that will enable students to actually
paint a barn quilt with instruction from a
barn quilt artist. The “canvas” will be the
long Tabor Home shed that parallels the
farm road. Check the website for more
information and to sign up for one of the
monthly courses beginning in June.
It wouldn’t be Sunday afternoon without
Music in the Vineyard at Tabor Home. You
get to hear local and regional musicians
that are featured most every Sunday afternoon. Folks are encouraged to bring picnic
food or purchase Iowa BBQ and cheeses
to pair with your choice of Tabor Home
wines. Sit back and let the accompaniment
wash over you, or take a walk through the
vineyards. Either way, you will have one
relaxing afternoon.
People keep asking me if there is really
good wine being made in Iowa, and my
answer is an unequivocal “Yes!” What Paul
Tabor is producing at Tabor Home Winery is
an example of quality Iowa wine. Just stop
by and, as my opening quote indicates, open
a bottle and find out for yourself. You will
not be disappointed. ❖
Tabor Home Vineyards & Winery
3570 - 67th Street, Baldwin, IA 52207
www.taborhomewinery.com
Phone: [phone]
The winery is open seven days a week.

Wines I recently tasted...
I had the pleasure of attending the Galena
Wine Lover’s Weekend Friday Night Wine
Tasting event sponsored by Family Beer and
Liquor. These are some of my top picks. I’ve
checked with Tim Althaus and if you say you
read about the wine in Julien’s Journal, you’ll
get the Wine Lover’s Weekend special price.
2013 Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha – Campo
de Borja, Spain
If you’re a fan of Spanish reds, this one’s a
beauty. Starts with a big nose and doesn’t disappoint on the palate. Dark violet in color with
soft tannins for a lush mouthfeel, this wine can
stand on its own, but it really screams for being
enjoyed with food. 14.5% ABV ($19.99)
2013 Fess Parker Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir
– Santa Barbara, CA
I wrote about the 2011 last February and
while I liked the 2013, it was not quite as
flavorful. Still, the 2013 had hints of smoke,
dried cherry and floral notes. The mouthfeel
was pleasant as was its classic Pinot Noir nose.
14.3% ABV ($26.99)
2013 Hahn SLH Pinot Noir – Santa Lucia
Highlands, Monterey, CA
This Pinot Noir has some weight to it, which
I thought was a bit unusual for Pinot. I loved
the flavors of cranberry and floral notes, which
made for a pleasant taste that brightened the
entire palate. A b ]و\