Help Wanted

by Ryan Anderes

We thought we'd reach out to our newsletter subscribers in hopes of finding new staff members to join our team. As we approach the upcoming summer months, business will increase 20-30 percent on the average.

Believe it or not, tourism has become a big part of business in LaSalle County. Ray will tell you that when he opened the doors back in 1985, he would not have - in his wildest dreams - relied on tourism as a source of landing customers. Back then, the Uptown relied heavily on local clientele. But, things have changed. Starved Rock attracts over 2 million visitors a year, and tourism has become an ever increasing part of our customer base.

Despite that increase in tourism dollars, LaSalle County still has the highest unemployment rate in all of central and Northern Illinois. Is it because we have become so seasonal? Who knows what the reason is. Either way, we thought we'd take the chance to spread the word that we are looking to lower that unemployment percentage as summer approaches. 

Now that visitors flock to our area each season, Downtown LaSalle has become a destination. And with that, an increase in traffic and business for everyone. The result means we're in need of an increased number of staff members. It takes a small village to run a restaurant! Host, bartender, server, busser, dishwasher or cook... whatever your specialty, keep us in mind!

Many of you might think, "Oh, well I can only work 1 or 2 days a week," or "I'm only free on the weekends." Some of you might just want to find a way to get rid of your kids a few nights a week during the summer!  Whatever your story, it's okay!

It takes all kinds of availability and people to put a schedule together. We have some staff members that work just weekends, some that work just days, some that work Friday, Tuesday and Thursday. Putting a schedule together is kind of like doing a giant puzzle every week, and you have to make the pieces fit just right. Whether you are looking for - full or part time - we probably have the hours to accommodate you.

So, if you or anyone you know are interested in joining our team for the summer (or beyond), stop in and talk to us. We are newly remodeled and have perhaps the nicest facility in LaSalle County. We have been here for 30 years and plan on doing at least 30 more. We are always looking to add to and improve our staff. Whatever your availability might be... you could be the perfect fit!

Easter Specials & Reservations

by Ryan Anderes

This year, why not spend your Easter Sunday with Uptown? Forget the elaborate spread at home, and give yourself a well-deserved break. Let us provide the food. All we ask is that you bring your appetite.

Open all day Easter Sunday | March 27th

11am - 10pm

We've got a handful of specials lined up for the day (it's right around the corner)! The entrees listed below will be served with maple glazed carrots and smashed potatoes. Check back with us, as we may decide to add a few more to our already stellar line-up:



Brown Sugar & Mustard Glazed Boneless Ham
bourbon raisin demi glaze  14



Stuffed Tilapia
crab & shrimp stuffed tilapia with lemon dill hollandaise 15



Roasted Boneless Pork Loin
bourbon peppercorn sauce 14



Rack of Lamb
sliced, rosemary mint demi glaze 24



Herb Crusted Prime Rib
slow roasted, served with au jus and mushrooms
English Cut 18   12oz 26   16oz 30


Make us your new Easter tradition, but be sure to plan ahead! We do suggest making reservations in advance by calling 815.224.4545. Or reserve online.

Chuck Prophet Returns March 25

by Ryan Anderes

This has been the brass ring that was always just inches from Ray's reach. This past week, after years of trying to come together with a date for this gig, it all fell into place.

Chuck Prophet is probably one of the favorite artists of all three of the Playlist chiefs (i.e. Ray, Tom Ptak and Bernie Victor). This will be his 3rd appearance at The Uptown Playlist Theater. He will be appearing as a special solo performance.

Chuck Prophet

Friday, March 25th at 7:30 pm  |  $25.00

Purchase tickets online by clicking here

We want to let you know that there are just a few tickets that remain. This show WILL sell out, and this is your last warning. Those last few tickets will not be around much longer.

Here's what Rolling Stone Magazine had to say about Prophet:

"Pulling from the funk zone, sophisticated soul music and the kind of fat, greasy blues you can make a meal on singer-songwriter Chuck Prophet nails together a sonic hybrid of urban and rural America. Since his days with psychedelic brown dirt cowboys Green on Red through his Nineties work fronting his band, Prophet's made sideways soulful and bluesy rock and roll his business. More than country-fried licks slapped on top of slam-dunk rock, Prophet's American sights and sounds are fed through a compassionate lens. Straight-up melodies are filled-in and skewed by surprises like farfisa, sitar and strings, as Prophet turns the dusties and undesirables into shiny jewels. Stories of little criminals, unknown legends and waste-cases (and sometimes all three) are firefly-electric in their naturalness. Combine that with a dirty rock & roll vocal and that whalloping guitar, and you've got an undeniably American mix of stuff that's easily digested but still dangerous. Like donuts -- what's not to like?"

Sample the video above for "Sister Lost Soul" to check out Chuck for yourself. Did we mention he's also appeared on Letterman? View that video here.

Week Night Appy Hour

by Ryan Anderes

Happy hour was reinstated throughout the state of Illinois in July of last year. Along with the reinstatement came a new long list of rules and regulations that an establishment must follow in order to have a Happy Hour.

Also, with reinstatement came new state requirements to pass the BASSET Training which will require all on-premise alcohol servers to have passed. LaSalle County will be required to pass by July 17th, 2017. Aye, Yai, Yai.

This state can suck the fun right out of anything, while diving into your pocket book, too!  And they certainly succeeded with their new happy hour laws. At some point, you just look at all the regulations for happy hour to offer "no more than 15 hours of discounted liquor per week," and you walk away asking yourself if it's even worth it.

At the end of a long day, we do think that working folks want to have a place to gather, so we started to throw around ideas to reinstate Happy Hour here. There is so much we could do, but how do you promote it and how do you choose what to do? There were more questions than answers.

So we settled on Appy Hour. We won't discount alcohol, but we will discount any appetizer you order at the bar OR in the lounge. That's right, Monday-Friday from 4pm to 6pm, any appetizer that is ordered at the bar or in the lounge will be served at half price.

Our hope is to turn the bar area into an after-work gathering place where you can unwind from the long work day with some snacks, and perhaps a beverage or two.

We will begin Appy Hour at the Uptown on Monday, March 14th with our full list of appetizers discounted at half price. We hope to see you then!

St. Patrick's Day Parade:Saturday, March 12

by Ryan Anderes

On Saturday, March 12th, downtown LaSalle will be hosting yet another St. Patrick's Day Parade. The sixth annual parade starts at 1pm at the corner of Bucklin and 2nd Streets. From there, the route continues south on Bucklin to First Street, then east on First Street to La Harpe Street, before turning north on La Harpe to 2nd Street and finally west on 2nd to Gooding Street.

So come down, and watch the parade. Then stop over to celebrate with us. There isn't a more fun way to start the day!

A look at what we'll be offering:

Corned Beef and Cabbage ~ a generous 8 oz. portion of corned beef and fresh vegetables (not canned or frozen); steamed cabbage, baby carrots and boiled whole new potatoes

Guinness ~ Traditionally brewed in Dublin, Ireland at the St. James Gate Brewery with the same recipe since 1759. This beer is robust, yet mellow and satisfying. It gets its burnt flavor from roasted unmalted barley and pours with a thick creamy head. Although Guinness may appear to be black, it is officially a very dark shade of ruby. This is the only beer sold in every pub in Ireland.

Irish Whiskey

• bushmills
• jameson
• red breast single malt 12 yo
• tullamore dew

Irish Coffee ~ Not in the mood for whiskey or Irish beer? How about a cup of Irish coffee... but wait it has... whiskey? Our bartenders are mixing together some interesting cocktails with some of the finest whiskey in the world. The Irish coffee is to Ireland as apple pie is to America. We offer this traditional beverage with the finest Irish whiskey, our house blend coffee and hand whipped cream. Just like in Ireland.

Pork New York Strip Steak

by Ryan Anderes

This weekend, we are offering a generous 14 ounce pork New York strip steak with a vidalia onion demi glaze. This cut of meat is what White Marble Farms is all about, and that is pork! Raised on farms right here in the Midwest, this pork is specially bred to produce only the finest, most tender, juiciest pork on the market.

The result is meats that are consistent in color and generous in their marbling, for an out of this world culinary experience, no matter the cut. So, when did pork become referred to as a New York strip? I thought that was meant for beef?

Well, in 2013 the referencing of pork cuts changed. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association decided that Americans needed more clarity on the meats they were purchasing. So they began to change the names of cuts to something that us Americans could more easily identify with. The old, hard-to-understand labels were based on lists created in the 1970s. They were very anatomical, describing cuts based on their location in the animal. That information remains on the new labels, but it's second after the new cut name. For example what was once called boneless beef loin top sirloin cubes for kabobs is now simply "kabobs."

Chop is simply the pork word for steak. All chops come from the loin muscle, which runs from a hog's shoulder to the hip. The top of the muscle is more tender than the bottom. Those chops will get names reminiscent of the cuts used to describe steaks that consumers are already familiar with:

• What used to be top loin pork chops will now be New York chops.
• A pork loin rib chop will now be a ribeye chop.
• There's even a bone-in pork loin chop called a T-Bone chop. 

The new pork names go with a shift in how pork is cooked. Trichinosis (a disease caused by eating meat that has not been thoroughly cooked) is no longer a problem in U.S. hogs, and in 2011, the Department of Agriculture changed the recommended cooking temperature for pork from 160 degrees to 145. Once pork could be pink, a pork chop could be cooked just like a steak.

White Marble Farms Features & Benefits

• Exceptionally tender and juicy, with a deep, rich natural flavor.
• No added preservatives, fillers or flavoring solutions of any kind.
• Bred from a unique line of animals for superior meat.
• White Marble Farms Premium Pork is USDA Process Verified.
• All products are source verified, pork quality assurance approved and selected for quality.
• Specially selected for color and marbling for a consistently world-class eating experience.

Online Updates: Caption This & Take the Tour

by Ryan Anderes

Last year around this time, we revamped our newsletter and overhauled our weekly contest. Since that time, we have also renovated the entire restaurant, tweaked our newsletter some more and looked for ways to improve our social media connection.

With each week's newsletter, we try to inform our subscribers of new products that have come into the building, current specials, upcoming events and concerts... sometimes we just go op-ed and discuss current events. So with all the changing we've done over the last few months, we wanted to take the time to remind you of some new (and not so new) features of our newsletter and website.

And for all those new subscribers in the past year, this is definitely for you!

First is the "Caption This" Contest.  Now about a year old, we're overdue to give the contest a renewed push and a quick recap of how it works. Fun and quirky, it's an easy way to earn a free meal. It's a veritable photo library that we give you free reign to comment on (see a sample photo and winning caption below).

Does this meat make my lobster look fat?

Once a week (typically on Wednesday or Thursday), we post a photo to our Facebook page that somehow relates to the Uptown Grill. It is up to you to create a funny, silly, literal caption or even a funny story. Each week, we'll select which one we feel is the best and reward the winner with a $25 gift certificate.

New, to the contest, is a feature for all NON-FACEBOOK users to be able to post a comment in the blog section at the bottom of this article. You don't have to have Facebook to participate! Just post your comment below!

All you need to do is follow TWO simple steps.

1.) Make your comment/caption in the blog section below

2.) Leave your name following the comment

Then next week, open our newsletter and find out if yours was the winning caption. If you posted on the blog and won, all you will need to do is email frontdeskuptowngrill@yahoo.com with the subject, Caption This, and let us know you were declared this weeks winner. We will arrange to send you the winnings!

We will still continue to post each photo and winning caption in our newsletter the following week (When posted, each new photo entry will be eligible for your creative captioning for approximately one week. Once Wednesday evening hits, we'll pick our winner and publish it in that week's newsletter that typically hits your inbox by the weekend.)

And the best part is that someone will win free food from Uptown. That's right, someone will win lunch for two each week. Now who's with us?

We choose our favorite among all the entries. And let me tell you... sometimes it comes down to an arm wrestling contest. We get a real kick out of reviewing your responses each and every week!

So what on earth are we talking about? Here's how it works:

• Each week, we post a new photo on our Uptown Grill Facebook page. (Have you taken the time to "like" us yet?) Or as we stated above, just make your caption in the blog section below.
• Look for the new Caption This photo, or simply follow the link offered in our weekly newsletter if you're a subscriber.
• Comment on the photo and leave us your best caption. Maybe it's funny. Or maybe it's quite literal and descriptive. Remember, there is no wrong answer.
• Plus, you've got plenty of time to craft that witty comment. We give you 5-7 days to submit your responses before we select our winner and move on to the next photo.
• Want to check out captions from previous weeks for inspiration? We archive our past photos and answers here.

Someone, somewhere, will win lunch for 2. Every single week! If you don't win this week, try again the next. And the next and so on.

Share this with your friends! It's no secret... Uptown is giving away free food, and we want you to be a part of it! So start playing newsletter friends!

This Week's Caption This Photo Is:

Get started playing here Facebook friends

Another feature that we love to brag about and remind you of is the "Take The Tour" feature on our website. Just a few short weeks ago (and keep in mind, we've essentially been done remodeling since Thanksgiving), someone said that our "Take The Tour" images on our website were still displaying the old Uptown. Something so prominent on our webpage, yet we overlooked it.

It's amazing to think of all the things that you need to do when you remodel. Everything changes, and it doesn't just happen overnight. We can't go one week in our marketing meeting without someone saying "oh no we forgot to update this," or "we forgot to update that." The list is endless!

So arrangements were made to gather the necessary images, and the new "Take The Tour" has since been put together and posted. We know many of you have seen images from the remodel, but you may not be able to envision the entire scope.

Some of you may be new subscribers and have yet to see what we have done. Some of you may even be outside the area and are unfamiliar with us, yet are in charge of planning a shower for someone who is. Well "Take The Tour" allows you take a virtual walk through the new restaurant.

Restaurant Tour   |   Banquet Tour

So go ahead and explore! The two links are listed above for your tour enjoyment.

Valentine's Day Specials

by Ryan Anderes

As you probably know, Valentine's is one of our biggest nights of the year. Each year, we go out of our way to make it a special evening. We increase capacity, rally all of our troops and put on some really great specials for you.

As of right now, we still have most times available for Saturday and Sunday evening. Accepting reservations online or by phone: 815.224.4545

Please see below for our outstanding list of specials:

Broiled South African Lobster Tail

8 ounce broiled "cold water" south african lobster tail with drawn butter. one or two tails

Prime Rib

slow roasted and herb crusted. 12 or 16 oz

 
Surf n' Turf 

8 ounce broiled "cold water" south african lobster tail with drawn butter. served with choice of filet or prime rib

French Kiss Oysters

fresh kiss oysters topped with red lump fish caviar

Lobster Mac n' Cheese

maine lobster meat and fusilli pasta baked in a sherry, mascarpone and mild cheddar cheese sauce. crusted with parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs

Slow Roasted Boneless Pork Loin

sliced boneless pork loin topped with a bourbon demi glaze 

Lemon Walnut Crusted Walleye

10 ounce broiled walleye filet topped with a lemon walnut crust.

You Have My Heart Cheesecake

oreo cookie crusted white chocolate cheesecake topped with raspberry puree

And last, but certainly not least...

Dark and White Chocolate Covered Strawberries

large stemmed strawberries distinctively decorated for the holiday

We've prepared our annual batch of Jumbo Chocolate Covered Strawberries. These famed berries get more requests than any other dessert we offer.

Our tradition began a few years ago when we started preparing them in bulk in honor of Valentine's Day. Not only are they a great after dinner treat for your sweet, but we also have them available as a carry-out purchase, wrapped in an attractive gift box. What a surprise to open and find such a tasty work of art!

Please call and reserve yours because there have been years where they are gone in less than 3 hours of putting them on sale. Strawberries will be available beginning Saturday, February 13th, so call and reserve today! They will remain for sale through Valentine's Day! By calling ahead, you will have your order(s) held, and there is no need to worry about that last minute gift.

Reservations for these strawberries are recommended for both dine in and carryout orders.  Prices for both options are as follows. Give us a call at 815-224-4545.

Single Berry:  $3.75

Pack of 2:  $7.25

Pack of 4:  $14.00

Spaghetti Dinner - Save The Date

It's that time of year again... the Lighted Way Spaghetti Dinner will make its annual appearance at the Uptown Grill on Monday, April 4th. We have recently tried to keep this event on the last Monday of March, but due to an early Easter this year, we spring forward to the first Monday of April. Just two months away, we wanted to remind everyone to save the date.

This will be the 15th year we've hosted the event, and it is something that we look forward to each year.  Keep in mind we will be open for normal business hours from 11am to 3pm for lunch on April 4th. But from 4:30 to 8pm, an $8.00 donation gets you a plate full of spaghetti, fresh baked bread, salad, coffee and cake. Come one, come all! To go or dine-in! 

Over the course of the last 15 years, we have served over 27,000 plates of spaghetti and helped raise over $200,000. Each year, we have a very dedicated staff.  From Uptown Grill employees and their friends and family to the employees, parents and volunteers from the Lighted Way... everyone donates their time and lends a hand.  We always have a great turnout of help dedicated to serving our community. Hope to serve you again!

Lenten Specials: Every Friday during Lent

by Ryan Anderes

There are certain events we plan for that I always look forward to. My personal favorite is Lent. Perhaps it's because it lasts 6 weeks, and I can try a different Lent special every week without having to repeat.

Whatever the reason, our Lent specials offer up a wide variety that are worth trying. Keep in mind, this isn't your average fish fry... our specials offer a much more healthy (and tasty) alternative.  Plus, in addition to our Lent specials, our dining room menu offers one of the widest seafood selections in the area.

Surely you could eat lunch and dinner here on Ash Wednesday and every Friday during Lent and never have the same thing. Below I've highlighted the specials we will be offering every Friday during Lent. All specials are available for dine-in or carry-out, lunch through dinner.

Lent us entertain you this season with the following list of delectable items: Beginning Ash Wednesday, February 10th and Every Friday thereafter, thru March 25th.

Marix Shrimp Tacos

One of the hottest items last year was our marix shrimp tacos. We grill our bay shrimp and marinate them in marix - a blend of cumin, garlic, and lime juice originating from Texas. Our variation on fish tacos combines the shrimp with roasted green onions, roasted poblano pepper, red cabbage, avocado, tomato and cilantro.  Served with adobo sauce and corn tortilla chips, this dish was hands down one of our top sellers last year. While it is only available on Fridays during Lent, many customers have been asking for this one since last season. Well, now is your chance.  

Fish Tacos 
Fish tacos are a mainstay on our daily menu, but we are often told by customers that these are the best fish tacos they've ever had. Three soft flour tortillas are filled with panko crusted whitefish, red cabbage, mango, strawberry, red pepper, cilantro and scallion, then topped with wasabi cream and ginger soy sauce. Served with freshly fried corn tortilla chips and house made adobo sauce.  

Tortellacci

Our locally handmade, spinach-filled tortellacci will get a bit of a change this Lenten season. We will try to lighten things up this year and serve the tortellacci with a white wine and sweet plugra butter sauce, then top the dish with freshly grated reggiano parmesan. If you must have white wine cream sauce (circa last year's menu), simply ask.  

Broiled Walleye

10 ounce broiled walleye filet topped with a lemon macadamia crust 

Fish and Chips

Finally, the ever-popular fish and chips is available as well. We hand cut and fry our fish in a beer batter, and serve it with authentic "chips." Served with tartar sauce, malt vinegar and coleslaw, it's the epitome of traditional fish and chips.  

New Show Announcements ~ Bill Kirchen and The Dustbowl Revival

by Ryan Anderes

Two new shows have been added to our 2016 Playlist Theater schedule.  Tickets are now on sale and are available by clicking here.

Without further ado, we introduce...

Bill Kirchen

Friday, April 15th  |  $25 general admission 

The "Titan of the Telecaster" Bill Kirchen will perform here with the same two musicians he's brought with him previously. His shows are among our all-time favorites. It is worth the price of admission just to hear what is usually one of his last songs - the song he is famous for - Hot Rod Lincoln. He is the writer of the song, and while it has been covered by many artists, it has never been duplicated.

I hope I'm not spoiling anything or anyone. Sometimes the rendition can be as short as 10 minutes... sometimes it's as long as half an hour. During the song, he will cover many, many, many historic guitars. Most of us would recognize that guitar in three notes, without a word being spoken. Rolling Stone called the rendition “epic.”

Of the many things Bill is famous for, he co-founded Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen in 1967. They recorded seven albums for Paramount and Warner Brothers, one of which (Live From Deep in the Heart of Texas) rightfully made Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Best Albums of All Time.”

He has been nominated as a guitarist, a singer and a songwriter for a Grammy. His career has spanned over 40 years and includes guitar work with Nick Lowe, Emmylou Harris, Doug Sahm, Elvis Costello and many more. He celebrates an American musical tradition where rock 'n' roll and country music draws upon its origins in blues and bluegrass, Western swing from Texas and California honky-tonk.  http://billkirchen.com/home

Dustbowl Revival

Wednesday June 1st  |  $25 general admission 

The Dustbowl Revival is a Venice, California-based collective (8 musicians) that merges old school bluegrass, gospel, pre-war blues and the hot swing of New Orleans to form a spicy roots cocktail. 

Here are a couple well-known publications who can vouch for their unrivaled talent:

“In a city like Los Angeles, home to musical stars in nearly every known genre, handing out the Best Live Band title is not easy. But the free-thinking local collective Dustbowl Revival's upbeat, old-school, All-American sonic safaris exemplify everything shows should be: hot, spontaneous, engaging and, best of all, a pleasure to hear.” — LA WEEKLY

"Americana swing that was so fun I went back to see them again the next day." — ROLLING STONE

“...evokes a Depression-era sensibility redolent of John Steinbeck, and the spirit-raising gospel of the American South.” — BOSTON GLOBE

Known for their roaring live sets, Dustbowl bravely brings together many styles of traditional American music. Some call it string band-brass band mash up. Imagine Old Crow Medicine Show teaming up with Louis Armstrong’s Hot Fives and Sevens, or Bob Dylan and The Band jamming with Benny Goodman and his orchestra in 1938. It’s infectious, joyous music... a youthful take on time-worn American traditions. Named "Best Live Band in LA" by The LA Weekly, this will be one fun show! http://www.dustbowlrevival.com/

And if you missed the band the last time they performed here in April, here is what you missed:

Review of Dustbowl Revival - Friday, April 17th, 2015

One guest wrote the following critique:

This is a note to share a little bit what 120 patrons at Uptown Grill's Playlist Theater were able to experience on Friday April 17th. But first, an admonition. If you just looked at the name of the group, Dustbowl Revival, and decided this was a group you had never heard of, and therefore not worth your time, your effort, and your money, you made a very bad mistake. I apologize that it is very difficult to put into a few short words just how great this performance was. This talented group of artists served up a delicious musical gumbo. All of the parts were outstanding, but the sum was fantastic. Here is another to understand what happened. Nobody who only listened to a Bruce Springsteen record, would have any idea of just happens when he takes the stage. But once you go, you understand something deeper about the power of music. What this band did on the Uptown stage, was touch every person in the room, with the deep power of music.

Ray mentioned this statement was very well put and that he was marking it down as his all time favorite show, anywhere!

I am sure many people had a hard time figuring out what to expect from a band named Dustbowl Revival. Band leader Zach Lupetin described it as "Jewish cowboy music." This genre is hard to describe and easy to love.

A second chance doesn't always happen, but you have been afforded a second chance to witness the single most amazing night in the 10 year history of our Theater!

Past Performer Update

by Ryan Anderes

Our Playlist Theater has seen many acts over the years. Some have moved on to receive national acclaim. Even then, many enjoy returning year after year.

One thing that's always interesting is seeing what our performers do after they play here. Margo Price and the Price Tags played here in the fall. It was one of the absolute best shows we have ever had. Many patrons left that evening saying those exact words. It is really cool to take, what we term "a flier," on a lesser known artist and then hear such great feeback from the audience. Even cooler when they go on to claim mainstream notoriety. We get to say, "yeah, she played here first!"

And, as it turns out, Margo is still doing pretty well for herself. She appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night for her TV debut. The video is shown here.

Margo will also be releasing her debut album Midwest Farmers's Daughter on March 25th. The Aledo, Illinois native appears to be on the track to stardom. We are honored to have had her perform in our Theater and wish her nothing but success in the future!

Cold Temps Mean Ice Wine

by Ryan Anderes

In honor of the frigid temperatures we have experienced so far in 2016 (and will soon experience again this weekend), I thought it would be a good time to discuss "ice wine." This is something I did not know existed until very recently, and I'm guessing that many of you have not heard of this style of wine before.

The whole process of ice wine is very interesting, and I'll admit I'm intrigued. Yet it's something that I will personally have to taste and experiment with myself before possibly bringing anything of this style into the restaurant.

Ice wine is a style of wine making that allows for grapes to ripen during the warm summer months before allowing them to naturally freeze on the vines in the colder winter months. Once the fall season approaches the end, the vines must be netted so as to not be vultured by birds or other animals.

The grapes are then left on the vine until they reach a sustained temperature of around 17 degrees. Between the end of the fall harvest and the time they are ready to be picked for ice wine, the grapes dehydrate. This process concentrates the juices and reveals the characteristics that lend an ice wine to be characterized as such.

The grapes for ice wine are usually harvested at night and need to be watched closely, because if they are frozen too quickly - or not frozen enough - the optimal window for harvest can be missed. (The short video shown here helps to further explain the whole process.)

Ice wine grapes are then pressed, and only a very small amount of juice is harvested from these grapes... about 15% of the harvested juice one might expect from a traditional table wine harvest. Their juices are very sweet and can be difficult to ferment. The high sugars create a difficult environment for the yeast which stops the fermentation process early. This creates a wine with low alcohol and a high sugar content.

A bottle of ice wine is meant to be a dessert wine. They are intensely flavored and boast rich aromas of tropical fruits. All varietals are sweet and have a high acidity. They can be drank simply as an after dinner wine, or they can be mixed with other sparkling wines or cocktails. 

So if you see the term "ice wine" this winter, don't be turned off... it's not as uncommon as you might think. Weather (pun intended) or not you see it on our menu in the future is something we have to look into first.