WINEMAKING CLASSES

We have had a positive response to our one-on-one wine making classes. Saturday mornings have seen us with couples coming in prior to our store opening so that a class on making wine can be finished before the store opens. It is a great way to start off a Saturday morning and many couples are busy making wine by the end of the day.

We like to have time to show the contents of our home winemaking equipment kits and explain how each piece of equipment is used. Most of the equipment is pretty straight-forward but there are always a few how-tos that we like to go through.

Time is then spent talking about the various WinExpert and Cellar Craft wine kits that we have for sale. We encourage our new winemakers to start off with one of these superb kits so that their first wine making experience is a good one. The use of one of our Cellar Craft or WinExpert wine kits virtually guarantees that our new wine making hobbyists will get a super wine to enjoy with their first attempt.

After selecting one of the Cellar Craft or WinExpert kits to purchase, we then open the box and go through the instructions so that the new winemakers can ask questions and have a thorough understanding of the process of making wine.

If their preference is to make wine from fruit or their own grapes, BlueStem Winery stocks a complete line of winemaking ingredients, wine making equipment and winemaking supplies to meet their needs.

Have a group of people who want to learn to make wine? We can get together and have an evening session and walk through the entire process at your convenience. Call us at (319) 346-1046 or e-mail the winery at bluestemwine@mchsi.com or at info@bluestemwine.com.

BREWING CLASSES

Although we have never claimed to be as knowledgeable about brewing beer as maybe we are at wine making, we do offer instruction for the neophyte brewer on the basic beer brewing equipment required and have this equipment available in three different equipment kits.

Our brewing instructor extraordinaire, Cliff Ozmun, has left our area for the warmer climes of Texas and is no longer available to teach our beginning and intermediate level brewing classes. We continue our search for someone who might take Cliff's place as our resident home brew guru. Volunteers are being solicited!

For the beginner or advanced brewer, BlueStem Winery stocks a very diverse line of home brewing ingredients, home brewing supplies and brewing equipment and is expanding this lineup of goodies often. Whether you are a new brewer getting started with extract kits or an intermediate brewer doing partial mash kits such as our own BlueStems Best kits or an advanced zymergy enthusiast doing whole grain brewing, we are equipped to supply your needs.

Interested in learning home brew basics? Read about our wine making classes (in the left hand column). We offer the same type arrangement for learning to brew beer as we do for learning about making wine.

IOWA WINE AND FOOD EXPO

BlueStem Winery will again be sponsoring the Amateur Wine Making Contest held in conjuction with the Iowa Wine and Food Expo. The event will take place in Des Moines on Friday, November 12 (from 3 p.m. until 10 p.m. and on Saturday, November 13 from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m.

Click here for details regarding the Amateur Wine Making Competition sponsored by BlueStem Winery and for entry blanks. Entries can be delivered to the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines (to Holly Kjeldgaard) or they can be delivered to BlueStem Winery. Entries are $3.00 per bottle (again, see the wine contest rules / categories for full information). Two wine entries give you a $21.00 ticket to the event (four entries give you a pair of tickets).

BlueStem Winery will be CLOSED both of these days as we participate as a vendor at the Wine and Food Expo. BlueStem Winery will have a limited supply of wine and beer equipment kits for sale at the event and will also have a limited supply of Cellar Craft wine kits available for sale.

The Iowa Events Center web site has complete details regarding this year's celebrity chefs and the full agenda for the event.

DYSART'S 6th ANNUAL IOWA WINE & BEER

FALL TASTING FESTIVAL

Join BlueStem Winery as we journey to Dysart's 6th Annual Iowa Wine & Beer Tasting Fall Festival on Saturday, September 25, 2010 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The Dysart Development Corporation and the Dysart Business Builders host individual Iowa wineries and breweries in downtown business ranging from art studios to gift shops to restaurants to business offices. You will be able to taste and purchase the wares of ELEVEN of Iowa's wineries and of ONE brewery by attending.

BlueStem Winery is excited to have as our host business in Dysart Jill Deklotz at Be Inspired! Be Inspired is located at 302 Main Street in downtown Dysart and BlueStem looks forward to serving (and selling!) our wines at Be Inspired!

BlueStem Winery will close at 1:30 so that we can get to Dysart to participate in this event.

See you in Dysart on September 25th!