Prairie Berry Winery, South Dakota - Road Trip Vlog 10

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Prairie Berry Winery, South Dakota - Road Trip Vlog 10

Postby stillrobertpaulsen » Fri Sep 08, 2017 1:39 pm

For me, a road trip just isn’t a road trip without a wine tasting!  Neek, Sar and I were not sure what we had in store for us on this excursion.  We’ve tried some unique wines over the years, but wine made from currants?  Rhubarb?  Chokecherries? Strangely enough, this has actually been a winemaking tradition in South Dakota for over 100 years and five generations at Prairie Berry Winery.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVAr0s3VR_M
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Re: Prairie Berry Winery, South Dakota - Road Trip Vlog 10

Postby PufPuf93 » Sun Sep 10, 2017 7:57 pm

Another good clip.

I made a batch of rhubarb wine nearly 35 years ago and it was extraordinary.

My friend was actually the wine making expert and I provided rhubarb, labor, and enthusiasm.

We ended up with about 3 1/2 cases to split. I gave away about 1/2 of my share as gifts and unfortunately drank most of the rest when still a young wine in corked bottles. The rhubarb wine was pale pink and somewhat sweet and an aroma that hinted of rhubarb pie. I was convinced that there was something psychoactive over and above the alcohol but maybe it was because most was drank while smoking bud. The several bottles that aged more than a year were much more smooth to the palate; one this realization, the last bottle aged about 3 years.

I was always going to make a batch on my own but circumstances change and one gets distracted.

I had an uncle and aunt that made wine from Himalaya berry (type of introduced blackberry that thrives wild as an exotic north coast California), elder berry from the native elderberries, and the local wild grapes. That also was long ago as they passed on in 1990s, that uncle was 99 years old. They enjoyed wine during Prohibition.
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Re: Prairie Berry Winery, South Dakota - Road Trip Vlog 10

Postby stillrobertpaulsen » Mon Sep 11, 2017 3:23 pm

PufPuf93 » Sun Sep 10, 2017 6:57 pm wrote:Another good clip.

I made a batch of rhubarb wine nearly 35 years ago and it was extraordinary.

My friend was actually the wine making expert and I provided rhubarb, labor, and enthusiasm.

We ended up with about 3 1/2 cases to split. I gave away about 1/2 of my share as gifts and unfortunately drank most of the rest when still a young wine in corked bottles. The rhubarb wine was pale pink and somewhat sweet and an aroma that hinted of rhubarb pie. I was convinced that there was something psychoactive over and above the alcohol but maybe it was because most was drank while smoking bud. The several bottles that aged more than a year were much more smooth to the palate; one this realization, the last bottle aged about 3 years.

I was always going to make a batch on my own but circumstances change and one gets distracted.

I had an uncle and aunt that made wine from Himalaya berry (type of introduced blackberry that thrives wild as an exotic north coast California), elder berry from the native elderberries, and the local wild grapes. That also was long ago as they passed on in 1990s, that uncle was 99 years old. They enjoyed wine during Prohibition.


Thanks PufPuf93, that was a great story! When we first got into wines, the only other fruit I knew of besides grapes used for making wine was strawberries. Then about 10 years ago, we went to a Renaissance festival and discovered mead, a wine made from honey. So now that we know a lot more about how many different things you can turn into wine, it's good to hear about how that's done.

Sounds like your friend might have created a batch of rhubarb wine that was a little stronger than what we had in South Dakota. Of course we didn't get to sample some bud with our wine, :coolshades but the Red Ass Rhubarb was only about 12% alcohol content. Tasting-wise, I definitely got that rhubarb pie scent that you did and it was on the sweeter side. But I also noticed a smoothness, so I think they did a good job of aging it.
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Re: Prairie Berry Winery, South Dakota - Road Trip Vlog 10

Postby PufPuf93 » Mon Sep 11, 2017 7:52 pm

stillrobertpaulsen » Mon Sep 11, 2017 12:23 pm wrote:
PufPuf93 » Sun Sep 10, 2017 6:57 pm wrote:Another good clip.

I made a batch of rhubarb wine nearly 35 years ago and it was extraordinary.

My friend was actually the wine making expert and I provided rhubarb, labor, and enthusiasm.

We ended up with about 3 1/2 cases to split. I gave away about 1/2 of my share as gifts and unfortunately drank most of the rest when still a young wine in corked bottles. The rhubarb wine was pale pink and somewhat sweet and an aroma that hinted of rhubarb pie. I was convinced that there was something psychoactive over and above the alcohol but maybe it was because most was drank while smoking bud. The several bottles that aged more than a year were much more smooth to the palate; one this realization, the last bottle aged about 3 years.

I was always going to make a batch on my own but circumstances change and one gets distracted.

I had an uncle and aunt that made wine from Himalaya berry (type of introduced blackberry that thrives wild as an exotic north coast California), elder berry from the native elderberries, and the local wild grapes. That also was long ago as they passed on in 1990s, that uncle was 99 years old. They enjoyed wine during Prohibition.


Thanks PufPuf93, that was a great story! When we first got into wines, the only other fruit I knew of besides grapes used for making wine was strawberries. Then about 10 years ago, we went to a Renaissance festival and discovered mead, a wine made from honey. So now that we know a lot more about how many different things you can turn into wine, it's good to hear about how that's done.

Sounds like your friend might have created a batch of rhubarb wine that was a little stronger than what we had in South Dakota. Of course we didn't get to sample some bud with our wine, :coolshades but the Red Ass Rhubarb was only about 12% alcohol content. Tasting-wise, I definitely got that rhubarb pie scent that you did and it was on the sweeter side. But I also noticed a smoothness, so I think they did a good job of aging it.


The rhubarb wine was very good but we were too eager to drink and belatedly found out the wine aged well to a better smoothness.

I am experiencing political and even high strangeness fatigue. Most at RI have more energy now. I had to think several minutes to recall the word "wheel barrow" this AM and spelled the word "slough" as "slew".

Wish I had a bottle of rhubarb wine to sip now!!
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Re: Prairie Berry Winery, South Dakota - Road Trip Vlog 10

Postby Elvis » Mon Sep 11, 2017 9:58 pm

Cool, Robert. If I'm ever back in South Dakota I'll look for it!


A guy I know here makes dandelion wine—from dandelion petals—that's on the sweet side but it fits the 'fruit'. I generally prefer dry reds but I really like it. He also makes blackberry wine, also a bit sweet but again it's very good.

My parents used to make citrus "champagne," a bubbly wine from lemons, limes and oranges (oh, and a few grapes). (The first batch was a disaster but they made corrections and it was surprisingly good (according, anyway, to my 16-year-old palate, which wasn't fond of alcoholic drinks to begin with).

I may try winemaking myself, but what I really want to try is making blue-veined cheeses.
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Re: Prairie Berry Winery, South Dakota - Road Trip Vlog 10

Postby stillrobertpaulsen » Tue Sep 12, 2017 5:27 pm

PufPuf93 » Mon Sep 11, 2017 6:52 pm wrote:I am experiencing political and even high strangeness fatigue. Most at RI have more energy now. I had to think several minutes to recall the word "wheel barrow" this AM and spelled the word "slough" as "slew".

Wish I had a bottle of rhubarb wine to sip now!!


I'm experiencing similar feelings. It seems to me this entire year things have just been too strange politically and has created an overload where most of the time I'm saying "Enough!" in my mind to it all. Time for a wine sabbatical, indeed!
"Huey Long once said, “Fascism will come to America in the name of anti-fascism.” I'm afraid, based on my own experience, that fascism will come to America in the name of national security."
-Jim Garrison 1967
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Re: Prairie Berry Winery, South Dakota - Road Trip Vlog 10

Postby stillrobertpaulsen » Tue Sep 12, 2017 6:23 pm

Elvis » Mon Sep 11, 2017 8:58 pm wrote:Cool, Robert. If I'm ever back in South Dakota I'll look for it!


A guy I know here makes dandelion wine—from dandelion petals—that's on the sweet side but it fits the 'fruit'. I generally prefer dry reds but I really like it. He also makes blackberry wine, also a bit sweet but again it's very good.

My parents used to make citrus "champagne," a bubbly wine from lemons, limes and oranges (oh, and a few grapes). (The first batch was a disaster but they made corrections and it was surprisingly good (according, anyway, to my 16-year-old palate, which wasn't fond of alcoholic drinks to begin with).

I may try winemaking myself, but what I really want to try is making blue-veined cheeses.


Wow, dandelion wine! I love wine and I'm no snob about it - I am curious about any and all varietals regardless of which fruit or flower is used. I've never tried dandelion, but some of the most unusual wines I've tried were in Utah, of all places. There is a winery in Layton called The Hive which makes many honey meads, as the name suggests. They also make wines from raspberries, cherries, peaches,apricot, pineapple, pear and pomegranate. They had some great blends, but that lemon-lime-orange champagne you describe sounds off the charts!

I'm a big fan of blue-veined cheeses as well; gorgonzola, roquefort, etc. I particularly enjoy eating it with a dry gin martini. But it has to be fresh bleu cheese, when I've tried olives stuffed with bleu cheese, the brine in the olive jar dries out the cheese so it loses the great flavor. Anyway, good luck to you, hope your cheesemaking efforts go well.
"Huey Long once said, “Fascism will come to America in the name of anti-fascism.” I'm afraid, based on my own experience, that fascism will come to America in the name of national security."
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