Fox Valley Winery

On Saturday, February 13, we took a trip to the Fox Valley Winery in Oswego, Illinois.  For Valentine's Day, the winery was hosting a chocolate bar for all of their guests.  A chef was on hand preparing a chocolate ganache fondue, which was then drizzled over strawberries, pineapple, pretzels, cookies, or whatever else one desired.  However, the star of the show were pear halves poached in their new Amore dessert wine and drenched in ganache, served hot.  Absolutely delicious.

We've visited Fox Valley Winery several times before, but this trip did have two new features for us.  First, we were able to see their new seating area, which was still being added to the winery on our last visit.  The new room features a fireplace, bistro tables, and a small kitchen area which we're assuming is used for dinner events and/or private parties.  This new room also has access to the patio area, but this was closed due to the snow and the typically cold February temperatures.

The second feature was a tour of the winery itself.  On previous visits we haven't gone into the back area that hosts the actual winery.  However, since there were a large number of guests on Saturday afternoon, they took us for a quick tour.  We were shown the large steel vats where the wine is made, the French and American oak barrels used to age the wine, and the bottling machines.  We've seen both much larger and smaller wineries before, and Fox Valley has a rather substantial setup for a winery of its size.

Fox Valley's main area is a large great room which acts as both a tasting room and a store.  The wine bar has a wooden canopy of sorts above it to separate it from the rest of the room.  The tasting bar can accommodate a dozen or so people, and the winery offers three complimentary tastings to each guest.  Elsewhere in the room are large leather armchairs and sofas, arranged to encourage guests to relax and enjoy their wine.  A large stone fireplace on one side of the room is a major focus, as well as racks upon racks of wine bottles.

Our opinion is that every winery makes a few wines that are standouts amongst the others.  In the past, we've been big fans of Fox Valley's Vidal Blanc, and we have some stockpiled at home.  We tried the new Amore dessert wine, which is nearly a port.  It smells highly of chocolate, but with raspberry and a slightly cherry finish.  Definitely recommended while it lasts.  The winery was having a big sale on selected varieties of wine, and we picked up a bottle of their 2006 Traminette at a steal.  And finally, we bit the bullet and bought a box of the White Sangria.  A box is equal to four bottles, and this wine is so good that we knew the box would go quickly once we have friends over.  It's typically a summer wine, but it goes down so easily that everyone who tries it loves it and ends up having a second glass (or more).

Overall, we enjoy making the trip west to Fox Valley Winery.  The people working there have always been friendly, their wines are tasty, and the atmosphere is definitely welcoming.  Last summer, the winery was the "host" for the Wine on the Fox festival, which was a great local event.  We're glad to have Fox Valley close enough to visit, but far enough away to make going there a mini-event.