On Saturday, February 6, we were invited to go on a tour at
Lynfred Winery as part of a friend's birthday. We've visited Lynfred on several occasions, but this is the first time since we've started this blog. We headed up to Roselle, Illinois late that morning and were ready to start the tour at 11:00. Nothing like wine before lunch!
Lisa was our tour guide, and took our group of 12 or so down into the cellar to begin our tasting and tour. Lynfred often does tours of its facility for guests, but this was a special pre-arranged package for the group as part of the birthday festivities. Therefore, this tour was different from the norm in that it was a private tour with just our group, and the tastings set up in the cellar rather than upstairs at the main bar as is the norm.
There were seven wines available for us to taste, with an eighth ice wine available at an extra charge. (It costs more to make, so that one isn't complementary.) First up was the
2007 Viognier, described as fruity (pears and apricots), with hints of honey and lemon peel and with "refreshing acidity." We found this to have a better nose than taste, and despite the fruity taste was slightly sour, yet had a good, crisp finish. Next came the
2008 Reserve Pinot Grigio, with an aroma of "butterscotch, vanilla, and the tropics," with a citrus, toast, and pineapple palate. Our thoughts were that it had a tangy nose, was oaky and buttery, and more complex, like a chardonnay rather than a pinot grigio (due to being aged in oak). Their
Sweet Heart White was next, made with niagra grapes. They say it has the aroma of lemon candy, apricots, and flowers, and tastes of creamy lemon & citrus and Pez candy. We thought it does not taste as good as Lynfred's
Sweet Heart Red yet is good in its own right. Overall it is a semi-sweet wine with a slight nose and honey color.
Next came the red wines. We started off with
Fred's Red, which is their flagship red wine named after the owner, Fred. Lynfred describes it as smelling of currants, plums, mocha, and chocolate, with a taste of cinnamon, herbs, prunes, and toasty oak. We found it to have a strong nose, to be smooth yet complex, and had nice legs. It had a good tang and pleasant finish, and we bought a bottle later. The
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon came next, with a "plums, cocoa beans, nutmeg, and dried fruit" aroma and a palate of cassis, vanilla, coffee, and almond. Our thoughts were that this has a spicy nose, was more fruit forward than Fred's Red, has a very nice ruby color. This had a very strong "cabby taste" and a smooth finish. This was followed by the
2006 Petite Sirah, described as smelling of chocolate-covered cherries and mocha, and tasted of black pepper, black currant, and chocolate. We thought it had a small nose, good legs, and a mellow, oaky taste. Finally we had a fruit wine, which is what we think are Lynfred's signature wines. This time it was a new flavor,
Mango. They say it smells of tropical violets and canned peaches, with a taste of candy, peaches, and tropical flavors. Our thoughts were that it had a honey-nut nose, with a good balance of sweet and astringent flavors. Overall, this has a nice, sweet taste. We bought a bottle of this one as well.
After the tastings, Lisa told us that Lynfred is the oldest continuously-running winery in Illinois. It was started out of Fred and Lyn's basement (hence the winery name), and Fred still lives in the house that originally housed the winery. The house stands at the front of the property, and the winery was expanded behind it. The house's basement connects with the winery cellar and production area, above which is the tasting room and gift shop. The gift shop opens out onto the production area that houses all the steel vats of wine. Above all this is the bed & breakfast, which features a glass walkway looking down towards the vats themselves.
Lynfred does not grow any of their own grapes, but has them shipped in from other areas of the country, mostly the Pacific Coast states. We asked about the production of their fruit wines, and were told that they use 100% fruit juice to start, instead of mixing white grapes with the fruit like some other wineries. No doubt this is why their fruit wines are so spectacular.
We ended our tour by going back upstairs, where we were able to try more wines (like the ice wine) at the tasting bar. Lynfred's bar is quite large and able to accommodate at least thirty people. Their store area is quite nice, with not only all of their wines on display but also fresh bread, different fruit and herb spreads, and lots of wine paraphernalia. Overall, what impresses us about this winery is not just their level of professionalism, but the way they've designed the winery itself. You can tell that they put a lot of thought into the expansion, with details like a fully-carved wooden tasting bar, grape designs inlaid in the flooring, and stained glass windows with grape vines. Plus, the people working there have always been very friendly and helpful.
On Saturday, May 1, we headed out to Oswego, Illinois for the Wine on the Fox festival. This was E's second year attending, and M's first. The festival takes place in Hudson Crossing Park, right alongside the Fox River. It's a gorgeous venue for a wine festival - tall trees, lush plants, a playground for kids, enough room for a stage with live bands, and plenty of room to mill around without feeling crowded. Also, since Oswego is one of the far western suburbs of Chicago, this festival is most likely "too far away" for a lot of people and the crowds are blessedly small compared to some of the larger wine festivals in the Chicagoland area. And honestly, you just can't beat the scenery.
