This summer, the River View Winery has been serving a refreshing Sangria made from our popular Marquette wine. Often people will ask - how did you make it? Is it a family secret? Heck no! We want to make sure that you can have a glass of Sangria while lounging in your favorite deck chair (or recliner). Below is our delicious Sangria recipe  which came from Delish.com. 

INGREDIENTS
1 (750-mL.) bottle River View Winery Marquette Red Wine
1 c. orange juice
1/2 c. brandy
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 orange, sliced
1 apple, sliced
1 c. blueberries
1 c. sliced strawberries
1 (12-oz.) can seltzer

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pitcher, mix together wine, orange juice, brandy, and sugar then stir in oranges, apples, blueberries, and strawberries. 
2. Refrigerate until ready to serve, preferably 2 hours. Top off with seltzer before serving. 
3. Sit back and enjoy the refreshing flavors!

Dear Friends,
First and foremost, we hope you are all doing well and staying safe in these challenging times. As you may have heard, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has ordered the temporary closure of restaurants, bars and other places of public amusement, which includes wineries for tastings, as part of the statewide efforts to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

This means the opening date for the start of River View’s 2020 season will be postponed until further notice. We will continue to monitor developments and post updates on our potential opening on our website and Facebook page.
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In the meantime, we urge you all to stay informed and stay healthy. Perhaps now is the time to reconnect with family & friends (from a safe distance), read a good book, enjoy that special bottle of wine, or just take stock of all you are grateful for. When the time comes, we will be here to celebrate another great season. See you then!
Brad

​Chase away the chill with a wickedly delicious mug of mulled wine!! It's
​super easy to make and oh so good. Here's our favorite recipe:
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▪️ 1 bottle of River View Marquette or River Boat Red
▪️ 2 cinnamon sticks 
▪️ 4 cloves
▪️ 1/4 cup sugar
▪️ 2 large oranges, sliced (save half for garnish)

Combine wine, sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves and half of the orange slices in a slow cooker. Cook on low heat for approximately 1 hour until hot. Once hot turn slow cooker to the warm setting. Garnish mugs with orange slice. Serves 6. Any leftover wine can be stored in the fridge and reheated. It's also yummy cold. Enjoy!!! 

​Wine can be intimidating, but it really doesn’t have to be. Here are 4 simple steps to make wine more approachable and enjoyable. (Warning: some winespeak ahead.)

Step 1. Sight – Look at the color of the wine as you hold it up to the light. According to Vivino, color is your first indicator of taste. For example, if a white wine has a pale yellow color with a slight green hue, you can expect it to be light and crisp. If you tilt a glass of red wine over a white piece of paper and can't see through it, the wine is most likely highly concentrated and full-bodied. 

Step 2. Smell – Swirl the wine in your glass to let it breathe, then hold it up to your nose and sniff.  What do you smell? Citrus? Grapefruit? Cherry? Blackberry? Lemongrass? Green apple? Plum? Is it Earthy? Spicy? Oaky? Smelling can also help you detect wine faults (think wet dog, vinegar or nail varnish) that will help you avoid a bad wine.

Step 3.  Taste –  Take a large sip and let it coat your mouth and let the wine sit on your tongue a bit. Then take a few smaller sips. What do you taste? Was it sweet, semi-sweet, dry, bitter? Did you taste any of the flavors you smelled?  Try to pick out at least 3 fruit flavors and 3 others, one at a time.

Step 4. Finish - How did the wine “finish” – the sensation it leaves in your mouth once it’s consumed? Was is smooth, tart, acidic, bitter, fruity?  Did you like it? Not your thing? Keep in mind there is no shame in dumping a wine you didn’t like. 

Be sure to cleanse your palate in between sips with oyster crackers or take a sip of water (or both). And remember, there is no right or wrong in tasting wine. Everyone’s palate and preference is different. That’s the beauty of wine – there really is something for everyone. Cheers!

(Sources: Wine Folly, Vivino)

​A great way to learn about wine is to start with an empty notebook and write about the wines you drink. Plain and simple. Don’t worry about terminology or style. Just put thoughts to paper and see where it goes.

As you sample more and more varieties of wine, as your tastes grow and change, you have documented your education along the way. The notebook helps you chart your journey, and offers a great resource for sharing with others, or simply refer back to just for fun.

We invite you to start your wine charting journey at River View Vineyard & Winery. We offer 10 different varieties of cold-hardy wines with unique characteristics and flavors that are sure to please any palate.  Learn more here. Cheers!

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While other wineries have a vineyard dog, we like to do things a little differently at River View. Meet Gray and Red, our resident vineyard cats. We invited them to do a short Q&A to introduce themselves:

Gray
​When did you join the River View team?
A. “I started as a young kitten and grew into the role, so probably 5 lives ago (around 2014).”
Q. What is your most favorite thing to do here?
A. “I love chasing the critters and birds that show up on the patio. Brad doesn’t like it when I take off after them but hey, he’s not in charge, I am. Plus, it’s my job to drive them away. Seriously, I hate it when he questions my integrity.”
Q. What is your least favorite thing?
A. “I hate it when Brad catches me and locks me inside. How can I possibly charm the guests when I am cooped up?”
Q: Is it true you have a bit of an attitude?
A. “Who said I have an attitude, Brad? I don’t have an attitude, he has an attitude. Where is he…”
Q. What are you most looking forward to this season?
A. “I am excited to greet our guests (if I feel like it) and get some long overdue exercise chasing whatever shows up outside, when I’m not napping or otherwise not interested.”
Q. What are your greatest qualities?
A. “Well certainly my good looks, humility and indifference.”

Red
Q. When did you join the River View team?
A. “Gray and I started around the same time, but I am a bit younger - don’t tell him I said that, he’ll say I’m lying. Cats don’t lie, do they?”
Q. What is your most favorite thing to do here?
A. “I love watching Gray chase the critters and birds and seeing Brad yell at him. It’s quite entertaining.”
Q. What is your least favorite thing?
A. “I hate it when it’s time to close for the day and all my new new-found friends leave. Everyone who visits knows I am the charming one.”
Q: Is it true you have a bit of an attitude?
A. “Not at all – I leave that to Gray. He’s got enough of an attitude for both of us. That way I can be the favorite.” 
Q. What are you most looking forward to this season?
A. “I love making new friends. Most days I will even let them pet me, and on good days I may even purr a bit.”
Q. What are your greatest qualities?
A. “Come on, isn’t it obvious? My overwhelming charm of course.”