Just north of Sioux Falls is this amazing little place called Strawbale Winery, in a country town called Renner.
I have a confession to make: I am not much of a drinker, but when I do, I prefer wine. My favorite grown up wine is Pinot grigio, and I also like Chardonnay. For casual consumption, I like white Zinfandel or sangria. I am less fond of red wines, although I prefer to eat red grapes.
Back to the topic at hand. Strawbale is a family friendly winery. The property is reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell rendition of a farm/winery. There are chickens, and barn cats wander the property. There is a little brook, and a 100 year old farmhouse with a wraparound lemonade porch.
Throughout the year, Strawbale offers a wide variety of events. In August, they have Quilts & Vines, which is a fundraiser for Project Linus, cosponsored by my favorite local quilt store, Heirloom Creations. One day, I will have a quilt in there. That would mean I would have to finish another quilt first.
During the summer, Strawbale has the Front Porch Series on Thursday evenings. You, and your family, go with chairs and soak in the creative vibes. There are local artists and chefs with their wares, and you can hear some awesome music too. Oh, and there's wine.
Also during the summer, Strawbale offers Sangria Sundays, which are a low key, relaxing afternoon. You bring a picnic lunch, a blanket and you can listen to live music and breathe clean, country air. Oh, and there's sangria too.
In October, there's the Harvest Festival, which is our annual welcome to fall event (along with the apple festival at a local orchard). Big Man likes the fact there is bocci ball, Little Man likes the bean bag toss and we all love the pumpkin chucking. Oh, and there's wine too.
My introduction to Strawbale came through their Thursday evening winter program, Wining Women. Each month, October through April, on the second Thursday of the month, a pretty awesome group of women gather together & have fun. Crafts! Bollywood dancing! There's a different topic, food (even vegetarian friendly fare!) and oh yeah, wine.
And here is my sangria recipe:
1 bottle red wine
1/2 agave
Sliced oranges, lemons & limes
Mix the wine & agave together. Add fruit & let sit in the fridge for a few hours before drinking
Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity. Margaret D. Nadauld