Around Kansas - Somerset Wine Trail Trolley - May 17, 2017
(Frank) We’re back. This is Trail Day today, I guess. So, anyway [Laughs]. Well - (Deb) There’s another trail idea close to my heart. (Frank) This is another trail. But, this is a newer trail. Because at one time Kansas was number four in wine making in the United States before prohibition. (Deb) Isn’t that wild? (Frank) Yes. Because the climate, the land and all that was just right for really raising some really good grapes. Well, they disappeared. But as we know here - (Deb) They became raisins, before that’s what happened. (Frank) Yes [Laughs], right. The wine-making industry started again. And, of course, this is Kansas and there’s a lot of resistance to alcohol and all of that. But, it has blossomed in the state. You may be familiar with the Wine Trail over in Missouri. Well, there’s a Kansas Wine Trail as well. That’s what this next story is about, because some people got together with the wineries. They went over to visit - (Deb) Hermann, Missouri. (Frank) - Hermann, Missouri and spent six months there learning how to do this. Anyway that’s part of the story. So, we’re going to talk about the Somerset Wine Trail. This is Kansas Profile from Ron Wilson, Director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University. Let’s hit the trail. It’s not a biking trail or a hiking trail, this is a wine trail. Now it is possible to hit this Wine Trail by trolley. There’s a growing wine business in Miami County, Kansas. One element of that growth was the creation of the Somerset Wine Trail. A trolley service is now available for wine trail travelers and others. Brian and Michelle Roberts are owners of Miami County Trolley. Brian, a Kansas native, worked in sales and marketing in Iowa for 17 years before coming back to Kansas near where his wife’s parents live in Miami County. “My wife and I were
looking to start some business of our own,” Brian said. In 2010, he and Michelle visited the town of Hermann in the heart of Missouri wine country. They noticed a trolley service, which provided transportation to the local wineries. It was an appealing idea, considering the growing winery industry developing back home in Miami County, but Brian wasn’t sure there were enough wineries to support it. “We had three wineries in the county,” Brian said. “In 2012, a fourth winery opened, and we decided to go for it. Brian and Michelle met with Janet McRae, the Economic Development Director for Miami County. “Janet was huge for us,” Brian said. She helped with business planning and more. They consulted with each of the wineries. In order to fully learn the business, Brian and Michelle went back to Hermann, Missouri, to the guy who owned the trolley service there. “We spent six months with the guy in Hermann and learned the business inside and out. He sold us our first trolley.” Brian and Michelle established Miami County Trolley. One of the wineries, Somerset Ridge, had taken the lead in establishing a highway route called the Somerset Wine Trail, which linked the wineries in the county. Miami County Trolley is available for weddings, corporate events and parties, but the primary business is the wine trail. “If they stay in Miami County, we can pick them up and return them right to their lodging,” Brian said. Miami County has the Paola Inn and Suites plus several bed and breakfasts. The trolley can go to each place and shuttle people to the wineries. The business has grown to the point that Brian purchased a second trolley in September 2014. “It’s become a full-time job for me,” Brian said. He has even hired four other drivers. The trolleys themselves are the classic vehicles, fully enclosed with heat and wood interior seats. There is even a bell for the driver to ring. One trolley is diesel and the other has a gas engine. One can hold twenty passengers and the other can hold thirty. “We can shuttle up to a hundred people in a day,” Brian said. It is such a convenient and worry-free way to travel, and especially to enjoy the wine trail. Seats on the trolley are booked by reservation. “We generally fill up,” Brian said. He also has a fourteen-passenger van, which can pick up other passengers and bring them to the trolley. “I like meeting new people,” Brian said. “It’s a lot of work but it doesn’t feel like work. We’re continuing to grow the business.” Miami County Trolley is based in the rural community of Paola, population 5,033. Now, That’s Rural!
Chambourcin Wine Grape Harvest - Rowe Ridge Vineyard & Winery - Wyandotte County, Kansas
Chambourcin Wine Grape Harvest - Rowe Ridge Vineyard & Winery - Wyandotte County, Kansas
Wine growing states like Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Arkansas experience much colder winter months than Pacific coastal states. As a result, varietals like Pinot Noir are nearly impossible to keep healthy without dying. Heartier grape vines like Norton and Chardonnel can live through the long weeks of the brutal winter cold; however, they invariably lack the gentle palate and delicate fruit qualities of more sought after premium wines.
Wine Tasting Chambourcin at Rowe Ridge Vineyard & Winery
Our personal Rowe Ridge journey began on another beautiful crisp autumn Saturday in Kansas City. Only a few sparse trees contained leaves turning brown. The sky was sunny and the temperature around seventy degrees as we excitedly opened the door to the Rowe Ridge wine tasting room. That's where we met Pam Rowe (co-owner and co-founder with her husband, Marc).
The Real Joy Of Wine Tasting Includes Great Conversations
We had just finished our first two tastings of Chardonel and Seyval Blanc. Both whites - both refreshing and smooth. But it was during our third wine when Kimberly said, I think that's one of the first Chambourcin's I've tasted that I actually liked! Her revelation cracked the place up. Like I said, Chambourcin can be extremely bitter - and very notably earthy. While I'm usually the outspoken one of the group, that's an example of how comfortable wine tasting at Rowe Ridge can be. In fact, over an hour had passed before we realized how much in-depth conversation and knowledge Pam had afforded us. (We talked at great length about winemaking, local varietals, local liquor laws and Kansas Winery Trails).
It was finally five o'clock and closing time when our exit rapidly approached. Today had been another truly exceptional wine tasting experience, so I expressed my interest to Pam about recording some video at her winery. Given our comfortable rapport, she was more than open to the idea and asked if we wanted to come back next weekend to join the Chambourcin wine harvest volunteer group. What an offer! We asked what time, she said around nine and we thanked her for the invite. We'll see you next weekend, we chimed as we smiled and left. Kimberly and I were thrilled; we wouldn't miss that for the world!
Chambourcin Wine Harvest at the Rowe Ridge Family Farm
Along with many others, we arrived just after 8:30 am on Saturday, September 16th. It was fun to watch the gathering group of volunteers and winery workers all here to pick the Chambourcin wine harvest. They suited up with work gloves, harvest tools, and yellow plastic containers - while I mounted my cell phone as a video camera onto the swivel head of my metal Bogen tripod.
As we entered the field of grape vines, Pam thanked us for coming to donate our time and enthusiasm. Then she described where to cut above the grape cluster at a visible curved elbow as she led the group to the rows of vines in the fields where she demonstrated how to place the clipped wine grape clusters in the yellow bins. These hold about 20 pounds of grapes, she explained. After the large blue bin was brought by the tractor, then it could be filled with the smaller yellow bins, and then the tractor would take that large bin back for temporary storage - before sorting.
We are harvesting Chambourcin, Pam me, so we depend on volunteers to come help us get our grape crop in. They're very instrumental in getting everything picked. They (the wine grapes) should be about perfect. I asked Pam ideally what mature grapes should look like and so she showed some to the camera. There's a nice cluster right here. See that? That's a good cluster. For the most part, it's a good size, all the grapes seem to have ripened about the same - we've got a little down here at the bottom that's not ripe - but for the most part, this is the size of cluster we would like to have. And, if you take one off and open it up you can see that pretty juice and the brown seeds and the soft skin. And it tastes good.
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7 Best Wineries in Kansas City
Around Kansas - Wine Trolly - 1/17/18
This is Kansas Profile from Ron Wilson, Director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University. Let’s hit the trail. It’s not a biking trail or a hiking trail, this is a wine trail. Now it is possible to hit this Wine Trail by trolley. There’s a growing wine business in Miami County, Kansas. One element of that growth was the creation of the Somerset Wine Trail.
Go Junction City - Wine Country
Junction City is in the heart of Wine Country and the Willamette Valley AVA. A half-dozen charming boutique wineries are clustered along the back country roads of this agricultural community, just minutes from the Eugene Airport.
You know you need a getaway when you've tossed your last wine bottle into the recycle bin.
It's time. Go Junction City! Where wineries and wide open spaces welcome you. It's where agriculture is the culture. And small-town events make you feel right at home. Taste wine. Visit farm stands. Then stay and play another day!
To plan your getaway, go to EugeneCascadesCoast.org/GO
It's time. GO Junction City!
Wyldewood Cellars Winery - FedEx Contest Submission Video
As the largest winery in the state of Kansas, Wyldewood Cellars is looking to serve our customers better. One way that we are striving to do this is with our shipping. We strive to get your wine to you as soon as possible! In order to do that though, we are needing to update and expand our shipping department.
FedEx has created a contest for small businesses to win a grant, so we thought we would throw our hat in the ring.
This is our 90 second video entry. Wish us luck!
Wyldewood Cellars would like to thank American Authors and Sony/ATV for allowing us to use their song.
No copyright infringement intended. We do not own the song used. All rights of the song go to the respective owners.
Song: Best Day Of My Life
By: American Authors
According to Federal Law, no animals are allowed to be inside the winery. With that being said, just know that Maggie The Dog was photoshopped into the pictures and was never actually inside the building.
Thanks for watching! Please vote for us!
Farm Factor - November 18, 2014: Highland Viticulture and Enology
(Conrad) Good morning and welcome to Farm Factor on AGam in Kansas. I'm your host Conrad Kabus. Recently the Kansas Department of Agriculture organized a specialty block grant for several organizations in Kansas. One of the funded parties was the Highland Community College Viticulture and Enology Program. Today's show is all about Highland's program and what they do for the grape and wine industry in the state of Kansas. Stay tuned. Closed captioning brought to you by Kansas Soybean Commission... The Soybean Checkoff...Progress Powered by Kansas Farmers. Scott Kohl Director of the Highland Community College Viticulture and Enology Program.
Overland Park Kansas/Secured Cards/BQ Five Star Review by Brian J./Credit Bureau
All you need is here
Better Qualified team always receives grateful reviews from their clients. These fantastic feedbacks from great clients and they always want to tell what a great job Better Qualified professionals did for them. The team wants to share these feedbacks with everyone. Ensure, they work extremely hard to provide the best customer service and Better Qualified team is proud to say that according to the reviews they are doing a great job. Better Qualified company work hard until every client is satisfied. List of Video Credits can be found here Installment credit is used for a specific purpose, for a defined amount and for a specific period. Payments are usually the same amount each month. Examples of purchases made on installment credit include large appliances, automobiles and furniture. These kinds of loans usually offer lower interest rates than revolving credit. For example, a car company holds a lien on the car until the car loan is repaid. The total amount of the principal and interest is repaid within a predefined period. If the customer defaults on the loan payments, the company can repossess the car and charge penalties. Better Qualified has developed a proven credit management program that will help you manage your credit and save money. The subsectors, industry groups, and industries within the Finance and Insurance sector are defined on the basis of their unique production processes. As with all industries, the production processes are distinguished by their use of specialized human resources and specialized physical capital. In addition, the way in which these establishments acquire and allocate financial capital, their source of funds, and the use of those funds provides a third basis for distinguishing characteristics of the production process. For instance, the production process in raising funds through deposit-taking is different from the process of raising funds in bond or money markets. The process of making loans to individuals also requires different production processes than does the creation of investment pools or the underwriting of securities. Better Qualified works with over 100 business partners that are both public and privately held companies. The company has consulted for thousands of individuals and corporations on their credit ratings, operations, sales and business models. Oster has extensive knowledge and experience in finance, mortgages and insurance. 20 years of experience in the industry has given Mr. Oster great insight to develop custom programs for all of Better Qualified’s clients. Paul J. Oster is the CEO of Better Qualified, LLC, a limited liability company that specializes in business and consumer credit services. Overland Park is a city in northeastern Kansas. Located within the Kansas City metropolitan area, it is a melting-pot of both urban and suburban living. With 173.000 residents, it is one of the most affluent cities in the U.S.. Overland Park is the largest community in Johnson County, the economic engine that drives the Kansas City economy. The population is predominately white and well educated. North and South streets are named while East and West streets are numbered. Metcalf Ave will take you just about anywhere, although at parts, it has many lanes and is a bit confusing. Before driving on this street, make sure you know where you're going and don't drive on it during rush hour (5PM-7PM), or expect to be sitting there at least an hour.
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It makes sense to mention the main issues - Frank's North Star Tavern, The Foot Spot, Wichita Food Tours, Topgolf, Skydive Kansas, Reuter Pipe Organs, Fat Brain Toys, Dodge City Trolley, Holy-Field Vineyard & Winery, derogatory information, Mission Road Antique Mall, Clinton State Park, Prairie Museum of Art & History, to fight the hackers, Great Wolf Lodge, Cabela's, Twilight Theatre, Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery, Fields of Fair Winery, Museum at Prairiefire, Incred-A-Bowl Family Fun Center, Ellis Lakeside Campground, Buffalo Bill Cultural Center, active retention, The Sunflower State, Garden City Arts, Museum at Prairiefire, Monument Rocks, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Crooked Post Winery, JEREMIAH BULLFROGS BAR AND GRILLE, Nell Hill's, Dorothy's House/Land of Oz.
What I Drank Yesterday Lazy Creek Vineyards
This is an informative wine production highlighting the wines at the Wine Watch, in Fort Lauderdale. It is intended as a companion to Wine Watch Email offers. For more information please visit winewatch.com
Auburn Coach Wife Kristi Malzahn Agrees with Match & eHarmony: Men are Jerks
My advice is this: Settle! That's right. Don't worry about passion or intense connection. Don't nix a guy based on his annoying habit of yelling Bravo! in movie theaters. Overlook his halitosis or abysmal sense of aesthetics. Because if you want to have the infrastructure in place to have a family, settling is the way to go. Based on my observations, in fact, settling will probably make you happier in the long run, since many of those who marry with great expectations become more disillusioned with each passing year. (It's hard to maintain that level of zing when the conversation morphs into discussions about who's changing the diapers or balancing the checkbook.)
Obviously, I wasn't always an advocate of settling. In fact, it took not settling to make me realize that settling is the better option, and even though settling is a rampant phenomenon, talking about it in a positive light makes people profoundly uncomfortable. Whenever I make the case for settling, people look at me with creased brows of disapproval or frowns of disappointment, the way a child might look at an older sibling who just informed her that Jerry's Kids aren't going to walk, even if you send them money. It's not only politically incorrect to get behind settling, it's downright un-American. Our culture tells us to keep our eyes on the prize (while our mothers, who know better, tell us not to be so picky), and the theme of holding out for true love (whatever that is—look at the divorce rate) permeates our collective mentality.
Even situation comedies, starting in the 1970s with The Mary Tyler Moore Show and going all the way to Friends, feature endearing single women in the dating trenches, and there's supposed to be something romantic and even heroic about their search for true love. Of course, the crucial difference is that, whereas the earlier series begins after Mary has been jilted by her fiancé, the more modern-day Friends opens as Rachel Green leaves her nice-guy orthodontist fiancé at the altar simply because she isn't feeling it. But either way, in episode after episode, as both women continue to be unlucky in love, settling starts to look pretty darn appealing. Mary is supposed to be contentedly independent and fulfilled by her newsroom family, but in fact her life seems lonely. Are we to assume that at the end of the series, Mary, by then in her late 30s, found her soul mate after the lights in the newsroom went out and her work family was disbanded? If her experience was anything like mine or that of my single friends, it's unlikely.
And while Rachel and her supposed soul mate, Ross, finally get together (for the umpteenth time) in the finale of Friends, do we feel confident that she'll be happier with Ross than she would have been had she settled down with Barry, the orthodontist, 10 years earlier? She and Ross have passion but have never had long-term stability, and the fireworks she experiences with him but not with Barry might actually turn out to be a liability, given how many times their relationship has already gone up in flames. It's equally questionable whether Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw, who cheated on her kindhearted and generous boyfriend, Aidan, only to end up with the more exciting but self-absorbed Mr. Big, will be better off in the framework of marriage and family. (Some time after the breakup, when Carrie ran into Aidan on the street, he was carrying his infant in a Baby Björn. Can anyone imagine Mr. Big walking around with a Björn?)