The grapes are ripening quickly and harvest should be under way sometime near the end of August or the first part of September.  If you are interested in helping pick grapes, we will trade vouchers for B&B stays or merchandise from the Winery Shop for your labor.  Just let us know if you are interested so we can schedule helpers.

Loren and Dianna Engelbrecht, Engelbrecht Famiy Winery

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 15th, 2010 at 7:29 pm and is filed under On the Farm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Join us for fun and delicious wine!

Loren and Dianna will be tasting and selling their wines at the IA State Fair - IA Wine Garden this Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, August 17th-19th.  We were delighted our wines: Farm House Irish Charm, White, Catina, Heritage, Bella, and Frederick’s Red were selected to be featured, tasted and sold during the entire 2010 IA State Fair.

Come see us this week at the Iowa Wine Garden.  We look forward to greeting friends and meeting new ones.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 15th, 2010 at 7:04 pm and is filed under Iowa Wines. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Fredericksburg, IA — It’s not too late to spend a little time with the family before school starts, and a great family destination is the Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast!

You will be staying on a real working farm with dairy cattle, goats, chickens, peacocks, llamas, Jacob sheep, cats and two dogs named HJ and Gracie.  Feeding baby calves, gathering the eggs, fishing in the farm pond, walking, running or biking on the 5 mile nature trail, viewing the newly planted Vineyard, and shopping in the wine and antique shop in a remodeled machine shed are all part of the Farm House experience.  The Farm House Breakfast offers a full-course farmers’ breakfast with locally grown products.

Our guests enjoy viewing and learning about our Winery and Vineyard.   Visit our Web site to view additional photos: www.thefarmhousebb.com

Farm House Bed & Breakfast Inn
2866 270th Street
Fredericksburg, IA 50630
(563) 237-5969

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 14th, 2010 at 4:16 pm and is filed under On the Farm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

The Iowa Wine Trail will be having a special weekend event in mid-April. Please join us on Saturday and Sunday, April 24 & 25, 2010. The event will be open both days from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm.

This year’s theme: Decadence²

Each winery will serve samples of local Iowa foods paired with the excellent Iowa made wines of the Upper Mississippi River Valley. The wineries are gearing up to provide unique and creative food samples that bring out the best in their individual, unique wine styles. Engelbrecht Family Winery will feature delicious chocolates and cheese samples for you to enjoy!

To fully enjoy the wine trail experience of the Upper Mississippi River Valley of Iowa, it is best to take two days traversing the trail and visiting all eight wineries. Start making arrangements now with one of the bed and breakfast partner sites listed on the website at www.iowawinetrail.com. Ask about any special weekend packages that they may offer.

Purchase 3 tickets before April 15th and receive a fourth ticket FREE (4 tickets for $75). Two-day tickets purchased after the 15th but before the day of the event will be $25/ticket. Single day tickets are available for $20 each if purchased before April 24th. Tickets are available the day of the event for $35 each. Tickets can be purchased in the tasting rooms at any of the participating wineries or online at www.iowawinetrail.com. Phone orders can be placed through Park Farm Winery at 563-557-3727.

We hope to see you there!!

This entry was posted on Monday, March 29th, 2010 at 4:28 pm and is filed under Special Events/Occasions, Winery. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Need an idea for your Valentine’s Day outing?

Idea 1:

Enjoy a Spectacular Dining Experience with your Valentine at the Farm House Gathering Room on Friday evening February 12th or Saturday evening, February 13th. Reservations required for either the 5:00 pm or 7:30 pm dining times. Dinner includes:

• Complimentary Wine Tasting (make sure you try our new Farm House Raspberry Wine)
• Your favorite Farm House Wine
• Appetizers
• The Farm House Valentine Salad with homemade rolls
• Surf and Turf Entreé (shrimp and sirloin steak), Twice Baked Potato and Fresh Vegetable Medley
• Our Rich and Creamy Farm House Chocolate Mousse served with a Romantic Raspberry Truffle

$30.00/person plus tax and gratuity

To make reservations, call 563-237-5969 or e-mail lecows@iowatelecom.net

Idea 2: Something New for 2010:

A Valentine Brunch on Sunday, February 14th from 10:00am - 2:00pm featuring:

• Reicks’ Ham and Bacon
• Quiche and Cherry Crepes
• Fruit Tray, Muffins and Coffeecake
• Juice, milk, coffee, tea and
• A small glass of our new Farm House Raspberry Wine

This idea: Just $14.95/person plus tax — NO RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Idea 3:

Treat your sweetheart to a romantic and relaxing night at the Farm House B&B. – a great winter getaway. See www.thefarmhousebb.com for lodging info. Call 563-237-5969 for reservations.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 5:30 pm and is filed under Gathering Room, Special Events/Occasions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

No matter which team you’re rooting for (or against) you know you’ll have a good time here with us!

Super Bowl Fun at the Farm House Gathering Room

Sunday, February 7th, starting at 4:30pm

Watch the BIG GAME with friends and family on our 52″ BIG SCREEN TV - in HD! There will be lots of food, drink, specials and prizes!

For just $10.00 - All You Can Eat

• Buffalo Chili for the Brave
• Beef Chili for the Sane
• B-Q Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• Lots of Chips & Dips
• Veggies for the Healthy
• Sweets for the Sweet
• Team Popcorn Balls

No Reservations Required. Call 563-237-5969 for more information.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 5:17 pm and is filed under Gathering Room, Special Events/Occasions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Mike White, ISU Extension Viticulture Specialist, will be teaching a series called “Commercial Winegrape 101 Series.”

Class dates include January 19th, January 26th, February 2nd & February 9th. The February 9th class will feature Establishing a Small Winery Presentation & Tasting by Loren & Dianna (owners/operators of our own Engelbrecht Family Winery)!

Registration deadline is TODAY, January 15th, 2010!! Everything is located at the ISU Extension Borlaug Learning Center Northeast Iowa Reseach Farm - located at 3327 290th St, Nashua, Iowa 50658.

Registration is required, so if you’re interested contact Jeannie Tibbits at the ISU Norman Borlaug Learning Center: 641-435-4864.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 15th, 2010 at 7:38 pm and is filed under Special Events/Occasions, Winery. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

We have been hard at work here at the Farm House. Aside from our very successful harvest, 2 brand new wines, and an upcoming Christmas Open House, we have managed to get even more local (and not so local) stores to carry our wines.

Not only is it great news for us - it’s FANTASTIC news for you! Now you can purchase your favorite Farm House wines even when you’re not in Fredericksburg.

You can find a few of our wines at each of these fabulous stores:

Hy-Vee Cedar Falls, University Ave.

Cedar Rapids, Edgewood

Cedar Rapids, 2405 Mt. Vernon DS

Cedar Rapids, Blairs Ferry Drugstore

Cedar Rapids, Sixth St. Drugstore

Dubuque, Dodge St.

Dubuque, Locust St.

Marion

Mason City, 2400 4th St.

Waterloo, Kimball Ave.

Waterloo, Logan Ave.

Waverly

Kwik Serve St. Ansgar

New Hampton Family Foods New Hampton

Roots Market Cedar Falls

Terry’s Food Center Dysart

Trunck’s Country Foods Reinbeck

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 9:27 pm and is filed under Expansion, Special Events/Occasions, Winery. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

It was a fruitful fall here at the Farm House! The vineyard had much more to offer than a beautiful sight on the walking trail.

We were able to harvest over 57,000 pounds of grapes this year!

Here are a few pictures from the harvest. We hope you enjoy them - as well as the wines and jelly we are able to produce from them!

Even the dogs offered a helping paw!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 9:02 pm and is filed under Special Events/Occasions, Winery. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Engelbrecht Family Winery now has 2 exciting new wines to choose from!

Introducing Frederick’s Red & Irish Charm!

Frederick’s Red:

- A bold, adventurous, dry red wine

- Made from our own Frontecan & St. Croix grapes

- Best when served at room temperature (approx. 62 degrees)

Irish Charm:

- Delightfully sweet white wine

- Made from our own St. Pepin & Prairie Star grapes

- Best when served chilled (approx. 48 degrees)

This entry was posted on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 8:02 pm and is filed under Special Events/Occasions, Winery. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.