Thank you to Jan Biles of the Topeka Capital Journal for a very nice article on our downtown Paxico Tasting room. Stop by today at 103 Main ST, Paxico, KS 66526!
Prairie Fire Winery opens outlet in downtown Paxico
Winery produces 15 different labels
PRAIRIE FIRE WINERY
What: An outlet for Prairie Fire Winery
Where: 103 Main St. in Paxico
Hours: Noon to 5 p.m. daily; wine sampling Friday through Sunday
Phone: (785) 636-5533
Website: www.prairiefirewinery.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/prairiefirewinery
DesRuisseaux and his wife, Julie, eventually purchased 60 acres for a vineyard five miles east of Paxico, and in 2008 they established Prairie Fire Winery.
On Nov. 30, the DesRuisseauxs expanded their business to include an outlet at 103 Main St. in downtown Paxico, a space shared with Prairie Ghost, Too art gallery. This spring, they plan to add a tasting room at the downtown location.
“We have 15 labels in total,” he said, adding the wines run from sweet to dry. “My theory is rather than convince people to drink what I like, we try to find out what they like as a starting point and guide them to what they might like in their wines.”
DesRuisseaux said Prairie Fire Winery’s first vintage in 2011 produced 2,800 gallons of wine, which is being sold now at the outlet.
“We have three acres of Chambourcin and Vignoles (grapes),” he said, adding the winery also purchases grapes from other vineyards in Kansas for its wine.
Four other varieties — Cabaret Franc, Gruner Veltliner, Riesling and Concord — will be planted this year.
DesRuisseaux said Prairie Fire Winery is the first winery in the state to make Methode Champenoise — or Traditional Method — sparkling wines.
“It’s produced the some way as they do in Champagne, France,” he said, explaining the process includes a second fermentation in the bottle that produces the carbonation, riddling the bottle and disgorgement of the yeast.
The winery produces Vidal Blanc Brut, a dry sparking wine, and Vidal Blanc Doux, a sweet sparkling wine.
Prairie Fire Winery has received awards at the Mid-America Wine Competition, Indy International Wine Competition and Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition and from the American Wine Society.
DesRuisseaux said there has been a resurgence in “buying local,” and wineries are a strong addition to regional agritourism.
“We’ve seen a growth in wine buying for several years,” he said.
Prairie Fire Winery currently has four employees — the DesRuisseauxs and two part-time workers.
In the future, the winery would like hire two more part-time workers and add outlets in Topeka and Manhattan.
