Natural Corks

Traditional and classic, natural corks provide an airtight seal that permits a small amount of oxygen into the bottle. This allows wines to age gracefully, while adding a touch of elegance to the uncorking experience. Natural corks expand to fit the bottle’s neck, granting the wine to evolve over time in the bottle, thus enhancing its complexity and character.

Because our Chambourcin Reserve undergoes aging, we use natural corks for this wine.

Synthetic Corks

Providing a consistent, immovable seal, synthetic corks are used for wines made to be enjoyed young. They eliminate the risk of cork taint, while maintaining the aesthetic appeal of natural cork closures. A synthetic cork’s durable and reliable seal preserves the wine’s flavor and quality, ensuring a consistent taste experience with every bottle.

As our Nouveau is primarily enjoyed young, we use synthetic corks for this wine.

Screw Caps

No corkscrew? No problem! Modern and convenient, screw caps offer easy access to your favorite wines without that need for a corkscrew. These enclosures are known for their ability to preserve the freshness of wine by minimizing exposure to oxygen. As a result, screw caps consistently preserve the wine’s flavors and aromas.

Best enjoyed right away, our Riesling is sealed with a screw cap.

And there you have it! Welcome to the world of wine enclosures. No matter which seal is used, rest assured our wines are kept fresh, tight, and ready to delight!

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• Try a new wine that you have never tried.
• Have your friends over for a blind wine tasting. Ask each person to bring a bottle of their favorite wine. Take notes on the aromas, flavors, and other unique features of each wine. Compare your results. 
• Become a Wine Club Member! Insider’s Wine Club and Co. Club members enjoy bi-monthly automatic shipments of AHW and/or ISC wines chosen by the winemaker; they also receive special discounts and benefits and they get to attend fun Will Call events. Stop by the Tasting Room or Wine on the Hill or sign up online today.
• Learn about the history of Illinois Wine.
• Attend Vintage Illinois 2023 and try wines from all over Illinois, including some of your favorites from August Hill & ISC.
• Sign up for a Cave Tasting at our Wine on the Hill location and enjoy a unique and educational wine journey.
• Last, and most important, come and visit us at the Tasting Room and Wine on the Hill. We love to see your smiling faces!

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A “muselet” is the wire cage that fits over the cork of a bottle of sparkling wine. Normally covered by a foil capsule, this small but crucial element secures the cork in the bottle, keeping it sealed to the point of drinking. 

Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, the muselet is made up of three parts: a lower ring, four separate wire legs, and a metal circular plaque. Its intricate design often displays the winery’s logo, emblem, or distinctive pattern. 

The muselet’s elegant and efficient detail embodies both tradition and function, contributing to the overall experience of enjoying sparkling wines. It’s a little cap with a lot of personality!

History

The muselet’s story can be traced back to the Champagne region of France, where the production of sparkling wine gained prominence in the 17th century. Prior to the muselet, corks were secured using wooden stoppers tied down with twine. However, the pressure generated by secondary fermentation posed challenges, often leading to bottles bursting or corks being propelled out.

Over the years, the muselet design evolved, with different winemakers and regions incorporating their unique touches. As sparkling wine production expanded beyond Champagne and gained popularity worldwide, the muselet became an essential part of preserving the effervescence and quality of bubbly wines.

Unlock & Pop

Remember, opening a bottle of sparkling wine can be exciting, but it’s important to do it safely and carefully to avoid any accidents. When you are ready to pop your bubbly, the muselet becomes an integral part of the ritual. Use a sparkling wine opener (or towel) to get a good grasp on the cork. Without removing the cage, gently untwist and loosen the wire while keeping pressure on the top of the cork. Fun fact: the muselet always takes exactly six counterclockwise twists to remove by hand! 

To remove the cork, slowly turn the bottle with one hand while holding onto the cork or sparkling wine opener with the other hand. As the cork gets close to being fully released, you’ll hear a soft “pop” as the pressure inside the bottle forces the cork out. Now, it’s time to pour!

In the realm of sparkling wine, the muselet holds a dual role – a guardian of the iconic bubbles and a symbol of the joyous moments that await in every bottle. With each twist, the anticipation builds. So, what are you waiting for? Grab an ISC sparkler, unleash the bubbles, and let the celebration begin!

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Blissful Blend

Ingredients:

• 12 oz ISC Blend 795
• 2 oz orange aperitif liqueur
• Large ice cubes
• Fresh basil, for garnish

Recipe: Pour orange aperitif liqueur over ice. Slowly mix in Blend 795 and stir. Add basil to the top, and voila! 2 servings.

Chambourcin Crush

Ingredients:

• 8 oz August Hill Chambourcin
• 2 oz chilled ISC Sec or soda water
• 1 tsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• Strawberries, for garnish
• Large ice cubes

Recipe: Mix lemon juice and powdered sugar until dissolved. Slowly mix in Chambourcin. Pour over ice into glassware and top off with ISC Sec or soda water. 2 servings.

Mardi Gras Magic

Ingredients:

• 10 oz August Hill Mardi Gras
• 1 oz orange juice
• Grenadine
• Orange slices, for garnish

Recipe: Pour Mardi Gras into glass of choice. Slowly mix in orange juice. Top off with a splash of grenadine, and garnish with orange slice. Let’s Pardi Mardi! 2 servings.

Raspberry Amore

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Amaretto
• 5 oz August Hill Raspberry Infusion
• Raspberries, for garnish
• Large ice cubes

Recipe: Pour Amaretto into glass filled with ice. Top off with Raspberry Infusion, and gently stir. Garnish with raspberries. That’s amore! 2 servings.

Sangria Blanc

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle August Hill Seyval Blanc
• 2 cups ISC Sec
• 1.5 oz orange liqueur
• 3 oz Elderflower liqueur
• 1.5 cup seasonal fruit (we used strawberries, blueberries, peaches, and pineapple)
• Large ice cubes

Recipe: Mix first three ingredients with fruit into a pitcher, and let the flavors mingle. When you’re ready to serve, pour sangria over ice, and top off with Sec. 6 Servings.

Seyval Spring Fling

Ingredients:

• 6 oz August Hill Seyval Blanc
• 1 oz oz orange aperitif liqueur
• 1 oz grapefruit juice
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• Large ice cubes
• Lemon slices, for garnish

Recipe: Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled, and pour into glass of choice. Garnish with lemon slices. 2 servings.

Sparkling Co.-Lada

Ingredients:

• 4 oz ISC Brut
• 3 oz rum
• 3 oz pineapple juice
• 1 oz lime juice
• 2 oz Coco Lopez
• Toasted coconut flakes & sugar blend, for garnish
• Large ice cubes

Recipe: Wet rim of glass and dip into coconut-sugar blend. Add rum, pineapple juice, lime juice, and Coco Lopez into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until chilled, and strain into prepared glass. Top with ISC Brut. 2 servings.

Tre Rosé

Ingredients:

• 5 oz ISC Brut Ombré Rosé
• 1/2 oz rose syrup
• Large ice cubes
• Rosemary, for garnish

Recipe: Pour rose syrup into a glass filled with ice. Top off with Brut Ombré Rosé, and stir gently. Garnish with rosemary. Rosé all day! 1 Serving.

Sparkling Trapolino Sangria

Ingredients:

• 4 oz August Hill Trapolino
• 2 oz ISC Demi Sec Rosé
• Seasonal fruit
• Large ice cubes

Recipe: Mix Trapolino with fruit and let the flavors mingle. Stir in ice cubes, and top off with Demi Sec Rosé. Pure bliss!

Nothing Camparis to You

Ingredients:

• 2 oz August Hill Moscato
• 2 oz ISC Sec
• 1.5 oz orange juice
• 1 oz Campari
• Large ice cubes
• Orange slice, for garnish

Recipe: Mix Moscato, orange juice, and Campari into glass filled with ice. Top off with Sec, and garnish with orange slice. 1 serving. Nothing compares!

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First of all, know your host or hostess. Do they enjoy sweets, or do they avoid sugar? Have you ever shared a bottle together which you can bring to evoke those fond memories? Remember – the gift is for the host, so don’t expect it to be opened for the guests… that’s up to the host!

“If I know the hosts don’t like dry wines, I’ll bring Niagara. You can’t go wrong there – it’s a crowd pleaser!“
-Michelle, Wholesale

Now, what is the occasion? Have you been invited for dinner or cocktails? Is it a business event or a corporate party? Consider the occasion, and the options are endless.

If you’re attending a casual cocktail party with friends, choose a wine that excels in one or two ways, rather than an everyday bottle without any special qualities. If you’re in a pinch, simply bring a wine that both dry and sweet drinkers would enjoy!

“I would bring either Berlyn or Seyval Blanc to a holiday cocktail party. They’re both in the middle and semi-dry, and everyone would be happy to share them!“
-Sophia, Wine Club Associate

If you’re on your way to a dinner party, a more unique option is to bring a dessert wine or pairing. Your host will certainly appreciate this out-of-the-box sentiment! For example, our dessert wine, Augie’s Blackberry, pairs beautifully with either milk or dark chocolate. It’s a delicious end to the night!

Perhaps your company is throwing a corporate holiday party. In this case, we recommend bringing a higher-end wine to impress your colleagues. With this occasion, dry reds are more than appropriate or a sparkling wine is always a hit. 

“For a corporate party, I would presume that many of the guests prefer dry reds. I would go with either Ginocchio or Chambourcin Reserve. However, if you’re bringing a sparkling wine, I would bring our higher-end Brut Rosé de Saignée.”
-Dave, Operations Manager

This may go without saying, but New Year’s is all about the sparkling wine, don’t you think? It’s time to celebrate, pop some bubbly, and toast to new beginnings together.

“I would bring Blend 795 to a New Year’s party. Honestly, it’s my favorite sparkling wine, and I’d love to share it… or keep it all to myself!“
-Jennifer, Insider’s Wine Club Manager

No matter the occasion, you can’t go wrong with a wine that tells a story, and August Hill/ISC wines have got your back. A good story is a great way to break the ice and spark conversation. For example, did you know that our Blend 795 was selected to christen the USS Hyman G. Rickover submarine this year? Or that our Berlyn’s name comes from a combination of our owners’ middle names (Mark Bernard and Teri Lyn)? 

If you like the idea of a gift that keeps on giving, consider our Angel of Hope. Let your host know that for every bottle sold, August Hill donates a $1 to Relay for Hope. 

Looking for something on a grander scale? Consider a wine club gift membership. Memberships can be purchased for half or full years at August Hill and are available as sweet, dry, or sparkling. For another grand idea, perhaps gift a wine-themed gift basket; we have a wide variety of wine glasses and wine accessories, and our staff is always happy to help you put together a beautiful wine basket!

Wherever you’re going this holiday season, August Hill has something perfect for you. Happy Gifting!

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Bubbly Opening Tips

• Chill, chill, chill! The most important step is to chill your sparkling wine to 45° before opening. Chill 2-3 hours in fridge or 30 minutes in ice bucket. Wine will cool faster in the ice bucket if you add a bit of salt to the ice as well as some water. Make sure the bottle is immersed up to the neck in the ice water mixture. The ideal cellaring temperature for storing your sparkling wine is 60-65°F. Whatever you do, don’t let your bottle of bubbly get too hot. They just don’t like that one bit and have been known to blow their tops when conditions aren’t to their liking.
• Do not shake. Despite what you may see in the movies, shaking is going to increase the pressure in the bottle and that’s not a good thing. Not only will your cork fly out faster, but so will your precious bubbly.
• Point the bottle away from you and others. While this might seem obvious, it’s one of those tidbits often forgotten when you are so excited to open your bottle.
• Get a grip. Use a sparkling wine opener (or towel if you don’t have opener) to get a good grip on the cork.
• Don’t remove the wire cage yet! Loosen the wire protector that surrounds the cork while keeping pressure on the top of the cork. THIS IS IMPORTANT. Do not remove the wire protector. Only loosen it, and keep your hand or the sparkling wine opener over the top of the cage and cork. Some corks are ready to fly as soon as that cage is loosened so be prepared for this.
• Turn the bottle, not the cork. With your other hand, slowly turn the bottle with one hand while holding onto the cork or sparkling wine opener with the other hand. Turn the bottle gently until you hear a small “pop.” The soft pop (rather than the loud boom accompanied by sparkling wine flying in all directions) means you are now a sparkling wine opening expert.
• Enjoy! Reward yourself with a glass or two of bubbly!

You can use this same technique for our August Hill Winery infusion wines.

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Recommended bubbly: Be creative. You can use any of our 9 ISC sparkling wines or try one of our 5 August Hill infusion wines.

• Strawberry Grapefruit Mimosa: In a cocktail shaker, combine grapefruit juice and five sliced strawberries. Shake well until juice is a dark pink color. If you have time, let the strawberries infuse for a few hours. When making this mimosa, combine 1 part juice mix to 1 part bubbly of your choice.

• Pineapple Mimosa: 1 oz pineapple juice, 3-4 oz bubbly. Serve with pineapple garnish.

• Hummingbird Mimosa: 2 ounces of pineapple juice, 1 oz. of orange juice, 3-4 oz. of bubbly. For extra fun, rim your glass with a cinnamon sugar mix before making your mimosa (mix 2 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon). Use an orange wedge to moisten the top rim of the glass and then dip the glass rim in the cinnamon sugar mix.

• Cranberry Orange Mimosa – 2 options! Option 1: Orange juice and August Hill Cranberry Infusion; Option 2 cranberry juice, orange juice, and bubbly of your choice.

• Orange Sherbet Mimosa – 1 scoop of orange sherbet and 3-4 oz of bubbly. Use any flavor sherbet or try it with a sorbet too!

Share your mimosa recipes and pictures with us on social media and be sure to tag us. We love to hear from you!!

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The Traditional Method is the most hands-on, labor-intensive way to make sparkling wine. It involves specific steps, each critical to the process as a whole, and disgorging is one of those critical steps. Because we firmly believe the Traditional Method creates the best sparkling wine, it is how most of our ISC bubbly is made! Now, let’s get into it. Let’s see disgorgement á la volée in action.

First, the winemaker removes the crown cap and bidule (the small, plastic cup on the inside of the crown cap) with a sharp, precise movement to expel the sediment. They take care to lose the least amount of delicious sparkling wine possible.

Next, the winemaker adds the dosage (liqueur created from sugar plus wine, juice, or even brandy) with a syringe to fine tune the sparkling wine.

Finally, the winemaker tops off each bottle with the base sparkling wine to maintain consistent fill levels.

As you can tell, disgorgement à la volée is no simple deed. It is an art that takes time and practice to master! You can clearly see the dedication and passion our ISC winemakers have about creating the perfect sparkling wine. But more importantly… you can taste it.

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So, how does it all work? Well, believe it or not, the magical cork starts out large and cylindrical. Once it’s compressed halfway down into the bottle, the cork preserves the internal pressure created from secondary fermentation. Over time, this pressure builds that distinct mushroom shape, recognized by all sparkling fans around the world as a symbol of celebration. 

With all that pressure (up to 120 psi in a warm, shaken bottle), the cork must fit as snugly as possible. Clearly, a lot of force (and special equipment) is needed to get the cork into the bottle. We are sure you have noticed that once you remove a sparkling wine cork, there is no going back. It doesn’t matter how strong or talented you are, the sparkling wine cork will not fit back into the bottle.

So how do we get the cork in the bottle to begin with? We get help! Following disgorgement, our semi-automatic corker has two stations – the first forces the cork into the bottle…

…the second squishes it down and finishes it off with our wire hood. Of course we need this protection – flying corks are dangerous!

And there you have it. Remember the critical cork the next time you’re toasting friends with some bubbles. And if you ever try to downplay the importance of these tiny trinkets, well, you can put a cork in it.

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Smiling faces and good cheer is what a toast should be all about. It’s about community. It’s about joy. It’s about celebrating. 

Why is it called a toast? When some people hear toast, they think of bread. When we hear toast, we think of bubbly. So what is the history behind the toast? The term “toast” originated in the 16th century. During this time period, not all of the wines were super tasty. It was common to place a piece of toast (bread) in wine to improve the flavor and soak up some of the wine’s acidity. This practice was also a worthwhile use of stale bread. If a person was being honored at a celebration, they usually received tasty wine-soaked toast once the wine was finished.

What are the rules? Here in the U.S., we don’t get too excited about the rules for a toast. There really are no specific rules. In other parts of the world, they are a bit more serious about their toasts. If you plan to travel to foreign lands, you might want to read up on some of the rules. 

Do I need a prepared speech? You can make an informal toast any time you gather with family or friends. A simple “cheers” or something to that affect is perfectly acceptable. However, there are times when a prepared speech is recommended – for example, at a wedding. Depending on the occasion, most guests appreciate a toast that is short and to the point. In the 1800s, when formal toasts were the norm, they were quite serious about their toasts and even published them in newspapers.

How much wine do I need for a toast? One bottle of ISC sparkling wine can fill approximately five glasses. 

Is clinking glasses required? While technically clinking is not required, we happen to think it is an important element of the celebration. Just like the soft pop that you hear when opening a bottle of bubbly, the *clink* brings extra joy to the occasion. 

What is the best way to clink glasses? The rim of wine glasses is the most fragile area of the glass. The bowl, on the other hand, which is the widest place on the glass, is where the glass is the strongest. In order to avoid breaking your glass (and possibly spilling some of your precious bubbly), the best way to clink glasses is at the bowl. 

So to sum it up, we think it is is important to toast often. Don’t wait for a special celebration. Make use of the toast to show gratitude, to bring joy, and to show unity.  Cheers to you and yours!

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