A pinch of powder, a punch of wine

 

By John Busbee

Wine powder? It sounds like something that Bacchus and Tinkerbell would concoct.

This tasty seasoning, however, is the brainchild of Steve Vasquez. He’s developed a number of popular spice mixes and rubs for cooking and grilling over the years working in Hy-Vee’s corporate kitchens, and he’s enthusiastic about this new product, which he developed independently.

During a nine-month assignment to manage the meat market at the Hy-Vee in Winterset, he met “the Kevins” at the Covered Bridge Winery — farmer Kevin Boyle and winemaker Kevin Fifo. With their help, Vasquez discovered the winery discarded its pomace, the pulpy mix of grape skins and stems that remain after the pressing. He realized he could use those leftovers, like hog farmers who follow the old adage to “use everything but the squeal.”

Vasquez learned that pomace is a rich source of fiber, antioxidants, polyphenols and other nutrients. Through a bit of trial and error, he figured out how to enhance its subtle flavors with seasoning blends and develop new products, like wine powder.

He has developed two varieties of wine powder — smoked and non-smoked — that can add a dash of flavor to meats, vegetables, pastas and breads. He’s also developed a pair of rubs, “Smoked Wine-O” and “Winetender’s Choice,” that can enhance “virtually anything going on the grill or into a smoker,” according to the label. The red wine pomace adds “a hint of fruitiness and feel of an old wine cellar.”

So far, the products are available only at the Covered Bridges Winery, but they seem to be catching on. On a recent episode of “The Kitchen Insider” on KFMG radio, co-host Jim Duncan said, “The aroma is magnificent.”