Northern Illinois Weekender - 013021

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YOUR GUIDE TO ARTS & LEISURE IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2021 • ShawLocal.com

GREAT OUTDOORS Ski rentals available at Matthiessen State Park /

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GROUNDHOG DAYS

Woodstock celebration returns with scaled back schedule / 4

GLOBAL FEAST

The Forge: Lemont Quarries offers winter dining adventure / 5

UNCORKED

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An expert taster shares favorite finds to consider adding to your own wine racks.

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 30, 2021

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By JAMES NOKES

South African wines well worth exploring

S

outh Africa seemed poised for a breakthrough.

A new group of winemakers had pushed the viticultural envelope further than ever.

They’d ventured into regions and asked for quality farming where all that once mattered was volume.

Because the actual age of old vines is well known in South Africa, there’s also a unique opportunity to get high quality wine grapes with character.

All the ingredients were there. Then COVID-19 happened. South Africa has shut down all alcohol sales at least three times and even had banned wine exports for a period of time.

In a Zoom tasting on Wednesday, Wines of South Africa’s USA Marketing Manager Jim Clarke wanted to keep the upswing going. He’ll lead a South African virtual tasting for Binny’s Beverage Depot on Zoom at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11. There are 45 Binny’s stores that will feature South African wines from now through Feb. 15.

Even though Clarke referred to chenin blanc as the “flag bearer” for South Africa, it makes up only 18% of planted wine grapes. With a wide variety of grapes planted and a wildly diverse terroir, South Africa is primed for exploration.

“There is proximity to the ocean and mountains that carve things up,” Clarke said. “There are different soils, different elevations, and we have a lot of different wines happening.”

Every wine poured had its own unique flavor profile and story, the most intriguing being that of Glenelly Estate Lady May 2012 ($55) from vineyards planted in 2003 on what was an orchard. It was May de Lencquesaing, who owned Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, a Gran Cru estate from Paulliac, Bordeaux, who had the vision to buy one of the only unplanted spots in Stellenbosch.

The wine was 89% cabernet sauvignon, 9% petite verdot and 1% cabernet franc. It had black currant, dusty tannins tamed by nine years in the bottle, a graphite note that was like a French wine from Pomerol and an unmistakable dark chocolate, mint note on the finish. De Lencquesaing wanted to start fresh with her own vineyard, and the result is a throwback to French wines from the late 1990s or early 2000s, yet it has its own character.

“That’s the cliche on South Africa,” Clarke said.

“There’s something that’s a little old and a little new. This one had an Old World structure, but a New World nose, yet the palate is more Bordelais.”

Like other wine regions, South Africa has yielded to consumer demand. The hedonistic wines with huge ripe and extracted flavors have suddenly grabbed a backseat to restrained wines where flavors are more subtle with refreshing higher acid levels.

“South African winemakers want to make a wine distinctly their own,” Clarke said. “I think they said why make a wine like everyone else, don’t chase the market, and what you see here is a typical Stellenbosch trait, where there is a mint or herbal characteristic in the wine.”

While Lady May had the familiarity of a classically structured Bordeaux blend, Kanonkop Pinotage 2017 ($47.99) picked the most serious of the three

styles that Clarke said the varietal shows.

“Pinotage has had a mixed reputation,” Clarke said. “It took a long time to understand that you can’t make it like cabernet sauvignon or like pinot noir. It has to be made the right way, where winemakers get the extraction and punch down right.”

With a round mouthfeel, there was a core of intense bright cherry, raspberry and plum flavors.

Clarke said it has “serious power and will age for decades.”

Another style is lighter, with red fruit and a medium body. The third style was a happy accident due to pinotage’s early ripening nature. A winery’s pinotage harvest happened to coincide with other reds. The pinotage was moved to new barrels during a sensitive phase. Pinotage ferments fast and is very extracting. It quickly picked up the barrel smoke and the char. When the crew entered its winery the next morning, it smelled like a Starbucks. Before long, coffee pinotage became a winemaking technique.

Graham Beck Brut Zero 2012 ($30) kicked off the tasting. A sparkling wine made in the traditional method, known as cap classique in South Africa, the abundant red apple fruit flavors were an unexpected draw. There were round tree fruit flavors and hints of almonds, even though the wine spent 36 months on its lees. There weren’t the brioche or yeasty flavors that could be expected.

Grown in Robertson, the vineyards are more inland, and it gets hot during the day in the growing season. Clarke said the terrain reminded him of a drive to Palm Springs headed through California’s

High Desert. But by 2 p.m., a breeze comes through off the southern Atlantic Ocean, and temperatures can drop as much as 30 degrees. The grapes stop ripening with the temperature drop and preserve their acidity overnight.

Where there were once co-ops for value wines, Swartland is a region that was an incubator where young winemakers could afford to make their mark.

The Hogan Chenin Blanc 2016 ($54.99) had peach, lemon, honeysuckle and the minerality of a mossygreen rock.

It was grown on head-trained vines that Clarke said “are like a gnarly thing sticking up out of the ground.” Winemaker Jocelyn Hogan Wilson’s project came to fruition after years of working for other wineries.

Because of the Old Vine Project, South African winemakers can date the planting of their vineyards. It’s a novel idea for both the winemaker and farmer.

“A co-op ran the vineyards for most of the 20th century, so they were deep into bureaucracy,” Clarke said. “They know when every vine was planted. Wines will have a special logo on the capsule if they are certified as a heritage vineyard.”

The possibility exists that multiple wineries and farmers could be forced to shutter due to the economic impact of COVID-19. Supporting South African wines this month could ensure they still have a bright future.

• James Nokes has been tasting, touring and collecting in the wine world for several years. Email him at jamesnokes25@yahoo.com.

STARVED ROCK COUNTRY

3 SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 30, 2021

Dedicated to growing the awareness of everything the Starved Rock area has to offer

Photo provided by Tom Sistak

Enjoying the invigorating sport of cross-country skiing is made simple with equipment rental.

Gear rental smooths cross-country skiing

By RYAN SEARL

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rsearl@shawmedia.com

o skis or poles? No worries.

Matthiessen State Park offers a hidden gem for outdoor enthusiasts visiting Starved Rock Country, with reasonably priced rentals for cross-country skiing supplies available right inside the park.

Matthiessen State Park, located just three miles southwest of Starved Rock off Route 178, offers more than 6 miles of beautiful, tree-lined cross-country skiing trails. Best of

all for convenience, the park sports a ski rental kiosk that is open on select snowy weekends from December through March.

Barring any extreme weather, Matthiessen State Park’s ski rental kiosk, named Do It To It, will be open this weekend for all cross-country fans. Cross-country skis, boots and poles will be available for rent, running you only $15 for adults and $10 for children age 12 and younger.

The ski shop will open at 9 a.m.

Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 30 and 31.

Rentals will end at 3 p.m., and all ski supplies must be returned to the cab-

in before dark. People should wear a mask when they enter the cabin, and practice social distancing during the rental process and on the trails.

The rental cabin is located near the shelter and fort at the park’s Dells entrance. The rental stand, operated by a third-party vendor, is open Saturdays and Sundays when an ample amount of snow is on the ground.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page to see when they’ll be open in the future.

Ski maps are available at the rental stand and at the Starved Rock Visitor Center. Call the center at 815-6674726 to check conditions and status

before coming to use the facilities.

Matthiessen State Park is at 2500 Route 178 in Oglesby.

The Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail is also ideal for skiing in wintertime. When the snow cover allows, this expansive attraction offers more than 60 miles of flat, cross-country-friendly trails. In addition, Illini State Park in Marseilles boasts 2 miles of skiing trails, with Buffalo Rock State Park just west of Ottawa, Echo Bluff Park and Recreation Area near Spring Valley, and Goose Lake Prairie State Park near Morris all featuring ski trails.

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 30, 2021

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Shaw Media file photos

Handler Mark Szafran shows Woodstock Willie to the crowd of nearly 3,000 during last year’s Woodstock Groundhog Day Prognostication. Although this year’s celebration will be scaled back, the ceremonial prognostication still is set to be held at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2.

Groundhog Days events return to Woodstock

By SAM LOUNSBERRY

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slounsberry@shawmedia.com

roundhog Days festivities continue today until Tuesday in Woodstock to salute the 28th anniversary of the release of the movie “Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray and filmed in Woodstock, but the pandemic has prompted organizers to scale back events.

No official Groundhog Day breakfast will take place this year, and no dinner-dance chili cook-off or group movies either, because organizers were unable to host such events safely in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines, according to the website woodstockgroundhog.org.

The ceremonial prognostication still is set to be held, meaning attendees at the city’s downtown Park in the Square can watch whether Woodstock Willie sees his shadow, which would, as legend has it, mean six more weeks of winter weather. That will take place at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2. Masks and social distancing are required.

To help wake Woodstock Willie from his winter nap, there will be a polka band playing in the bandstand on the Square. This is a reenactment of the Groundhog Day ceremony that Bill Murray’s

A Woodstock Willie scarf is seen during last year’s Woodstock Groundhog Day Prognostication. weatherman character reported on – over and over again.

The prognostication also will be livestreamed online this year.

Afterward, the Toast to World Peace will be held on the outdoor patio at the Public House of Wood-

stock, according to the event website.

Other activities lead up to the prognostication.

On Saturday, Jan. 30, Ortmann’s Red Iron Tavern hosts its outdoor bags tournament, with social distancing measures in place. Teams can sign up online at bit.ly/3sPP4rj. The contest will help raise funds for the Woodstock Food Pantry, and participants are asked to bring a nonperishable food item.

There is a $250 prize for first place, $100 for second, and $40 for third, according to the registration website. The tavern is at 101 E. Church St. in Woodstock, with check-in at 11 a.m. and the first round of competition beginning at noon.

The “Groundhog Day Movie Memorabilia and Memories” display is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 30, and Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 1 and 2, at the Woodstock Public Library at 414 W. Judd St. Admission is free to view pictures and press clippings from the filming in 1992. See sketches of the film sets used and memorabilia donated by the movie’s director and co-writer Harold Ramis and the production company. Visitor capacity is limited per health guidelines.

For details on the festival’s events, call the hotline at 815-334-2620 or visit woodstockgroundhog. org, which offers a map of parking sites.

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Forgefire creates outdoor meals, plus valentine celebration SHAW MEDIA

he Forge: Lemont Quarries outdoor adventure park offers a brand new experience – Forgefire Winter Dining.

Make it an outdoor dinner party with friends on the Lower Quarry Shelf featuring a warm, specialized, heated, dining table and blankets. A separate experience celebrates valentine weekend from inside clear globes; the menu for two including cheese fondue, Chateaubriand, grilled vegetable shawarma, potatoes, veggies and Chocolate Love Cake.

The outdoor dining concept will be available throughout the winter season with rotating menus that coincide with the Globe Dining weekly offerings.

The menus include such items as beef short rib, satay skewers, bacon and Gouda brat, vegetable stew, berry crisp and other dishes.

Bookings are available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays

with seatings from 2 to 3:30 p.m., 4 to 5:30 p.m. and 6 to 7:30 p.m. for $65 a person.

For the holiday weekend from Feb. 12 to 14, The Forge offers a Globe Dining Valentine’s Sweethearts special for $150 per couple.

It includes two appetizers, two entrees, four sides, two desserts and two beverages.

“Join us for an unforgettable dining experience in one of our climate-controlled globes,” invites The Forge, reminding guests to bring blankets. “Our cozy, seethrough globes offer seating for groups of two people, and feature a candlelit view of the picturesque Forge Quarry with the Eight Towers Adventure in the distance.”

The Valentine’s Sweethearts menu opens with fondue: smoked, aged cheddar and Pollyanna beer cheese sauce with grilled shrimp, apples, broccoli and pretzel bread.

The entree options are Chateaubriand, a center-cut beef tenderloin cooked on the grill to medium rare with a Lynfred’s Cherry Wine-infused sauce; or Grilled

Vegetable Shawarma for a vegetarian option, offering skewers of thinly sliced seasonal vegetables with grilled flatbread, charred lemon and homemade hummus topped with olive tapenade.

The sides are fire-roasted fingerling potatoes with horseradish cream; and grilled seasonal vegetables.

The Chocolate Love dessert features layers of Ghirardelli chocolate sponge cake with a macerated berry filling topped with chocolate ganache and fresh berries.

For more information on winter programming, COVID-19 measures, menus and details on private group bookings, visit www.forgeparks.com.

The Forge: Lemont Quarries is described as offering outdoor recreational activities designed to exhilarate, educate and entertain adventurers of all ages and abilities – from ropes courses, zip lines and rock-climbing towers, to ice skating, flatwater paddling, running, mountain biking and hiking trails.

Photos provided

Desserts (above) and elaborate entrees (below) are part of the rotating menu for Forgefire Winter Dining.

SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 30, 2021

Adventures in dining

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 30, 2021

SHAW MEDIA

6 STREAMING THIS WEEKEND

‘Resident Alien,’ Arlo Parks and ‘Palmer’ on tap

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.

Movies

An intimate melodrama set in England just before the outbreak of World War II, “The Dig” is the kind of well-crafted, well-acted period drama not unearthed so often. Simon Stone’s adaptation of John Preston’s novel, streaming on Netflix, stars Carey Mulligan as a British landowner and widow who brings in a local excavator for a provincial museum (Ralph Fiennes) to investigate what will prove to be a landmark archaeological find. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called “The Dig” “a truly beautiful piece, contemplative and melancholy, with a lovely score

by Stefan Gregory and enveloping scenery shot by Mike Eley.”

Aside from “Trolls” and Woody Allen’s “Wonder Wheel,” Justin Timberlake hasn’t been acting much since a string of good early ‘10s perfor-

mances including “Social Network” and “Inside Llewyn Davis.” In Fisher Stevens’ “Palmer,” Timberlake takes a rare leading role in a predictable but tender redemption drama. In the film on Apple TV+, a bearded Timberlake plays an ex-convict and former college football star who returns home from prison and strikes up a friendship with a boy (Ryder Allen) being looked after by his grandmother (June Squibb).

The first in Warner Bros.’ planned year-long roll out of films opening on both HBO Max and in theaters is the starry neo-noir thriller “The Little Things.” Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto star in John Lee Hancock’s ’90s-set crime drama, with Washington and Malek playing police investigators of a Los Angeles serial killer.

– Film Writer Jake Coyle

Music

iHeartRadio’s fifth annual ALTer EGO show dedicated to contemporary

rock artists – starring Billie Eilish, Foo Fighters and Coldplay – just debuted virtually. Other performers include Mumford & Sons, twenty one pilots, Beck, The Black Keys, The

Killers, Weezer, blink-182, Cage The Elephant and Muse.

British singer-songwriter Arlo Parks is having a breakthrough, and she can count former first lady Michelle Obama as a fan. The singer’s “Eugene” – taken from her debut “Collapsed In Sunbeams” – was featured on “Vol. 1: The Michelle Obama Playlist” on Spotify, inspired by the first season of Obama’s podcast. Parks, who released her album Friday, was also long-listed for the prestigious BBC Sound of 2020 poll.

– Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu

Television

“Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” returned Tuesday for season No. 27 with a sidekick: “The Real Sports Podcast,” which expands on stories featured on the HBO series with further interviews and behind-the-scenes details. Among the segments featured on the debut episode of Gumbel’s show: how Minneapolis police officers helped build a high school sports powerhouse and student trust, and profiles of athletes struggling with “long-haul” COVID-19 symptoms. The accompanying podcast’s first episode is out this week.

If a wacky sci-fi series sounds ap-

pealing, check out “Resident Alien.” Alan Tudyk plays Harry, masquerading as a small-town doctor – and a human – after crash-landing on Earth. He’s pulled into helping solve a murder and relationships with his new neighbors, complicating his assignment to wipe out the planet’s population. Tudyk (“Firefly,” “American Dad!”) fully embraces the silly, along with cast mates including Sara Tomko (“Once Upon a Time”) and Corey Reynolds (“The Closer”).

Based on the comic book series of the same name, “Resident Alien” debuted Wednesday on Syfy.

“Forgotten Genius” pays tribute to Percy Julian, an African American chemist whose achievements and success came despite the roadblocks of racism. The 2007 documentary, rebroadcast on PBS’ science series “Nova,” recounts his pioneering research that helped lead to the mass production of cortisone and birth control pills. Ruben Santiago-Hudson (“Billions”) portrays Julian, who became a wealthy businessman and advocate for civil rights.

The documentary streams free through February on PBS.org.

– Television Writer Lynn Elber

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By PAM OTTO

Taking interesting dives into the natural world around us, Pam Otto opens new avenues of exploration.

Pair preparing eagle nest for new family

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rom a distance, it looked like a Volkswagen Beetle slung upside down in a tree. An old-style Bug, that is. Dark brown in color. Oh, and made of sticks.

My friend John McFarland first told me of the structure – which is, by the way, a bald eagle nest – last spring.

At the time, we thought we’d meet out by the nest “sometime soon” and watch the activities of the two eagles who built it. But I waited too long to pick a date, and the next thing I knew, it was summer. And even though it was COVID summer, it still flew by too fast.

Finally, in late fall, we managed a meeting along a country road a few hundred yards from the nest. John, his wife, Bobbi, and I admired the structure from a distance, while one of the builders eyed us from a branch which, incidentally, also sort of functioned as the nest’s front porch. Or maybe back porch. It was hard to tell which orientation they had in mind.

But they definitely had picked a prime location, habitat wise.

Three out of the four cardinal directions offered sweeping views of rural Illinois – a landscape that abounds in farm fields but also offers buffers of streams, meadows and woods and a widespread grid of back roads.

Thanks to that diversity, food options are plentiful for this pair of Haliaeetus leucocephalus – science-speak for “white-headed sea eagle” – whom I’ll refer to from here on as Mom and Pop. They might choose to grab a takeout meal in the form of fish from a river or opt to dine in at a pop-up Roadkill Café.

(Speaking of that, this feeding option is readily available at this time of year. I’ve received quite a few calls about dead roadside deer turning drivers’ heads as bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, coyotes and other animals take turns feasting at the buffets, which do not take reservations.)

When we talk about habitat for wildlife, we generally consider the quality and availability of four components: food, water, shelter and space.

Between a river nearby as well as the occasional incident of road mortality, Mom and Pop should be able to feed pretty well. Water isn’t a problem either, as the river’s flow makes it less apt to freeze. Shelter is plentiful thanks to the trees that border the farm fields and waterways. And space – the room they need to move around – is abundant too.

Photo provided

After just one year of construction, this bald eagle nest in northern Illinois already measures several feet in height.

The space surrounding this particular eagle nest has another unique feature, and I can’t help but wonder whether it influenced Mom and Pop’s decision to build where they did. Not too far away from the nest’s back porch – or front porch – is a shuttered quarry.

In its day, this industrial site was abuzz and a-boom with activity as rock materials were harvested, crushed and hauled away. It was noisy and dusty and likely kept other forms of human encroachment, like housing developments and shopping districts, at bay.

Now the vast expanse is quiet, which I’d imagine is how Mom and Pop like it. They’ve been able to work on their nest for the better part of a year now, bringing in branches that might measure as long as 6 feet as they add to the nest’s height and width.

John commented that it’s grown

significantly since he first spotted it last spring. It isn’t, and won’t be for a while, as big as some of those legendary eagle nests that have been in use for years; those can measure 12 feet high and weigh more than 2 tons. But it’s still mighty impressive.

The true test of their workmanship, though, is yet to come. I should probably have mentioned that the full name of this couple is Mom and Pop To Be. For the past year or so, this young pair has been making preparations – “playing house” as one naturalist friend once explained it – before actually going ahead and starting a family.

In our area, mating usually takes place in mid-February, and the egg or eggs – clutch sizes vary from one to three – follow, starting in five to 10 days. Incubation lasts 34 to 36 days, then it’s 24/7 care for the nestlings for about the next three months.

As they grow, the young will push the nest to its limits. Like all birds, the offspring will grow quickly and will be the same size as their parents in 10 to 14 weeks. So if Mom and Pop produce, say, two eaglets, and both survive to fledging, the nest will need to accommodate about 50 pounds of bird when the whole family’s home.

And because bald eagles are a species with high nest fidelity – which basically means they’re home bodies – Mom and Pop will continue to add to their Volkswagen in the sky each nesting season. I hope John and Bobbi and I will be monitoring the nest’s and pair’s progress for many years to come.

• Pam Otto is the outreach ambassador for the St. Charles Park District.

She can be reached at 630-513-4346 or potto@stcparks.org.

SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 30, 2021

GOOD NATURED

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 30, 2021

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Family reunions, single family vacations or romantic couples getaways

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