Missouri | VinoVerve

Southern Wine

By admin | September 13, 2011 - 8:04 am |September 13, 2011 Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Orleans, Ozark Highlands, Ozark Mountain, Tennessee, travel, VinoVerve, wine, wine and food

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Kevin and I are headed to NOLA this weekend to watch some football and sample the delights of the city. He asked me to see if we could stop at a winery on our way there. I checked my map. Each dot represents a winery.

It appears that we will have plenty of choices depending on what route we take.

Good thing we don’t live in a wine producing region, eh? It appears that we will have 20 options in the deep south.. and more as we head north.

Laissez les bontemps rollez.

What’s your favorite southern winery?

Gretchen Neuman, VinoVerve.com Editor, September 13, 2011

Show Me Some Goals….

By GMN | March 30, 2011 - 10:22 am |March 30, 2011 Adventures, AVA, Catholic, France, Gretchen Neuman, Hermann, Illinois, Kevin Neuman, Local Wine, Missouri, nerd, Ozark Highlands, Ozark Mountain, patron saints, St. Louis, travel, video post, VinoVerve, viticulture, wine, Wineries

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

The nice part of goals is missing them sometimes. Yes, it was your editor’s goal to complete podcasts for all four Missouri viticulture areas before leaving for the Show Me State… but that sadly hasn’t happened. Something about teenagers and their crazy schedules screwed that up. Oh, and randomly placed Spring Breaks. Ahhh. Good times…

So, instead of showing you are about the Ozark Mountain and Ozark Highlands AVAs, I will postpone the publication of these videos so that I can gather some footage of my own…. and instead will talk about where I am planning to go on my Missouri adventures. While I am only going to be in Missouri for a long weekend and most of that time will be spent in St. Louis, I have found that I will be able to visit all four viticultural areas. Yeah!

As you can see, I have gotten lucky that all of these appellations are located at least in part near St. Louis. So naturally, given that I have no obligations to teens and/or volleyball (like last year or next week) I get to explore Missouri.

The conference location is the starting or ending point of the trip. At least from a planning perspective this is the raison d’être for my get away. Kevin is watching the teens, which earns him my pity as it is their spring break. He initially wished to join me along this journey but thought better of it as it is likely teens would have sucked all the joy out of me for this adventure, and I thank him profusely.

Why Ste. Genevieve? Simply, it is the oldest town in the state. Founded by the French along the Mississippi River before even the French and Indian Wars, the town has a collection of Creole-French buildings that were common among French settlers or habitants… Obscure? Perhaps. But I love that kind of stuff. Plus there are wineries there too which are located within the Ozark Mountain AVA. This AVA is the biggest in Missouri (especially since it extends into Arkansas and even Oklahoma) and the Ozark Highlands and Hermann appellations are located within its boundaries.

My next must see stop is the town of Kaskaskia, Illinois. Crossing back over the Mississippi, you say? Hardly. Kaskaskia, also a French settlement, was located east of the Mississippi but as the river has changed course, so has the location of the town and it is currently located just a couple of miles south of Ste. Genevieve. Actually, most of the original town has been lost to flooding and hardly anyone lives there anymore (the 2000 census indicated a population of 9). The appeal of Kaskaskia is twofold. It is the original capital of the state (or maybe territory) of Illinois. Also? It has a bell that was a given to the local parish church by Louis XV (Yes. Louis XIV is dead, to answer my husband’s snappy response whenever hear hears the name of a monarch with a number attached to his name.. Thanks so much, dudes from Monty Python).

The next goals of the trip are to visit all three appellations that I haven’t been to before. This means, stopping at wineries in Ozark Mountain (done… with stops in Ste. Genevieve), Ozark Highlands (done with stops in and around Leasburg or Steelville, MO) and in Hermann.

As if this isn’t a busy enough weekend, I will then be attending the Drinklocalwine.com conference in St. Louis. Whew. I am going to be tired come Monday. But I will have lots to talk about when I get back!

Hope you have as much fun this weekend!

Next stop

Better Know the Hermann AVA

By GMN | March 21, 2011 - 12:38 pm |March 22, 2011 AVA, cabernet sauvignon, Cayuga, Chambourcin, Chardonel, Cynthiana (Norton), DeChaunac, Edelweiss, German, Gretchen Neuman, Hermann, Locapour, Missouri, Seyval Blanc, State, Vidal Blanc, video, video post, Vignoles, Vineyards, VinoVerve, viticulture, wine

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Hermann AVA Map by VinoVerve.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at VinoVerve.com.

Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

On my quest to be prepared for the DrinkLocalWine.com conference I am moving on from the Augusta AVA on to Hermann. The town of Hermann was founded by the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia in the 1830’s after they sent school teacher George Bayer to purchase land where they could establish a German utopia. Bayer selected the area that is now known as Hermann because it reminded him of his childhood home in Germany. Unfortunately the land was not ideal for traditional farming or industry, but was perfect for viticulture. Lucky for us!

Check out the new Hermann AVA page!

Better Know an AVA Video – Augusta AVA

By admin | March 7, 2011 - 10:29 am |March 15, 2011 Augusta, Augusta AVA, AVA, cabernet sauvignon, Chambourcin, Chardonel, Chardonnay, Cynthiana (Norton), DeChaunac, Missouri, Norton, Seyval Blanc, Traminette, Vidal Blanc, Vignoles

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

Yes, I did say that the second video version of Better Know an AVA would be for the Western Connecticut Highlands. But several things occurred. First, I did not anticipate how long it would take me to produce a video. And B. I forgot that I am going to Missouri in April. April 1st. So, clearly Missouri AVAs are prioritized.

First and foremost, the Missouri Win(e)ding Road page was updated as has the Augusta AVA page….

Lastly….

Well, we have video.

Missouri Defiance

By admin | April 6, 2010 - 12:01 am |April 6, 2010 Augusta AVA, AVA, Chambourcin, Chardonel, Cynthiana (Norton), Missouri, Road Trip!, Sophie-bear, wines from the other 47

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

“Defiance!” I said, while pointing the car down the highway.

“What did I do?” Sophie asked.

“No, no,” I quickly explained, “That is the town we are going to”.

Not that this really helped my 13 year old traveling companion. But then, she really hadn’t done any research.. Defiance is the name of several towns and villages throughout the U.S. It is also the beginning of the Missouri Weinstraße, Route 94 between Defiance and Marthasville. It was also the final living place (though not resting place) of Daniel Boone.

It is also home to three wineries. Chandler Hill Vineyards, Yellow Farmhouse Winery and Sugar Creek Winery & Vineyards.

I stopped at Sugar Creek after finding the Yellow Farmhouse closed (and across the street from a really active biker bar). The tasting room was off the road and across the Katy Trail and up about 150 feet (yes, it was a steep hill). I liked that there were different outdoor settings for people. There were at least two decks, a patio and scattered tables surrounding a gazebo. Additionally, there was an area that was set aside for music and (presumably) dancing.

The tasting room was relatively small but opened up into rooms in the back that were available for additional seating or for event rental. Sophie looked around while a started my tasting. The winery produces 15 different wines ranging from dry to sweet. I settled on tasting the dry varietals beginning with the Vidal Blanc. This is an estate grown wine that was fermented in stainless steel with the addition of oak chips while the wine is aged. The wine is light and crisp with just enough oak.

The next wine I tasted was the Chardonel which is a hybrid of Chardonnay and Seyval grapes. This wine is also an estate selection. It was fermented in aged in French oak barrels. This wine was fuller bodies than the Vidal Blanc with nice citrus notes and butteriness. Overall though, I thought both of the white wines lacked a certain oomph. The reds, on the other hand, stood out.

The first red wine that I tried was the Chambourcin. I have to admit that I have been enjoying Chambourcin more and more and this wine was no exception. The wine was ripe with cherry flavor and dry. It was aged in oak which provided a richness.

Next was the Cynthiana, more commonly called Norton. This varietal is a native American grape. The wine it produced tasted of black fruit and had a pleasant tannic finish. It was finished in American Oak. I will be looking for more Norton wines in the future.

The last wine that I tasted that day was the Michael’s Signature Red. It was produced in honor of the winery owner’s Italian grandfather who taught him about wine making. This wine was softer with a smokiness. It, like all of the wines that I tasted that day, were estate grown and bottled.

I was surprised to find that the Sugar Creek label did not list the Augusta appellation. They just designated that they were from Defiance. The winery is listed as an Augusta winery on the Missouri Wine Country website. Never fear! I managed to find AVA designated wine nearby!

Show Me Some Wine!

By admin | April 2, 2010 - 1:07 pm |April 2, 2010 Augusta AVA, AVA, Missouri, Road Trip!, Sophie-bear, Stephen T Colbert Memorial Better Know an AVA, Wineding Roads

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

Missouri. The Show Me State. Home of four AVAs and before Prohibition the second-largest wine producing state in the country.

And being in St. Louis meant that these wineries were a hop, skip and jump from me.

So what did I do? Naturally, in our Friday afternoon break, I grabbed the car and started out to wine country. Missouri has over 80 wineries to choose from located both within and outside of their AVAs. Given my love of AVAs, I wanted to try to reach those in designated regions. All four are within a reasonable drive from St. Louis.

Given that I was being accompanied by my personal sommelier but somewhat easily bored teenager, Sophie, I decide to stick as close to the hotel as I could to keep her happy. This narrowed my options to two.

Augusta was the first designated appellation in the US beginning June 20, 1980 and is located along the river bottoms and alluvial plains of the Missouri River though generally at slightly higher elevations. The loamy soil has more of a clay content. The location is that of one of the first wineries in the state, the Mount Pleasant Winery. The region is fifteen (15) square miles and is home to seven wineries and one brewery.

I visited two of the wineries.

What Else Do I Have To Do?

By admin | March 31, 2010 - 12:03 am |March 31, 2010 Missouri, Road Trip!, Sophie-bear, wine

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

Yes. I have to life outside of wine blogging. I don’t enjoy large parts of it, but that is another story entirely. Wow, has it really been a month since I posted? More like six weeks? Well, what is six weeks among friends, right? Besides, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you what I was doing. Heck, I barely believe it.

I was thinking about wine. And drinking quite a bit of it. And I even got to travel a bit. Not a fancy trip with luxury accomodations… but the kind of trip that I like to make… A ROAD TRIP!

And where did I go?

Missouri.

Remind me again… is there any wine in the Show Me State?

YES there IS!

But first, I had to survive volleyball!

Yes. I am teasing you. But there will be wine on Friday. I promise…

Isle St. George

By admin | October 21, 2009 - 12:01 am |October 19, 2009 Gretchen Neuman, Kevin Neuman, local wines, Marguerite Barrett, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Quebec, Road Trip!, Rory G, Stephen T Colbert Memorial Better Know an AVA, Wineding Roads

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

Tuesday as it turns out, is a much better day for trying to find an open winery. At least it is in Ohio.

Tuesday morning, bright and early I pulled into the Firelands Winery parking (please note if using GPS to find this location, there is construction in the area and you will be rerouted).

I was excited to visit this winery as I had actually tasted the wine from here before. Back in 2007, when VinoVerve was young, Rory, Kevin and I had dinner at Salpicon in Chicago and drank wine and chatted with Henry Bishop. During that dinner, while eating great Mexican food, we drank wine from all over the world. This included wine from Missouri, Quebec and Ohio. This is one of the reasons that I have become so passionate about local wine. The Ohio wine was the 2005 Firelands Winery Gewurztraminer, Isle St. George, Sandusky, Ohio.

I have to admit that I was curious about the locations listed for the wine. Isle Saint George is on an island (duh) in Lake Erie but is the name of a community, not the name of the island, itself. It is located on North Bass Island and is part of the Put-in-Bay Township in Ottawa County, Ohio. The township consists of 7 of the 31 Lake Erie Islands (some of which are now just reefs) that are shared between the States of Michigan and Ohio and the Province of Ontario. Several of the Lake Erie Islands, including North Bass Island are known for producing wine grapes. In many cases these wineries declined after prohibition but have resurfaced since the 1980s.

Created by NormanEinstein, June 23, 2005. Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike (CC-BY-SA)

In the case of Isle Saint George, the community was designated an AVA in 1982. By law, the AVA must be listed “St.” instead of “Saint” George (government often confuses me to the point of creating a headache). The weather in the area is milder than the surrounding mainlands as the waters of Lake Erie are the warmest of all the Great Lakes. As a result, vitis vinifera grape varietals are able to thrive. The island is famous for producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Riesling far more north than usual.

However, the Firelands Winery wines also list Sandusky, Ohio (home to Cedar Point) on their labels. This is because the grapes are grown in Isle St. George but are produced at the winery in Sandusky.

Confused yet? Wait until you hear about the rest of the history of the winery.

I will give you a hint: It has something to do with Marguerite’s VinoVerve posts! The first person to most fully explain the connection (correctly, obviously) will win a Locapour T-shirt. Entries must be received before Thursday, October 22th at midnight CDT (yes, we are on Daylight Time).

Firelands Winery
917 Bardshar Rd.
Sandusky, OH 44870
(419) 625-5474

Destination Sommelier

By admin | September 23, 2007 - 9:04 pm |September 23, 2007 American, Apple, Destination Sommelier, esoteric, Missouri, Ohio, Quebec, Restaurants, Sommelier, Swiss

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Some of us choose a restaurant based on the wine list. Quality of food, of course, is a factor, as is the friendliness and efficiency of service, but, if you are like me, it is the wine program, or the Sommelier responsible for it, which matters most.

Henry Bishop is a name I had heard more than a year ago from a trusted member of the Chicago wholesale community. The name Henry Bishop surfaced again last week, when a new colleague of mine mentioned that she had dined at a mexican restaurant called Salpicon. She spoke highly of Henry Bishop, specifically a sense of humor and a penchant for the esoteric. I looked at the restaurant’s website, www.salpicon.com, which has the wines organized by country, and in some cases by producer. At that moment I had decided that I was going to eat there. I was not phased by the quixotic combination between a serious wine program and a mexican concept, and didn’t even look at the dinner menu.

I met Kevin and Maman for dinner at Salpicon last Thursday. We started with guacamole and chips, and three ‘Salpicon Margaritas’ (when in Rome…). It felt like a typical mexican restaurant experience. We asked if Henry was in, he was. Henry Bishop approached, introductions were made, common acquaintances referenced. We asked him to pair wines with our ‘tasting menu’ (always order the tasting menu). What happened next turned our typical mexican restaurant experience into a stimulating and thoroughly unique adventure into the [other] world of wine.

Henry Bishop’s Wine Pairings
1.Pere Ventura Brut Nature NV Cava, Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, Spain
2.2005 Firelands Winery Gewurztraminer, Isle St. George, Sandusky, Ohio
3.1997 Villa Guntrum, Oppenheimer Schützenhütte, Kabinett Halbtrocken, Rheinhessen
4.2006 Dubaril Gamay Romand Rosé, Cave de La Côte-Uvavins, Morges, Switzerland
5.2005 Summers Winery Charbono, Villa Andriana Vineyard, Calistoga, Napa, California
6.2006 Emilio Bulfon Piculìt Neri, Valeriano, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
7.La Face Cachee de la Pomme, Neige, Apple Ice Wine, Quebec, Canada
8.Mount Pleasant Tawny Port, Augusta, Missouri

Each of the above wines delivered quality and balance and would have been acceptable under any circumstance. But what occurred that night was special, an adventure through six countries, two forgotten but important historical wine producing states, and french canadian apple orchards that employ cryoconcentration and cryoextraction to produce a unique and exotic ‘wine’. Henry had us in the palm of his hand. Each time he arrived at the table with a new wine meant a new surprise and new fork in the road of our conversation.

If you are like me, you choose a restaurant because of it’s wine list. And if you are like me, and enjoy to place yourself at the mercy of a talented and intuitive Sommelier, visit Salpicon and ask for Henry Bishop. Or, if you have a Sommelier that has earned your trust as Henry has mine, then please share your story and contact us at Destination Sommelier.

Category Archives: Missouri

Southern Wine

Show Me Some Goals….

Better Know the Hermann AVA

Better Know an AVA Video – Augusta AVA

Missouri Defiance

Show Me Some Wine!

What Else Do I Have To Do?

Isle St. George

Destination Sommelier

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