Chandler Hill VIP Tasting and Tour

We took advantage of our first Missouri Wines passport program reward this month with some friends at Chandler Hill Vineyards.  The Level 2 prize for visiting 30 wineries last year included a VIP wine taste and tour for up to eight people.  We chose Chandler Hill Vineyards because they have a large variety of wines to sample and was within a close vicinity to where we reside.

We didn't know what we would experience, but all of our expectations were blown out of the water when we were greeted with a private seating section and a glass of sparkling wine.  The next thing that surprised us was the amount of food that they served with the taste.  From gourmet cheeses to bbq pulled pork sandwiches as well as an assortment of cheesecake, it truly was a feast fit for kings.  

Our hostess customized our wine tasting based on the overall palette of the group, which was dry to sweet Missouri whites.  The favorite of the group was most definitely the dry Vignoles that was poured first, though the Cold Spring Rosé came in at a close second.  We were served five generous tastings, in addition to our sparkling wine starter, which paired splendidly with the canapé.  

Following our exquisite wine tasting, we were hosted to a winery tour by the CEO, Chuck Gillentine.  It wasn't a far journey, just downstairs to the cellar under their tasting bar.  Chuck explained what wines they produced on-site and the process they utilize.  For our last taste we opted for a barrel sampling during the tour.  The wine of choice was our favorite Missouri red, the Chambourcin.  It was delightfully smooth yet still had potential given more time in the cellar.  The taste and tour were an enlightening glimpse at the inner workings of this winery.

Overall, we could not have been more pleased with our choice of Chandler Hill for our VIP Taste and Tour. The service was impeccable, the food was well paired, and the wine was superb.  Visiting 30 wineries wasn't easy, and this award felt well deserved.  We look forward to our Level 3 reward of a Food and Wine pairing which we chose St. James to host coming up in May, stay tuned.

Happy Missouri Wine Month

What better way to celebrate Missouri Wine Month than by popping open some bottles of MO wine and reminiscing about some of the amazing wineries we have visiting this year, as well as more wineries we are still hoping to experience before the year is up. So far our Missouri Wine Passport has 74 stamps in it, and we still have are hopes set at reaching 100 by the end of the year. We have visited many wineries for the first time this year.

One of my favorite was Bushwacker Bend Winery in Glasgow in a milling town over looking the Missouri River. We had such a pleasant time chatting with the owners, touring their wine-making facility and sipping their splendid Chardonell on the deck watching the river flow.

  

Speaking of views, this was the first year I got to experience the overwhelming beauty of Vance Vineyard & Winery in Fredricktown. After 30 minutes of country road, you pull up to what looks like a large display house with a perfect pond, landscaping, and patio. Inside the area is massive and open, perfect for a wedding or party. The grand bar samples their large variety of wines, and you can't help but thinking, "I wish I lived here!"

  

Michael has a couple wineries that really made a lasting impression this year, they were Ladoga Ridge Winery and West Winery in Macon, MO.

Ladoga Ridge Winery is a family owned establishment that was first started by Galen and Leinda Haddock.  Located in Smithville, MO, Ladoga Ridge Winery offers visitors the feel of a winery in the countryside with the convenience of being quite close to civilization!  Find yourself impressed by one of their many wines that are made, on site, by Galen himself.  Time and time again during our visit we were assured that the utmost care is taken with the crafting of every single bottle of wine that Ladoga Ridge Winery produces, and it showed.  Every wine that we tasted was a perfect representation of its varietal.  They even had some blends and fruit wines that were very tasty.

We were disappointed that in Northeast Missouri there are only a few wineries, but the few that we encountered were well worth the drive, especially West Winery in Macon, MO.  Located in the heart of  downtown Macon, West Winery offers its visitors quite an experience through their wine list.  In addition to tasting their many Chambourcin options (which are all very good and give you an idea of how this particular varietal can be transformed from dry to semi-sweet) one is able to tour their wine production facility while enjoying a glass.  West Winery is Missouri's first "urban" winery where they produce their wine completely in an urban setting.  Visitors are able to enjoy a glass in the tasting room or stroll over to the wine making area of the establishment and join in the fun and magic of the grape to wine adventure.

Missouri Wine Passport

Living in Missouri has its perks for wine lovers. Not only are there over 100 wineries in the state, the Missouri Wine Passport Program actually rewards you for visiting them. Each winery is so unique and has many reason to visit, but this extra incentive program may encourage you to get out to more wineries than you had planned. Last year, we participated in this program and visited 62 wineries and got our passport stamped at each. This year, our goal is to visit ALL of the Missouri wineries. At the moment, we have been to 17 which isn't terrible considering the bad weather that keep us stuck at home on so many weekends this Spring.


Now that the warm weather has broken, we are going to kick it into overdrive. I am a big fan of the new smart phone app version of the Missouri Wine Passport Program. Last year, we had over 50 paper-booklet passports laying around the house. Each book only held about 8 stamps, so this app really cuts back on paper waste and is convenient. If you're going to be visiting Missouri wineries this summer, you might as well get on board with this incentive program. There are less prizes this year, but they are still really great!

NEW Passport Levels and Rewards for 2013:

Level 1—10 winery visits

Reward: Official certificate

Level 2—30 winery visits

Reward: Private/VIP tour and wine tasting for 8 people at a participating winery

Level 3—60 winery visits

Reward: Wine and Food Experience for 10 people at a participating winery

Level 4—100 winery visits

Reward: Exclusive Century Club Dinner; includes VIP, red carpet event for passport participants (and one guest per participant) with winemakers and industry experts in attendance. To be held on a pre-determined date in early 2014.

Wish us luck as we thrive to make it to over 100 wineries this year! CHEERS.