Our Top 10 of 2013

What a crazy year we ended up with!  We made it to our goal of 100 wineries in 1 year and what a sigh of relief when we finished.  It was the experience of a lifetime to visit the wineries we did, try the wine that we sipped, and speak with the people we spoke with.

Here is the list of our Top 10 wineries that we visited in 2013.

Bommarito Estate Almond Tree Winery

We weren't sure what to expect when we pulled into the small parking lot hugged by vines, but Bommarito Winery surprised us with its cozy warmth, friendly service, and tasty Norton.  Cathy Bommarito-Manley has done an amazing job with creating wines that please all palates and helped capture our first 'ahhh' moment with her Norton. This boutique winery may be small, but its wines left a big impact.

Apple Creek Winery

One of the more recent wineries to open in the state, Apple Creek Winery has shown that it can compete with the best and most mature wineries around.  Pulling up to the winery you find yourself surrounded by the vines, further back, the tasting room is nestled next to a creek, surrounded by trees.  Though the day we visited was slightly chilly, the fire place was going on inside and the live music was still playing.  Matthew Gamel gave us the rundown of the wines offered and how the place came to be.  Needless to say this will be a regular stop for us from now on, especially to indulge on the Seyval Blanc and a slice of their 'famous' pizza.

Bushwacker Bend Winery

The drive North from Booneville is well worth the beauty of the country-side, but knowing their is a winery in Glasgow makes it all the more enjoyable.  Gene Marksbury, wine maker and owner, took us on a tour not just of his wines, but his facility as well.  Parked in a historical building within the heart of downtown Glasgow, Gene took every precaution to keep the historicity of the building intact.  The cellar was an excellent experience and a site to behold, especially when paired with Bushwacker Bend's Chardonel!  After the tour, Davina and I sipped on the rest of it on the patio overlooking the up close and personal, Missouri River.  Take a drive north as soon as possible!

St. James Winery

It is hard to make a list of the best wineries in Missouri without acknowledging the one that is creating a hype across the country for Missouri wine!  St. James has a strong list of delicious wines and produce not only Missouri varieties, but go beyond that to provide a plethora of others made from numerous fruits and other varietals from around the world.  St. James Winery leads the state in its ability to meet consumer demands with its high quality product, while at the same time offering visitors to the winery in depth knowledge of the wine making process, friendliness, and a look into their facility. We do wish they had a setting more conducive to enjoying the wines at the actual facility, but the availability of their wines is such that you can enjoy them pretty much anywhere!

Ladoga Ridge Winery

Tip-toe away from Kansas City, just to the north, and you find a treasure of a winery.  Ladoga Ridge Winery welcomes you with their custom door to the wonderful world of wine that Galen and Leinda Haddock have created.  Experience their quaint tasting room with views of their wine-making facility.  Make your way out the back to the best sunset you'll see in the state, Ladoga Ridge Winery has the oenophile drooling.  Their taste offers some of the best samples of wine that express each varietals' potential. Galen seems to do it so effortlessly, sharing with us that it is "a non-stop battle, BUT with great rewards."  Well, it is paying off for the Haddock's because their winery is one of our favorites.

Augusta Winery

A particular favorite of ours, Augusta Winery is within the range of our own stomping ground and thus has the opportunity to be graced with our presence at least once a month.  Bragging rights are allowed as well for their "Terroir Award" an award that goes to the winery that displays the best regional character in its wines from the 2013 Riverside International Wine Competition.  Truth be told, Augusta Winery in fact displays a rich assortment of varieties, but our true pleasure comes from sampling their Icewine.  Normally, we are not a huge fan of Icewine, but Augusta aims to please with it and we aren't complaining.  For an old world take on new world varietals, do not miss the opportunity to try wine from Augusta Winery.

Röbller Vineyard and Winery 

Little known fact about Röbller Vineyard and Winery...their tasting room is situated on top of their rustic wine cellar. We just recently got a private tour of this cellar where all of their wine is produced. Robert and Lois Mueller have always shown us great hospitality and enjoy sharing stories of their travels to Germany and their son's Air Force experiences. They are also fabulous winemakers! Our favorites include their Seyval, St. Vincent, and Vignoles. Enjoy their top-notch wines on their deck and take in the stunning view of their vineyards.

Jowler Creek Winery

Last year was our first visit to Jowler Creek Vineyard & Winery, and it will not be our last! Located just 30 miles North of downtown Kansas City, you'll come across the green winery and sustainable vineyard of Jowler Creek. Jason and Colleen's philosophy focuses on quality, not quantity. Their tasting room is situated on a lovely piece of countryside where you can see the chicken and sheep handling the weed control in the vineyards. We really loved the theme they went with for their marketing. They have a "critter" to represent each bottle, and Michael even got himself a t-shirt to represent the brand back home. When you visit, be sure to sample the Nort and stock up on a case to get you through the winter.

Blumenhof Winery

We are lucky enough to have Bluemhof Winery less than 40 minutes from our house. We always tell people that this is the winery you want to go to if you're a fan of Missouri Whites. All of their wines are superb, but their whites are all flawless. If we had to narrow it down to our top three, we would have to say Vignoles, La Charrette, and the best, Valvin Muscat. Visiting this winery is like taking a mini vacation to Germany with the German-style wines to the quaint coco-clock styled building. They have a large patio with lots of picnic benches and umbrellas for you to enjoy the snacks you bring or buy a brat from the food stand while you take in the live music. This winery embodies the essence of what a Missouri winery should be... great wine, good atmosphere, welcoming staff.

West Winery

We came across this gem on our way home from Kirksville. We never knew Macon, Missouri would be the home of one of Missouri's best wineries. Downtown you'll find an 1880's building housing this urban winery. You may be in the middle of the state, but this winery could fit in on Washington Ave. in St. Louis or on The Plaza in Kansas City. Modern and sleek with a highly-knowledgeable staff, West Winery is an experience every Missouri wine lover should try.  They produce the wine in the back of their building, and we were lucky enough to meet the owner, Chris West, and do some barrel sampling. We were most impressed with their red wines, but enjoyed everything we sampled. This winery really broke the mold and serves an impressive product.  One word describes the wines we were privileged enough to indulge, Chambourcin!

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.

Treasures of the Northeast

There are plenty of winery trails in Missouri for the adventurous wine-lover to explore.  I really wanted to highlight some wineries that are not an official trail, but have a lot to offer. If you're going for quantity, you are going to be disappointed, but the quality will make up for it, I promise. Northeast Missouri is made of stunning countrysides, lavish lakes, some top-notch Missouri wineries, and so much more.  If you are looking to to venture beyond your usual stomping grounds, this could be for you.


Allow me to start in the north and work my way down. I spent one year of my life in Kirksville while attending college at Truman State University. Talk about small-town feel! Everything thing seems to move a little slower in Kirksville. There's no hustle and bustle of a large city, and people seem to take life one step at a time. It's a great town to relax and free your mind. Thousand Hill State Park is one of the highlights of Kirksville featuring hiking, fishing, swimming, and an abundance of wildlife.

We camped here during our last trip up north and had a positive experience. The campsites were clean, secluded and the restroom were pristine. When you head south from the park down Highway 63, you can stop by Jacob's Vineyard & Winery.

Unlike most Missouri Wineries, this one isn't only about making great wine. The Pruett Family started their business to help their son, Jacob who has Down's Syndrome. We had the pleasure of meeting most of the family, as well as Jacob, on our first visit; it truly is a family affair. They are hoping to use  their winery as a start for a charity to help other children like Jacob learn farming and homemaking skills. They offer free tastings, have a large outdoor patio area with a view of their vines, and every year they have an 'I Love Lucy' themed grape stomping party!

(Indian Creek Winery is currently closed until further notice. Once it opens, we'll head back out, review it, and add it to this blog!)

Directly south of Kirksville, you'll find yourself in the historical town of Macon. It's easy to drive right through this town and not even notice all the gems it has to offer. Plan on having lunch here and make your first stop the The Smoke House.

This is a small, family-run food truck, serving up some of the best smoked barbecue you'll find in the area. We greatly enjoyed their pulled pork and smoked brisket with fries and coleslaw, and we also heard great things about their smoked turkey. They are in the process of constructing a building to move in to, but for the time being order your food to go and eat it at West Winery, just a couple blocks away.

West Winery has one of the most beautiful, trendy tasting rooms I have ever stepped foot into. While tasting their long list of impressive wines, you can overlook their wine-making facility. Wine tastings are free and include a loaded list of Missouri varietals, with a very impressive selection of Chambourcin wines (try every single one). If you're lucky, you might get to see Chris West, the winemaker and owner making his rounds, stopping in at one of his 3 locations; Jackson Stables is located in Kirksville, and his Mark Twain Cave location is in Hannibal.

Moving further south and east, you'll come upon the fabulous town of Hannibal. History and tourist attractions are practically on every corner. You could spend your whole weekend here just taking in all the sites and becoming an expert on Mark Twain. We do suggest you go on a cave tour while visiting, and if you have time take in a show or visit the wax museum.

After you take your cave tour you'll be able to walk across the street to Cave Hollow West Winery. This winery features most of the same wines that were served at West Winery, but they also exclusively serve their Mark Twain Cave Series wines. Enjoy your free tasting and have a picnic on their lawn.

The last stop is just south of Hannibal in Frankfort. This winery could quite possibly be the smallest in the state, but that does not mean you should skip it! Claymalnay Vineyard & Winery is a family-ran winery that started in 2004 with 500 Vignoles grape vines.

The couple who own this winery are extremely hospitable, and we even got to meet 2 of the 3 children the winery is named after. Their tastings are free, and all of their wines are very pleasant. We were really impressed with their Norton. Come out and have a bottle, take in the view of the hillside and vines, and enjoy the entertainment. While we were visiting, they had a DJ come out to spin vinyl records! They try to bring out live music every weekend, so bring your picnic basket and make an evening of it.