Wine Wednesday - Noboleis Vignoles

Noboleis Vineyards 2012 Dry Vignoles

This 2012 Dry Vignoles is an excellent example of what can be done with this malleable varietal. With natural fruit characteristics that are not lost via the fermentation process, do not hesitate to indulge (especially at $20 a bottle) when you dine and drink at Prasino in St. Charles, MO. 

With Hints of green apple, pineapple, and pear, this Noboleis wine is intoxicatingly fragrant. The kissable initial tartness smooths out as you are left thirsting for more. 

Prasino is one of our favorite local St. Charles spots for delicious eats, and they do their best to stay as local as possible when it comes to food, wine, beer and liquor. They also have a chic atmosphere and one of the best brunches in St. Louis. 



This Vignoles tames anything of spice and pairs well with the Short Rib Nachos or the Wood-Fired Wings. Enjoy your wine with a mountain of nachos or 8-12 wings for the happy hour price of only $6. Prasino's whole menu focuses on farm-free ingredients that really come through in their dishes. 

Want to support local, but are feeling a sip for the suds?  Prasino continues to show off its support for anything regional including $4 happy hour drafts from area breweries including: Charleville Microbrewery, Schlafly Bottleworks, Urban Chestnut Brewery Company, Civil Life Brewing Co., 4 Hands Brewery, Broadway Brewery, Excel Brewery and O'Fallon Brewery.  By the way, take note of their taps next time you're in, let us know if you see anything interesting!

If you want something harder, try Pickney Bend Distillery's Whiskey! (HINT: It's completely worth the trip to visit this distillery in New Haven, take the tour, and sample one of their phenomenal gin and tonics.)  Prasino also offers Chandler Hill Vineyard's Chambourcin Rosé with hints of strawberry and rhubarb leading the way in this delightfully, pleasant springtime reminder.

Cheers!

Missouri Wines Pair Up with Mardi Gras

The Mardi Gras Wine, Whiskey and Beer Tasting has been one of our favorite St. Louis events for many years now. It offers a plethora of international wines, craft beers, and unique whiskeys all under one roof. Mardi Gras brings in high-energy DJs to set the tone as well as traditional creole cuisine to put you in the Mard Gras spirit.


This year will provide an extra special experience for the event goers. For the first time, Missouri Wines will be included at the Wine, Whiskey, and Beer Taste! This is long overdue. I genuinely believe a large event like this, that brings in people from around the country, should highlight the local wines that make Missouri great!

Edg-Clif Farms and Vineyard, Westphalia Vineyards, and Peaceful Bend Vineyard will be sampling their wines this Friday night, and I couldn't be more pleased. Michael and I volunteer at this event every year and help pour the wines. This year we will definitely show up early to ensure that we get the honor of helping at one of these wineries' tables. Each of these wineries has award-winning, stellar wines that highlight the potential and depth of Missouri wineries.


If you've never attended this event, we highly suggest you give it a try. Tickets are $40 in advance or $50 at the door and include all the samples you can drink of beer, wine, and whiskey (over 50 vendors) from 7-11pm. Tickets also include complimentary samples of award-winning barbecue from Pappy’s, Bogart’s, Salt + Smoke, and Sugarfire from 7:30-9:30pm. Rockstar DJs will be supplying the tunes and getting the late night dance party started.

This year, they are also offering a VIP Experience which includes special whiskey and food pairings and hand-crafted Jack Daniel's cocktails for an additional $35.

Purchase your tickets here.

Wine Review - St. James Winery: Pioneer Red

St. James Winery's - 2012 Pioneer Red

St. James Winery's  Pioneer Red is a blend of Norton, Chambourcin and Rougeon with 12% alcohol and .03% residual sugar.

The color could be best described as a deep crimson plum. The aroma is full of berries, plum and a hint of yeast. When tasting the wine, you start with a tart burst that makes your lips pucker, quickly followed  by a smooth, peppery finish.

Neither of us are huge Norton fans, so this wine provided a mellower option that was very easy to drink. I would love to pair it with salami or lasagna, but it would also be a nice wine to drink by a fireplace on a romantic night. Overall, we are big fans of the Pioneer Red and will need to stock up to ensure we always have some to serve guests.

Side Note: This wine was created to honor Missouri wine pioneers, St. James Winery founders Jim and Pat Hofherr.   CHEERS TO THEM BOTH!

Allergies and Wine

Yesterday was the first official day of Spring even though it didn't feel that way. I'm still hopeful that warm weather is just on the horizon. Any day now, flowers will be blossoming, birds chirping, and of course wine flowing. I'm eager to pack my picnic basket and take in all the sites and sounds of wineries awakening from a cold winter. However, I want to take a moment to let you all know about a sad situation, that you may find yourself in as well. If you're like me, you suffer from seasonal allergies. Yes, sneezing, running nose, itchy eyes, stuffy head, I have all the symptoms. I take medicine, but they never work as well as I would hope. Going to wineries in the spring is a love/hate situation. I love getting out of the house after being cooped up all winter and rolling on the hills of a winery after a few bottle of Vignoles or Tramminetter, but I hate feeling like crap and having a pocket full of tissues and poofy, watery eyes.



And here's an extra dose of knowledge that some of you may not know about when you're out at the wineries, the pollen isn't the only thing triggering your allergies. The wine itself could be adding to your misery. Yes, the wine is an enemy for people with allergies. It's hard to accept, but it's been proven. The histamines in wine (and alcohol in general) worsens allergies. Histamines are produced in wine and beer during the fermentation process. And if that isn't enough, the sulfites in beer and wine also provoke asthma and other allergy-like symptoms. One more fun fact, women are affected by this 3 times more than men. On the brighter side, if you don't suffer from seasonal allergies, the sulfates and histamines in wine should have no effect on you!

Of course there is some controversy about the idea that wine increases allergies symptoms  I live it, so I feel comfortable agreeing with the studies. I did find one study that encourages drinking more RED wine during seasonal allergies. Red wine is high in quercetin, an antioxidant that reduces the amount of histamine the body releases. Since I'm not going to let allergies stop my wine drinking this spring, I will be sticking to red wine and popping allergies pill regularly. I don't want to discourage anyone from heading to the wineries this spring. I just want you to be aware of what you're getting yourself into and advise you to bring extra tissue! Happy wine trailing!

The Midwest Grape & Wine Conference

We made a last minute decision to attend the Midwest Grape & Wine Conference - Tour du Vin on Thursday February 2, 2013.  It was a reception to kick off the conference and to give all the wine industry attendees a chance to mingle.   While there we sampled many Midwestern wines and met a wide variety of grape growers, wine makers, and suppliers. 


We ran into Dale Rowlings, the owner of Yellow Farmhouse Winery; which happens to be apart of one of our most frequented wine trails (the Ultimate Weinstrasse).  This winery has always specialized in making dry wines.  Dale gave us the insight on a dry Rosé that the winery would be releasing in April, becoming one of the staples on their wine list.  It will be called "Sweet Talking Blonde."  In April the winery will be holding barrel tastings for a chance to try out the newest addition to Yellow Farmhouse as well as the classics.  We also met the owners of Röbller Vineyard & Winery and Chandler Hill Vineyards.

In addition to wine makers from Missouri, we also met a variety of wine makers from outside the state.  One of which was Jason Jenkins who is associated with Fox Valley Winery in Oswego, IL.  We compared tasting strategies and notes with him and discussed the joys of home brewing. 
A familiar face was at the conference as well, Dale Deaton of the St. Louis Wine and Beermaking.  Always a pleasure to talk beer with and discuss wine as well.  We were informed later that he and his wife got to meet John Blichmann, President and Founder of Blichmann Engineering.  Needless to say, we were a bit jealous and very excited about the prospects for next year's conference. 

Wines samples from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, and of course Missouri left us wanting more.  We cannot wait to return next year to mingle and to experience what the Midwest Grape & Wine Conference has to offer.



Our "Best New Wine" of the night goes to Sleepy Creek Winery for their "Sour Puss".  An aromatic citrusy semi-sweet white wine made from Vignoles, Traminette, and Cayuga grapes.  A true show stopper and one that kept us sampling over and over again.

Exploding Blackberry Wine

by: Michael Crowell



We feel compelled to let you know that the wine that we had prepared, tasted, and then racked seemed to be our best work yet. 

The blackberry wine had originally been made in early December with fresh blackberries purchased at a local grocery store.  We bought 20 lbs of blackberries to make about three gallons of wine.  

After the juice was prepared and yeast was added, it sat in primary fermentation for about a month and then was transferred to a secondary fermentation chamber for about another half a month.  We then bottled it about a week ago.  

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Little did we know the lurking error of our ways when the room we were storing it in rose just a few degrees in temperature these last few days.  When Davina went to use the dryer this morning it must have pushed the temperature over the limit that yeast preferred and got them going strong because wine is now all over our basement storage room (in places we barely knew existed).

Luckily not all was lost in the two bottle explosion and we have almost a half bottle of delicious, bubbly blackberry wine.

Salud to seeing the positives in this situation.  The other three bottles left have found themselves a new home in the garage.

Mardi Gras Whiskey, Wine, and Beer Taste

by: Michael Crowell & Davina Horton

  
If you've never been to the Mardi Gras Wine, Whiskey, and Beer Taste, we highly recommend it.  For $35 ($40 at the door) you get unlimited tastes of a plethora of AB In-Bev products, Southern Comfort and Jack Daniels Whiskeys, and all the wine your heart can desire.
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We volunteered at this event serving wine and had a fabulous time as usual. Our wines were all from the Hahn distributor including Hahn Cabernet Sauvigon, Hahn Pinot Noir, Hahn Chardonnay, Hahn Pinot Grigio, Gladiator Chardonny, and Galdiator Zinfindel. We had a table full of dry wines and the Cabernet was the hot ticket.
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The great thing about this event is that it's really more of a social event than a tasting. You don't have that stuffy, pretentious feeling like at some wine tastes, and it's really nice that it includes beer for people who aren't into wine. The whiskey is a fun option that kind of kicks it up a notch.
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The event has a DJ and yes, people dance! (as you can see from the video.) The event's venue is St. Louis City Hall and is really breathe-taking.
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Overall this is one of the best Mardi Gras events. They really do a fabulous job providing a great Friday night and entertainment.
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For more Mardi Gras fun, check out there website.



http://www.mardigrasinc.com/events/

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Norton

by: Davina Horton

Norton, deep and red

Missouri's finest grape

Perfect with cheese and french bread

Blueberries, cherries, black currents



January is the month we honor you

The Norton grape

Your subtle notes of dirt give us a clue

Of all the flavors you have to offer

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From vine to wine

You delight our senses

With complex hints that outshine

Most other wines can only dream…..

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Of being regal as the Norton grape.

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Nortons that we have fallen in love with thus far this year include:


Bommarito Estate - Almond Tree Winery : Norton

 

This limited Reserve is a full bodies wine.  Barrel aged in the finest French oak.  Described as "jammy".  Dry at first with a jam finish.  Our first Norton that we actually enjoy drinking. 

2013 Wine Resolutions

by: Davina Horton

As a new year begins, Michael and I sat down to think about some things we want to accomplish and discover this year with a specific focus on WINE. We have grown together into amateur wine connoisseurs but still have a lot of uncharted wine territory to explore. Here are the resolutions we hope to stick to and accomplish in 2013:


First and foremost, we are diving back, head first into the Missouri Wine Passport program. This year we will reach the top level of 100 Missouri wineries visited. We both are very confident and excited to get started on this goal. I'm eager to see what the Western and Northern wineries have to offer, as well as visit all of my favorites once again. We already have our first winery weekend planned for January 6th to Augusta. Let the games begin.

This goal is somewhat specific to myself. Over this last year, I have somewhat turned my back on Missouri's state grape, the Norton. To me, this deep red wine has always tasted like dirt, literally. I don't even sample them anymore when we do wine tasting because I have the mindset that I won't like it. But this year, I want to give the Norton a second chance. I'm going to really search for its appeal and embrace its natural intense flavors. Hopefully after trying around 100 Missouri Nortons I will at least have a better appreciation for the wine.

This year Michael and I will plan many of our own wine trail adventures. Since Missouri only has 8 official wine trails, we will have to create our own to maximize our time and reach all the wineries off the beaten path. Sometimes planning the trip is half the fun. Along with new wineries, we will hopefully find lots of new campgrounds, restaurants and attractions while navigating Missouri's wine regions.

Michael's lifetime goal is to become a professional vintner. This year he will work on this goal by seeking out console and expertise from well-established wine makers in Missouri. From past experience, we have come to find that most wine makes in Missouri are very friendly and eager to offer advice to up and coming vintners. Michael will try to meet as many wine makers and keep a journal of the advice they give him.
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Drink more wine and make more toasts!