Missouri and Illinois Gems!

When you think of wine, what locations come to mind?  France, Italy, California?  While we all know wonderful wines come from these locations, some don't have the luxury of traveling to exotic locations to enjoy wine.  The Stay At Home Winos are frequently asked about local wineries in the midwest, whether within driving distance or, at most, those that would require an overnight stay.

Illinois and Missouri are home to numerous wineries, some that utilize locally grown grapes and some that get their grapes elsewhere.  Below are just a few examples of local wineries in Missouri and Illinois:

Interestingly, the first federally approved American Viticultural Area (AVA) was Augusta, Missouri, being named so in June of 1980.  Augusta is approximately 70 miles from where the Winos hail from in Illinois.  Augusta has several fantastic wineries including Augusta Winery, Mount Pleasant Winery and Blumenhof Winery.  Many of the wineries in this area are located on the Katy Trail, allowing guests to ride bikes between wineries, enjoying the outdoors.  

Near this area is the Hermann Wine Trail.  The wineries in this area include Hermannhof Winery, Oak Glen Winery and Stone Hill Winery.  Many of these wineries welcome buses, provide food and area able to host guests overnight.  

The Augusta and Hermann areas are home to many exciting events all year round.  During the summer, Stone Hill Winery in Hermann hosts bands, private tastings, big band dances and BBQ wine trail events.  In the fall, Augusta hosts the weekend-long Harvest Festival.  The big season at Missouri wineries is October!  Octoberfest is held all four weekends in October at Stone Hill Winery.  Make your reservations early, it gets very crowded! (missouriwinecountry.com)

In Southern Illinois, a few local wineries have cropped up and are getting a lot of attention.  The Weingarten in Belleville, Illinois is an open air winery and wine bar.  The Weingarten has daily beer and wine tastings and offers a light menu fare including flat bread pizza, Hors D'oeuvres, cheese and sausage plates, wraps and salads.  The Weingarten is available for weddings and other events.  This would be an amazing setting for any event.  Six signature wines are offered that will please any preference! (theweingarten.com)

Hidden Lake Winery and Banquet Center is located in Aviston, Illinois.  Hidden Lake offers wine tastings and an extensive menu including, appetizers, salads, burgers and pizza.  This winery boasts six banquet rooms that can cater to a variety of events.  For those who want to make their visit to Hidden Lake an overnight event, check out their accommodations!  There are 8 deluxe cabins and 2 honeymoon cabins, that are well appointed and reasonably priced!  Hidden Lake offers wines for all palates and, with names like "Wise Ass" Chardonnay and "Mary Me" Merlot, who can go wrong!  (hiddenlakewinery.com)

Villa Marie Winery and Banquet Center in Maryville, Illinois boasts Illinois-grown grapes for their wines.  To pair with your wine of choice, Villa Marie offers soups, salads, wraps and sandwiches!  Banquet rooms offer space from 30 to 300 for your event.  Whether you want a glass of wine, dinner or a place to say your "I do's", Villa Marie is the place for you!  (thevillamariewinery.com)

Grafton, Illinois is also home to several wineries!  The combination of river views and fun outdoor settings give Grafton a feeling all its own.  Wineries in this area include: Floating Winery at Grafton Harbor, Piasa Winery and Pub and Grafton Winery and Brewhaus.  This area offers accommodations such as hotels and bed and breakfasts for weekend getaways.  (visitalton.com)

For more information on visiting wineries in Missouri and Illinois, visit missouriwine.org and illinoiswine.com.

Cheers!

Mary Jo

Winetasting At Jordan Vineyard & Winery

One of my favorite Cabernet Sauvignon's has long been the Jordan.  My husband and I have enjoyed it at Morton's in Las Vegas and a couple other restaurants, not to mention some at home.  Last winter, when our group decided to take our California trip, Jordan was on the top of my list to visit.  Honestly, I don't think anyone objected!

So last Tuesday we drove through the Alexander Valley arriving at a beautiful French Chateau inspired winery for our wine tasting appointment. Although it was only built in 1976, it looked as though it had been there much longer with the beautiful ivy vines along the expansive brick walls.





We were greeted by three of the cutest black dogs- a large, medium and small!  They were so excited to see us they even jumped in the car!  Claire Smith welcomed us and guided us through our wine tasting.  She led us into the Library where we enjoyed our first wine which was the 2011 Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley.  The Chardonnay was new to me and boy had I been missing out on a delicious one! Aromas of freshly cut Fuji and Granny Smith apples, stone fruits and white flowers lead to vibrant minerality and bright fruit flavors. These grapes were picked in the coolness of the night and spent three months of sur-lie aging and five weeks of batonnage.  Malolactic fermentation was limited to only 30% in order to retain the wine's bright acidity and natural expression of fruit intensity.  The wine matured in French oak barrels for more than six months before nine months of bottle age. It was just released on May 1st so we are some of the first to enjoy this latest vintage.  Executive Chef Todd Knoll had created the perfect pairing of Hawaiian Blue Prawns with Tomato Fondue.

 



 

 

As we enjoyed the Chardonnay, Claire explained that the owner, when designing the winery, thought that every Chateau needed a hidden door and we were to guess where the entrance was to the "secret room".  It was .... I'm not telling!  But it led to our next wines, the Cabernet Sauvignons.  (If you didn't already know, Jordan produces a singular Chardonnay and a singular Cabernet Sauvignon, which they have perfected for more than 40 years.)

 

 





Once we located our hidden entrance, we filed through and saw a beautifully set table for our tasting and were presented with three Cabernets-2003,2005 and 2009, all of which are from the Alexander Valley.

We began with the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon.  This vintage has deep color and a full mouthfeel.  The vibrant blueberry qualities of Petite Verdot marry well with the soft, alluring flavors of Merlot and contribute to the complexity of the masculine, tannic nature of the Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine has very rich texture, opulent flavors of black cherry, a restrained oak framework, and a lingering finish of subtle earth, cigar tobacco and cedar.  After malolactic fermentation in large, upright oak casks, the wine was then aged in 68% French and 32% American oak barrels for 12 months, and in large, upright oak casks for an additional three months. The wine was bottled and held for another 17 months prior to release. Whew!  I guess this is what they mean by "no wine before it's time"! This blend consists of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Petite Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc.  Delicious :).

Now the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon was totally different than the previous 2003 but very delightful!  With concentrated aromas of cassis, cherry, cedar, red rose petal and tobacco, this wine's complexity continues through the flavors, which include red currant, cherry, blackberry with a hint of vanilla from the oak aging.  This wine shows beautifully in it's youth and will continue to age gracefully for a decade or more.  This vintage spent 22 days in stainless steel tanks for primary fermentation, followed by two weeks in large upright oak tanks for malolactic fermentation.  The wine was then aged in 64% French and 36% American oak barrels for 12 months.  The blend is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 5% Petite Verdot.  Again, amazing!!

Last but not least the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon was a dream vintage for the winemaker. Aromas of blackberry, black cherry and cassis are supported by subtle hints of baking spice and vanilla from oak aging.  The mouthfeel is soft and silky with a seemingly never ending finish.  Enjoy now or through 2025. ( I don't think my bottles will last that long.)  This vintage is a "barrel blend" from lots not only from the Jordan Estate but also from only the top blocks of selected family growers. After separate primary fermentation, the wine was transferred to French and American oak barrels and aged for 12 months.  The blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 5% Petite Verdot and 1% Malbec matured in bottle for and additional two years before release.

 

 



Along with these scrumptious wines,  pairings of  2011 Jordan Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Black Truffle Triple Creme Brie, Ossau-Iraty (sheep's milk cheese) and Beemster Classic (extra-aged gouda).  All of these cheeses were perfect with all three wines, but who can go wrong with extra-aged gouda!!

After thoroughly enjoying the wine tasting, we as a group decided to take a  couple of the 2003 Cabs and a Chardonnay back to the house we rented to enjoy with our evening meal of Beef Bourguignon prepared by "Chef" Bart.  What a delightful day!



Cheers!
Lisa

Wine Word of the Week

 

Sur Lie -  The process of leaving the wine in contact the lees (remnants of yeast after fermentation). This process can add complexity and nuance to the wine.

 





 

 

 

 



Cycling in Sonoma!

Today the Stay At Home Winos and their spouses embarked on a cycling adventure in wine country!  The weather was perfect, our guides, Dave and Andy (https://www.facebook.com/adventuresincycling), were wonderful - it was a perfect first full day in wine country!

One of the highlights was our delicious lunch at Martorana Family Winery.  Before we enjoyed our meal, we tasted Martorana's delicious wines with the help of Morgan and Wendy.  These two great hostesses educated the group about the history of Martorana and their wines.  Interestingly, Martorana's initial signature item was olive oil and after tasting it, we could see why.  Our favorites were the Chardonnay and the Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, but all the wines were amazing.

Next, we all enjoyed lunch outside at the winery, courtesy of our guides.  Our meal started with two local cheeses including a goat smoked cheddar and brie.  We then enjoyed bread, asian salad, orzo salad and salmon with brown sugar.  An ill-fated bocce ball game ensued with Lisa coming out as the winner.  Mary Jo was placed on the disabled list during this game due to an ankle injury.

This is just a snapshot of a wonderful day filled with friends, food and good wine.  Thanks Dave and Andy...the adventure continues...

Cheers!

Beth, Lisa and Mary Jo

Wine School-Chilean Reds, May 30, 2013

Theme

Tonight we will be exploring wines from Chile. We will be sampling a Carmenere, a Cabernet, and a red blend. Chile is known for both the Carmenere, often mistaken as the Merlot grape until recent DNA testing, and Cabernet grapes. Let the tasting begin.

The Wine

Santa Ema 2009 Carmenere Reserve

Color:  Bright purple
Nose:  Notes of chocolate hit you with the first sniff with hints of cherry and pepper.
Mouth:  Soft tannins with pepper on the finish; nice body and well balanced.
Price:  $9.99/The Wine and Cheese Place, St. Louis
Conclusion:  We all agreed this was a nice, well balanced wine. We loved the cherry-chocolate on the nose, and what a great value at only $9.99. It was great with the pizza.

Montes Alpha 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

Color:  Deep purple
Nose:  Black currant with lovely spice. Great nose-we were excited to try it out!
Mouth:  Dark fruit up front with a lovely finish-more pronounced tannins that the Carmenere, but balanced overall.
Price:  $21.99/Wine and Cheese Place, St. Louis
Conclusion:  Another winner! The taste lived up to the nose. Black currant on the nose was awesome. Definitely a bigger bodied wine than the Carmenere. It would be great with a grilled steak this summer. A steal of a cab at only $21.99.

 

Primus - The Blend 2010

Color:  Inky purple
Nose: A wonderful nose, the Syrah is definitely present. Lots of red fruit with a bit of spice.
Mouth:  Layers of flavor, fruit up front with a nice finish.
Price:  $16.99/The Wine and Cheese Place
Conclusion: Great spice and fruit on the nose and mouth. We enjoyed the upfront fruit of this wine. We would definitely buy this wine again too.

 

 

 

 

The Pairings

Cheeses

Manchego - We love this cheese, but it was too creamy for these rich Chilean wines. It totally destroyed the Carmenere and fell flat with the other two wines.

Wyngaard Gouda - This was a bit better than the Manchego with the Carmenere, but it brought way too much cherry out in the Cabernet (think cherry cough syrup when you were a kid).

Rembrandt Extra Aged Gouda - Definitely a no with the Carmenere and the Cab, it didn't destroy the Primus, but we don't recommend this match.

Note:  Unfortunately, we struck out in the cheese department tonight. All three of us love the Manchego and Rembrandt. The Wyngaard was new to us and we enjoyed the cheese alone, but these wines are too great to ruin with any of these cheese pairings.

Entrees

DiGiorno Tuscan Chicken Flatbread -  Another great frozen pizza we all loved. It also paired well with all three wines. The pizza definitely enhance an already great finish on the Carmenere and Lisa thought it really brought out the pepper in the wine. The Cab was fantastic with the pizza, and the best match-it really enhanced the fruit. The Primus blend was also a winner.

Bolognese with Spaghetti - All in all, this sauce matched nicely with the wines. The Primus was definitely the best pairing with the sauce, but the Cab worked well too. Overall we all enjoyed the pizza over the Bolognese as a pairing.

Chocolates

Chocolate Covered Cherries - Cherry, cherry, cherry! The chocolates were delish, but with the Carmenere and Primus it was like our moms were making us drink cherry cough syrup when we were little again. It was a bit better with the Cab-the chocolate brought out the vanilla in the wine.

Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate - With the Primus blend it played nicely off the fruit, but didn't work at all with the other two wines. It ruined that lovely finish on the Carmenere-made it bitter.

Godiva Dark Chocolate with Almond - It was not a good night for the cheeses or chocolates. We love this chocolate alone, but sadly, we do not recommend it with these wines.

Final Thoughts

Beth -  It was difficult tonight to pick a favorite wine, but I'm going with the Montes Alpha Cabernet. I thought it was especially delicious with the pizza. I would have loved pairing all of these wines with grilled meat, but the timing just didn't work out. I was surprised that the chocolates didn't pair as well as I anticipated, but live and learn. If tonight was any indication, Chilean wines offer a some great wines and prices easy on the pocket book.
Lisa - I haven't had the opportunity to try many wines from Chile so tonight's class comparing three different wines was fun.  The Carmerere was a new one for me-loved the chocolate on the nose.  I almost always love blends, but I think my favorite was the Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon.  The black current on the nose was just bigger and bolder all around.  Sorry the cheeses and chocolates weren't the best pairings, but I can see a juicy steak going great!
Mary Jo - I was very excited to delve into some Chilean wines during this class!  My favorite overall was the Primus, which was the blend.  For me, the Primus had the heaviest tannins, although very well balanced, and was the most full-bodied of the three wines.  Unfortunately, while all three cheeses were delicious, none paired well with the wines.  The Tuscan Flatbread was a "wow!" with the Montes Alpha and the Bolognese was a hit with the Primus.  The Primus paired well with the chocolate covered cherries.  Overall, the wines were excellent and the price points are wonderful!

Wine to Go!

     The Winos are headed to wine country. This will be the first time that all three of the winos will make the trip west with their husbands and we have a fantastic line up ahead of us. But how will we get the wine back home?

     A couple years back my husband and I discovered a bag that makes it a breeze to bring some of that wonderful wine we will taste home with us. It is The Wine Check (thewinecheck.com), a wonderful piece of luggage that will carry up to a case of wine. All you need to do is check it like a piece of luggage, and when flying Southwest Airlines, you don’t even have to pay that pesky bag check fee. The bag is FAA approved and I haven’t had any delays checking it at the counter. It even has wheels and handle/strap so it is a breeze to transport.  And the best part, your wine is waiting for you when you pick up your luggage. No waiting for the cooler weather of fall when wineries ship their wines.

     We will keep you posted on our travels through wine country. Our first adventure will be a bike ride with Dave from Adventures in Cycling through the Dry Creek Valley to sample some wonderful Zinfandels. Then it will be off to Napa to taste at Failla and Chappallet. Our third day will begin with a hike through Armstrong National Forrest and then on to tastings at Jordan, MacPhail, and Iron Horse. In the evenings we will be found in our beautiful rental house in the Russian River Valley enjoying the wonderful meals prepared by Lisa’s husband, Bart.

     California…..here come the Winos. Let the adventure begin!

Cheers,

Beth

 Wine Word of the Week

Racking: A method of clarifying a wine that has settled by siphoning or pumping off solids and particular matter, such as yeast cells and bits of grape skins, and pouring it into a different clean barrel.  Racking also aerates a wine.