UnwindWine

Sunday, September 19, 2021

Hermannhof Wines, Hermann MO - Dierberg Vineyards, Santa Barbara

Hermannhof Wines, Hermann Missouri - Dierberg Vineyards, Santa Barbara

Continuing our Missouri Wine Experience, traveling across the State of Missouri visiting different winesites, we ventured to Hermann, Missouri along the Missouri River, home to more than a dozen wine producers.

With the area's history and rich German heritage dating back to its founding in 1837, the town of Hermann and its setting on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River is often referred to as the Missouri Rhineland because of its resemblance to Germany’s Rhine River Valley,

A visit to Hermann would not be complete without a visit to G. Hussman Wine Company, Hermannhof Winery and Cellars, namesake to much of the town including the winery, distillery, a couple hotels and inns, the lumber yard, and a couple of butcher meat market restaurants with locally-made German sausages. Hermannhof's stone cellars and brick structure are among 100 early Hermann buildings placed on the National Register of Historic places by the Federal government.

In 1974, Jim and Mary Dierberg of St Louis purchased the historic Hermannhof Winery in Hermann, Missouri. Established in 1852 as a brewery and winery, it is one of the oldest operating wineries in the US, even pre-dating the oldest wineries in California, including the historic Buena Vista in Sonoma, established in 1857.

Construction of the initial building, used as a brewery and winery, was built from 1848 through 1852 in the French section of the early settlement of Hermann. Hermannhof's wine making was initially a small part of the highly successful brewery.

By 1904, the Hermann area produced 3 million gallons of wine, mostly by small wine grower/producers, many of whom utilized the facilities of Hermannhof until prohibition forced the vineyards to be uprooted and the equipment destroyed or sold to Europeans.

The Dierberg, originally bankers by profession, spent the next several decades renovating and enhancing the Hermann property. Over time, while learning the craft growing grapes and making wine in the midwest, they began looking outside of Missouri for a place to plant traditional European varietal grapes.

In 1996, after a long search throughout France and California, the Dierbergs discovered the California central coast and Santa Barbara’s cool coastal valleys where they purchased a 4,000-acre property in Happy Canyon.

They planted two estates - their namesake Dierberg Vineyard, and Drum Canyon Vineyard, from which they produced wines under the Dierberg label. They then developed a warm climate site, planting the Star Lane Vineyard, also in Santa Barbara County which they developed under that brand.

In addition to their Hermann vineyards and facilities, the Dierbergs now own and operate two thousand acres of vineyards in and around Santa Barbara County. They have vineyards in the Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, Santa Maria and Saint Rita Hills wine region AVA's where they produce 15000 cases of premium wine annually.

These California wines are featured in a tasting room in historic building adjacent to the Hermannhof winery and distillery campus in Hermann.

When we stepped in to the Hermannhof winery tasting room, they explained that "the Missouri wines are offered here, and the California wines are next door". While we were originally intent of exploring the Missouri wines, having already visited several Missouri producers, we were intrigued and went next door to explore what quality California wines were on offer.

We learned that Dierburg produce estate wines sourced from their two thousand acres of Southern California Santa Barbara County vineyards. They market and distribute under the Dierberg, Starlane and Three Saints brands.They grow Bordeaux varietals Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and Burgundy varietals Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as Syrah.

The Dierberg Vineyard, is thirteen miles from the Pacific Ocean in one of the cooler winegrowing corners of Santa Barbara County, on the western edge of the Santa Maria Valley appellation. It was planted in 1997 to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay along the south bank of the Santa Maria River. It’s the oldest of three vineyards owned by the Dierberg family in Santa Barbara County. The vineyard boasts 161 acres of rolling hills with mostly sandy loam soils, about 2/3 of which is planted to Pinot Noir. They also operate a tasting room there on the Santa Maria Valley property.

They planted the Drum Canyon Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills between the towns of Lompoc and Buellton in Santa Barbara County in 2003. There, the terroir with persistent, steady winds rolling through the canyon is an ideal environment for producing California Pinot Noir with the intensity and signature acidity of the well known notable Santa Rita Hills AVA.

Their third vineyard site is Star Lane Vineyard in the Happy Canyon AVA. This vineyard is in the hills and canyons of their vast estate, rising from 750 feet to 1,550. The vineyard consists of numerous, diverse blocks, at the lower elevations, plantings are on flat ground with relatively little wind. Further up in the hills, the vines lie on slopes of up to 45 degrees, and, at the highest elevations, winds can be extremely strong and eventually shreds the wind-blocking material which hangs around the perimeter. Depending on altitude, facing and the vagaries of particular days, diurnal shift during the growing season can be 30 to 50 degrees.

The vineyard’s shallow and well drained soils are also varied from sandy, graveled to rocky topped clay-loam. The Star Lane Vineyard is planted in Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Sauvignon Blanc as well as Syrah.

Today, the entire Dierberg family including their grown children and their spouses are involved in the day-to-day operations of the vineyards and winery.

Dierbergs brought in Tyler Thomas who joined Dierberg and Star Lane Vineyards in 2013 as winemaker. After earning degrees at Colorado State, he received a masters in Viticulture and Enology at U.C. Davis. Today he is responsible for all day-to-day details of winemaking, from harvest to the final blending of the wines as president and winemaker of Dierberg and Star Lane Vineyards.

The Dierberg Hermann tasting room offers the broad portfolio of California Santa Barbara County estate grown wines. We tasted the following wines:

Dierberg Santa Maria Valley Dierberg Vineyard Chardonnay 2016

This was was rated 94 points by Wine Enthusiast, 92 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 91 points by Wine Spectator, Jeb Dunnuck and Vinous. It was aged 15 months in 30% new oak.

Light golden colored, medium bodied, golden apple, white peach and almonds with notes of citrus and crème fraîche with lively acidity and a long, nutty finish.

RM 91 points.

Winemaker's Notes: "This is Dierberg Vineyard classic. For those familiar with the vineyard’s Chardonnay, there will be plenty to like in this wine. Its purity of fruit is deep but quiet, leaning on stone fruit and citrus expressions with only a hint of tropical notes in the background. The palate has a wonderful broad feel that connotes California, but never strays away from its backbone of refreshing acidity. Fermented in 400L French oak puncheons, 20% new, 50% malo."

Dierberg Santa Maria Valley Dierberg Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016

This was rated 93 points

by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 92 points by Vinous

Ruby colored, medium bodied, complex, tangy dark berry and black cherry fruits, earth, tobacco, smoke and incense.

Winemaker notes: "The 2016 Pinot Noir Dierberg Vineyard was aged 14 months in 35% new French oak. It's medium ruby with wonderful, layered perfume: dried rose petals, crushed herbs, woodsmoke, cranberry sauce, warm earth, red cherry preserves and hints of raspberries and orange peel.'
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"Deep garnet in color from the rim to its core. The nose begins with the sweet dampness of freshly opened potting soil followed by layers of black current, blackberries, caramilized blueberries, with fresh rose petals and violets. The palate showcases black cherry and black plum. Hints of cocoa and allspice weave between the nose as well as the flavor profile. Soft, youthful tannin will mature into silk over time."

Dierberg Santa Rita Hills Drum Canyon Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016

This was awarded 93 points by Wine Enthusiast, 92 by Wine Advocate, and 88 points by Wine Spectator.

This was dark garnet colored with medium body with black berry and black cherry and cranberry fruits with earth, bramble, smoke, pain grille and leather and hints of pepper and spice with fine grained tannins on a long finish.

The 2016 Pinot Noir Drum Canyon Vineyard was made with 25% whole cluster and aged 16 months in 35% new French oak, 700 cases were produced.

Winemaker notes: "2016 was a straightforward vintage with moderate yields and a good pace to ripening. Unlike 2015, the wines were not as obviously dense and masculine, and therefore we leaned a bit more on stem inclusion to ensure we built a structure that was supple and extended with firm tannins. All in all, we had about 25% whole cluster in the final blend. The wines were aged in about 35% new oak to add a bit of mid-palate texture before being bottled the following December."

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3115465

Dierberg Santa Barbara County Happy Canyon Star Lane Vineyard Syrah 2017

When Tyler Thomas joined Dierberg as winemaker, he brought a wealth of experience with Syrah from earlier work at Donelan Family Wines. There he produced numerous vineyard-designated labels from top sites ranging from cool to warm throughout Sonoma County. This prepared him for various Dierberg sites in Santa Barbara with Syrah planter in cooler Santa Maria Valley and the appreciably warmer Happy Canyon.

Tyler Thomas strives to produce Syrahs that “rather have the textural effect of oak than the aromatic.” To achieve this, he uses very little new oak and a large percentage of large 400-liter barrels with less oak surface area.

This was dark inky garnet colored, medium-full bodied, with black berry and black cherry and plum fruits with notes of dark spices, hints of pepper, licorice, expresso and leather.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3770346

Dierberg Star Lane Vineyard of Santa Barbara Happy Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Winemaker notes: 2017 was an excellent growing season with moderate temperatures and healthy winter rain. However, the vintage will likely be remembered for its heat during harvest, which impacted our coastal vineyards more than Star Lane. The fruit from Star Lane did see more heat than recent vintages and early impressions suggested fruit would be forward. As a result we were careful with how tannin developed in the wine, and used a bit less new oak. Cabernet Franc (5%), Petite Verdot (5%), Merlot (4%), and Malbec (1%) all contributed in 2017, used sparingly to add pleasure through increased complexity and balance of texture.

Winemaker Tasting Notes:

In my time at Star Lane this may be the most fruit forward and open Cabernet Sauvignon since 2012. The wine shows the exposure to a warmer ripening season with bright red fruits a bit more forward than the usual blueberry notes of previous vintages. All of this is achieved without compromising the “Star Lane-ness,” cool coastal sage notes that add complexity. Texture is sneaky: initial softness gives way to ample (but not overwhelming) tannin on the 2nd and 3rd sip.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3569046

Dierberg Star Lane Vineyard "Astral" Santa Barbara Happy Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

This is the ultra-premium flagship label of Star Lane Vineyard. It is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. It was aged twenty months in 100% new French Oak. It was on offer for $125 per bottle.

Winemaker Notes: "In 2005 we arrived at the concept of Astral after recognizing the exceptional quality of the hillside plantings near the top of the Star Lane Vineyard. These hillside blocks produce very low yields which create wines of considerable intensity and structure. Astral is comprised of the most extraordinary components from the vineyard in each vintage."

Astral Winemaker Notes: While a cool year the depth of flavor is reminescent of 2008 but with the structure of 2009. Rich fruit permitted extended time on skins with exceptional Cabernet from our hillside and own-rooted blocks. We only added a touch of Cabernet Franc for an extra layer. The 2010 vintage was unseasonably cool from March to June setting up a delayed and cool ripening season. The cool early season weather was followed by moderate temperatures that promoted full maturity. The extended hang time in 2010 combined with cool temperatures promoted wines of freshness of flavor.

Winemaker Tasting Notes: Black-fruits and sweet floral (almost sage-like) emerge from the aromatics.
This wine continues to change as it sits in the glass. A rich core of fruit holds the structured tannins in check. We expect this wine to age well.

https://dierbergvineyard.com/

http://starlanevineyard.com/

https://twitter.com/dierbergteam

@dierbergteam

Le Bourgeois Winery and Vineyards Rochport, Missouri

Le Bourgeois Winery and Vineyards, Blufftop Restaurant, Rochport, Missouri

Heading back to Chicago from Kansas City, we took the 'normal' interstate highway route along I70. Halfway across the state, where I70 crosses the Missouri River at the exit for Rocheport, MO, is the Le Bourgeois Winery and Vineyards, arguably one of the more extensive and prolific producers in the state.

Les Bourgeois Vineyards is family owned and operated by Curtis and Martha Bourgeois, in historic Rocheport, just one mile north of I-70, at the crossing of the Missouri River, midway between Kansas City and St. Louis.

They operate three facilities comprising Les Bourgeois Vineyards, the Tasting Room & Gift Shop at the interstate Rocheport exit, adjacent to the winery production facility, The Bistro Restaurant, a blufftop restaurant overlooking the Missouri River, and the A-Frame Winegarden.

The Winegarden is a rustic A-Frame structure overlooking the Missouri River near Rocheport, site of the original Les Bourgeois Winery, serves American 'picnic fare' with the line-up of Le Bourgeois wines.

Cory Bomgaars, head of Winery Operations and Partner at Les Bourgeois Vineyards, studied at the University of Missouri, then viticulture and enology at the notable U of Cal, Davis, is currently President of the Missouri Vintners Association.

The highlight destination worthy site is the Bistro Restaurant sitting high atop the bluff with spectacular views overlooking the Missouri River with a view downriver of the Interstate 70 bridge crossing the river.

Le Bourgeois produce two dozen different wines - dry, semi-sweet and sweet, a dozen reds, eleven whites, a blush and a dessert wine. They source from fruit they grow on over a hundred acres of vineyards along the Missouri River and other regional growers.

They grow on their 120 acres of vineyards, the Missouri state grape Norton, Missouri St. Vincent, Chardonnel, Vidal, Catawba and Aromella, a hybrid white varietal, developed at Cornell, that is new to Les Bourgeois Vineyards.

They produce and market a Collector's Series of 'premium' labels of select wines.

Beyond the Le Bourgeois Collector's Series, since 1985, they have also produced a premium line of wines branded Blufftop Cellars, commemorating the blufftop restaurant overlooking the Missouri River, that they note "is the expression of decades of experience and a lifetime of collaboration with fellow vintners across the country."

This line of 'premium' labels consists of four labels, a premium priced Cabernet Franc/Merot, a Cabernet Franc and a Cabernet Sauvignon, priced at $45, $60 and $75, double and treble the prices of the Le Bourgeois standard labels. These wines are designated "American" denoting the fruit is sourced from somewhere in the US, with no further specificity.

The Blufftop Cellars labels feature a rendering of the blufftop restaurant on the wine labels, an original work from artist Joel Sager.

They just released a twenty year old fortified dessert wine, Le Bourgeois Rocheport Reserve, bottled to commemorate the Missouri State bi-centennial, also twenty years of service of the Le Bourgeois winemaker.

They also produce several wines from fruit they source from California suppliers in Lodi and Clarksburg in the Central Valley. They produce an American Red Blend from traditionally Spanish varieties – Alvarelhão, Tinto Cao, and Souzao – all grown in Lodi, California, and a Syrah that they produce, also from fruit imported from Lodi.

While we were there, they were unloading and 'crushing' Petit Sirah grapes trucked in from Lodi, California.

We started at the tasting room hospitality center tasting a flight of wines outside on the patio watching the crew unload and crush grapes just arrived from California.

We then drove a mile up the road to the Bistro Restaurant for lunch on the patio with magnificent vista views overlooking the Missouri River.

One mile up the road towards the town of Rocheport are their Restaurant and Winegarden sites. There at that location is a six acre vineyard of Missouri Norton grapes adjacent an entertainment venue where they were holding their annual crush party.

Our tasting flight included the following wines, tasting notes are all from the winemaker/producer unless otherwise noted:

The Whites -

Le Bourgeois Estate Chardonel 2019 - Estate Bottled Chardonel combines crisp pear and apple aromas with light oak to create an exquisite, full-bodied, dry white wine with a steely finish.

This was our favorite of the whites with nice pear fruits and hints of green apple - RM 87/88.

Le Bourgeois Solay - The 2020 vintage release of a blend of Chardonel, Vidal Blanc, Vignoles, with no oak aging to mask the intense tropical fruit overtones, this wine is blended with 100% of the best white grape varietals grown in Missouri. RM - Excessive acids overpower the tropical fruits - 86.

This was our least favorite of the whites coming across a bit tart with excessive acidity.

Le Bourgeois Vignobles - 2019 vintage release of this 100% Missouri Vignobles, a rich floral nose, this fresh white wine delivers a hint of sweetness and a crisp subtle finish.

The Reds -

Le Bourgeois Norton - A full-bodied, dry red wine showcases the unique characteristics of Norton, the state grape of Missouri. A bouquet of violet and spicy earth tones with rich fruit flavors linger through a light tannin finish. RM - Think forest floor with hint of mint.

Le Bourgeois Fleur Du Vin - A non-vintage blend of the St. Vincent and Chambourcin grapes, semi-dry red wine with soft character and a light and fruity aroma is broadly appealing and reveals the uniqueness of the Missouri St. Vincent grape.

Le Bourgeois Collector's Series Syrah - This is produced from Syrah grapes grown in Lodi, California, processed in Rocheport, aged in American Oak barrels for 24 months. Blackberry, black currants, and tar are the dominant aromas, fruit forward Syrah with warm and lingering notes of candied ginger and a perfectly ripened fruit finish. RM - Black fruits with notes of tar.

Each year, Le Bourgeois invite Missouri artists to submit artworks to be selected for use on their artist series labels - Aromella and Syrah shown left.

Le Bourgeois Collector's Series Chambourcin 2018 - Aroma of Ranier cherries bursts through in this dark, garnet red wine followed by balanced tannin structure on the pallet, acid profile is bracing and will assuage as this wine ages. RM - Tannins with fruits overtaken by excessive acids.

American Red - A blend of traditionally Spanish varieties – Alvarelhão, Tinto Cao, and Souzao – all grown in Lodi, California, an easy-to-drink, balanced dry red wine. The grapes underwent fermentation and maceration all together in a single tank, allowing their sensory qualities to intermingle from the earliest possible moment. Post fermentation, this unique wine was aged in 2 year old American oak barrels for 14 months. Black raspberry is the dominant fruit character both in the nose and on the palate.

We also tasted:

Le Bourgeois Rochport Reserve 20 Year Dessert Wine - interesting by not sufficiently inspiring to justify the $95 release price. This was nostalgic for the producer as it was produced in his first year, then aged and held for twenty years until release.

Following our tasting at the hospitality center, we drove a mile up the road towards the town of Rocheport where they have a six acre vineyard, a recreation area and the Blufftop Restaurant. The restaurant has three levels, two for special event space with the main dining room on the middle 'ground' entry level. There we had lunch on the patio with a spectacular view looking over the Missouri River basin from the high viewpoint.

Video of Blufftop Restaurant overlook of the Missouri River

We had a delightful lunch where we tasted their premium Blufftop Cellars wines with a delectable burgers, fries and a salad with the starter Warm Brie on Pastry with apples, poached cranberries, fresh berries, pecans and Jeaunette Rouge gastriche (shown below).

Le Bourgeois Blufftop Cellars
American Cabernet Franc Merlot 2018

https://missouriwine.com/wines/

https://twitter.com/lbvwinery

@lbvwinery

Saturday, September 18, 2021

Farmhouse Restaurant KC

Farmhouse Restaurant Dinesite in River Market District, Kansas City

For our weekend getaway in Kansas City, we ventured into town for lunch along the mighty Missouri river. We found a spot near the river but absent any river views - The Farmhouse Restaurant in River Market District on picturesque Delaware street offers locally sourced, farm fresh to table casual dining.

We ate Kansas City grilled flank steak served on a brioche bun with home fries and a goat cheese arugula salad with farm fresh tomato.

We ate outside on the patio with picturesque street views and lively entertaining street scenes.

The food was delicious, the service attentive and effective, and the atmosphere comfortable, entertaining and overall delightful.

With our lunch we had from the winelist a Willamette Valley Oregon Pinot Noir from Alexana.

This was a later release of a highly rated earlier vintage of this label we had BYOB at our wine group dinner in Chicago a couple weeks ago.

Alexana Terrior Series Willamette Valley Oregon Pinot Noir 2018

Alexana’s Terroir Series Pinot was created from a diverse selection of clones and encompasses fruit from five of Willamette Valley’s top AVA’s which lends to this wine's complexity.

Alexana's motto is that diverse soils create complex wines, and their Terroir Series Pinot Noir strives for and exemplifies this. Made from five of Willamette Valley’s AVA's showcases a broad range of soils, clones, exposures, and micro-climates.

At the winery, the fruit was triple-hand-sorted allowing only the best berries to be selected into the blend. Alexana Pinot Noir was crafted by Bryan Weil who previously worked at Domaine Serene, one of our favorite Oregon Pinot Noir producers.

This is from the producers of its sister winery, Revana in California Napa Valley, St. Helena, and like Revana, Alexana is quickly building a reputation of excellence. In 2013 their Dundee Hills Pinot earned the #17 spot on the Wine Spectator Top 100 list.

This release final blend was composed from eleven different clones of Pinot Noir, spent ten months in barrel which contributes to its complexity yet it is smooth and nicely balanced for casual easy sipping.

This label is perennially a high-scorer and at less than $40, it provides high QPR (Quality Price Ratio).

Ruby colored, medium bodied, smooth easy sipping, bright expressive cherry and boysenberry fruits give way to tones of dusty rose with notes of cola, hints of floral, smoke, anise and dark chocolate with smooth polished tannins on the moderate finish. A very nice complement to the grilled steak and salad.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3582997

https://twitter.com/AlexanaWinery @AlexanaWinery

Sitting on the outside patio provided for a nice comfortable and relaxed setting yet offered lively activity of street scenes and even social engagement with passers-by as desired.

https://www.eatatthefarmhouse.com/

https://twitter.com/TheFarmhouseKC

@TheFarmhouseKC

Friday, September 17, 2021

Baltimore Bend Vineyard

Baltimore Bend Vineyard - Missouri River Wines

Taking the northern overland state highways route across Missouri, we passed through the town of Waverly, Missouri, home to Baltimore Bend Vineyard.

Founded in 1997, starting with 1.5 acres, the vineyard has grown to more than 8 acres today comprising 9 different varieties of wine grapes which are blended and bottled under ten red labels and a dozen whites and some fruit wines - from sweet to semi-dry to dry wines and a fortified wine.

The winery and brand is named after the bend in the Missouri River where legend has it that a boat named Baltimore sank.

Baltimore Bend Vineyard offers a wide variety of award-winning estate wines sourced from their eight acres of vineyards down near the river.

Located in northeastern Lafayette County, this region of Missouri marks the southern boundary of the glacier fields formed during the Ice Age. As the ice retreated, winds deposited deep, fertile, silt loam soil that is ideally suited for growing grapes. Baltimore Bend has matched the local terroir to the following grape varieties: Cynthiana, Chambourcin, Chardonel, Concord, Norton, Seyval, Vidal, Vignoles and Cabernet France.

Baltimore Bend Vineyards
Winery-Tasting Room

Baltimore Bend Vineyard is a family owned and operated business, managed by Sarah Smith, part owner and co-founder, along with her parents, Richard and Kathleen Livingston, who both entered the winery and viticulture business after retiring, Kathleen from a career as a nurse, and Richard as a meteorologist. Richard, spent his career first as a forecaster and later as Chief of Scientific Services for the Central Region of the National Weather Service. Upon retirement, he joined with his wife, Kathleen, and daughter Sarah to establish, nurture and grow Baltimore Bend Vineyard.

The winery was started in 2003 and Sarah has been instrumental in all aspects of the vineyard and winery’s growth over the years, including taking on the duties as head winemaker.

Sarah got a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Journalism from the University of Missouri and a certificate in enology from Washington State University. She is active in Missouri Wine marketing, promotion and governance, serving as president of the Missouri Wine Marketing & Research Council, sits on the Missouri Wine & Grape Board, is a member of the Missouri Grape Growers Association and the Missouri Wine & Grape Alliance.

They were joined by family member Scott Livingston in 2014, who, like the rest of the owners, plays a vital role in all aspects of the operation from vineyard, to the cellar and tasting room, and to wholesale distribution.

Baltimore Bend tasting porch
overlooks cornfields

We stopped at their winery and tasting room along Missouri State Highway 24. The vineyards are across the road and down near the Baltimore Bend of the Missouri River adjacent the Baltimore Bend Conservation Area but despite trying we were not able to find them back the winding twisting gravel roads.

As is customary, Baltimore Bend has a tasting room and offers wines by the bottle, by the glass or as part of a customer selected custom wine flight.

All Baltimore Bend wines are estate, meaning they are produced from their own grapes grown on the estate in their own vineyards.

We tasted the following wines from the selection:

Baltimore Bend Vineyard
Norton 2016

Baltimore Bend Vineyard
Norton Reserve 2017

Baltimore Bend Vineyard
'Port of Waverly' Red Wine

Baltimore Bend Norton Estate Red Wine 2016

Baltimore Bend Norton Reserve Estate Red Wine 2017

Baltimore Bend Chardonel 2018

Baltimore Bend Vidal Blanc 2017

Baltimore Bend Arrowhead Red NV

Baltimore Bend 'Port of Waverly' Norton Based Fortified 'Port' Wine NV

It was fun, and interesting to see the branding of their fortified 'Port' wine, labeled as the 'Port of Waverly', a point along the vast Missouri River where is passes the hamlet of Waverly. This was reminiscent of the 'ports' along the Gironde River in Bordeaux and the Port de Beychevelle, Port de Pauillac, and Port de Margaux, and so on, points along the river as it passed the small villages and towns of the Medoc.

We found the Port tasty, pleasant and a good value and picked up a couple of bottles to take home.

https://www.baltimorebend.com/

@BaltimoreBend

Becketts Winery Glasgow Missouri

Missouri Wine Experience - Becketts Winery and Restaurant - Glasgow, Missouri

We did an extended weekend getaway to traverse Missouri and get a taste of Missouri wines. Our intent was to experience Missouri wine, visit several Missouri wine producers, tour the estates and vineyards, and see the wine regions to learn and understand their terroir, all things that exemplify Missouri wines.

What we did not plan or anticipate, but what was one of the highlights of our entire trip, was a visit to, and tour of The Oak Cooperage in Higbee, Missouri. In retrospect, when one thinks of fine wines and the state of Missouri, what comes to mind, or should, is Missouri Oak, and its use in producing some of finest wine barrels for crafting and aging some of the finest wine labels from the world's best wine regions.

From Higbee, we traveled to Glasgow, Missouri, on the banks of the Muddy MO, the mighty Missouri River, for lunch and tasting of Beckett's Winery wines.

Beckett's Winery is a unique, local venue situated on the bank of the Missouri River. They offer wine tastings at the Winery establishment, at a wine bar, indoor tables, or on an outside multi-level deck overlooking the river.

They offer food that is provided from neighboring restaurants next door, and their own Beckett's Restaurant across the street. They also offer a selection of cheeses and charcuterie hand-picked to accompany the wines, along with their tasting flight selections.

Beckett's selection of wines include Reds, Whites and a Blush. Their wines are private label productions from a couple of Missouri producers. The owner Nikki Gouge owns and operates the Winery as well as Beckett's Restaurant across the street.

Opened in 1994 by Lonnie Beckett, Beckett’s Restaurant was originally established as a sports bar with a selection of signature items that remain as popular favorites to this day.

Lonnie’s daughter-in-law, Nikki, purchased the restaurant in the spring of 2007 after working for Lonnie for four years. After an extensive renovation both inside and out, including much of the menu, the sports bar was transformed into an elegant dinner house! The menu includes appetizers, sandwiches or entree selections of Steaks, chicken dishes, catfish, BBQ Pork, Tenderloin, or Smoked Pork Chop and daily lunch and dinner specials.

The interior is decorated with artwork by Jack Vettriano and Edward Hopper that adorn the walls, a salvaged mantel from a local farm house accents the bar, and there are full tin ceilings throughout.

Beckett's Winery took over the facility of the closed Bushwhacker Bend Winery.

The wines are branded with local history, geography, and artwork by local artisans, produced by another Missouri Winery and Le Bourgeois Vineyards, which we visited later in our trip .

The flagship wine is Beckett's Winery All Steel Red Dry Red Missouri Wine, named for the world's first all steel bridge that spans the Missouri River at Glasgow, Missouri that was built in 1878-79, with a label depicting the bridge which can be viewed from the rear deck overlooking the river.

The bridge and Glasgow are situated at mile marker 226 of the Missouri River, which is the name of another signature wine, Beckett's Winery Mile Marker 226 with a geographic map adorning the label.

Other labels feature the artwork of local artist Rachel Brown.

For our visit, we lunched on the deck, overlooking the river and had the charcuterie cheese board with our flight selection of wines.

The Winery is tastefully decorated inside and out, with a wine bar and tables inside, and a multi-level deck outside in the rear that overlooks the river, with views of the Steel Bridge in the near distance.

Decorative murals are painted on the walls adjacent to the deck on the rear of the building.

Beckett's offers a portfolio of seven wines available by the bottle, by the glass, or a wine flight selection of five wines.

Our wine flight consisted of:

Beckett's Winery All Steel Red Dry Missouri Wine

Beckett's Winery 226 Crisp Dry White Missouri Wine

Beckett's Winery Flamingo Blush Sweet Rose Missouri Wine

Beckett's Winery White Signature Semi-sweet Missouri Wine

We had the cheese and charcuterie board with our wine flight that also included fresh berries, olives and local produced fresh pimento cheese.

Beckett's offers a winning combination of a range of local wines, food, hospitality, and a quaint picturesque scenic setting, a delightful stop for lunch and wine.