mo wine please

one of our favorite things to do is explore local missouri (and a few kansas) wineries. i like how you can get to know the winemakers, see the facilities, and get generous free samplings at the places around here. most are actually kid-friendly, but it really makes for a better date outing without the munchkin.





wineries we've visited:

jowler creek - a newer winery off the beaten path, but i'm so glad we found it after two tries. it's owned by a nice young couple with two little ones, so they are very kid-friendly. jowler creek wine is my favorite missouri wine because they really know what they're doing. she grew up in sideways country in california and took viticulture classes in college; he grew up a farmer. match made in winery heaven. try the critter cuvée and butterfly blush.

=> side note: work actually took me once to solvang (one of the sideways towns) where i was able to do a tasting at lucas & lewellen. luke broke my glass from there, so he needs to take me back someday to replace it, right?

riverwood - my second favorite, riverwood is in an old schoolhouse next to some bluffs and railroad tracks north of weston. very nice people here too. love their blush of innocence.

fence stile - we ventured to this newer winery out in the sticks of excelsior springs during a nascar rain delay. we took e along, and after he got carsick on the rolling hills, the lady pouring wine offered him some nice sparkling grape juice which he drank down in two gulps. very pretty and quiet, with a pond next to their grapevines.

pirtle - in an old church in weston, pirtle has been around for as long as my wine memory goes back. a picnic basket and bottle in their shady garden makes for the perfect date. this is where i first fell in love with missouri wineries. their chardonel is the best.

holy-field - a nice kansas family winery that's been around for a while. we try to stop by whenever we visit legends at village west or kansas speedway. love the sunset blush.

wine barn - a newer kansas winery owned by two neighboring couples. sal was our wineaux for the day. huge free tasting (see below), and sal will pour you some more from his private stock if you chat him up. we went home with an armload of bottles.

still on the "to-taste" list:

van till farms

inland sea

hermann wine trail

and many more..

maybe someday we'll make it to napa or tuscany, but for now i'm happy to have my missouri wines.