Missouri Wines… Pretty Darned Good

We stand self accused of a crime that we loath in others, wine snobbery. In our many years of writing about wine, we have purposely stayed away from locally made wines because we found them to be, almost universally, garbage. Moving to Missouri, we went out of our way not to be put into a position to write about wines that were made from indigenous grapes that we were not familiar with. There was also no effort to inform us about local wines, so we remained in total ignorance. We knew they were there, but really, who cared.

We were recently contacted by the Missouri Wine and Grape Board to inform us, very politely, that Missouri wines were worthy of mention in our column and accompanied the letter with four bottles of Missouri wines. As you can probably imagine, we approached the sampling of these wines with trepidation and glasses of water handy to wash out our mouth if the wines were as we expected them to be, garbage. WERE WE WRONG!

We now put our reputation as wine columnists on the line and unequivocally declare that Missouri wines are of world class quality and can rank with the best of them. Not only that, but Missouri wines are made from grapes that are not the same old familiar varieties and thus offer wined enthusiasts an alternative in their choice of varieties.

Stone Hill 2011 Norton ($24.99). The Norton is the official Missouri state grape, and is a Native American that has been used for making wine for many years. Most of the American grapes have gotten a bad rap because of the odd flavor they often have which the wine experts have dubbed as “foxy” and it is usually very obvious and, while not objectionable, takes a little getting used to. Wines made from the Norton grape exhibit none of this flavor. The Stone Hill 2011 Norton is a red wine that can stand with the best from anyplace in the world. It is a big, dark, full bodied, dry red wine of great depth and character, with rich berry, spice and coffee flavors up front and a background of chocolate, vanilla and of all things, coconut. This is really a very interesting and delightful wine that can accompany a wide variety of meat and cheese dishes and is an interesting departure from the “usual’ fare.

Montelle 2012 Chardonel ($14.80). Chardonel is not a Chardonnay look or taste alike, but a wine that is capable of standing on its own merits in spite of a similar sounding name. While it does display many of the characteristics of a Chardonnay such as a soft and creamy texture, it also exhibits its own individual nuances. The aroma presents hints of fresh apple, pear, and fig. but unlike the Chardonnay there is no oak as the wine has been made without the usual barrel aging. It is in the flavor where the differences are truly noticed by displaying sharp, crisp Fuji apples and citrus ending is a soft creamy citrus filled finish.

Augusta 2010 Chambourcin ($11.86). Chambourcin seems to us like a blending of Cabernet Savignon and Zinfandel. The wine has a regal bearing, but there is a impish smile behind it. A Medium ruby-red color announces the flavors and aromas of cherries, cassis, spice, and dried fruits ending in a purely delightful finish. This wine is not totally dry, but it can also not, be called sweet, so it is the perfect accompaniment to spicy Italian or Spanish foods and when served with chocolate, it is a knockout.

Hermannhof 2010 Vidal Blanc ($14.99) Unlike the Chardonel, this Vidal Blanc wine is a Savignon Blanc look alike and taste alike. The wines are very similar but there is a definite under taste that says that tells it is not from California. The Hermannhof 2010 Vidal Blanc is well balanced and bursting with the flavor and aroma of grapefruit and pineapple, this wine is the perfect accompaniment to seafood.