In Search of Grapeness: Norton

The last month of my life has largely been spent huddled over a book or a laptop doing work of some sort.  In that time, I have had few pleasures to call my own except for when I call it quits around 9 p.m. and delve into a glass of wine to cap the end of my work day.  Now normally I am a devoted fan of Pinot Noir, however, my proximity to Missouri wine country piqued my locavore instincts and has driven me to sample Missouri wines exclusively over the last few months.  Now I will be the first to admit, not all Missouri wine is good wine.  Much of it is very sweet and likeable, but the vast majority will not make a seasoned oenophile perk up and take notice.  And then I got into Norton.

A light went off.  WHAT IS THIS?  A dry red wine from Missouri that tastes good?  No, it can’t be.  Oh yes my friends, it can.  In the last couple of months I have been on a Norton sampling kick.  I have sampled Norton wines from the Augusta region, the Ozark Highlands region, the Southeast region, Hermann, Central Missouri, and each time I have been blown away.  I can say with confidence that this isn’t just good wine for Missouri, this is GOOD wine.

So what is Norton?  Well, it is an American grape.  Whereas grapes like the Concord grape or the Catawba grape, which are also native to America, fall into the Vitis labrusca species Norton falls into a separate species called Vitis aestivalis.  Rumor has it that it is a hybrid grape with its European cousin Vitis vinifera.  All I know is that it is excellent.

Norton was invented by a Virginian named Dr. Daniel Norton in the early 1800’s.  In the time following the Revolutionary War, many Americans wanted to reduce their reliance on European wine and begin a wine industry in America.  The problem was that the grapes native to the America were not well-suited to making high quality red wines like the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir grapes were.  In fact, Virginians such as Thomas Jefferson sought to undertake horticultural experiments to make an American grape that could compete with its European cousins.  Where Thomas Jefferson failed, Dr. Daniel Norton succeeded and Norton wine was born.

During the 19th Century, the Norton grape was widely grown in states like Virginia and Missouri, with Missouri being the largest wine producer in the United States prior to Prohibition.  Back then,  drinking establishments in St. Louis would sell barrels of the wine and locals would fill their glasses, pitchers, or other containers with the wine for consumption.  Norton wine was alive and well in America until the advent of Prohibition.  Just as Prohibition spelled the end of an era for many breweries and distilleries, it particularly devastated the American wine industry.  Wine’s resurgence in America was largely pioneered in California during the latter half of the 20th century.  This resurgence began to resonate in Missouri in the 1980s and has continued gathering momentum.  Currently, the wine industry in Missouri is growing rapidly with 4 American Viticultural Areas and almost 100 wineries.

Norton has always been the favored wine of Missouri and it is for that reason that many of Missouri’s wineries have begun to bring this underappreciated grape back to prominence.  So what does the wine actually taste like?

Tasting Notes

Generally, Norton is a big wine.  I have looked at a number of Norton reviews and almost every one features the same two words.  Fruity and Dark.  Norton in a glass is the darkest wine I have ever seen.  It is at once both fruity and spicy.  Many times the first sip of a Norton wine can be overwhelming to those who have never had it before.  It is fruit forward with prominent grape flavors, lots of acidity, a fair dose of tannins depending on the bottle, and a finish that almost always features a host of earthy flavors of coffee or tobacco.
It often amuses me that things from America imitate the American spirit.  Norton is no exception.  It is strong, it is assertive, it is just a big delicious wine that I can never be without again.  This is what I love about Norton.  It is just us and the sad part is that we don’t even know it yet.
If you have ever been a big music fan, you will know that at one point there was a band that you loved and was awesome, but later they “sold out”.  Well, Norton has not been sold out yet.  It is still in the underground stage with a small but loyal fan following.  Even a google search of Norton wine yields an unimpressive set of results in this day and age, so if you are a locavore or a oenophile looking for something new to try, Norton is the next big thing.  Plus, Norton is not easy to grow.  Missouri and Virginia are not exactly widely regarded climates for hospitable weather.  Cold snowy winters, hot humid summers, hail, tornadoes, thunderstorms.  Not exactly easy living.  And Norton takes a gentle touch to show off its best characteristics, so the skill that goes into making a great Norton is truly worth celebrating.

Norton's Natural Food Pairing

Food Pairing

Norton’s fruit forwardness and earthy flavors are a natural match for lamb or beef.  I had St. James’s Winery’s 2006 Norton with a lamb chop and was blown away.  If you are looking for a wine to stand up to a heavy meat course, look no further.

Serving Tips

I have found that Norton wines benefit immensely from a chance to breathe.  Pouring your wine into a decanter or even just a wine glass for 30-45 minutes turns a good wine into a great wine.  I think the problem with many of those wine critics who drink Norton is that they do not give it sufficient time to breathe and are overwhelmed by its power.  While I can appreciate the subtleties from one Norton to another after a couple of months of drinking them, I can imagine that someone accustomed to drinking very fine Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon would just be overwhelmed by their first taste of Norton.  However, I have found that if I let a quality Norton breathe and put it in a blind taste testing with self-professed “wine snobs” that they are intrigued by it.  It is only after they find out it is a Missouri Norton that they find ways to not like it.  Too bad.  If this stuff was grown in Napa it would sell for $100 a bottle.

Norton also benefits well from aging.  In fact, many of the Norton wines you see on shelves will be aged at least 3 years to allow the wine to smoothe out and become something that is truly special.

The Bottom Line

Ladies and gentlemen, I urge you to seek out Norton wine.  Not all of it is good, but I have found more of it is good than bad in my quest.  If you are lucky enough to be in Missouri it is likely that Norton wines are tucked in among the other wines on the rack but are often passed-by due to the name on their label.  I have also heard very encouraging reports that Norton wines from Virginia, such as Chrysalis Vineyards, are also excellent.  I look forward to trying these on my quest to sample great Norton.  So I leave you with this… Support a small local vineyard in the heart of the country that is putting out a great product that most wine snobs scoff at… I did and I will never look back.  Norton I love you.

Some of my favorite Norton wines

–Louis P. Balducci Vineyards.  Augusta, MO.  Norton.  $16.99 retail.

–St. James Winery.  St. James, MO.  2006 Norton.  $16.95 retail.

–Westphalia Vineyards.  Westphalia, MO.  Norton Reserve 2008.  $20.99 retail.

–Adam Puchta Winery.  Hermann, MO.  Norton Vintner’s Reserve.  $21.99 retail.

–Les Bourgeois Vineyards.  Rocheport, MO.  Norton 2007.  $22.00 retail.

–Chaumette Winery.  Ste. Genevieve, MO.  Norton.  $20.99 retail.

–Bethlehem Valley Vineyards.  Augusta, MO.  Norton 2005.  $23.99 retail.

Tea Leaves

As temperatures fall and winter draws near, I’m reminded of the comfort that comes from a nice hot beverage.  While coffee is the undisputed king here in the U.S., tea has been gaining in popularity as the availability of high-quality loose leaf tea grows and its health benefits become known.

When I say tea I’m not talking about popping a teabag into a mug and dousing it with hot water.  If your tea experience is limited to bagged tea, then hopefully this post will open your eyes to how good tea can really be.  Now there are some good bagged teas out there, Tazo and Stash do a pretty good job.  That being said, there is just no replacement for loose-leaf tea and it costs only a few dollars to set yourself up for a lifetime of tea enjoyment.

First step, find a tea store that will be your one stop shop to get started.

Teavana is found in many malls and they do a pretty good job stocking a wide-selection of  teaware and a variety of teas.  I think they tend to be on the expensive side, but if you don’t have access to another tea store, Teavana is a fine choice.  Teavana has a greater emphasis on blended teas and many of their teas are good for someone who may not like the taste pure tea without other flavors added in.  If you are already a tea fan and really want to expand your beverage horizons,  my all time favorite tea shop is based out of Omaha, Nebraska and is called The Tea Smith.  The Tea Smith features a huge selection of teas from around the world which are personally selected by tea master Tim Smith.  They do a great job with online sales and are less expensive than Teavana, so give them a try.

Second, get the teaware.

Making proper tea requires a few pieces of equipment.  A kettle to get your water hot, a teapot to steep your tea, a thermometer to check the water temp, and a timer.  There are a few options depending on how serious you think your tea drinking will become.  If you are willing to put a bit more work in but save some money, a good old-fashioned stovetop kettle which will whistle when its done will work fine, provided you use a thermometer to ensure that the water is the proper temperature.  If you’d rather spend a bit more money but save yourself the guesswork, one of my favorite kettles is the Adagio utiliTEA adjustable kettle.

Next comes the most important piece of equipment, the teapot.  I am partial to the Beehouse brand which make stylish teapots and include a built-in mesh strainer for steeping loose leaf tea.  They come in 2, 4, and 6 cup versions and a number of different styles.  You can get them here, Whole Foods, or at your local tea store.

Third, the tea itself.

True tea comes only from the Camellia sinensis plant.  It can be processed into a number of different styles including black tea, oolong tea, green tea, or white tea.  Other teas which come from plants other than Camellia sinensis are widely referred to as tea or herbal tea, but technically fall into the category of tisanes.  I say whatever gets the point across works just fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To keep this post from getting too long, I’ll break down the individual tea categories later.  But here is what you should remember for now.  The three “T’s”

Type.  Temperature.  Time.

Remember these three words, make them your tea-making mantra.  The type of tea you have will dictate the temperature they steep at and how long they steep for.  Below are general guidelines for the different varieties of teas.

 

Black Tea:  (Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Assam, Darjeeling, etc.)

Temperature:  205˚-208 ˚

Time:  4-5 minutes.

 

Oolong Tea

Temperature:  180 ˚

Time:  3-4 minutes

 

Chinese Green Tea:  (Dragonwell, Gunpowder, Mao Feng, Blended Green Teas, etc.)

Temperature:  175 ˚

Time 2-3 minutes

 

Japanese Green Tea:  (Sencha, Genmaicha, Kukicha)

Temperature:  175 ˚

Time:  1-2 minutes

 

White Tea:

Temperature:  175 ˚

Time:  5-7 minutes

 

One more important thing.  How much tea should you use?  Well, find yourself a set of measuring spoons and locate the teaspoon (tsp).  The size of the teapot will dictate how much tea to use.  Generally, use as many teaspoons as are cups in your pot, plus one extra.  So a 2 cup teapot will require 3 teaspoons, for a 4-cup teapot use five teaspoons, you get the gist.  Experiment with this, if the tea is too strong use less or if it is weak use another teaspoon.

Oh yeah, don’t throw the leaves away!  Loose-leaf tea will withstand multiple infusions.  The flavor profiles and taste of each infusion will change, in fact, some black teas and oolongs are at their best on the second or even third infusion.  So make sure to get the goody out of each batch of leaves.

Fourth, post-steeping preparation.

Depending on who you ask, there may be a proper or civilized way to drink your tea.  I am a firm believer in the “make it however you enjoy it” approach to tea-making.  However, there are some general guidelines that most people adhere to.

Black Tea:

With most black teas it is perfectly appropriate to add milk or sugar to taste.  Anyone who has been to the UK will understand that there are as many approaches to a proper cup of tea as there are stars in the sky, but if you intend to drink your tea like a Brit, milk is a necessity and sugar is optional.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earl Grey and Darjeeling are the exceptions to the milk and sugar doctrine.  Proper Earl Grey is served either unadulterated or with a squeeze of lemon.  Darjeeling is a black tea from a specific part of India that is often referred to as “Champagne of Teas” so its subtle flavors are best enjoyed by itself.

Some studies have shown that adding milk to tea cancels out some of its health benefits, so if you’re drinking exclusively for health reasons make sure to enjoy your tea without any additions.

Oolong Tea:

Oolong is always enjoyed in its pure state without any additions.  Depending on the type of oolong you are enjoying there may either be delicate floral notes or dark roasted flavors.  Hold the milk and sugar on these and enjoy their delightful taste.

 

 

Green Tea:

If you’ve taken a liking to sipping on 20-ounce bottles of sweetened Lipton green tea, it’s time to kick the habit.  The flavors of green tea are delicate and are best appreciated without any sweetener.  Japanese green teas are known for their grassy character and natural sweetness whereas Chinese green teas are widely varied and tend to have stout vegetal flavors.  Green tea is one of the healthiest drinks out there so enjoy the delicate flavors while getting your daily dose of antioxidants.

White Tea:

White tea comes from not from the leaf of the tea plant, but from the bud itself.  These teas are light, sweet, and have amazing floral character.  Putting milk or sugar in these teas would be a crime.  If you are lucky enough to find a great white tea, just sit back and enjoy nature’s handiwork.

Why drink tea?  Don’t get me wrong coffee is great, but it tends to be heavy, its taste assaults your palate, and it sticks with you throughout the day.  Think about it, when was the last time someone got accused of having tea breath?  Tea also provides a nice calm caffeine lift.  A coffee buzz is a frantic thing and it lends itself to an on-the-go sort of lifestyle.  Coffee is what I reach for after hitting the snooze button three times and I have 10 minutes to get out the door.

Tea has a different role.  Where coffee is running out the door with a to-do list a mile long, tea calmly walks down the street saying hello to everyone it sees.   Tea’s flavors mingle on your palate making you work to appreciate it’s subtlety.  Tea will gradually lift you up while coffee will leave you with shaky hands.  Tea is a lazy weekend morning or a cozy afternoon.  Coffee is best on a red-eyed Monday morning.  They each have their time and place.

The best part about tea is that it is incredibly diverse and is unique due to the wide variety of flavors it produces.  One plant can create 4 different varieties of tea which in turn create hundreds of unique teas depending on where they are grown, when they are harvested, whether they are allowed to oxidize, and on and on and on.  When you get tired of black tea drink a green one, then change it up with a nice Taiwanese oolong, your choices are nearly endless.

Well that’s it for now.  Check back soon for more specific posts on individual teas.  Now go to your kitchen cupboard, pitch those Lipton bags and prepare to have your mind blown by some quality loose-leaf tea.

In Search of Grapeness: Balducci Winery

If I had to rate my favorite Missouri Winery, Balducci would be the one wearing a gold medal.  I think Balducci has the most space, best setting, and the most beautiful view of any of the wineries on Highway 94.  A classic Midwestern farm turned winery, the atmosphere here has a nostalgic Norman Rockwell feel that gets better with each passing glass of wine.  Although Balducci is a bit farther out than the majority of the other wineries (it is past Augusta), but the extra driving is more than worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unlike other wineries, Balducci offers both food and drinks on-site so skip on bringing your own stuff with you.  That being said, both the food and wine are exceptional.  The natural starting point at the winery is the tasting bar where friendly staff will pour you free samples of any wines and help guide your choice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A lean-to turned wine tasting bar

 

The Wine

With the exception of Balducci’s Norton and Vidal Blanc, the remainder of their wines are blends of various grapes.  However, the blended wines are wonderful.  Here were some of my group’s favorites:

Sonata:  Balducci’s Sonata wine is a semi-dry wine which is made from a blend of Vidal, Seyval, Raydon, and Chardonel grapes.  Like other Missouri wineries, a semi-dry Missouri wine would be a sweet wine anywhere else.  If you are looking for a wine with a dryness to match a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, stick with the Vidal Blanc.  The wine is a good replacement for a Riesling since it is light-bodied, has crisp acidity, and features wonderful floral aromas and melon favors.

Dolce Bianco:  A sweet easy-drinking white.  This wine goes down so smooth that the woman pouring samples at the tasting bar told me to be careful with this stuff since it was so easy to drink fast.  The wine had lots of fruit with subtle notes of pineapple and passion fruit.  If this is the bottle you choose good luck pacing yourself, this wine is like candy (in a good way).

Chiaretto:  This was the unanimous favorite among our group.  Balducci classifies the wine as a semi-dry red wine full of berry flavors.  The wine is made from Chambourcin and St. Vincent grapes which are aged in stainless steel.  It has a cloying sweetness, much like a Sangria but without the fruit or sugar.  In fact, our group agreed that this wine was a great match for food and it was the perfect companion for Balducci’s exceptional pizza.  If you have to get one bottle of wine here, this is the one I would recommend.  Have it chilled and enjoy!

The Experience

Of the wineries I have visited, Balducci was by far the most fun and free-spirited.  The day my group and I visited there was an amazing cover band which did one of the most convincing Michael Jackson renditions I have ever heard.  People were dancing, having fun, and enjoying a beautiful fall day to its utmost potential.  If calm and relaxed is more your style, worry not.  Just grab your bottle of wine, head down the hill, and sit down at one of the tables while taking in the leaves changing color, the vineyards, or the hills in the distance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Food

Don’t miss the pizza at the winery.  Eating great pizza outside with a perfect glass of wine was the highlight of the day.  Balducci’s pizza comes in 2 versions, a deep pan pizza and a thin-crust.  We opted for the thin-crust and stumbled upon some of the best pizza I’ve had in St. Louis.  The crust was thicker than the typical St. Louis style and I didn’t detect any provel, but man this stuff was good.  The crust had a great crunch, matched by a sweet sauce, mozzarella cheese, and fresh toppings.  Given how good the thin-crust was, I can’t wait to try the deep pan version. Match the pizza with a chilled glass of Chiaretto wine and you have the makings for a truly wonderful meal.

I recently found out that the same pizza is available at Balducci’s Resturant in Maryland Heights, so if you don’t have time to drive out to the winery you can get it in the metro too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is no better way to spend a fall day than to make the drive out to Balducci Vineyards and Winery.  The combination of setting, wine, and food makes Balducci one of the best all-around winery experiences in Missouri.  Add in the fact that you can almost always find a place to sit, there is enough space so that you aren’t piled on top of others, there is no cover charge, and you have a winning recipe for a great winery.  Make the trip out to Augusta and give Balducci a try.

Photos Courtesy of Kyle Gisbrecht.

In Search of Grapeness: Sugar Creek Winery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Halloween Everyone!  Sorry for the delay between posts, unfortunately, the school gig has been getting the best of me lately so to make up for the dry spell and as a Halloween gift Sip & Snack is going to give you a 2 for 1 special on winery posts.  Some friends and I had the good fortune to get out and enjoy fall at some Missouri wineries and we highly recommend you do the same!

Sugar Creek Winery

After a brief jaunt on the Missouri Highway 94, often referred to as the Missouri Weinstrasse, you will find yourself in Defiance, Missouri.  Defiance is a pleasant small town that marks the beginning of the wine road and serves as the gateway to Missouri wine country.  Here you can mingle with the local townsfolk, rent a bicycle to ride on the Katy Trail, or watch as bikers ride by on their Harley Davidsons and quench their thirst at Terry & Kathy’s Inn Bar.  However, don’t stay too long because the best places lie outside of town on the stretch of Highway 94 between Defiance and Washington, Missouri.

One of the first wineries (and one of my favorites) on the trail is Sugar Creek Winery.  As you leave Defiance and get a couple miles out of town you will find yourself passing through some fields and approaching Sugar Creek Winery.   Pay attention because the entrance to the winery is one of those blink-and-you’ll-miss it affairs.  Look for the 500 foot warning sign, hit the brakes, make a right turn, and prepare to shift into low gear as you climb the steep hill to the winery.  Oh yeah, and beware of bicyclists as you pass by the Katy Trail.

The next task will be finding parking, which can sometimes be a difficult if you visit on a busy fall weekend.  We drove to an open spot on the grass near some of the vines which provided the very wine we would be enjoying.  Rest assured, there is a spot open but you may have to drive around a bit to find it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sugar Creek’s Grape Vines

Now for the winery itself.  The winery sits high on a hill overlooking fields.  The whole scene makes for a great vista to enjoy as you sip your wine.  Also, Sugar Creek is exceptional in that the vines themselves are located on-site and provide great scenery to look at while sitting in the winegarden.  After parking, we made our way towards the winegarden and found an empty table to sit at.  Sugar Creek allows outside food so we chose to make the most of our experience by having a picnic with some local sausages, cheeses, and crackers to accompany the wine.  Just a note for all you oenophiles out there, plastic cups are the standard drinking vessel at most wineries so bringing along your own glassware might be a good idea if the thought of drinking out of clear Solo cups repulses you.

When we arrived in the wine garden we were greeted by the hum of conversation and laughter, as well as music from a cover band which had set up in the gazebo.  The atmosphere was picnic-like and everyone seemed to be having a fun time.  The music was also great and featured a wide assortment of classic acoustic covers (think Jimmy Buffet, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, etc.).  It’s a real pet peeve of mine when live music is so loud that you can’t talk to the people sitting next to you, so thankfully the PA settings were set to the background music level that allowed for a great ambiance without intruding into your fun.  After settling down at a table it was time to get what we came for, some quality Missouri wine.

Sugar Creek’s Wine Store

On the day we went, there was a free tasting tent outside where you could sample a variety of Sugar Creek’s wines before going into the house pictured above where the wine was being sold.  The staff pouring the wine is very helpful and does a great job matching a wine to your taste preferences, providing you with the closest Missouri wine approximation to the better known European grapes, or answering any other wine-related questions you may have.

Sugar Creek’s Boone Country White

The Wines

Of the Missouri wineries I have visited, Sugar Creek has some of the better white wines.  Here are the ones we tried.

 

The Whites

Vidal Blanc:  This dry white wine was absolutely wonderful and reminded me a lot of a Sauvignon Blanc.  This wine undergoes a stainless-steel fermentation and has some French Oak chips added during the aging process for just a touch of oak to round out the flavor.  The wine is light on the palate with prominent citrus notes, especially lemon.  In addition to the crisp acidity and citrus flavor, the wine also featured some grassy vegetal character which made for an overall great glass.

Boone Country White:  This crisp and sweet white wine blended from a mix of Chardonel and Delaware grapes was our group’s favorite white wine of the day.   The wine undergoes a stainless steel fermentation with no oak treatment.   Although Sugar Creek places it in the semi-sweet category, anyone accustomed to drinking wines made with European grapes would think of this as a sweet wine.  This is a great substitute for a Riesling since it has a crisp texture with floral notes, as well as the presence of honeydew and cantaloupe flavors.  If Sugar Creek has a wine that keeps me coming back, this is the one.

 

The Reds

Chambourcin:  Sugar Creek’s Chambourcin is a dry red wine aged in American Oak.  Sugar Creek describes it as a soft red with strong fruit up front.  The medium-bodied wine features a dark ruby color with prominent cherry notes that finishes with leather, spice, and a hint of earthiness.  If you are unsure what I meant when I described American grapes as having a musty or foxy flavor, this wine will help you understand.

Cynthiana:  Cynthiana may be called Norton depending on what winery you are at, but the two are the same thing.  Sugar Creek’s Norton is a blend of 40% Cynthiana and 60% Chambourcin which is aged in French Oak.  According to the employee I spoke to at the tasting booth, 100% Cynthiana “can be too much of a good thing” so they blend Chambourcin in to provide better balance.  It tasted a lot like the Chambourcin to me, but a bit drier and with more raisin cherry peel flavor.  I’ve had 100% Norton wines from other wineries which I really enjoyed, so I’m not sure if I really liked the blend as much.  Nonetheless, the wine is a good example of a Missouri dry red.

In terms of Sugar Creek’s wine offerings, their reds are OK but their whites are outstanding, so I would recommend sticking with that side of the equation.

All in all, Sugar Creek is a great winery with a solid selection of wines.  The atmosphere was great and the view of the vines is superior to most other wineries.  Sugar Creek also gets kudos for friendly staff, ample parking, great music, and a beautiful view of the valley below.  If you want to get a great winery experience with minimal driving, this is the winery for you.

Photos Courtesy of Kyle Gisbrecht

In Search of Grapeness: A Trip to Missouri Wine Country

A vineyard near Defiance, Missouri

 

Wine?  In Missouri?  Is it any good?

If you have ever talked to anyone about Missouri wine there is a fair chance that you were hit with the questions above.  Let me be clear, Missouri is not the Napa Valley, or Bordeaux, or Tuscany.  You see, we here in Missouri sweat profusely in the summer months, shiver our way through the winter months, and do our best to enjoy ourselves in the seasons in between.  It takes a hearty constitution to live in the Midwest and the grapes which thrive here reflect those same character traits.

Wine aside, visiting a Missouri winery is the true pinnacle of the experience.  For me, it is less about engaging in wine snobbery and more about giving us scenery-starved Midwesterners a chance to live the good life, to drive on a beautiful winding road, look at the leaves change color, and take a break from our otherwise busy lives by spending a gorgeous fall day outdoors sipping a glass of wine.

Now this isn’t to say that Missouri wine is bad.  In fact, Missouri has a rich wine history and some of the wines grown here have placed or even won national and international competitions.  Regardless, you aren’t going to see a Missouri wine pop up in the pages of Wine Spectator anytime soon.

 

Missouri wines are usually hybrids of grapes native to the Americas, Vitis labrusca, and the better-known French grapes, Vitis vinifera. American grapes are usually regarded as inferior to their European counterparts on account of the foxy or musky flavors present in many of the native American grapes.  While discerning palates can detect the foxiness of labrusca grapes, the wines which use them have been improving and with proper blending any musky flavors are either minimized or elminated completely.  So before we talk about the different wineries, let’s break down the types of grapes grown in Missouri and the wines you will find.

Red Grapes

Norton (Cynthiana):  The Norton or Cynthiana grape is often compared to Shiraz.  It makes for a robust, deep colored, and full-bodied wine that features a complex mix of fruit, spice and oak flavors.  Norton also happens to be the official grape for the state of Missouri.

Chambourcin:   Charmbourcin makes a wine with an intense ruby color, lots of fruit, and a slight hint of spice.  Some compare it to a Syrah, but a lot depends on the individual winery.  Some wineries do Charmbourcin as a dry red, while others leave some residual sugar in for a semi-dry wine.  Take advantage of a free tasting to determine which one is which.

White Grapes

Vidal Blanc:  Another French-American hybrid, the Vidal Blanc grape is known for providing strong fruit flavors, often with grapefruit, pineapple, or even melon notes.  Vidal Blanc is a versatile grape and can produce a wine that ranges from a drier almost Sauvignon Blanc style wine to sweet dessert wines.

Seyval Blanc:  The Seyval Blanc grape is a French-American hybrid known for producing a dry or semi-dry white wine with notable citrus flavors and a fair degree of minerality.  The wine’s fresh flavors and medium body may be compared most closely to a Chenin Blanc.

Chardonel:  Chardonel is a cross between the French-American hybrid grape Seyval Blanc and the Chardonnay grape. It produces a dry wine with crisp flavors.  Green apple notes and some vegetal character are characteristic for this wine.

Vignoles:  The Vignoles grape is most often utilized for the floral character it adds to a wine.  Vignoles often produces pineapple flavors and produces crisp sweet wines that are comparable to Rieslings.

Many of the wines you will find in Missouri are blends that bring out the best character of each grape for a superior wine.  However, Norton and Vidal Blanc are often left unblended and with the proper care can make a very fine wine.

Photos courtesy of Kyle Gisbrecht.

Wine Picks of the Week-October 4th, 2010

This week’s wine picks highlight a pair of Washington Rieslings.  When it comes to easy drinking wines, Rieslings reign supreme and few Rieslings drink easier than these two, especially for the price.

1.  2009 “Kung Fu Girl” Riesling by Charles Smith Wines.  Columbia Valley, Washington.

A fellow blogger/kindred spirit over at the wine snob. reviewed the wine and found it “A lovely, aromatic riesling with a nose of white peaches, tangerines, flowers” and just the right touch of minerality.  Couldn’t have put it better myself.  The wine has a pleasant sweetness without being sugary.  Just right for a warm summer day or as a great pairing with spicy Asian flavors such as Thai food.  My favorite Riesling anywhere, try it and it could be yours too.

2.  2009 Pacific Rim Sweet Riesling.  Columbia Valley, Washington.

While I don’t live and die by wine ratings, this particular wine received 89 points from Wine Spectator.  Not too shabby.  The Wine Spectator review describes the wine as “Sweet and succulent, this is light in texture, offering a juicy mouthful of minty pear and floral flavors that linger on the open finish.”  This bottle is smooth, sweet, and very drinkable.  Like most Rieslings, it is a great match for Asian cuisine, or other spice-heavy cuisines like Mexican.

I picked up my bottle of Kung Fu Girl for $13.99 at Whole Foods and the Pacific Rim at World Market for $12.99.  If you’re a fan of Rieslings or sweet whites in general, I promise you won’t be disappointed in these two.

Caffeine Fix: Moka Pot Coffee

This little gadget changed my life.  If you’re like me and love espresso drinks but don’t have the (1) space, or (2) funds to keep an espresso machine at home then the Moka pot is the answer.  Moka pots are often called stovetop espresso makers.  They don’t make espresso in the true sense, but the coffee they make gets pretty close.  Since I picked up a Moka pot I’ve slashed my Starbucks habit, so I no longer have to choose between good espresso drinks and savings zee money.  Thanks Moka pot.

How does this piece of kitchen magic work?  Check it out here.

Just a note, if you have an induction type stove, the Moka pot may not work as well purchasing a pot with an integrated electric heating element may be best.  Otherwise I’ve used the Moka pot successfully on both gas and electric ranges, although it may take some experimenting with your stove to get the perfect percolation.

Where can you get a Moka Pot?  I got mine at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $30.  I chose a Bialetti Moka Express in the 3-cup size like the one pictured above.  This is by far the most famous Moka pot and is an essential kitchen gadget in Italian households, not to mention it just looks really cool.  Sizes range from 1-cup, 3-cup, 6-cup, 9-cup, all the way up to the 12-cup.  I’d recommend the 3-cup or 6-cup since the quality of the coffee tends to go down with the larger sizes, but if you normally serve a large group of people then by all means go with the big ones.

There are a few different models besides the Moka Express.  The Brikka model is small and has a special pressure valve which ensures that the coffee has the crema found in traditional espresso.  If you want the closest approximation to a true espresso without an expensive machine, the Brikka is what you should go for.  If you only drink lattes and cappuccino then the Mukka Express may be the pot for you since it holds milk in the upper chamber and can froth it for cappuccino or warm it for a latte.

If you decide to get a Moka Pot there are a few important things to know.  The first element is the coffee you use.  Typically espresso is a darker roast and pretty oily so it will give you the flavor most espresso drinkers are used to.  Most grocery stores or coffee houses have a dedicated espresso coffee that will work as a good starting point.  The second essential element is the grind.  If you’re a coffee fan it’s worth investing in a good burr grinder and grinding your beans immediately before use.  If you have your own grinder aim for a grind size that is more coarse than an espresso grind but finer than what you would use for an auto-drip.  If your grinder works on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being powder and 10 being coarse, I’d say aim for a 2.5-4.

If the prospect of grinding your own beans seems like too much work, there is a good alternative.  When I get lazy sometimes I reach for pre-ground coffee.  Pre-ground doesn’t always mean inferior quality and I’ve found that Illy’s Moka coffee works well and it also comes in a neat reusable metal container.  It is vacuum sealed to maintain freshness and specially ground just for Moka pots so it works great.  It can be a little hard to find, but Straub’s Grocery in the Central West End of St. Louis carries it and it may be available at Whole Foods or another specialty store that carries a lot of coffee.  Otherwise, ordering online is an easy solution.

Give the Moka Pot a try, it makes an amazing cup of coffee and is a solid alternative to the money and space required of a true espresso machine.  Not to mention it’s a delicious way to get your daily caffeine fix.
Here is where you can get one:

• Bialetti
• Bed, Bath, and Beyond

Cocktail Corner: The Ramos Gin Fizz

Meet the Ramos Gin Fizz, a legendary cocktail which is making a resurgence as the classic cocktail movement continues to grow in popularity.

One of the greatest things about the Ramos Gin Fizz is that it has the rare distinction of being an excellent morning/brunch cocktail. It is also a wonderful drink if you happened to overdo it the night before. If you have found yourself stuck in the Bloody Mary or Mimosa rut when it comes to drinking before noon, the Ramos Gin Fizz is here to set you free.

First, a little history. Like a number of great cocktails, the Ramos Gin Fizz was born in New Orleans. Although the stories differ, one version has the drink being created sometime in the 1880’s by Henry C. Ramos at Meyer’s restaurant. But the man who really made the Ramos Gin Fizz famous nationwide was former Louisiana governor Huey P. Long. Huey Long was such a fan of the drink that he brought his favorite bartender in New Orleans with him to the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City so his bartender could teach the New York staff how to make a proper Ramos Gin Fizz. At the height of the drinks popularity some bars would employ lines of shaker boys who would have shaker relays when things got busy.

Enough about the history though… What is a Ramos Gin Fizz?

The drink is rich, frothy, and with a flavor that is kind of like an orange dreamsicle. If you’re not a fan of gin, don’t worry, the gin is very subtle and adds just the right amount of aromatic complexity to the drink when all the ingredients are combined. Because it’s a fizz it is meant to be drunk quickly so don’t spend your time slowly sipping away on this one.

There are two secret ingredients that really set this drink apart from a lot of the other cocktails out there.

The #1 secret ingredient is egg white. I usually use the egg whites that come in the carton in the dairy aisle of the grocery store, but if you want the truly authentic version (and aren’t worried about salmonella) use separated egg whites from real eggs by all means. If you really want to play it safe powdered egg whites will work, but they don’t tend to truly create the frothy texture that the drink is famous for. It’s up to you.

The #2 secret ingredient is orange blossom water. Orange blossom water has a pleasant perfume-like quality that really makes the Ramos Gin Fizz unique. This can be a tough ingredient to get a hold of but I’ve had success at Middle Eastern markets (I got my bottle at the Global Foods Market in Kirkwood). Just know that a little bit of this stuff goes a LONG way in the drink so don’t overdo it.

Here is the ingredient list and directions, courtesy of Gumbopages.com.

• 2 ounces gin (Old Tom gin if you can get it, otherwise Hendrick’s is good.)
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)
• 1/2 ounce lime juice (fresh squeezed is best)
• 1 ounce simple syrup (heat up equal parts sugar and water then allow to cool)
• 3-4 small dashes orange flower water
• 2 drops vanilla extract (very optional; there’s some controversy over whether
this was ever really used, but it does add a nice touch)

• 1 ounce heavy cream
• 1 egg white
• Soda water

Shake all ingredients except the soda water WITHOUT ICE very vigorously for at least one minute, preferably longer — the longer the better. Then add ice and shake for 1-2 minutes, as long as you can manage, until extremely cold and frothy. Strain into a tall thin glass, or a very large old-fashioned glass, and top with soda water. Stir gently.

If you’re anything like me it’s a lot easier to see how it is made than trying to piece things together from a recipe. Here is a true New Orleans professional.

This is a fun drink but it’s a lot of work. If you’d like to have someone else do the work for you Sanctuaria on Manchester in The Grove is one of the few places that will make a Ramos Gin Fizz. But don’t take my word for it, try one of these things!