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
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