Pissing off the wine snobs

Want to really piss off someone who equates the quality of wine with where it comes from and how much it costs?  Tell them you really like Missouri and Illinois wines. 

Of course, not every wine made from Illinois or Missouri vineyards is cheap, nor is every one tasty.  But, in reality, I actually like a lot of the wines I’ve tasted right here in the Midwest. 

My first Illinois wine experience came from Baxter’s Vineyards in Nauvoo, Ill., a town better known for its scenic location along the Mississippi River, bleu cheese and site of the original Mormon temple (before Joseph Smith was ran out of town and sent packing to Utah).  It’s actually a curiously out-of-the-way place to be so historically significant.  But this blog is supposed to be about wine, not the Latter-Day Saints.  My personal favorite at Baxter’s is still probably the Concord Red.  Sweeter than any red wine I’d typically drink today, but it was one of the first wines I ever tired, and the memory has stuck with me.  

Also a bit out of the way yet still historically significant (and definitely more visited by tourists) is Galena, Ill., and its winery, Galena Cellars.  My first exposure to their wine was a bottle of General’s Reserve Red (named after famous Galena resident Ulysses S. Grant) at the appropriately named Generals’ Restaurant at the Desoto House Hotel.  I had just begun to venture into dry reds, and it turned out to be a good choice for a table wine.  Today, I recommend the cranberry wine for something a little different.           

Closer to my home is Hill Prairie Winery in Oakford, Ill., about 30 miles north of Springfield, Ill.  What I most like about Hill Prairie is its close proximity and live music “in season.”  Yes, it looks like a barn in the middle of a hayfield, but it is Illinois after all.  I like the strawberry wine here.   

I have to confess, however, my favorite Midwest wines come from Missouri, and it may be because of the experience of traveling to the state’s wine regions.  Or maybe it’s because of the great variety of Nortons, Vignoles and Traminettes you’ll find at each stop along the Missouri Wine Trail. 

If you’re taking the trail along the Missouri river, you’ll probably start or end in Hermann, Mo., a very old-school town started by German settlers, and the influence is everywhere.  The Missouri Mecca of wine may be Stone Hill Winery, which is also conveniently named and located on the highest point in town.  Hermann is also a great place to celebrate Oktoberfest, but that’s worthy of another blog.  While at Stone Hill, it’s worth eating at the German restaurant located at the winery.

There are plenty of vineyards on either side of the Missouri River, but I usually stick to the north side and weave down Hwy. 94 from stop to stop.  Montelle Winery is noteworthy for its view.  Don’t miss the turn to the side road that takes you to Augusta for Augusta Winery and Mount Pleasant Winery.  The town is beautifully hidden and perched atop a bluff overlooking the Missouri River valley.  And for a change of pace, I like to stop at the biker bar in Defiance, Mo.

The vineyards around Ste. Genevieve, Mo., provide another wine trip worth taking.  I like experiences that are a little unique, and maybe I just haven’t lived a lot, but I liked Cave Vineyard for, well, the cave.  

I couldn't resist ...

They take you down a steep hill in a glorified golf cart to the cave entrance, where you can drink and see live music, when offered.     

It even has a roof in case of rain.

None of these places will probably ever be confused with Napa Valley or Sonoma Valley in California, the Rhineland of Germany, or the Rhone Valley, Bordeaux or Burgundy regions of France.  So, if you’re a wine snob, I guess you shouldn’t bother.  But they’re all a heck of a lot closer to where I live, and if you’re not a wine snob, the wines aren’t half bad.  They’re definitely worth an occasional road trip.