Kansas City Wine… “Are you ready for it?”
KANSAS CITY WINE
I’m a wine expert and mom of two teen girls and a boy. My daughters are card-carrying, drank-the-kool-aid, friendship bracelet aficionado “Swifties” while my son just wants a ride to the skatepark. Somewhere during the last several years I too got swept up in Taylor Swift mania and have been paying close attention to Taylor’s sacred new beginning with Travis Kelce, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. I absolutely love this for Taylor–she deserves a good one and I find myself strangely invested. My one concern has to do with, well, WINE! I know Taylor loves and appreciates a good wine, so it concerns me that she may be lost in this current and might need a little support to locate her beverage of choice out in the Midwest. She might be too in love to think straight. So I thought I would pen a post to help a sister out because it’s nice to have a friend. Ladies and Gentlemen, will you please stand? I give you my Kansas City Wine Route created especially for Taylor Swift.
ARE YOU READY FOR IT?
Kansas City or Missouri wine isn't synonymous with Bordeaux, Burgundy and Barolo but there are some decent things to drink and try. A little known fact is that in the 1860s Missouri made more wine than the West coast! Shocked (yes!)? Me too! In fact, the influx of German immigrants led to the land being dubbed, “Rhineland of Missouri”, reflecting some of the best wine in the Rhine region. Now, I have not crawled through the vineyards of Missouri but I can sniff out the best spots based on all my “wine-world” resources, so you can count on my recommendations.
BIG REPUTATION
Kansas City doesn't have a big reputation for fine wine, plus it’s too cold there to grow the more popular varietals. This region might not have the attraction and glamor of Napa, but there are some solid wines worth trying.
I confess, I text like a drunken sailor. But when I text you to pick up a bottle of Chardonel–I promise I really meant Chardonel, I didn't misspell Chardonnay! Let’s just say, to visit the KC region, a short tutorial on hybrid grapes might help you out. Not to get too technical, but vine species are important. European Vine varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc, Pinot Grigio, etc. But, hybrids are an offspring, or a cross between two varieties of the same species, kind of like a labradoodle. American hybrids were developed mostly at Cornell University and University of Minnesota because European vines died in the cold. Researchers found that by merging species, the vines would be stronger and able to withstand American climates. These hybrids are the grapes you will find growing in this region.
IT MUST BE EXHAUSTING ALWAYS ROOTING FOR THE ANTI -HERO
So back to my non-drunk text. Chardonelis a cross between chardonnay and seyval blanc, it’s a similar wine to Chardonnay and comes in both oaked and unoaked versions. Vidal Blanc is an aromatic white wine similar to Sauvignon blanc or Pinot Grigio but makes a kick-ass icewine (icewine is made by picking frozen grapes and results in a very sweet wine). Vignoles is similar to a muscat and tastes between a dry and sweet wine. Chambourgin produces a peppery red wine or a rosé with a backbone and is often compared to Cabernet Franc because of its fruit flavors and spice.
THIS IS GETTING GOOD NOW
Now that we have a solid background on what wines can be found in Missouri, let’s go on a tour of a few wineries that I believe to be excellent choices for Taylor and her new Lover. Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place will lead us on our wine crawl through Missouri.
AMIGONI
Micheal Amigoni established the winery in 2006 and is the start of the Kansas City wine route. The winery is focused on old-world style varietals (Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Viognier). The tasting room is just a tasting room, you won't be walking through a wine-laden field here as the grapes are sourced from California. The tasting room has a cool history. It is located in the Stockyards District of West Bottoms and is the historic Daily Drovers Telegram Newspaper building. The front tasting room was the newsroom where they housed the printing press. Wine tastings are $15 for five wines. Reservations are required.
STONE HILL
A long history of winemaking starting in 1847 when German Immigrants established the winery. Stone Hills vineyards are gorgeous and worth visiting. This winery is worth a serious look and visit–they overlook Hermann City. It’s hard to establish sustainable farming in this climate, and they have made a strong push in this direction. I would reach for the Norton wine here.
KANSAS CITY WINEWORKS
This is a small venue, and a really cool place that makes cocktails and serves wine! What more can you ask for? Winemaker James Lowery and his wife Lindsay Clausen manage the winery. Maybe they will create a “Swift Cosmo”?
https://kcwineworks-online.square.site/
PIRTLE WINERY
A church turned into a winery–what’s not to love? A gorgeous setting that is warm and welcoming and thrives off hospitality. They are most known for their ‘Mellow Red’ which they dub, ‘bottle of fun’, Does Taylor need to look any further? I mean– Party wine right here in Missouri!
https://www.pirtlewinery.com/
ADAM PUCHTA WINERY
Ok, OK, this might be 3 hours from Kansas City and an hour from St. Louis but I say this is worth a romantic Autumn ride and we can absolutely blast “are we out of the woods yet” on the drive home. This winery was founded in 1855 and is the oldest family-owned winery in the United States. The Puchta family grows hybrids on Missouri soil. You will find Vignoles, Vidal blanc, Chardonel, and estate Norton here.
AUGUSTA WINERY
Augusta Winery doesn't have the history of other vineyards but it has been winning awards for its wines. (Est. 1988). After your visit take a scenic drive through the Missouri River Valley. You'll find the whole squad here, Chardonel, Vidal blanc, Traminette, Vignoles, Cabernet Franc, and Norton.
https://www.augustawinery.com/
IS IT COOL THAT I SAID ALL THAT?
Truth be told, I haven’t visited the Kansas City region for the purpose of tasting wine, but I know how to research and plan exceptional wine trips, and my recommendations are well regarded (Studying for and earning a diploma in wine is no joke: I hustled, put in the work.) Of course, I’m highly suspicious (not really, but I’ve been trying to work that lyric in this whole article) and need to take a little trip out there, maybe take in a Chief’s game? Taylor, if you read this, I’m available as your wine guide or consultant. Please hit me up. If you do, my daughters might finally decide my work in wine is valuable.
WE CAN’T MAKE ANY PROMISES, NOW CAN WE, BABE?
BUT YOU CAN MAKE ME A DRINK
In closing, I’ve recently been made aware (shout out to Duexmoi) that Taylor has also been enjoying one of my favorite cocktails lately: a cosmopolitan. So whether you join us on our Kansas City Wine tour or not, we can all raise our glasses to the new couple with one of my favorite cosmo recipes. Clink thy cosmo glasses gently, my Swifties, because we don’t want to break what's not broken. As we all know, it’s still Delicate.
Stanley Tucci’s Christmas Cosmo
3 TBS Pomegranate seeds
25ML Cointreau
50ML Vodka
25ML Cranberry Juice
25ML Pomegranate Juice
Ice
Sugar
1 sprig of Rosemary or mint leaf for garnish