Missouri Wine Country – Route du Vin

Some History

Norton Grape Canopy

My introduction to Missouri wines occurred at last year’s Wine Blogger’s Conference in Sonoma. I was not aware that the state was a wine producer and the handful of wines I tasted were impressive. The Missouri Wine Board offered an opportunity to visit one of the wine growing areas and I jumped at the chance.

Missouri’s wine history dates back to 1837 when German immigrants settled on the banks of the Missouri River in a town they named Hermann. Within a decade, 60 wineries had been established. Late in the 19th century, Italian immigrants established vineyards in the St. James area and the state’s wineries numbered close to 100. At the time, Missouri produced the most wine of any state in our nation. Prohibition dealt a nearly fatal blow to the industry, but it began to recover in the 1960’s.

In the 1980’s, a new tax on wine provided for the establishment of the Missouri Wine and Grape program. The fruit experiment station at Missouri State University and state viticulturists went to work to determine which grapes were best suited to the climate, and in 1980, Augusta became Missouri’s first federally recognized AVA (American Viticultural Area). From 2000 to the present, Missouri has gained stature in wine growing and producing. There are now 132 wineries located within 11 distinct wine trails across the state growing twelve grape varietals and even introducing new hybrids.

The Route du Vin

Antonio and Thomas Polesel

Our Missouri wine tour featured the Route du Vin, a wine trail located in the St. Genevieve area. Our first stop was Villa Antonio, a 40-acre property established by Antonio Polesel and now operated by his son, Tom. Of the ten acres planted to vines, only the Norton had not been harvested. The Norton grape, also known as Cynthiana, was originally found in Virginia in the 1830’s and is now the official state grape of Missouri. Its berries are small, tightly clustered and a deep blue-black color. Villa Antonio produces 11 wines all from hand-harvested estate grown fruit.

In addition to wine making, Villa Antonio offers beautiful venues for weddings, parties, and corporate events. Expansive terraces and patios overlook the grounds, providing a perfect place to relax or celebrate. We were treated to a delicious Italian lunch “al fresco” that included pizza baked in their wood-fired oven, toasted ravioli (a Missouri specialty), and mixed green salad.

Fortified with lunch and our first tasting of the day, we moved on to the next destination, LaChance Vineyards, owned by our host, Harold Hamby. The 80-acre property was purchased by the Hamby family in the 1970’s and was primarily planted with orchards and used as a family getaway. Harold took over as the owner of the property in 2012 and has planted over 5,000 grapevines on 8 acres. He is an innovator and is avidly experimenting with new hybrids such as Crimson Cabernet, a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Norton, and Aphrodite, a Norton and Mourisco hybrid (Mourisco is a Portuguese grape). His goals are to produce wines that are more old-world in style and also to determine what other varietals can be successfully grown in the area.

Tasting Room at LaChance

Following our tour of the vineyards, we settled into the tasting room. Harold had gone all out and was anxious to fully showcase his wines and hear our thoughts. He had us taste 17 wines, including a four year vertical tasting of his Crimson Cabernet from 2014-2017. The 2014 Crimson Cabernet was a rich, deep red wine with powerful chocolate aromas followed by layers of dark fruit on the palate. It is sold out, but Harold believes the 2017 will be as good or better. Another wine that I especially enjoyed was the 2016 Carriage House Chambourcin. This is a brighter red wine with a touch of green pepper on the nose and flavors of red fruit.  It reminded me of some Cabernet Francs I have tasted. Harold’s Aphrodite also captivated me. It is off-dry, but full bodied with good balance. I purchased some and am looking forward to experimenting with food pairings.

All too soon, it was time to head to our destination for the night, Chaumette Vineyards and Winery. Chaumette is a 310-acre property that was purchased by Hank Johnson in 1990, and, at the time, was nothing but pasture and woodland. Hank became interested in viticulture and in 2000 became licensed to make wine. Eighteen acres are planted to vineyards. In addition to the wine business, the Johnson’s offer multiple wedding and event venues, a restaurant, and privately owned villas that can be reserved for overnight stays.

After checking into our villas, we were whisked to the main building for a lovely, casual supper of salad and roast chicken served with their 2016 Chardonel. After dinner, Hank invited us to visit their newly opened Gathering Place for a relaxing after dinner drink. On our agenda for the next morning was a tasting and tour of the property – much more information about Chaumette will be shared in the next post.

Cheers to our first fabulous day in Missouri Wine Country.

Norton

Aphrodite

White Norton