Monday, September 12, 2011

A great weekend to be in Boonville

In a fortuitous coincidence, we planned a visit to Boonville, Mo., on the same weekend (Sept. 10-11) as the Second Annual Katy Bridge Wine Walk.

The event was sponsored by the Save the Katy Bridge Coalition. Plans for the bridge are to convert it to pedestrian use as part of the Katy Trail, the trans-Missouri pathway for recreation and tourism.

The event was a smart integration of commerce, tourism, arts, wine and a good cause that promised to raise awareness of all involved.

Wine notes

Baltimore Bend: Owner Sarah Schmidt set up on two deep-freeze units at Imhoff’s Hometown Appliance. The 2006 Cynthiana stood out for its rich, smooth character derived from 18 months of aging in toasted oak barrels and an additional 18 months to two years in the bottle. Schmidt described a specific approach to oak aging: “We try to balance the wine with the barrel,” she said. It’s a matter of being aware of each barrel’s charring and testing the wine frequently, she said.

Traver Home Winery: Samplers mobbed owners Jim and Bobbi Traver of Willow Springs as they poured their wines at a table in the back of A. Baker Floral. Their Eleven Point White — 70 percent Vidal, 30 percent Vignoles — had citrus notes with a little extra body from the Vignoles influence.

Cooper’s Oak Winery: The hometown winery, whose name indicates its approach to wine, has first-rate Chambourcin, Merlot, Zinfandel, Norton and various red blends that benefit from oak aging. Some of the white wines that spent time in barrels did not respond as well. Most satisfying were the Norton and the Cab-Merlot blend named Toasted Oak.

Adam Puchta: Try the Traminette.

Wenwood Farm Winery: Country Estate White is dry, clean and crisp.

Peaceful Bend: A spicy Norton grabbed my attention.

Les Bourgeois Winery: Solay, a blend that’s apparently a trade secret, is a refreshing white.

Wine news

Watch for the imminent opening of Bushwhacker Bend Winery in Glasgow, Mo. Owners were on hand at Family Shoe Store to spread the word.

Participating local businesses

Hotel Frederick

Imhoff's Hometown Appliance

A. Baker Floral

Zuzak Wonder Store

Citizens Bank & Trust

Gordon Jewelers

Family Shoe Store







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