Jen and I have been doing an annual Missouri wine tour with our longtime friends Steve and Donna Koehler for at least 12 years with just one interruption.
These trips, along with our tippling of wines of the Ozarks, have made me a wine snob. Not the typical coastal or international wine snob who refuses to acknowledge the value of Missouri wines. I am a wine snob who favors only Missouri wines.
My feeling, more or less, is:
If it’s not Missouri wine, why bother?
I’m not saying that wines of the rest of the world do not have value. I just don’t bother with them. The only exception is dining out, because restaurants rarely carry Missouri wines. I can usually find something I like even if it’s not from Missouri — Tempranillo, Shiraz, Cab, an unoaked Chardonnay or a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
There’s another exception: routine wine for routine weekday dinners. I go for beneath-the-bargain-basement swill that helps keep overall costs manageable. That wine comes from California.
My snobbery is not based on received wisdom (how could it be?) or because I hate all other wines and/or like only Missouri wines. It’s just something that has built up over the years.
So, there you have it — my opening post in a series that will document this year’s tour. I thought I needed a strong beginning to get people’s attention and set this series apart from the usual travelogue.
Upcoming posts:
Heinrichshaus
Belmont Vineyards
Peaceful Bend
Horst Vineyards
Viandel Vineyard
Traver Home Winery
Whispering Oaks Vineyard and Winery
