October 20, 2012 - Shawnee Bluff Winery Part II

My wife and I left the Quail's Nest Saturday afternoon and headed north on Osage Beach Parkway. As we drove the windy road, I thought about how similar it felt compared to Highway 7. The parkway was a four-lane road, sometimes divided and sometimes not. Still, it had quick elevation changes and short sight distances which for a tourist made the road feel faster than it should. True, there weren't deer this time, but instead there were cars pulling out from strip malls, other visiting drivers erratically changing lanes when they realized too late that they had missed their turn, and the siren-like pull of the scenic fall vistas drawing your eyes off the road. Wherever you go, there's a sense of  being higher than the surrounding area.

The windy road to Shawnee Bluff Winery

As we neared the dam, Osage Beach Parkway forks into Bagnell Dam Road and an option to merge with U.S. Highway 54. On Bagnell Dam Road the traffic slows, and the properties shrink in size but become more numerous. This is Lake Ozark, MO the older township on the lake. Original to when the lake was first created, many properties were quickly built to cater to the new tourist industry. While some shopping and restaurant properties have been demolished and sit vacant awaiting redevelopment, you'll pass mom & pop motor lodges from the 1930's, the Church of our Lady of the Lake, and steep driveways both up and down from the road.

Sunsetting on Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church

It was because of the steep driveway, we missed our turn off the first time through, but then saw the banner announcing "Winery" high above the roadway.  Taking the Jeep up the driveway, we encountered a small parking lot nearly full with five cars, two small buildings and a larger cape cod style building.  We entered the cod style building.

 

The motel and winery as it is now

The motel as it was

We walked over to the bar, where the hostess, Victoria, was juggling orders from the food menu and helping another employee serve other patrons.  My wife and I said that we were interested in doing a wine tasting of both reds & whites and having our Missouri Wine Passports stamped.  Victoria told us that the owner of Shawnee Bluff Winery also owns Casa de Loco Winery in Camdenton, MO.  He  also bought the remaining inventory of Grey Bear Winery.  The Grey Bear owner recently had a stroke and decided to sell the business.  She stamped our passports for both Shawnee Bluff and Grey Bear.

Inside the tasting room at Shawnee Bluff Winery

First we tried the Sauvignon Blanc.  We usually weren't fans of Sauv Blancs, but agreed that it's lemon/lime zest with crisp finish was probably the best we had sampled.  It was interestingly complex being slightly sweet with a dry, mineral finish.  Next we tried the Call Your Bluff, a sparkling white wine.  It had floral notes and was sweet but had a crisp finish.  You could still tell that it had a definite grape flavor, being derived from muscato grapes, but didn't taste like grape juice.  The Call Your Bluff is kept on tap and if you should desire a bottle or carafe, they will bottle it for you on the spot.

 

Up next was a Pinot Grigio.  It was flavorful with citrus notes and a dry finish.  Then came the Muscat Canelli.  It was a semi-sweet wine with woodsy notes yet had a creamy finish.  We usually shy away from Muscato wines, but this one definitely had enough flavor to balance out it's sweetness.  Victoria said it was great to have at a fall campfire.  Next we had the winery's Flappers & Philosophers.  It was a dry wine with a crisp finish and citrus notes.

 

Shawnee Bluff's Cabernet Sauvignon had a cherry cola/coffee flavor to it.  It was a dark, semi-dry wine with nutmeg spice notes.  It was very smooth on the palate at room temperature.  We liked it a lot.  Victoria followed that up with the Barbara, a flavorful wine with strong chocolate and cherry notes.  Then came the smooth Primivito, again with cherry and coffee notes but with little tannins providing a mellow finish.

 

The winery's Retro Red was a light red blend with a crisp dry finish.  More tannins were present than with the Primivito, but not overwhelmingly so.  Shawnee Bluff's Bluff Blush was a sweet rosé wine from the Catawba grape.  It was sweet and light but had plenty of flavor to be enjoyed alone or with a meal.  Sweeter than a White Zinfindel, but smoother and with more flavor, we both liked it very much.  Next was I'm A Sweetie with it's Muscato sweetness.  It came with lemon drop notes and could easily stand in for a dessert.  After that came I'm A Sweetie Too, another sweet red wine, this time coming from Concord grapes.  It was also another dessert wine with plenty flavor.

 

We bought a bottle of Bluff Blush and Muscat Canelli and took a seat on the Winery's pool deck.  Although unplanned, we enjoyed the spectacular view over the lake as the sun set gently in the western hills.  For a fall weekend in late October, there was still a fair amount of boat traffic gliding across the water.  We would have liked to stay longer for the customary live weekend music, but we had to meet back with my in-laws and our daughters for dinner.

 

View from the Shawnee Bluff Winery deck

Wood-fired oven at the winery.

 

 

Looking down the bluff across the lake

We were hesitant in telling Victoria that our dinner plans involved Golden Corral.  Instead, we would have liked to try some of their wood-grilled shrimp, but with kids you're better off going someplace you know that they'll eat something.

October 20, 2012 - Shawnee Bluff Winery, Part I

My family & I took a small vacation to see the fall colors in the Lake of the Ozarks, a 3+ hour drive southeast of Kansas City.  It had been 10 years since my wife & I had been out there and we thought the bluffs and Ozark hills would add some character to fall leaves.  My in-laws, being from Chicagoland also made the trip with us.  They had not been out much since arriving in the Kansas City area and we asked them to come along with us.

We left Friday afternoon and headed south out of the metro eventually getting onto Highway 7.  The trip started out uneventful and we passed cow pastures, hedge rows, and barb wire fences as we slowly headed east to Clinton, Missouri.  Highway 7 skirts the northern edge of Clinton.  Although we didn't pass through the town, you get a feel for the town.  Part farming town with it harvester and farm implement dealerships, but also part industrial with it's lumber yards and Schreiber Foods and Tracker Boat factories right next to the highway.  There's still another side to Clinton; it's the largest City next to Truman Lake and serves as a regional hub for recreation with access to the Katy Trail and outdoor sports.

Shortly after Clinton, the topography changed.  It became more hilly and the road twisted, becoming a more interesting (and challenging) drive.  Gradually, the road leveled off as we reached the lake shore elevation and crossed over to Warsaw, MO.  Banners strung across the road in town announced that we would not be in town for Warsaw's Heritage Days.  We did briefly stop to change drivers, but with it growing dark, we pressed on.

It was a long hour before we reached Camdenton.  Highway 7 between Warsaw and Camdenton is a narrow, twisty road through a primeval forest.  The last ice age had pushed the ground aside exposing steep rock bluffs and deep valleys.  A number of small communities we passed had businesses offering dozing or mining services.  Barbacue and lodging for sportsman also seemed to be fairly common.  Occasionally, we would reach the top of a hill and be surprised to see a large pasture cleared and open for horses, but filled with deer.  For the most part, it was usually another turn in the road or the start of a descent down the other side of the hill.  I told my wife it reminded me of the videos I'd seen of the famous Nurburgring Test track, thankfully not as fast and without the tire squealing.  Still, when the regulatory sign says Curve(s) Ahead, 25mph, TAKE IT at 25mph.

With less than 20 minutes to Camdenton, the girls told us they'd had enough.  Our four-year-old daughter announced she needed to go potty and her not-quite-two-but-going-on-four-year- old sister told us through her whimpers that she was getting motion sick.  Just when they'd had enough, we reached the intersection of Highway 7 and Highway 5 and the welcome parking lot of Woods Supermarket.  Unanimously we took another break and quickly emptied our cars.

We didn't linger in the store since it was nearly dark.  We were getting hungry, but remembered the deer and were afraid there would be more. 

The remaining stretch of Highway 7 was uneventful and we made it to the McDonalds in Camdenton without incident.  We had a bite to eat and then drove Highway 5 to our hotel, the Quail's Nest Inn & Suites in Osage Beach.  On the way we encountered 2 deer attempting to cross the 65mph highway.  I slowed and put on my hazard lights as the deer ran in two different directions, one back to the grassy median and the other into the safety of the forest beyond the shoulder.  Suddenly, Median Deer realized it was alone and darted back across the road and into the forest.

The Quail's Nest is not a chain motel and was clean and reasonably priced with cable, an indoor pool & hot tub, and continental breakfast.  Some rooms can be had with refridgerators and microwaves, a must when traveling with children.  The weekend we went there was also a Chevelle club having their 10-year rally at the Nest.  It was neat to see (and hear!) the classic muscle cars.


Jeep with the Chevelle at the Quail's Nest.  Yes, that is a C5 Corvette on the far right.

Over the weekend, we visited the DinoSpace Adventure Museum, the Osage Beach City Park, the Osage Beach Premium Outlet Stores, and the Lake of the Ozarks State Park.  My wife & I were able to get away for a bit after the DinoSpace Adventure Museum for a quick visit to Shawnee Bluff Winery...



Fall Colors at Osage Beach City Park

Fall Colors at Lake of the Ozarks State Park

June 9, 2012 - Liberty, MO ~ Belvoir Winery

The Belvoir Winery (http://www.belvoirwinery.com/) trip also happened to be on our anniversary.  Since there wasn't another winery close by, we decided to also go the Dish Pizzeria, just up the road from the winery and further into Liberty, Missouri.  Luckily, my in-laws offered to watch the kids so we could make the trip.

Since Liberty, Missouri was within the Kansas City Metropolitan area, we opted to take a combination of Interstate and State Highway.  We leisurely took Lee Boulvard in Leawood south to the Stateline – I-435 on ramp and headed east.  Traffic was heavy due to summer travel to area lakes and other daytrippers.  We continued east, transitioning from I-435 to I-470.  The road curved north past Lee's Summit, Missouri and its new growth as the city expanded with new industrial parks and car dealerships.

Driving further north, we passed through Independence, Missouri, home to the 34^th President of the United States, Harry S.Truman.  Independence's growth along I-470 was booming with a new event center and increased traffic to its shopping district.  On the north side of Independence, I-470 transitioned into State Highway 291 and traffic signs indicated that travelers were supposed to limit themselves to 55mph.

Sugar Creek, Missouri was the last town on the south side of the Missouri River, but there was only a riverfront park and the Carefree Industrial Park on the east end of town.  Visible over the western treetops was a defunct oil refinery I had learned about as part on an environmental case study in my last graduate class.  The refinery was part of Standard Oil and had been on the Missouri River for over a hundred years.  Its new uses included a park, an asphalt plant, and industrial park. 

Missouri Highway 291 bridges over the Missouri River

View of the Missouri River through the bridge trusses

Once across the Missouri, there was little in the way of development.  With the river valley being in the floodplain, there wasn't a good enough reason for businesses to tempt the river to overtop its banks.  Speed limit signs indicating 45mph announced our arrival into Liberty, Missouri.  We drove past the Belvoir Winery turnoff and continued into town.  A few minutes later, we arrived at Dish Pizza.

The Dish Pizza in Liberty, Missouri

Dish Pizza (http://www.dishpizza.com) is something we discovered a few years ago when it started showing up in our Hyvee grocery store's freezer case.  Being from Chicago, my wife is particular about deep dish pizza and the Dish is by far the closest thing locally she has tasted to authentic Chicago pizzerias.   If you've ever eaten a deep dish pizza in Chicagoland, the Dish is most similar to Giordano's Pizza with it's flavorful pizza sauce on top, abundant cheese, buttery crust and variety of toppings.  We had side salads and a small Mill Pizza, the Dish's vegetarian pizza with olives, green peppers, artichokes, and cheese.  Since we forgot our cooler, we purchased a small cooler and ice from a nearby Price Chopper grocery store and placed our leftover slices in the trunk of the car.

Backtracking on our route, we turned off onto Odd Fellow's Road and drove through the open gates of the winery.  The Belvoir Winery inhabits the International Order of Odd Fellows Liberty Encampment (http://www.belvoirwinery.com/index.php?cID=51).  The estate consists of five buildings situated below the crest of a ridge.  The road leading up to the buildings splits for traffic and adjacent to the fork is a fountain and gazeebo.  When we arrived, white chairs had been setup on the lawn in preparation for a wedding the following day and people were working to string lights across the entrance to the grand main building. 

Entrance Gates into the Belvoir Winery

The largest building is three stories tall and was built in 1905.  We walked inside and saw that the wine tastings bar was full of visitors.  The hostess behind the bar informed us that we were free to roam around the main level of the building, but couldn't enter the other floors or the other buildings.  We opted to explore the main building and nearby portions of the estate. 

View of the Belvoir Winery's main building from the front lawn

Floor tiles in the entryway of the main building

Baby grand piano being played by a laptop

The main building, pictured on the Belvoir winery website, has been renovated and serves host to the wine tasting bar and wedding receptions.  Also onsite is a baby grand piano that can be played by a laptop computer. 

Entry way to the Belvoir Winery's main building

The next building was a smaller two story building and built in 1952, but was unused and signs warning no trespassing were posted on the doors.  The next two buildings were larger, but even more in need of repairs.  They appeared to have been built around the same time as the main building but had many broken windows and mature trees growing out of them.  It was an interesting contrast to the newer homes that backup up to the estate, easily visible from the crumbling steps of the two smaller buildings.  Behind the two older buildings stood a small unoccupied building.    It too had fallen into disrepair and did not appear to be used.

Auxiliary Building similar in architectural style to the main building

Auxillary Building being reclaimed by nature

Behind the main building was a fenced field with a horse in it.  Upon closer inspection, another horse stood up.  Apparently it noticed us and decided to stop lounging in the sun.  Seeing nothing further to explore, we decided to see if there was room at the bar.

Looking east from the main building

Once inside, we found two seats at the bar and proceeded with the tastings.  Our hostess started with a white chardonel.  It was a good dry wine with pear and light oak notes with a crisp, steely finish.  We thought it would be excellent with white meats or cheese since the wine would compliment the flavors of those foods.  Next we had another white wine, Belvoir's Plumeria wine.  The hostess mentioned that it had been named by the owner's late wife who loved Plumerias.  She quickly added that it did not have plumeria flowers in it.  It was well chilled, very floral and semi sweet; a good wine for drinking without food since it was very flavorful.  The last white wine we tasted was the Sorelle Dolci.  It was a sweet wine and could easily be enjoyed on its own or with a dessert.  The Dolci was similar to a Muscato, but not so overwhelmingly sweet. 

We then had their Norton.  It was the best Norton we had tasted to date.  It was a dark red, robust wine with notes of berries and spice without the sharp tannins we'd experienced with other Nortons.  Then we had the Casanova, a blend with three different wines.  It was a good light bodied wine and semi-sweet.  A Casanova would pair well with sweeter dishes such as grilled teriyaki chicken or red-sauced non-spicy pasta dishes. Last we had the Little Pierre, a sweet concord grape wine.  It was very flavorful, sweet, but complex.  A chilled Little Pierre could like the Dolci, be enjoyed alone or with dessert.

Belvoir's wine tasting room and bar that caters special events

It was difficult to choose a wine to take home, but we bought a Chardonnel and the Sorelle Dolci.  We could easily see drinking all of their wines.  We also disappointingly learned that the Belvoir wines were not available in retail stores.  Fortunately for us, it is only a 40 minute drive away.  One last note, tours of the winery are only available during the weekdays as much of the weekend is spent hosting visitors and preparing for wedding receptions and other large groups. 

Looking through the main level from the southern wing in the main building

Between desiring to buy more wines at the winery and wanting to learn more of the historic Odd Fellows home, we could definitely see returning to the Belvoir Winery again and again.

The two white wines we selected