June 8, 2013 - Winesong at Riverfest Park, De Soto, KS

15 Kansas Wineries, 10 1-oz. wine samples, three music groups, free appetizers including Oklahoma Joe's BBQ and Napa-inspired hors d'oeuvres, and artists displaying furniture, paintings, sculptures all for the first 2,000 people to pay $20.  That's Winesong at Riverfest Park in De Soto, KS.

With nice weather, we opted to take the Corvette.  The drive over to De Soto showcased the range of development in Johnson County.  Fully developed Downtown Overland Park, to suburban stretches of OP & Lenexa with commercial strip malls, crowded 4-lane thoroughfares, giving way to semi-developed west Lenexa, Shawnee Mission Park, and softball fields, and then finally, rural 2-lane 50mph roads.  Pastures, hedgerows, and farmhouses zoomed by as we drove westward.  As the road came down a hill and snaked to the north, a decreased speed limit sign and cluster of homes announced we had reached De Soto. 

Riverfest Park is on the Kansas River on the northwest side of downtown De Soto.  Even though it sits above the Kansas River, the park is in the floodplain.  The engineer in me realized this as we crossed a set of railroad tracks and proceeded down the hill.  Railroads learned by experience where rivers high water levels reached and elevated their tracks accordingly.

We arrived before 3pm and the field quickly filled up with cars.  My wife and I chose to leave our folding chairs in the car and carried in our blanket and tickets.  Pleasantly, entry into the event went quickly as the ticket takers electronically scanned our tickets and we were given commemorative wine glasses.

We walked to the back of the event to survey the grounds and gauge the size of the crowd.  We passed artist tents, winery tents, and strolled through two food tents with music groups starting the play.

 

The Cathy Hunt Trio played a bluesy-rockabilly set.  Easy to listen to and get you moving.

Mistura Fina played Bossa Nova music.  It paired well with the wine and atmosphere.  The third tent had Dan Bliss and Rod Fleeman on guitars.  We missed them, but they typically play around the Kansas City region at wineries and tasting events.

Initially, we had the entrée-type food:  Meatballs in a black pepper sauce, Jasmine rice salad and the summer panzanella.  I was feeling adventurous and sampled the Mexico City cocktail.  Later, we had a melon salad with goat cheese, mini cookies (butter and chocolate chip), and orzo salad.

 

We strategized our approach to the wine tastings.  At the event, you are given a ticket with 10 boxes on it good for a 1-oz. wine sample per box.  We decided that if we each chose a different wine and shared with the other, that in effect, we could try 20 wines.  The other thing we decided was to zig-zag our way across the festival.  While the food tents and sample areas were shaded, the lines were not.  Going into the sun and then tacking away, we began sampling.

First, we went to the Holy Field Winery tent from Basehor, Kansas.  There we tried the Tailgate White and the Melody.  The Tailgate White had a crisp, strong grape smell.  Tasting it gave a semi-sweet, granny-smith apple tartness with sweetness to balance it.  The Melody was not a strong scented wine.  The flavor was also less complex, more mellow than the Tailgate White, but it was a good semi-sweet wine.  Due to the long line, they sold bottles to customers at the sides and back of the tent.

Next we went to the Rowe Ridge tent from Kansas City, Kansas.  They offered white and red wines as well as fruit wines.  We sampled the Chambourcin and St Vincent wines.  The Chambourcin was a semi-sweet red with spicy plum/cherry notes and very flavorful.  The St Vincent was mellow compared to the Chambourcin, but more dry with little sweetness.

Though the banner was hanging from the table and not visible, our hunch was confirmed by the longer line at the Somerset Ridge Vineyard & Winery tent.  There we sampled the Traminette and Buffalo White.  The Traminette although drier than we typically like was still good.  It had a strong, honeysuckle-sweet floral aroma.  Tasting it initially had a tartness to which gave way to a dry, fruity finish.  The Buffalo White had a mild floral scent, almost like lemon grass.  It was a sweeter semi-sweet wine (not as sweet as a Muscat), but with a mellow smoothness to it.

 

 

Before too long, many visitors began to get multiple samples per tent visit.  That is, they would get two or three wine samples at one tasting rather than spreading out their visits.  On the one hand, they wouldn't need to stand in line as long and could picnic with their friends, but they were missing out on discovering a new wine or vineyard.

 

 

Next, we wandered over to Renaissance Cellars wine tent from St. Marys, Kansas.  They produce Mead, a honey-based ancient wine, traditional grape wines, and also fruit wines.  We sampled the Apple Cider and Mead.  The Cider had a strong, Macintosh-aroma.  It was a sweet, dessert-type wine with honey notes and tart, dry finish.  The Mead had almost a lavender scent to it.  It tasted of strong, crisp lavender flavors with a sweet finish to it.  In addition to wines, Renaissance Cellars had a number of non-alcoholic products on sale including t-shirts and mugs. 

Grace Hill Winery from Whitewater, KS (northwest of Wichita) made the trip out.  Peckerhead Red was an apparent favorite of the crowd as by the time we reached the tent, it was sold out.  We sampled the Beach Day Rose' and the Prairie Pink.  The Beach Day had a Catawba-grape scent, but tasted of Bing cherry-tartness, but was very dry.  Their Prairie Pink was very good.  It had a mellow scent, but was pleasantly flavorful and slightly tart with a sweet cherry finish.

We then paused to get a quick bite to eat.  As we made our way through the Cathy Hunt Trio food tent, we noticed that the line for BBQ was the shortest it had been all day.

The Off the Grill food was from Oklahoma Joe's catering.  Grilled vegetables, bruschetta, grilled sausages with spiced relishes and mustard were available as well.  We then laid out our picnic blanket to eat behind the Cathy Hunt Trio food tent.

Next, we made our way over to the Jefferson Hill Vineyards tent from McLouth, Kansas (northwest of Tonganoxie, KS and north of Lawrence.  We chose the Jefferson Red and Raspberry Splash to sample.  The Jefferson Red had a sweet grape aroma.  It was sweet with a slightly tart finish.  The Raspberry Splash smelled of spicy raspberries.  The Splash tasted of spice and raspberries, slightly sweet, but just enough to compete with the spice flavor.  It would probably pair well with chocolate or smoked meats.

While waiting in line, I was recognized by some co-workers.  Surprised and slightly feeling the heat of the day (and effects of the wine), I fumbled their names.  After being amused, Debra, Mary, and Nelda introduced themselves properly to my wife and related how this event compared to last year.  Apparently, the weather was much hotter last year and all the events were packed into one tent.  In spite of that, they indicated they had a really good time and decided to come back this year.  They liked how this year tickets were sold ahead of the event and cut down on the chaos last year caused by a large number of walk ups.  Seeing that I was taking notes, they asked if I was a wine connoisseur.  With a smile, I replied, "No, just a wine enthusiast."

Then we arrived at the Kugler's Vineyard table from Lawrence, Kansas.  There we tried the Vidal and the Norton.  The Vidal had a sweet floral scent and tasted of pears and melon with a sweet, crisp finish.  It would probably pair well with chicken and alfredo pasta-type dishes.  The Cynthiana or Norton had a strong, cherry aroma and tasted of sweet berried with woody notes.  Like most Nortons, it would go well with chocolate and smoked meats.

Next, we stopped by the Wine Barn Winery and Vineyard tent from Kansas City, KS. We sampled the Vidal and the Golden Sonnet.  The Vidal was slightly floral and semi dry with an initial pear flavor which transitioned to a watery melon finish.  It was slightly less flavorful than the Kugler's Vidal.  The Golden Sonnet was a smooth, semi-sweet wine.  It had a stronger flavor than the Vidal, but also had a watery finish.

We hurried over to Stone Pillar from Olathe, KS selected the Prairie Fire and Joceaux (pronounced JOCO).  The Prairie Fire was a 5-wine blend and full of complex flavor.  It had slightly Norton-ish with a dry, cherry spiciness.  The Joceaux was sweeter and smooth with a metallic finish.

White Tail Run Winery from Edgerton, Kansas was our last stop and another great discovery.  We ended our tastings with their Semi-Sweet Seyval.  It tasted of fruity, citrus notes with little tartness and had a crisp metallic finish.  As we later discovered, they can be found also selling their wines Saturday mornings at the Overland Park Farmers Market.

As the day grew late and shadows long, most event goers settled into evening picnics under the cottonwoods along the Kansas river.

We lingered for a bit longer to allow the effects of the wine to wear off.  De Soto Police had left the event early and we figured they were waiting for folks that had a little too much to drink.  We were only slightly disappointed that we didn't fill our tastings cards, but felt like we accomplished a lot in an evening that flew by.  Most importantly, we spent lots of quality time together.

  With the coolness of the evening taking hold, we drove back home with the Corvette's T-tops off, taking home our new discoveries to be enjoyed at a later summer evening.

Mini trip - OZ Winery, Wamego, KS

We were in Manhattan that weekend in January for a couple of reasons: my family got to meet up with some friends from the military and I was there to mentor some middle school teams in a city of the future competition.   On our way into Manhattan, we noticed the OZ Winery billboards on I-70 and thought that if we had enough time that we might make a side trip before heading back to Kansas City.   After spending the day apart, we decided to checkout the OZ Winery.

It took us about 30 minutes from Manhattan on Highway 24 to get to Wamego and just a few minutes longer to reach downtown.  Angled parking is on both sides of the main downtown strip and we easily found a spot in front of the Winery's storefront.

With the two year old asleep on my shoulder, my wife had a seat at the tasting bar and looked over the vast wine menu.  I didn't get too much of a chance to read detailed descriptions of the wines, but I was impressed with the store's ambiance and wider variety of wines they offered.

As I followed the four-year old around the store, I noticed that in addition to Wizard of Oz themed wines that they carried a variety of gifts including cheeses, chocolates, and meats. 

My wife sampled the four wines they had that were Vignoles-blends and after much consideration, she selected "The Yellow Brick Road".  As we drove over the Flint Hills and Wamego disappeared from sight, she described the wines to me.  We agreed that we would definitely have to come back.

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.