May 2013 FEAST Magazine

our winemaking history

local wine + artisan cheese

wineries’ craft beer and spirits

VINTAGE MISSOURI

A CLASSIC PAIR

LIQUID MOONLIGHT

Inspired Food Culture | Saint Louis

feastSTL.com | MAY 2013 | FREE

the Wine ISSUE

Cheers Local Wines!

TO

Our world-class selection includes many wines produced locally. From Missouri wine country, we have some of the regions’s best-known wines including St. James Velvet Red and White, Stone Hill Pink Catawba and Mount Pleasant Red and White. From Illinois, we’re proud to carry a tasteful selection from Illinois Cellars that includes their Norton.

Plus, we offer special wine pricing when you buy six or more 750 ml bottles of wine. Mix or match, it’s up to you!

schnucks.com Variety and selection may vary by store.

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MAY 2013

©2013 Schnucks

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MAY 2013

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Inspired Food Culture | Saint Louis

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rook’s reprise

MAY 2013

from the staff

| 10 |

from the PUBLISHER

Drink local.

| 12 | feaststl.com What’s online this month.

| 16 | FEAST FAVES

Our staff and contributors share inspired ideas for tasteful living in St. Louis.

COLUMNS

| 26 | One on One

Misha Kwasniewski puts local

wine under a microscope.

| 28 |

the mix

Mix up a royal treat with The Coronation Cocktail.

| 30 | ON THE SHELF

New and notable in beer, spirits and wine.

| 32 |

mystery shopper

Buy it and try it: Demerara sugar.

| 34 |

how to

Repping wines with Crush.

57

beyond the vine

+ cheese

73

| 36 | TECH SCHOOL

Ditch the disposable cup and make your own yogurt at home.

| 38 |

gadget a-go-go

We put five cheese slicers to the test.

| 40 | Menu Options

Get to the heart of the season with artichoke galettes.

| 78 |

the last bite

Wine writer Kyle Harsha

becomes a dessert convert at Russell’s Café and Bakery.

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY of eve decanter (P. 22) BY Jonathan Gayman Table of contents photography of Louis P. Balducci Vineyards (p. 64)

BY Steven Schulte

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MAY 2013

64

a history of Missouri Wine

Inspired Food Culture

MAY 2013

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catholic & independent with open doors & minds

St. Stanislaus

Summer Festival 2013

Magazine Volume 4

| Issue 5 | May 2013

Publisher and Editor Catherine Neville Managing Editor, Print Content Brandi Wills

Sunday, June 2nd

Managing Editor, Digital Content Kristin Brashares

Polka Mass 10 am Dinner Served 11:30am to 4pm Polish Dinner or 1/2 Fried Chicken Dinner

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Jonathan Gayman

publisher’s letter

PHOTOGRAPHy by

TV FEAST EVENTS Feast Book Club Author Event Tue., May 7, 7pm; Left Bank Books Downtown

Meet New York Times bestselling author Bob Spitz as he discusses his book, Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child, and enjoy hors d’oeuvres related to the book courtesy of L’Ecole Culinaire. Books for signing will be available for purchase from Left Bank Books at the event.

Tower Grove Farmers’ Market Kickoff Celebration Sat., May 4, 8am to 2pm

Join us for the grand kickoff of the eighth TGFM market season and celebrate amazing food from farmers and vendors.

The 2nd Annual Hill Wine Walk Sat., May 11, 1 to 5pm $25, visit.hill2000.org/hill-wine-walk-may-11-2013

Stroll the streets of The Hill and sample wines along the way.

Take advantage of discounts at participating shops, markets and restaurants while you enjoy music, live art and entertainment.

DESSERT + WINE Thu., May 16, 6:30pm; Russell’s on Macklind 314.553.9994 or russellscafe.com

Didn’t think wine and dessert were a match? Think again. Indulge in a multi-course dessert and wine tasting led by Feast wine writer Kyle Harsha and chef Russell Ping.

Schnucks Cooks Cooking Class Wed., May 22, 6pm; Schnucks Cooks Cooking School

Look for this icon. It tells you which articles are part of Feast TV!

Ed Calvey and Hannah Radcliff (pictured in the foreground) traipse through wine country with me for this month’s Feast TV. You can watch on your smartphone by scanning the tag below, online at feastSTL.com or on ABC30 at 9:30am on Sun., May 12.

$40, schnuckscooks.com or 314.909.1704

Join Cat Neville in the kitchen and make a spring-season feast.

Bluesweek Festival May 24 to 26; Soldiers’ Memorial bluesweek.com

Our fast-growing wine country is rich in history and continues to expand, pointing to an even richer future. Few know that Missouri helped to establish the tradition of American viticulture and that our state boasts the nation’s first American Viticultural Area. And did you know that before Prohibition, Stone Hill Winery was the third largest winery in the world? The wine industry was big and getting bigger when Prohibition halted wine production and derailed the local economy, but beginning in the 1960s and ‘70s it began to make a resurgence and now some projections show that Missouri will be home to 300 wineries in the coming years. Want to know more? Turn to p. 64 for Jeremy Nulik’s peek into the industry’s history and watch this month’s episode of Feast TV to journey to Hermann for a glimpse into our fascinating past. Scan the QR code to watch it on your smartphone, or visit the Multimedia section of feastSTL.com. Watch for a new episode to debut with each new issue of Feast.

Looking toward the future, Brandon Chuang examines the growing trend of wineries producing beer and spirits on p. 57. As the craft beer and distilling movement expands, wineries are taking advantage of their existing platforms and experimenting with growing hops, creating brandies and making grappa. We’re poised on the edge of huge growth in the beverage industry and I, for one, am content to explore our past and anxious to see what happens next.

ch Feast Wat TV

Catherine Neville

feastSTL.com

S.L.O.B.S BBQ Tour Kick-Off Mon., May 27; slobsbbq.com

S.L.O.B.S (St. Louis Occasional Barbecue Society) is a charitable group founded by Mark Gray and Tom Coghill. The barbecue competition series will take place once a month through November at various bars and restaurants in the St. Louis area, starting this month with Iron Barley.

Baltic Odyssey Cruise Sept. 3 to 13 314.968.9600, altairtravel.com

Until next time,

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The Bunge BBQ Battle Royale teams will be made up of home cooks, restaurants, bars and renowned barbecue grill masters. This will be a “whole hog” competition utilizing a variety of smokers and grills.

Thirty teams will battle in head-to-head competition over the threeday event to see who has the Best Q in the Lou!

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Join Cat Neville, in partnership with Altair Travel, for our second Oceania culinary cruise. This year’s trip takes you to Scandinavia, the world’s newest center of culinary innovation. Travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm with a three-day stop in St. Petersburg.

feedback?

catherine@feaststl.com

WE KNOW A BETTER WAY TO BRUNCH

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ONLINE CONTENT

feastSTL.com

Inspired Food Culture | Saint Louis

The Feed

Dine Out

Dine In

Drink

Feast Events

Multimedia

The Magazine

Promotions

GET COOKING: Head to feastSTL.com for Annie Gunn’s executive chef Lou Rook III’s recipes for caramelized sea scallops, mushroom risotto with hog belly confit, and roasted hog chop with black raspberry soy caramel and champ (pictured) from this month’s Rook’s Reprise (p. 52). PHOTOGRAPHy by Jennifer Silverberg

MULTIMEDIA

FEAST TV: Our May episode takes you inside Missouri’s wine industry with segments inspired by Beyond the Vine (p. 57), A History of Missouri Wine (p. 64) and Wine + Cheese (p. 73). Two cooking demos – wine-steamed mussels by publisher Cat Neville and yogurt how-to by Tech School columnist Cassy Vires (p. 36) – and a visit to Hammer & Hand (p. 20) round out the show. Scan the tag to watch or go to the Multimedia section at feastSTL.com.

CATCH US ON THE AIR: For great dining-out ideas, tune into our two

weekly segments on The Big 550 KTRS: Cat’s Picks, featuring publisher Cat Neville on The McGraw Milhaven Show at 8:35am on Wednesdays (also available on live stream), and Out To Lunch, featuring our weekly online columnist Andrew Mark Veety on The Martin Kilcoyne Show at 1:25pm on Tuesdays. All previous segments are available in the Multimedia section at feastSTL.com.

CONNECT WITH US facebook.com/feastSTL Scan this tag to like us

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PROMOTIONS

Special Giveaways: Immerse yourself in the best of the local wine scene with this ultimate escape: a one-night stay for two at Chaumette Vineyards & Winery with complimentary food and wine.

And celebrate Mother’s Day in delicious fashion with our daily giveaways leading up to the holiday. Enter both contests by scanning the tag at right or visiting our Facebook page at facebook.com/feastSTL. PHOTOGRAPHy by J. Pollack Photography

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FEAST FAVES

| where we’re dining

871 S. Arbor Vitae, Suite 101, Edwardsville 618.655.9911, mikeshannonsgrill.com

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PHOTOGRAPHy by

Baseball in its many incarnations may inform the design of the new Mike Shannon’s Grill, but don’t dismiss this Edwardsville eatery as a mere sports bar. Start with one of their signature cocktails and, to toast our wine-soaked issue, order the Muddled Grapes, where red grapes mingle with Hendrick’s gin, St-Germain and port.

While you peruse the menu, sate your hunger with truffle-spiked deviled eggs or “back-East style” wings (we like them dry). Sandwiches and burgers are the stars of this menu with big, fresh salads making a surprisingly strong showing. The poached pear salad balances pear’s sweetness with the bite of arugula and salty prosciutto. If you’re considering a burger, try the TV Dinner, where mushroom-whiskey gravy blankets a burger patty on Texas toast, covered in melted Swiss cheese with a piping of mashed potatoes. Classic steaks, surfand-turf and roasted chicken round out the approachable, well-made fare that’s now on order in Edwardsville. – C.N.

Jonathan Gayman

mike shannon’s grill

FEAST FAVES

| where we’re drinking

local wines @ local harvest cafĂŠ written by Jennifer Johnson

Local Harvest CafĂŠ in Tower Grove equally weights the importance of preparing dishes using locally sourced and sustainably grown ingredients with making them simply delicious.

This commitment is reflected in Local Harvest’s carefully selected wines, beers and other beverages too. Pair the ripe, crisp and full-bodied dry Chardonel from Chaumette Winery with a succulent and simple salt-and-pepper-seasoned Geisert Farms pork chop. The citrus and tropical fruit profile of this hybrid grape is nearly identical to that of its parent grape, Chardonnay, and Missouri’s very warm growing season contributes to its ripening potential.

The unoaked crisp acidity and weight of this 2011 bottling complement and contrast with the chop’s fattiness and pan-seared caramelization, respectively, without competing with the sweet freshness of the roasted garlic in the white wine reduction. The Locavore Dream Burger, made with grass-fed beef, is juicy and tender. The Claverach Farm 2009 Chambourcin’s black currant and vanilla aromas set the stage for an Old World forest-floor earthiness that cuts the rich, buttery Marcoot Jersey Creamery Cheddar melting into the nooks of the burger and its brioche bun. A French hybrid, Chambourcin has a restrained fruit profile and definitive earthiness, making it a deliciously easy way to drink locally.

open maY 1 Central Table is a first-ofits-kind dining and retail destination, offering an approachable array of culinary experiences.

3137 Morgan Ford Road, Tower Grove, 314.772.8815 localharvestcafe.com/towergrove Note: Local Harvest CafÊ’s menu and beverage list evolve constantly with the availability

of local ingredients.

23 south euclid avenue st. louis, missouri 63108 p: 314 932 5595 w: centraltablestl.com

 � � � �  ­ € � ­  �

­ ‚ ƒ ­ „ … † † ‡ˆ € ‰ ˆˆ � ­

PHOTOGRAPHy by

Corey Woodruff

St. Louis-based wine enthusiast Jennifer Johnson is a sommelier, wine educator, journalist, and hospitality and marketing consultant who loves to celebrate life, family, food and wine.

 � � � �  Inspired Food Culture

MAY 2013

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FEAST FAVES

| where we’re dining

the market at the cheshire Enter The Market at The Cheshire and you’re presented with the first of many difficult decisions: two signs in the shape of arrows, one pointing toward “breakfast” and the other guiding you to “lunch.” Follow the breakfast sign and you have your pick of hearty menu items, such as the steak and egg sandwich and housemade four-nut granola.

Or carbo-load with delights from the pastry wall.

Been searching for a healthier and ultimately more delicious version of the bacon-egg-and-cheese biscuit from you-know-where? Look no further than The Market’s bacon-Cheddar scone. If you take the lunch route, you’ll be greeted with an array of fresh sandwiches, soups and salads. Try the Tarragona Chicken − roasted chicken, olive tapenade and Marcoot Jersey Creamery cheese on sourdough − alongside a crisp salad of arugula, apples and Baetje Farms goat cheese. The Market also offers takeaway items for quick dinners and artisan products on their market shelves − including wines, cheeses, oils, spreads and assorted locally made goods − to ensure you can eat just as well on the go. – B.W.

PHOTOGRAPHy by

Corey Woodruff

7036 Clayton Ave., Richmond Heights, 314.932.7840 market-stl.com

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MAY 2013

FEAST FAVES

| food stuff

of the vine Turning grapes into wine is a beautiful thing. But grapes make many other imminently enjoyable food items as well, including finishing syrup, cooking oil and tasty sweet treats. – B.W.

Try our 18oz.

Prime Ribeye

grape must syrup

enhanced by a delicious Mushroom Burgundy sauce, creamy garlic mashed potatoes and Rose Bud Salad.

Conveniently located in Kirkwood Dinner Hours: Tues.-Sun. 5 p.m.

133 West Clinton Place St. Louis, MO 63122 314-965-9005

www.citizenkanes.com

grape kernel oil

Hand Crafted Coffees Importing Fine Coffees from 20 Countries • QUALITY • EXPERIENCE • SERVICE

chocolate covered grapes

| 1 | San Giacomo saba, $17.99/250 ml; Parker’s Table, 7118 Oakland Ave., Richmond Heights, parkerstable.com | 2 | Grape kernel oil, $1.99/100 ml; VomFASS, 7314 Manchester Road, Maplewood, slmo.vomfassusa.com | 3 | Bissinger’s chocolate covered wine grapes, $5.99/3.5 oz; Gelateria Tavolini, 1327 Washington Ave., Downtown, gelateriatavolini.com PHOTOGRAPHy by Jonathan Gayman

Full Service Coffeehouse & Restaurant Supplier Fourth Generation Family Owned Coffee Roasters Since 1930

WWW.CHAUVINCOFFEE.COM

314-772-0700

Inspired Food Culture

MAY 2013

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FEAST FAVES

| the big idea

hammer & hand written by Brandon Chuang

Photography by

J. Pollack Photography

Chris and Amy Plaisted have a lot on their plate.

With so much going on at Hammer & Hand, their import furniture and collectibles business, and raising two kids, the couple was left to talk with us while making family dinner on a Friday night. Having worked for nearly a decade in the import furniture business in Orlando, Fla., the Plaisteds know what they like, and they like pieces from India: from candleholders and bowls to buffet tables and dining room chairs. The two hop on a plane once a year to handpick their portfolio of goods. “We fell in love with the culture and history,” Chris says about why they deal specifically in Indian pieces. “Periods, such as the British colonization, have an obvious effect, resulting in items that are beautiful and unique and that tell a story.” It’s not only homeowners that are interested in the pieces at Hammer & Hand. Restaurants, including Basso and Dooley’s Beef-N-Brew House, have called on the Plaisteds to outfit their spaces with interesting and unexpected touches. “Some people worry about the durability of items this old, ” says Chris. “But if it’s already lasted a lifetime, it’s going to last another.”

415 Olive St., Downtown hammerandhandimports.com

RESPONSIBLY RAISED, SKILLFULLY MADE. ®

CHILI-CORN SALSA MADE WITH NON-GMO CORN. We We believe believe that that it’s it’s not not enough enough to to source the best ingredients we can find, but to also prepare them with great skill and care. We actually cook in our restaurants—chopping, marinating, grilling, mixing, mashing, shredding, whisking, sautéing and slicing—by hand, every day. While cooking by hand can add subtle variations from day to day—variety is, after all, the spice of life.

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6th Annual Crawfish & Shrimp Boil Buy ‘em by the pound Saturday, May 11th Noon till they run out Live Music by Zydeco Crawdaddys 1pm – 5pm Mother’s Day Brunch $14.95 adults’ $7.95 kids 12 – 3 Sunday, May 12th 9am – last seating 2:30 27 items, omelets made to order, 5 types of pancakes & eggs any style

34 Old Orchard South • Webster Groves • 314.968.0061• Hwy61Roadhouse.com

Fratelli's Eggplant Parmigiano - Large Eggplant - 3 Egg Beaten, pinch of salt & pepper - 4 cups Italian breadcrumbs

- Olive oil - Tomato sauce - Provel, Mozzarella, Romano cheese - Fresh basil

Peel & slice eggplant to ½ inch slices. Dredge/dunk slices 1st in egg, then in Italian breadcrumbs. Fry in skillet with olive oil, 3 min. each side, set aside to drain.

Layer cooked eggplant with tomato sauce and ALL cheeses in a casserole dish. Bake in 350* oven till cheese is melted, about 5 min.

Drizzle with olive oil, top with fresh basil. Serve Hot...Buon Appetito!

2061 Zumbehl (Bogey Hills Plaza) • St. Charles • 636-949-9005 • Visit us on

• fratellisristorante.com

Inspired Food Culture

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FEAST FAVES

| whAT we’re buying

decanters Decanting is an important step in enjoying certain wines. Older wine can benefit from the process, as it separates any sediment and the associated bitter and astringent flavors. Some younger wines need the accelerated aeration provided by decanting to open up and reveal their full potential. Whether your wine needs decanting or not, these gorgeous vessels bring another dimension of beauty to the art of drinking wine. – B.W.

|4|

|4|

|4| |5|

|2| |1| |3|

| 1 | Vino slanted decanter, $39.99; Grapevine Wines, 309 S. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, grapevinewinesandspirits.com | 2 | Rabbit Super-Aerating System, $59.99; The Wine Merchant, 20 S. Hanley Road, Clayton, winemerchantltd.com | 3 | Eve decanter, $495; Chef’s Shoppe, 2320 Troy Road, Edwardsville,

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chefsshoppe.com | 4 | Rare cut crystal vintage decanters with stoppers, $1,000 for set of four; Arlene Lilie Interior Design, 4739 McPherson Ave., Central West End, arlenelilie.com | 5 | Captain’s decanter, $29.99; The Wine & Cheese Place, multiple locations, wineandcheeseplace.com Photography by Jonathan Gayman

|4|

SPONSORED BY:

Tapas & Wine in the Heart of Kirkwood Stop by One 19 North Tapas Wine Bar, in the heart Of Downtown Kirkwood to enjoy GREAT tapas and an extensive, yet affordable, Wine selection. Chef Christopher Delgado prepares the most flavorful and delicious Tapas in town. The atmosphere at One 19 North is comfortable, invariably crowded and a great place to relax with friends. Owners, Patrick and Ellen Carr are often working the room, talking to guest and making sure that everyone is completely satisfied with their experience at One 19 North.

Every Monday One 19 North has up to 5 different wines for only $20.00 per bottle. (up to a 50% savings) 119 North Kirkwood Road • Kirkwood, Missouri • one19north.com • 314-821-4119 • Like Us On

Inspired Food Culture

MAY 2013

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2013 CHEVROLET

Everyone Qualifies!

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314-567-3300 TOLL FREE 1-888-408-2470 *Sale prices include all rebates & discounts. Select in-stock vehicles only. See dealer for details.

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MAY 2013

KOHLS

Family owned and operated since 1967.

We sharpen • Knives • Garden tools • Scissors • Lawn mower blades

• Old fashion rotary mowers • And much much more

Wide selection of Wusthof Knives, Global Knives, Victorinox Knives, AllClad Pans, Capresso Coffee Makers, Atlas Pasta Machines, Emile Henry Bakeware, USA Pan Bakeware, Vic Firth Pepper Mills, and other World Class brands.

Great selection of High end Knives, Cookware, Kitchen tools and gadgets. Great Holiday specials.

Bertarelli Cutlery 1927 Marconi • Saint Louis 314.664.4005

Bertarelli Cutlery

@STLKNIVES

Field of Schemes Comedy Mystery Dinner Theatre

Join Ty Clodd, Stan “The Man” Musical., Ruth the Babe, Sammy SoSo and other baseball greats when they team up with Sam Spud, Iowa’s greatest and only detective to solve this Baseball-themed murder mystery. The participatory comedy mystery is served with a 4-course meal to DIE for!

Call for Reservations 314-533-9830.

Bring in this ad for $10.00 off per person Valid thru May 2013. Not Valid for groups

4426 Randall Place • St. Louis • 314.533.9830 • bissellmansion.com

Treat Mom to a German Experience Taste and discover authentic German dishes and traditional family recipes reminiscent of "Bavaria". Celebrate "Mother's Day", the Bavarian Way. Explore your culinary heritage, a special occasion, or just sit back and relax in a unique atmosphere.

Try our seasonal entrees, our large selection of award-winning German biers, famous Riesling wines and "Gemuetlichkeit".

Reservations recommended!

Live music every 2nd & 4th Saturday • Groups welcome Tues-Fri 11-2 & 5-9, Sat 5-9, Sun 5-8. Closed on Mondays.

1415 McKinley St. • Mascoutah • 618.566.4884 • roemer topfllc.com

Join us before and after the Cardinals games Enjoy our 2 for 1 beer specials during the games

We have our all you can eat salad $6.99 lunch specials. Two rolls for $7.99 lunch only.

Also for students – show your official student ID and get 15% off every visit.

Choose from sushi, sashimi, special rolls, and if sushi isn’t really your thing, various entrees, salads, noodles, and more are offered. And the best part? The sushi is reasonably priced so you don’t have to break the bank for a delicious sushi meal!

Delivery is also available at grubgo.com

910 Olive St.• Downtown • 314.588.7888 • 2009 Zumbehl Rd. • St. Charles • 636.949.8888 • Sushiaistlouis.com Inspired Food Culture

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25

one on one

Misha Kwasniewski

Asst. research Professor & Enology Program Leader Grape and Wine Institute, University of Missouri written by Jeremy Nulik | Photography by LG Patterson

Dionysus is the Greek god of the grape harvest and wine. Coincidentally, he is also the god of ritual madness and ecstasy.

And if you talk to enough people involved in the grape or wine industries, you can easily see the parallels. Wine has an irrational effect on even the most wellgrounded and educated – they suffer a kind of madness. As evidence, I offer Misha Kwasniewski, assistant research professor and enology program leader for the Grape and Wine Institute at the University of Missouri. “I came to my current position in an indirect path,” says Kwasniewski, a native of western New York state. It was during his Kerouac-inspired years as a bike messenger that Kwasniewski began to craft beer and wine in his home, fermenting any substrate he could get his hands on and even stealing grape and apple juice from his family’s farm. Today, after receiving his PhD from Cornell University’s prestigious food science program, Kwasniewski helps Missouri grape growers and winery owners step up their game.

Tell me a bit about what the Grape and Wine Institute does. [Our] extension and outreach component is the source for commercial growers and winemakers in Missouri to turn to when they have questions and problems. We provide them with access to the latest developments in the science and technology of grape and wine production through publications and classes. And the institute conducts research that will facilitate the industry’s growth and success in the future. What do you think the biggest misconceptions are about Missouri wine? That Missouri does not produce serious wines. It stems from the vitis vinifera-centric view of wine held by many current wine critics, magazines and sommeliers. Most of Missouri wines are produced from grapes that derive at least a portion of their lineage from species native to North America, such as vitis aestivalis and vitis labrusca. Due to this, some of those who are tasked with telling us what to enjoy consider all wines made from these grapes of lesser quality. This has historically not been the case, with American wines, including those produced in Missouri from some of the same varieties, winning awards in European wine competitions in the 19th century. Where do you see the industry going? The Missouri wine industry has lots of room to grow. I anticipate we will find two new varieties that will thrive in the state and add to the already broad offerings. And we

Grape and Wine Institute University of Missouri Columbia, Mo. 573.882.6656 gwi.missouri.edu

will continue to have an influx of new, excited winery owners as those wineries that have opened recently mature and gain recognition.

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Visit feastSTL.com to read the full interview with Misha Kwasniewski.

JUST A TASTE ...of what’s in store!

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Inspired Food Culture

MAY 2013

27

the mix

The Coronation Cocktail

Story and recipe by Matt Seiter Photography by Jonathan Gayman

This cocktail most likely derives its name from being created for the coronation of England’s King Edward VII. He was coronated in 1902, and according to the 1935 A.S. Crockett book The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book, the Coronation was created in anticipation of the “10 minutes’ rest the late King Edward got when they sat him on the Stone of Scone.” The Stone of Scone is sometimes referred to as the Stone of Destiny or the Coronation Stone. It has been used for centuries during the coronations of Scottish and English royalty.

This drink has many forms. I am fond of The Coronation Cocktail No. 1 because it uses an underutilized ingredient: sherry. Sherries can bring freshness to drinks that no other spirit can. Depending on the style you use, notes of toasted nuts, spring flowers, saltiness or richness dance across your palate for a truly unique drinking experience. This recipe calls for amontillado sherry. This is an aged style of sherry and has a little saltiness and an aroma of toasted nuts. French vermouth keeps this drink on the drier side, and hints of maraschino liqueur and orange bitters add that je ne sais quoi some drinks miss.

This is an aperitif-style drink because of the fact that the spirits used are of lower proof than other spirits. That is not a bad thing. Not all cocktails have to be in-your-face boozy.

Sometimes you need a little softer libation to get you going. Sometimes you just want a cocktail to go with a meal. The Coronation Cocktail is great for occasions such as these.

The Coronation Cocktail No. 1 Serves | 1 |

2 oz Dolin dry vermouth 1 oz Alvear amontillado sherry 3 dashes Fee Brothers orange bitters 2 dashes maraschino liqueur lemon twist for garnish

| Preparation | Combine vermouth, sherry, bitters and maraschino liqueur in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

All About Sherry Sherry is created when fortified wine is aged via the solera system.

The system is a bit complicated, but in a nutshell, sherry is transferred from barrel to barrel over the course of many years. During this transfer process, not all of the contents of the barrel are drained, leaving some of the original sherry behind when the barrels are then filled with new sherry. Three grapes are used in the production of sherry: Palomino, Pedro Ximenez (hee-MEH-nez) and Moscatel.

Palomino grapes are the dominant variety used, as they produce a dry wine with a very neutral palate. Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel

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grapes are used for making sweeter sherries. Usually the grapes are allowed to dry in the sun for a few days to concentrate the sugars.

There are quite a few styles of sherry with minute differences. In the local market, you’ll typically encounter four different styles – fino, amontillado, oloroso and cream. Fino is the driest and youngest of all sherries. It’s also palest because the flor – a yeast film that develops in the barrel – protects it from oxidization. Amontillado is fino that has been allowed to oxidize. The oxidation leads to a darker sherry with more pronounced notes of roasted nuts and yeast. Oloroso

is aged longer than most sherries. Its color is the darkest of all dry sherries, and it tends to be richer and higher in alcohol content. Cream sherry is oloroso that has been sweetened.

Matt Seiter is a co-founder of the United States Bartenders’ Guild’s St. Louis chapter, a member of the national board for the USBG’s MA program and a continuing educator for all desiring knowledge of the craft of mixology. He is a member of Drink Lab and is the creator of the Sanctuaria Cocktail Club.

Fun Food, Happy People, Great Drinks!

FEAST FAVE • Pork Porterhouse. Rensing’s Porterhouse pork chop, cheddar jalapeno bread pudding, green beans, sunny side up egg PATIO NOW OPEN! Mon-Fri 11:00-close, Sat 10:00-close Offering Saturday brunch First Come - First Serve (No reservations) Open Mon - Fri starting at 11 am and Sat starting at 10 am

106 N. Main St. • Edwardsville • 618.307.4830

Try Chill’s Homemade Fudge Sauce

from our family to yours...

Take chill’s homemade fudge sauce home with you and enjoy our famous fudge sauce anytime you crave! Serve on your favorite frozen treat, fresh fruit, or by itself with a spoon…

Chill’s Homemade Fudge Sauce is sold in individual 10 oz jars at all Chill locations.

Fresh flavors this month: Peach Mango, Mint, Peanut Butter Cup & Lemon Sorbet

Redeem this certificate for $1off your next cup of Chill.* *Offer valid through 6/1/2013

7610 Wydown • Clayton • 314.932.5010 • chillfrozenyogurts.com

SeSSion bar & reStaurant Supply Serving St. Louis for over 30 Years!

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maggianos.com • 314.824.2402

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314-487-2670 • 6044 Lemay Ferry Rd. • Fax: 314-487-8660 15 min. south of the Arch on I-55 • mile south of Butler Hill Inspired Food Culture

MAY 2013

29

on the shelf

top MAY PICKS

beer

written by Michael Sweeney

Award-winning sommelier and mixologist Chad Michael George is founder of Proof Academy, which covers everything from wine and cocktail list consulting to spirits and mixology education.

Deschutes Brewery’s River Ale

Cocchi Americano Rosa

AVAILABLE AT: Friar Tuck, multiple locations,

friartuckonline.com; $9.49 (6-pack, 12-oz bottles) Pairings: Poached eggs and a green salad • Chipotle pulled pork Just because a beer is low in abv doesn’t mean it has to be boring. When Deschutes set out to make a sessionable beer (a beer you can drink a few of without falling over) they wanted to make something that not only refreshed but delighted your taste buds. A spicy blend of northwestern hops makes this an intriguing beer to begin your summer.

4 Hands Brewing Co.’s Reprise Centennial Red ale STYLE: American Red Ale (6% abv)

Available at: The Wine & Cheese Place, multiple

locations, wineandcheeseplace.com; $17.99 Try it: Over crushed ice with a lemon twist

The Cocchi family has been making wine and winebased aperitifs since the 1800s. Its newest release, Americano Rosa, is made with two grapes grown specifically in the Asti region. Brachetto d’Acqui and Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco are historic Piedmont grapes and serve as the base for this slightly bitter yet floral and silky smooth aperitif.

As with the classic Bianco (below), the Rosa is flavored with gentian root, cinchona and various citrus. Enjoy this solo or try it in your cocktail recipes as a dry vermouth substitute.

Cocchi Americano bianco Provenance: Italy (16.5% abv) Available at: Randall’s Wine and Spirits, multiple

locations, shoprandalls.com; $17.99

1220 S. Eighth St., LaSalle Park, 4handsbrewery.com; $5 (16-oz draught) Pairings: Steak fajitas• Cheese curds

Try it: In a classic Vesper martini or on the rocks

Bell’s Brewery’s Two Hearted Ale STYLE: American IPA (7% abv)

with a slice of orange Moscato d’Asti provides the base for this tasty aperitif, which is flavored with various citrus and spices, cinchona bark, gentian root and Artemisia flowers. Its balance of bitter and sweet is unmatched, making it not only delicious on the rocks, but a key ingredients in many cocktails. Americano has been produced since 1891, and the name suggests that at that time Americans were drinking “cocktails” featuring vermouths mixed with bitter spirits and gin.

We’re lucky to have such a tasty spirit named after us.

Junipero Gin Provenance: San Francisco, Calif. (49.3% abv) Available at: Starrs, 1135 S. Big Bend Blvd.,

AVAILABLE AT: The Wine & Cheese Place, multiple

Richmond Heights, starrs1.com; $29.99

locations, wineandcheeseplace.com; $10.99 (6pack, 12-oz bottles) Pairings: Sausage and onion pizza • Monterey Jack

Try it: In a dry (2:1) martini

While the IPAs on the west and east coasts get a lot of love, there are certainly great IPAs being brewed right here in the Midwest. Bell’s Two Hearted is probably the granddaddy of the Midwestern IPAs, but it certainly hasn’t shown any sign of age. This floral and orangey hop bomb still regularly finds its way into my glass and it should find yours as well.

MAY 2013

Provenance: Italy (16.5% abv)

AVAILABLE AT: 4 Hands Brewing Co.,

I’m a big fan of American red ales (some people are calling them red IPAs). There’s something enticing about the balance of the slightly sticky caramel malt that blends so wonderfully with a citrusy hoppiness. 4 Hands Reprise hits the perfect chords, providing just enough malt character to highlight the fruitiness of the centennial hop.

feastSTL.com

written by Chad Michael George

The creator of stlhops.com and founder of St. Louis Craft Beer Week, Michael Sweeney is also the craft beer manager at Lohr Distributing.

STYLE: Golden Ale (4% abv)

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spirits

Junipero has been produced by Anchor Distilling in California since 1996. Anchor’s blend of herbs and botanicals is kept secret, but juniper is definitely the front runner. At 49.3 percent alcohol, it’s great in cocktails, as the high proof provides a backbone to stand up to other intense ingredients. In a Last Word, Junipero holds up to the Green Chartreuse and maraschino liqueur. It also makes for a great gin martini. Don’t be afraid to try a true 50/50, or equal parts dry vermouth and gin. This is where the potency of Junipero shines through.

wine

written by Kyle Harsha

Kyle Harsha is a certified specialist of wine and certified sommelier with over 20 years’ experience in the food and wine industry. He is the St. Louis sales manager for Vintegrity Wines.

Gerard Bertrand Cremant de Limoux NV Provenance: Limoux, France Available at: Starrs, 1135 S. Big Bend Blvd., Richmond Heights, starrs1.com; $14.99 Pairings: Oysters• Potato chips• Parmesancrusted fish

This light, crisp, dry sparkling wine is made from a blend of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Mauzac (or Blanquette). Hailing from the lesser-known Limoux, in southeastern France, it is a great alternative to the more expensive wines from farther north in Champagne. The white flower, mineral and biscuit notes make it a perfect option to sip alone or with apps before a meal on the back porch.

J.A. Ferret “Les Perrieres” Pouilly-Fuissé 2003 Provenance: Pouilly-Fuissé, Burgundy, France Available at: Saint Louis Wine Market & Tasting

Room, 164 Chesterfield Commons E., Chesterfield, stlwinemarket.com; $34 Pairings: Roast chicken with herbs• Goat cheese tart• Smoked salmon This extraordinary bottling just became available again due to the importer releasing some library selections from a historical French winemaking family. Made from Chardonnay, this wine is bursting with baked apple and hazelnut notes, along with pleasant underlying acidity. Let it warm up a touch to taste the delicate balance of fruit and earthiness.

Storybook Mountain Vineyards Mayacamas Zinfandel 2009 Provenance: Napa Valley, Calif.

Available at: 33 Wine Shop & Tasting Bar, 1913

Park Ave., Lafayette Square, 33wine.com; $37.99 Pairings: Barbecue ribs• Duck confit• Grilled portabella mushrooms Any Memorial Day activities involving barbecue should also involve wine to match the smoky goodness of the meat. Enter Zinfandel. The Storybook Winery is so named because it is located on property formerly owned by the Brothers Grimm of fairy tale fame. This particular Zin shows much more restraint than some of its rocket-fuel brothers, exhibiting wonderful wild raspberry, pepper and allspice notes.

Inspired Food Culture

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mystery shopper

Demerara Sugar

story and recipe by Erik Jacobs Photography by Jennifer Silverberg

If you aren’t already familiar with demerara sugar, you should be. It’s a delicious and crunchy sweetener. And for those who thought “brown sugar” is just the stuff that turns to stone in your cabinet after a few months, read on. A whole new world of sugar is about to open up to you.

What Is It?

Demerara sugar, so named for its origins in a Dutch colony called Demerary (now the country Guyana), is a minimally refined sugar crystallized from the first pressing of cane juice. Demerara retains a bit of the natural molasses present in cane juice as it is reduced to a thick syrup and then naturally dried to form large, irregular crystals.

Demerara has a toffee-like taste and retains a wonderful crunchy texture. Demerara and turbinado are similar sugars, with turbinado having a slightly smaller crystal that results from being dried in large turbines (hence its name). They can be used interchangeably.

How Do I Use It?

Culinarily, demerara sugar is mainly used as a finishing sugar for pastries as well as a sweetener for coffee and tea. It has less molasses than light brown sugar, and it is advisable not to substitute it in recipes calling for brown sugar because of the differing textures and moisture contents (unless you desire the crunch). Try sprinkling some on top of a cut grapefruit or a fruit salad to add a bit of richness. Topping muffins and scones with demerara sugar provides a surprising crunch and nice caramel notes. Glazing a smoked ham with demerara lends a subtle toffee flavor that really pops.

Crunchy Apricot and Pecan Scones These scones are a lovely mix of textures and flavors. The first bite provides initial crunch from the caramel-nuanced demerara sugar, which gives way to slightly acidic and chewy dried apricot and finally the satisfying counterpoint of salty pecans. Delicious with a pot of smoky Lapsang souchong tea.

Serves | 6 to 8 |

Stop by 32

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2 1/3 1 ¼ ½ 10 ½

½ ½ 1 1/3

cups all-purpose flour cup granulated sugar tsp baking powder tsp baking soda tsp salt Tbsp frozen unsalted butter, divided cup dried apricots, diced into ¼-inch pieces cup roasted salted pecan pieces cup sour cream egg cup demerara sugar

| Preparation | Place oven rack in lower-middle

clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough

position and preheat oven to 400ºF. In a medium

against the bowl to form a ball. Place on a lightly

bowl, mix flour, granulated sugar, baking powder,

floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle

baking soda and salt. With the large holes of a

about ¾-inch thick. Melt the remaining butter

box grater, grate 8 Tbsp butter into flour mixture.

and use to baste the top of the dough. Sprinkle

Use your fingers to work in butter (mixture

with demerara sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut the

should resemble coarse meal); stir in apricots

dough into 8 triangles. Place on a parchment-

and pecans. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and

lined cookie sheet and separate pieces. Bake until

egg until smooth. Using a fork, stir sour cream

golden-brown, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5

mixture into flour mixture until large dough

minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

to pick up more delicious recipes featuring demerara sugar. Visit straubs.com for information on its four locations.

MAY 2013

check it out!

Feast extra

Discover Historic Main Street Columbia

Illinois

Where you will find hospitality, warmth, charm, style and friendly faces!

May 9, 10 & 11 - MOMS ON MAIN STREET

Take Mom out for a pleasant day of shopping & dining.

Moms receive a FREE flower (while supplies last) at participating businesses - chance for discounts & prizes.

Visit ColumbiaIllinois.com for upcoming event details.

Shopping, Wine, & Dining Guide Agnes Ross 115 W. Gundlach St. • 618-281-4327 Chateau La Vin 119 S. Main St. • 618-281-8117 Evalina’s Antique Café 124A S. Main St. • 618- 520-0569 Fabulous Finds 315 N. Main St. • 618-281-1954 Fashion Attic 128 S. Main St. • 618-281-7467 Fashion Attic 4 Kids 103 West Gundlach St. • 618- 281-7466 Gruchala’s Restaurant 210 S. Main St. • 618-281-9901 Imo’s Pizza 1450 Evergreen • 618-281-5552 Knott So Shabby Furnishings 117 W. Locust • 618-281-6002 Magnolia 208 N. Main St. • 618-281-8083 Memory Lane Gifts & Floral 515-B N. Main St. • 618-281-4538 Our Coffee House Café 125 N. Rapp St. • 618-281-4554 Reifschneider’s Grill & Grape 608 N. Main St. • 618-281-2020 The Patina Pony 113 W. Gundloch • 618-281-7915 Tiny’s Pub & Grill 602 N. Main St. • 618-281-9977 Vida Verde Studio Salon & Boutique 127 N. Main St. • 618-281-6767 Who Dat’s Southern Food 123 S. Main St. • 618-281-2229

Inspired Food Culture

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33

how to

Repping Wines With Crush

written by Brandon Chuang Photography by Jonathan Gayman

Schmidt and me about the La Croix Gratiot estate where the wine was made. It’s a father/daughter team whose first career is growing melons. With an interest in winemaking, they decided to cordon off 20 hectares of land for grapes. McGovern knows a lot about the six wines she’s brought, and she weaves romantic tales of each that are as appropriate for children’s bedtimes as much as for wine background. Stories of French madams with no heirs, longhorn cattle ranchers buried in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains and a warrior/monk/bishop named Martin who became the patron saint of Chablis – they all had roles in McGovern’s presentation.

As she talks, Schmidt is busy sipping, swishing and taking notes on the crib sheet McGovern provided.

Understandably, McGovern doesn’t drink at most stops (“You couldn’t get anything done if you did”), but this being her last stop for the evening, she’s tasting alongside us. (Hey, I have to know what they’re talking about, right?) Between the sips and scribbles, there’s a seemingly continuous dialogue occurring between the two.

It’s hard to pinpoint why wine has yet to really rise and meet the wave of impassioned epicurean fanaticism that is out there – the kind that has entrenched craft beers and cocktails into our landscape and made restaurants list the purveyors for every single ingredient that dots their menus – but I have a theory: It’s the fault of TV dads.

For years, television fathers, from Dan Conner and Al Bundy to Fred Flintstone and Homer Simpson, would come home and rifle through the fridge to find themselves a beer. At the most, an especially rough day may call for an upgrade to whiskey. Gender arguments aside, the pseudo-everydad character of television made it so that wine was never a commonplace item in the household. Instead, it was relegated to overstuffed, uncomfortable events such as fancy dinner parties thrown by your spouse’s boss. And much like a tuxedo or a little black dress, it may look good, but it certainly isn’t comfortable.

Restaurants understand the complex relationship people have with wine because a restaurant is where your preconceptions about wine intersect. On one hand, you realize you are out for a nice evening at a restaurant, which means you should order wine and not a domestic beer in a camouflage can. On the other hand, you have absolutely no idea what you’re doing because when you were a teenager you thieved said camo-beer and liquor from the cabinet because your parents didn’t have any Clos de la Roche 1990 lying around.

Today, more than ever, restaurants are trying to demystify wines, and they’re doing so through little things, like tweaking their menus.

(Oftentimes the most popular wine on a restaurant’s list is the second-cheapest bottle because diners who are unfamiliar with wine don’t want to choose something expensive that they won’t like but they also don’t want to appear cheap. Restaurants know this, which is why many work to ensure the second-cheapest bottle is a great performer – yes, I know, it’s a vicious cycle.)

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MAY 2013

They’re also working more closely than ever with their local wine representatives, the liaisons between the wineries and the restaurants, to create more approachable and interesting lists for their guests to enjoy perusing and tasting.

Swirl. Smell. Sip. Suck. Spit.

I don’t mean to brag, but when it comes to being cultured, I’m pretty confident you can do far worse than me. I’m educated and fairly welltraveled. I know the difference between Monet and Manet, and I do, in fact, own a tuxedo. But I feel like a complete poser when sitting between Tom Schmidt and Linda McGovern. The three of us are sitting in Schmidt’s Soulard restaurant, Franco, as McGovern is introducing some new wines that could potentially go on the French eatery’s wine list for the coming warm weather (also known as “white wine season”). As we’re going through them, the two are swirling, smelling and sipping their way toward analysis. Schmidt’s even doing the thing where you rapidly suck in little pockets of air to aerate the wine and bring out more flavors and complexities. It’s the same thing I used to do with my brothers when we were kids pretending to be fancy and French instead of normal and Asian. Looks stupid on me but right at home when Schmidt and McGovern do it.

“It’s a Picpoul,” McGovern explains about the first wine. Picpoul Blanc is a type of wine grape that’s used to create white wines, most specifically in the Rhône and Languedoc regions of France.

“It’s light but lemony and mineral-y too.” Schmidt agrees: “It’s Sancerre-like but with a little more sugar. This would be a great patio wine.”

One thing I will brag about? I rule at the Internet, which is good for me because I’ve never Googled more things for a story in my life. Sancerre, for those of you who may not know, is a region in the center of France that is known for its dry, fruit-forward wines. Looking at my notes, I see I’ve written down “san-ser (?) look it up.”

Linda McGovern is a wine rep for Major Brands, one of the main distributors of wine, beer and spirits in Missouri. To be more specific, she’s the wine rep for Crush, a new division at Major Brands.

Crush focuses on smaller boutique wineries that could potentially be lost in the crowd. (“My babies,” McGovern affectionately jokes.) What McGovern does is gain an intimate knowledge of all the wineries and wines in her portfolio so that she can help shops and restaurateurs like Schmidt discover new and distinct bottles. She is good at what she does because she’s done everything.

After growing up in a family business of wholesale building materials, she left to work at and learn about restaurants before opening her own. Upon selling it, she moved into the retail side, managing the wine retailer Brown Derby Wine Sellers before settling in at Major Brands and Crush. “It’s definitely not a regular 9 to 5,” she says about her work. “It’s never-ending, and I love it.”

McGovern has her own office, but her office may as well be her car. She’s in it all day, running from appointment to appointment. In the mornings she hits her retail stores, places like The Wine & Cheese Place, to introduce new wines that have entered her collection. She and a testing panel are constantly curating the list, bringing in different vineyards to replace vintages that have run out.

“Working with these smaller-scale wineries means that you have smaller productions,” McGovern notes. “Sometimes I may only get six cases because there are only six cases of that particular wine available.”

In the afternoons, once restaurants have opened and/or have finished their lunch rush, she moves in, working with some of the best dining spots in the area. Afterward, McGovern is still working, holding tastings and wine education classes or educating herself on winery histories and characteristics like weather patterns and the type of trellising system the winemakers utilize.

In the case of the Picpoul, McGovern tells

“The finish is cleaner on this one than most Chenin Blancs. It’s more white Rhône.”

“This one has loosened up well. It’s got a great nose – the fruits and spice are definitely there.”

“It’s got a great Meyer lemony feel to it, right?”

OK, it’s here that I have to ask because I feel that this is the exact point where people tune out when it comes to wine. Why not just say it’s lemon? Why does it have to be Meyer lemon?

“I actually agree with you,” McGovern laughs. “But a lot of these people I work with have amazing palates. In the case of this wine, we realized that it had a definite lemony characteristic, but it was slightly sweeter than a standard lemon. Hence, Meyer lemon.”

“It can be daunting,” Schmidt says as he reads my mind. “It just depends how far down the rabbit hole you want to go.”

“Yes,” agrees McGovern, “but too far and you don’t sell any wine.”

This is the delicate balance that McGovern and wine reps across the country make every day.

With Tom Schmidt and Franco, McGovern knows she’s bringing in wines pretty much solely made in the United States or France because that’s what Tom Schmidt and Franco want. It’s a result of a relationship built over years (“She’s been my rep [the entire time Franco’s been open]”), and along with keeping track of wineries and wines, McGovern is keeping track of her clients and their needs.

“We’re trying to educate, trying to bring value to both the business and the customer, but most importantly, we’re trying to let people have fun with their wines,” explains McGovern. “At the end of the day, people should drink what they like.

We’re just trying to offer options they may not yet be familiar with.”

Dean's Liquor offering a wine class!

Come Taste the Wines! Tastings every Friday Night 5pm to 8pm.

Learn more about wine... Wine Class Offered Sunday May 19th from 1:00pm - 3:00pm. (Register in advance).

Email deans@deansliquor.com to sign up.

• Over 400 different wines on stock from grape varietals grown across the globe • Education without intimidation • Learn the fundamentals of wine and ask any questions

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Coupon for one glass of selected wines with purchase of an entrée, emailed to you upon registration. Cannot be combined with other specials or promotions. Dine-in only. Present to your server for details.

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JOIN US FOR THE SHELDON’S 101ST YEAR!

MAY

DON’T MISS Rickie Lee Jones Brubeck Brothers Quartet David Grisman David Halen Chucho Valdés Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn Audra McDonald and much more!

Call 314.533.9900 Or Visit www.TheSheldon.org

T H E S H E L D O N – T H E P E R F E CT P L AC E F O R M U S I C !

What mom really wants is dinner at Tucker's Open early for Mother's Day - Call for times.

For over 30 years Tucker’s has consistently prepared top-quality American cuisine with steaks cut fresh daily. Delicious food, a relaxed and cozy atmosphere, terrific service and reasonable prices make Tucker’s what it is today … an excellent dining experience in St. Louis!

Voted "The best steaks in St. Louis for 13 consecutive years

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3939 Union Rd., South • 314.845.2584 • 2117 S. 12th St., Soulard • 314.772.5977 • 14282 Manchester Rd. • 636.227.8062 • tuckersplacestl.com Inspired Food Culture

MAY 2013

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tech school

homemade Yogurt

Story and recipe by Cassy Vires Photography by Jennifer Silverberg

There are some foods that people purchase, and, for the life of me, I will never understand why. Yogurt is a fantastic example of something you can make at home with little skill, special equipment or time. The process is as simple as heating milk, adding culture and then maintaining temperature for a few hours. You can use whole, skim, reduced fat, goat’s milk or even almond milk. Flavors and thicknesses will vary with different milks, but the process never changes. You also have a choice in your starter culture.

You can use a few tablespoons of pre-made yogurt, whether store-bought or homemade, or you can purchase freeze-dried starters from specialty markets or online. There is little difference in the results from these two options, but it’s most likely easier to find pre-made yogurt. And you can choose to flavor your yogurt. To add flavors such as vanilla, coffee or cinnamon, steep the flavoring agents in the milk as it heats up and remove them before adding the cultures. To flavor your yogurt with ingredients such as fruit, honey or chocolate, stir these items into the finished yogurt after it has chilled.

Let’s get started. The first step is to heat the milk. Use a thermometer to measure the temperature and slowly bring the milk up to 180°F, stirring often so that a skin doesn’t form. Remove the milk from heat and cool to 110°F. You can use an ice bath to speed up this process if you like. Once the milk comes to temperate, stir in your preferred starter culture. Now comes the slightly tricky part – you have to keep the milk at or near 110°F for at least six hours. There are a number of ways to do this – a Crock Pot, sous-vide machine or hot plate will provide steady water temperature – but my favorite technique is to fill a cooler with 120°F water, portion the milk into sterilized canning jars, and add the jars to the cooler. With a tight seal, the cooler will maintain a decent temperature for more than six hours. There is, of course, a science to the chemical process that is occurring in the jars.

By adding probiotic bacteria and a little heat, the cultures transform the lactose in milk to lactic acid. This conversion creates a tart flavor and thickens the milk significantly. The longer you leave the cultures exposed to heat, the thicker and more tart the end product will become. Plus, as the lactose converts into lactic acid, yogurt becomes digestible to those with lactose intolerance.

Once the yogurt is finished, refrigerate until ready to use. If you prefer Greek-style thickness, strain the yogurt overnight and discard the remaining liquid. But you may not want to wait to dig into a dish of homemade yogurt dressed up with fruit and granola.

Cassy Vires is the owner and chef of Home Wine Kitchen and the forthcomingTable, opening in Benton Park this summer.

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Tzatziki

This is a delicious and very simple traditional Greek accompaniment. Serve with toasted bread, potatoes, vegetables or roasted meats. It is best made a day in advance so that all the flavors have time to develop.

Serves | 6 | 2

1

6 ½

cups yogurt cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped salt cloves garlic, minced cup chopped mixed herbs (mint, dill and parsley)

| Preparation | Place the yogurt in a cheesecloth-lined colander and set aside to drain overnight. Toss the cucumber and 1 tsp of salt together and let sit, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Drain the cucumber in a fine mesh colander, pressing

on the solids to expel as much liquid as possible. In a medium bowl, mix the drained cucumber and yogurt and fold in the garlic and herbs. Season to taste with salt and refrigerate overnight.

Let’s Eat Pork To d d G e i s e rT Fa r m s Natural raised Pork

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or 20% Off your bill. Discount up to $20 *Valid only with purchases of two dinner entrees. Dine-in only. Not valid on holidays, restaurant special events or with any other discount. See web site for exclusions. Tax and tip not included. Offer valid only when clipped from Feast Magazine. Expires 5/31/13.

535 S. Lindbergh • St. Louis • 314.993.0735 • kreisrestaurant.com

Tenacious Eats Presents Movies for Foodies By integrating film and food, we create an original experience, a feast for the senses, an event that brings food and film, chefs and diners together.

TUES, MAY 7 TUES, MAY 14 TUES, MAY 21

Serial Mom Breakfast at Tiffany’s Eat Pray Love

TUES, JUNE 4 THURS, JUNE 13 TUES, JUNE 25

The Godfather Pretty in Pink: Susan G. Komen Benefit Classic 50’s TV Comedy Shorts

Join us for multiple courses and drink pairings while enjoying our feature films. Meals are prepared with locally sourced and hard-to-find ingredients. Each new film inspires a new menu so each dining experience is unique. Reservations required.

Tenacious Eats at www.brownpapertickets.com We are also available for private parties and corporate events!

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MAY 2013

37

gadget a-go-go

Cheese Slicers

Fox Run Adjustable Cheese Slicer

Legacy Brie Cutting Board and Cheese Tools

PROS

PROS

An inexpensive, old-fashioned tool designed to cut slices of hard, semisoft and processed cheeses of varying widths sounds like a good idea. It looks sturdy and solid in the packaging and comes with an extra replacement wire.

The price, the familiarity of a nostalgic design and the promise of uniform slices are appealing.

The round cutting board in this wellmade set doubles as a storage case for the chisel, a soft-cheese knife and a fork. Chubby wooden handles snuggle into the middle of the palm for a fitting grip. The chisel handles hard, granular Parmigiano-Reggiano without sending chunks flying off the table. The compact knife slices and cubes white Cheddar as well as semisoft Chihuahua cheese with ease. During testing, the fork didn’t get much of a workout, but it looks great on the cheese plate.

CONS

Once out of the blister pack, this slicer reveals its cheesy construction. The back of the handle is flat and hollow. It’s missing heft and feels uncomfortable in hand. The screw that allows an adjustment from thin to thick slices doesn’t hold fast during the slice through white Cheddar; it lets loose and widens as the pull progresses. The wire wobbles to carve wavy funhouse-mirror-like, now-thick, then-thin slices. No fun. $8.95; Cornucopia, 107 N. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, 314.822.2440

4 Stainless Steel Cheese Knives PROS

Each of the four pieces in this BBB exclusive exhibits a gracefulness in design and proportions. The functionality of a chisel, a knife/ spreader, a small sharp knife, and a knife with a pierced blade and serrated edge covers more bases in one set than any tested. The price is right too. The stainless steel knives are dishwasher-safe, but hand-washing is recommended. Kudos for chisel, small knife and knife/spreader. Cheers for longer handles that fit across the palm and for solid construction.

CONS

CONS

Be prepared to surface-clean the rubberwood board and handles and quick-dry tools immediately after the party. The board’s a bit small, only 7½ inches in diameter, but there’s good news. The store carries bigger boards in other shapes, all with self-storing tools. $24.95; Apple of Your Eye, multiple locations, appleofyoureyegifts.com

written by Pat Eby Photography by Jonathan Gayman

The knife with the serrated edge drags on white Cheddar. On soft Chihuahua it collapses the structure and mangles the cheese. Reserve the serrated knife for sausages, pickles and fruits. $14.99; Bed Bath and Beyond, multiple locations, bedbathandbeyond.com

Epic Bamboo Cheese Board with Slicer You can’t misplace the cheese knife; it’s attached to an eco-friendly bamboo cutting board. The slicer works on the paper cutter principle, a shove-andslice movement that produces even, somewhat thick slices with little fuss.

The sharp edge of the cutter rests in the groove and doesn’t protrude past the board – a nice safety feature.

Rubber feet on the bottom keep the board steady during the cut. Fun to use.

CONS

Cheese debris collects in the slot on the board, which seems unsanitary.

The blade bows outward as it cuts heavier cheeses, but as it disappears into the groove, it straightens out.

Must be hand-washed and dried immediately after use.

animals rather than kitchen workhorses, but they should still balance nicely in the hand. Test the grip on smaller, shorter handles for comfort and fit before you buy.

Cleanup and Maintenance. Tools and boards fare best with a quick

MAY 2013

No cons for performance, care or looks, but be mindful of its limitations – harder, aged cheeses only please. $13.99; Terra, 11769 Manchester Road, Des Peres, terrastl.com

ck o pag ut e

cheeses you like to eat. Chisels and planes work best on hard cheeses.

Choose knives and wire cutters for firm and semifirm styles. Very soft cheeses received unkind cuts, more like mash-ups, from all knives and chisels tested.

feastSTL.com

CONS

Che

Balance and Grip. These knives, slicers and cutters are primarily party

38

A great tool for pulling paper-thin slices from a nice block of aged, firm cheese. The handle on this plane has a curved end that provides a nice rest stop for the fingers. Two points at the top of the plane help maneuver slices from cheese board to plate.

$16.49; The Wine & Cheese Place, multiple locations, wineandcheeseplace.com

Cheese Compatibility. Match the cutters or knives you choose to the

the business end of these tools. Check for solid construction of handles, cutting blades and wires as well.

PROS

PROS

What to look for :

Quality Materials and Solid Construction. Choose stainless steel for

Outset Cheese Plane

cleanup by hand immediately after use. Most are not dishwasher-safe.

Even when they are, the manufacturer recommends a little TLC over a hot, soapy plunge in the dishwasher. If the dishwasher is your weapon of choice, check carefully before you buy.

73!

Put your favorite slicer to work when you try the expert cheese and wine pairings in this month’s issue.

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Bring in this coupon to receive a FREE Slice of Cheesecake with the purchase of a lunch or dinner entrée/combo and a drink.

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Visit PeabodyOperaHouse.com or Call 314-622-5454 Inspired Food Culture

MAY 2013

39

menu options

A garden-to-Table Dinner

The artichoke – the edible flower bud of a thistle plant – was once prized by ancient European civilizations for its fertility and aphrodisiac powers. Today it's better known for its tender, flavorful heart and is used in a variety of applications. Artichokes can be enjoyed year-round and particularly in their peak season from March through May. Although fresh artichoke is quite tasty when steamed or roasted, it shines in this

Story and recipe by Tory Bahn Photography by Jennifer Silverberg

modern, individual-sized version of a galette, an open-faced, free-form cake. Artichoke hearts and savory, cheesy egg custard are wrapped in buttery puff pastry to make a beautiful sharable dish or a light lunch.

With the return of so many fresh produce items to the market, many of which have short growing seasons, now is the time to bring menus chock full of fruits and veggies to your dinner table.

Artichoke & Feta Galette Serves | 8 |

| Preparation – Fried Shallots | Add

Fried Shallots ½ cup grapeseed oil for frying

¼ cup all-purpose flour 2 shallots, sliced into rings ½ tsp truffle salt Galette 4 8 6 ¾ 2 ½ ½ 1 4 ½ ¼

lemons, divided artichokes eggs, divided cup whole milk oz mascarpone tsp kosher salt tsp freshly ground black pepper cup crumbled Feta sheets defrosted puff pastry cup coarsely grated Gruyère cup minced chives

grapeseed oil to a small skillet and place over medium-high heat. Place flour on a small plate and dredge shallot rings in flour.

Test oil temperature by dropping a pinch of flour in the oil. If it sizzles, the oil is hot enough to proceed. Add flour-dredged shallot rings to hot oil and flip as soon as the edges begin to brown.

Quickly remove to a paper towel-lined tray and immediately sprinkle with truffle salt.

| Preparation – Galette | Preheat oven to 375ºF. Zest 1 lemon and set aside for egg filling.

Fill a large bowl with water and juice of 2 lemons.

Prepare each artichoke by removing the outer leaves and scraping out the choke, revealing the heart, and occasionally dipping in the acidulated water to prevent browning. Trim the base of each artichoke so it lays flat.

Bring a pot of salted water and juice of remaining lemons to a boil and blanch the artichoke hearts for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of the artichokes. Immediately remove from the boiling water and place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. In a medium bowl, combine 5 eggs, milk, mascarpone, lemon zest, salt and pepper and whisk to incorporate. Add Feta and stir to combine.

Lay defrosted puff pastry on a very lightly floured surface. From each sheet cut out two 4½- to 5-inch round disks. Continue with remaining sheets of puff pastry for a total of 8 disks. Press pastry disks into greased muffin tins. Place artichoke hearts in the center of each disk. Spoon about 3 to 4 Tbsp of egg mixture over artichokes, filling the pastry cups. Sprinkle each galette with Gruyère. Begin to pleat the puff pastry in one direction. Puff pastry will begin to

fold in over the artichoke and filling as you pleat.

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg with 1 Tbsp water and brush over the exposed puff pastry. Bake for 20 minutes or until puff pastry is browned and egg filling is set. Garnish the top of each galette with fried shallots and minced chives.

JOIN US! RSVP:

schnuckscooks.com 314.909.1704

m a k e th e m eal

○ ○

keeping up appearances. Similar to apples and potatoes, once cut, artichokes will begin to oxidize and brown. If not immediately cooking cut

artichokes, keep them in acidulated water (a mix of water and lemon juice) to preserve their fresh taste and appearance. temperature tantrum. Frozen puff pastry makes life easier, but it's still delicate. It must be completely defrosted before using, as partially

defrosted sheets can crack and break when handled. However, if left at room temp for too long, it will become sticky and difficult to work with.

:

Artichoke and Feta

Galette Spring Vegetable Ba rley Risotto ○ Stra wberry-Rhubarb Cust ard Pie ○

chef’s tips :

Shrimp Skewers

LE A r n M ORE :

In this month's class

, you'll learn how to break down an artichoke or prepare for simple st eaming. We'll explore options for cr eating risotto with grains other th an Arborio rice.

And our lesson on m aking lattice crust on any pie will serve you well all summer long.

get hands-on: Join FEAST and Schnucks Cooks Cooking School on Wed., May 22, at 6pm to make the dishes in this month’s menu. Tickets are just $40 for a night of cooking, dining and wine.

RSVP at schnuckscooks.com.

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feastSTL.com

MAY 2013

New Spring FOOD & WINE Menu • Patio Dining Lunch Tuesday - Friday Dinner Tuesday - Saturday Breakfast & Brunch Saturdayy & Sundayy

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Best chicken & best place to go for Mother's Day weekend. Come taste the difference. Just one of the reasons we've been in business for over 75 years. We also offer homemade specialties such as the “Roman” house salad dressing, tortellini, and ravioli. Steaks, chops, seafood too. If you fancy a quality bottle of wine we offer a selection for every palate and budget.

Castelli's is the first and only locally owned & operated restaurant serving the community for over 75 years.

Sign up on our website or scan our QR code for a chance to win a $25 gift card. Only 25 minutes from St. Louis, 255 N IL to Fosterburg Rd., Exit 13. Open at 11am daily for lunch and dinner (Closed Mondays).

3400 Fosterburg Rd. • Alton, IL • 618.462-4620 •castellis255.com

Join Us on Mother's Day for Brunch or Dinner!

Turkish/Mediterranean food is a cross between Southern European, Greek and Middle Eastern cuisines.

Aya Sofia Restaurant and Wine Bar offers a large variety of cold and hot meze (small plates) that are intended to be shared and will complement any of our entrees,including delectable lamb, beef, chicken, and fresh seafood.

Lunch: Tues-Fri - Dinner: Tues-Sun - Sunday Brunch Happy Hour: Tues-Fri NIGHTLY DINNER SPECIALS AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE PARTIES AND CATERING

Turkish Mediterranean Cuisine Known for our meze (small plates) and excellent wine selection

6671 Chippewa Street • St. Louis • 314.645.9919 • ayasofiacuisine.com Inspired Food Culture

MAY 2013

41

rook’s reprise Written by Angela Ortmann

|

photography by Jennifer Silverberg

The James Beard Foundation regularly hosts dinners

at its headquarters, the former New York City home of the foundation’s namesake. Chefs from across the country are invited to cook at the Beard House, presenting meals to members of the prestigious culinary organization.

Needless to say, it’s a coveted opportunity, and when Annie Gunn’s executive chef Lou Rook III received his second summons to cook at the Beard House, he saw it as a chance to not only spotlight his work at the venerable Chesterfield restaurant, but also introduce a new audience to Missouri food and wine.

Rook and Annie Gunn’s wine director Glenn Bardgett collaborated on the event, which took place in October 2012. Just as they do when orchestrating their frequent winemaker dinners at the restaurant, they worked backward when designing the Beard House dinner, allowing the wine to lead them to the food. “There have been a few times in my career where I’ve had that ‘wow’ moment, a food and wine pairing that went above and beyond anything I had had before,” says Rook. “Now with every menu and every pairing, that is our ultimate goal.”

With a platform to put Missouri products in a national spotlight, Rook and Bardgett decided to go with a concept that Rook admits was “a little bit of a risk.”

While Missouri wine had been poured at James Beard dinners in the past, they had never before been the sole wines offered and used as primary inspiration for an entire menu. “Missouri wines are incredible food-pairing wines by nature,” says Rook. “They don’t get the credit they deserve and I wanted to show that you can do so much more with them than most diners and even chefs realize.” Bardgett adds, “The biggest misconception about Missouri wines is their quality. They resemble European wines ... in style, and therefore, they are much more inclined toward food.”

The pair featured wines that had been awarded a gold medal or above in local, national and international competitions. After tasting a few dozen wines, the final seven were chosen and Rook began to craft courses that would highlight the wines as well as his chosen Missouri-sourced ingredients. “We were trying to showcase as much of Missouri as we could,” Rook says. “I wanted everything to come full circle.

Some of the most popular west coast wines are one-dimensional to me, while the complexity of many Missouri wines allows me to bend flavors and give more leeway with my dishes.”

This March, the pair recreated the Beard House dinner for a hometown audience. The menu differed slightly from the original due to seasonal availability of ingredients. The wines, however, were the same as those that were poured in New York.

HORS D’OEUVRES

St. Simone Oysters Prussian Pearl Style with Russian Gueldenstaedtii Osetra Caviar and Pinckney Bend Vodka ○ Caramelized Viking Village Sea Scallops with Pickled Apple and Jalapeño Relish ○ Maiale Tonnato with Toasted Housemade Irish Soda Bread ○ Smoked Troutdale Farm Missouri Rainbow Trout with Housemade Guinness Rye ○

WINE PAIRINGS

Les Bourgeois Brut, Rocheport, Mo. Best of Class, 2010 Missouri Wine Competition ○

Augusta Seyval Blanc 2011, Augusta, Mo. Gold Medal, 2012 Riverside International Wine Competition ○

Rook kicked off the memorable meal with an assortment of hors d’oeuvres, beginning with St. Simone oysters with the luxurious addition – and timeless sparkling-wine pairing – of caviar.

Newcomers to Missouri wine are often surprised by the quality of our sparkling wines; our production of dry sparklers has the potential to confound even a more educated palate in a blind tasting. Missouri’s third largest winery, central Missouri-based Les Bourgeois uses Vidal Blanc to create its refreshing brut. The wine mingles classic notes of apple and pear with brioche-like toastiness, while invigorating bubbles dance on the palate, making it an ideal aperitif. Winemaker Jacob Holman said he was honored to have his wine poured as the first taste of the evening.

Sweet-and-spicy scallops offered the event’s first contrast of wine and food, a perfect foil for Augusta Winery’s Seyval Blanc. In 1980, Augusta, Mo., was selected as the first federally recognized viticultural area – also known as an AVA – in the U.S. It was also Tony Kooyumjian’s first vintage year as a winemaker. Since then, Kooyumjian has brought an elite lineup of wines to the local industry and his portfolios for both Augusta and Montelle wineries have been crucial in gaining recognition for the local wine scene. While sparkling wine is often the most traditional way to start a meal, white wines that offer a touch of sweetness can prime your palate for an elaborately orchestrated feast. Opulent tropical fruit bursts forward in Augusta Winery’s semi-dry Seyval Blanc. Plush aromas of nectarine and summer peach enliven the senses before unfolding into a crisp and fruity wine. The zesty finish leaves an effervescent tickle on your tongue.

The Maiale Tonnato, a play on an Italian classic, has become a staple of the Annie Gunn’s menu.

Rather than the customary veal, Rook serves marinated sliced pork (maiale means pig) over an aïoli-like tuna sauce garnished with capers and served with housemade Irish soda bread. The herbal quality of the dish was a flawless counterpoint to the fruit-forward Seyval.

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Inspired Food Culture

MAY 2013

45

FIRST COURSE ○

Hawaiian A’u Ceviche and #1++ Vietnamese Tuna Salad

WINE PAIRING

St. James Winery Traminette 2011, Ozark Highlands, St. James, Mo. Best of Class, Long Beach Grand Cru International Wine Competition ○

Top: Lou Rook III, executive chef at Annie Gunn’s.

Mid-to-late season variety Traminette can be produced in styles ranging from bone-dry to semi-sweet. Appealing to a wide range of palates, St. James’ winemaker Andrew Meggitt shows off the French-American hybrid’s floral characteristics as he teeters near the off-dry level in his 2011 vintage. Meggitt’s 2011 Traminette has garnered many medals, including the Best of Class honor at the Long Beach Grand Cru, one of the world’s top international expositions. His mastery of Traminette is a reflection of the time Meggitt spent working in Alsace, a region known for the production of Traminette’s parent grape, Gewürztraminer.

Always seeking to produce “user-friendly wines for both the avid wine drinker as well as the novice,” New Zealand-raised and -trained Meggitt is unfailingly proficient in merging Old World charm with New World practices.

Much like Gewürztraminer, Traminette wines exhibit floral nuances and integrated sweetness and possess an inherent ability to pair with both spicelaced dishes and fresh, clean flavors. Rook recognized the wine’s breadth and expressed its versatility in this side-by-side seafood dish. In one corner of the plate, citrusy Hawaiian blue marlin ceviche with fresh tomato and cucumber sat on a crisp potato chip atop a dusting of chile powder. The clean, bracing flavors of the ceviche accented the bright ripe-pear notes of the wine. In the opposite corner was an immaculate slice of vibrantly hued raw tuna topped with a Vietnamese-style salad of daikon radish, lemongrass, pickled ginger, chive and cilantro. The herbaceous, fresh attributes of the dish heightened the wine’s intricately layered notes of fruit, spice and flower.

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Marina & Riviera

The ultimate expression of the Oceania Cruises Experience.

The ideal consorts to Regatta, Insignia and Nautica.

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Join publisher Cat Neville, in partnership with Altair Travel, for our second annual Oceania culinary cruise. This year's trip takes you to Scandinavia, the world's newest center of culinary innovation. You'll travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm with a threeday stop in St. Petersburg.

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Complete terms and conditions may befound in the Guest Ticket Contract. Ships’ Registry: Marshall Islands. PRO27773

Inspired Food Culture

MAY 2013

47

SECOND COURSE

Hen of the Woods Mushroom Risotto with Confit of Annie Gunn’s Hog Belly ○

WINE PAIRING

Chaumette Chardonel Reserve 2011, Ste. Genevieve, Mo. Gold Medal, 2012 INDY International Wine Competition ○

Above: Tim Puchta, president of Adam Puchta Winery. His great-greatgrandfather, Adam Puchta, began producing wine under the name Adam Puchta and Son Wine Co. in 1855.

When pairing wine with a dish that combines earthy mushrooms with sweet, rich pork belly, there may be no more well-suited candidate than Missouri’s most widely planted grape, Chardonel, a cross of Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc. Chaumette Vineyards, a winery in Ste. Genevieve County, handcrafts this variety in three distinct styles. Two of its Chardonel vintages are fermented in stainless steel – one a very dry, fruit-forward wine, and the other keeping more residual sugar, tipping the scales into the sweet category. But it was their third representation, a French-oaked reserve, that was one of only four gold medal Chardonel winners in the 2012 INDY International Wine Competition that saw 162 entries from 13 states. Winery owner Hank Johnson refers to the reserve as the estate’s “biggest and most complex” white wine, noting that it’s their only white that undergoes malolactic fermentation before spending seven sur lie months in barrels. Winemaker Mark Baehmann sought to capture the food-friendly essence of Burgundian Chardonnay along with the creamy mouth feel we associate with Chardonnay from California. Baehmann found the axis of these two specific styles, and this inspired Rook’s dynamic dish. The round Chardonel found textural balance with the velvety risotto, maintaining a finish of bright acidity that cut through the fatty, rich pork. The dish highlighted the wine’s enticing stone fruit notes as well as mellowing the Chardonel’s toasty vanilla character.

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MAY 2013

49

THIRD COURSE

Smoked White Pekin Duck Breast with Preserved Northwest Cherry Compote and Braised Collard Greens ○

WINE PAIRING

Montelle Chambourcin 2011, Augusta, Mo. Gold Medal, 2012 Riverside International Wine Competition ○

Game meats are regular visitors to Midwestern tables, and duck is considered one of the most worthwhile to prepare. In this preparation, duck breasts were lightly smoked and served with a sweet, acidic preserve of Rainier cherries and tender braised collard greens, which gave a bitter counterpart to the sweetness of the dish.

Above: Team members from St. James Winery.

This course was designed around Rook’s preferred style of local wine, Chambourcin.

Montelle Winery has been producing exceptional wines since the 1970s, and under the direction of winemaker Tony Kooyumjian, its portfolio of wines consistently displays medals around its bottle necks. This prized 2011 vintage of Chambourcin embodies the natural characteristics of the grape while honoring the region in which it was cultivated. Frequently planted in and around Missouri, this French-American hybrid results in wines that are often compared to Pinot Noir; however, this dry red actually has a fuller body than its French rival, rich with dark fruit. With its softer tannins and tart-like sensations, it leans more toward the Beaujolais style of Gamay.

After inhaling the Montelle Chambourcin’s cranberry-sauce and toasty-oak aromas, powerful notes of black cherry lead into a smooth but still complex wine. The initial surge of fruitiness on the palate followed by a finish of mouthwatering acidity ultimately showcases the wine as an effortless pairing for duck.

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Stone Hill Winery Since 1847

Visit the Largest Series of Underground Cellars in North America.

Wine Tasting Room • Gift Shop • Picturesque View • Award Winning Wines Enjoy German & Ameican Cuisine at StoneHill Winery’s Vintage Restaurant

1110 Stone Hill Hwy Hermann, MO 65041 800-909-9463 www.stonehillwinery.com Inspired Food Culture

MAY 2013

51

fourth COURSE

Roasted Jones Heritage Farm Berkshire Hog Chop with Missouri Black Raspberry Soy Caramel and Champ ○

WINE PAIRING

Stone Hill winery Estate-Bottled Norton 2009, Hermann, Mo. C.V. Riley Award for Best Missouri Norton, 2011 Missouri Wine Competition ○

Above: Peter Hofherr, CEO of St. James Winery.

His father founded St. James Winery in 1970.

Norton is Missouri’s most celebrated yet possibly most misunderstood grape. Intense red and black berry aromas explode from a glass of distinctive Norton wine. Norton’s high tannin level sometimes intimidates, but with proper care, aging and the occasional decant, this red finds unexpected flexibility. Missouri’s oldest Norton producer, Stone Hill Winery – established in Hermann in 1847 – regularly sees great success with their wines, collecting over 3,700 awards in just the last 20 years. This vintage of Norton, Missouri’s state grape, was no exception, receiving the Missouri Wine Competition’s highest honor of the C.V. Riley Award. Moreover, the Stone Hill winemaking team inevitably imparts a little history with every bottle, as many of the vines currently producing were started from cuttings of grapevines that pre-date the Civil War. When pairing a dish with the mighty Norton, one might expect a chef to opt for steak, but instead Rook embraced America’s heartland once again by composing a dish featuring the locally raised pork seen in the second course. In fact, Rook had six Red Wattle hogs specially raised to a prime weight of 145 pounds to be featured on the menu. Emphatically noting that “pork tenderloin is boring,” Rook whole-roasted chops, leaving a stunning marbled layer around the meat in an effort to “maintain the integrity of the dish” and create a dead-on match for wines of prominent tannins. “Everyone knows the classic pairing of a big, juicy steak with a big, bold Cabernet,” says Rook. “The two work together because of the fat of the meat and the tannin in the wine. We are riffing that idea with a fresh and local touch.” To finish the dish, local black raspberries were made into a rich soy caramel sauce, adapting flavors that directly correlate to those of the wine.

When the air gets thick and the shoes come off, there’s nothing more perfect than a crisp, citrusy bottle of Missouri Vidal. After all, it was made from grapes that ripened on summer nights just like this one.

missou u riw iine.or .org g

Inspired Food Culture

MAY 2013

53

DESSERT COURSE ○

Roasted Pumpkin Panna Cotta with Cabernet Cranberry Gelée,

Caramel- Pecan Bar and Fourme d’Ambert Blue

WINE PAIRING ○

Adam Puchta Signature Port, Hermann, Mo.

Gold Medal, 2012 Missouri Wine Competition

Along with being home to the nation’s first AVA, Missouri holds another claim to wine-related fame: Hermann’s Adam Puchta Winery is the country’s oldest familyrun winery, now into its seventh generation with over 150 years of winemaking history. This venerable vineyard has found steady success with one of our state’s most renowned styles of wine, port. Adam Puchta Winery produces a few styles of the fortified wine, including their ruby-styled signature port. When crafting the signature port, winemaker Tim Puchta produces a rich, sweet dessert wine while balancing Norton’s dark fruit and substantial acidity. Puchta is able to produce his port at a lower alcohol percentage than most others, which is appreciated in a wine generally enjoyed at the conclusion of a meal.

Top right: Tony Kooyumjian, owner and winemaker of Augusta and Montelle wineries. He established Augusta Winery in 1988 and purchased Montelle Winery in 1998. (Montelle was established in 1970.)

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At the Adam Puchta estate, tastings are served with bite-sized foods to enliven the experience, highlighting the philosophy of food and wine “as one.” This carried through in the last course of the Beard House reprise dinner. Puchta told the crowd that he intended to consistently produce a wine suited “for desserts or on its own.” The after-dinner sipper can adapt to an array of pairings, ranging from the deepest of chocolate to the salty indulgence of nuts and cheeses. Annie Gunn’s pastry chef Danielle Bush gave thoughtful emphasis to this versatility in her four-tiered dessert presentation, each pastry emphasizing a different nuance in the Puchta port. Local pumpkin was roasted and made into a luxurious panna cotta served alongside tart, fruity Cabernet-cranberry gelée. A caramel-pecan bar offered nutty sweetness that matched the toasty port. And lastly, a delectable French blue showed how well Missouri port plays with funky, earthy, salty cheese.

In this classic pairing, the rich port enhanced the experience of the Fourme d’Ambert by counterbalancing its flavors and textures.

Head to feastSTL.com for chef Rook’s recipes for the caramelized sea scallops, mushroom risotto with hog belly confit, and roasted hog chop with black raspberry soy caramel and champ.

WINE COMPETITIONS

Annie Gunn’s wine director Glenn Bardgett sits as a judge for six or seven competitions every year and as he says, he knows “how damn hard it is to win a gold medal.” Take the INDY International Wine Competition for example. Touted as the “largest scientifically organized and independent wine competition in the United States,” its most recent expo had over 2,500 entries, of which only 267 were awarded a gold medal.

Medals can be viewed for regional wines the way a point system is used in gauging the quality for more commercial wines. If Robert Parker gives a wine 90 points or higher, you’re likely to see a tag on your shop’s shelf noting this as well as quoting the comments and description he made regarding that wine. For a local winery, displaying medals serves the same purpose. While we aren’t often given a description as to the reasons of the specific placement, the prize in itself speaks volumes about the triumph they achieved.

When a winery decides to enter a competition, there are multiple levels at which they can enter their wines. Some are locally and/or regionally focused, such as the Missouri Wine Competition, while others evaluate wines on the national and international level. For example, the 2012 Long Beach Grand Cru saw wines from 23 states and over 15 countries. Wines are entered into categories based on variety (i.e. Pinot Gris, Norton) or style (semi-sweet white, fruit wine).

Each class is presented in a blind tasting, wherein judges taste through and assess the quality of each wine, both in regards to the grape and style represented and in relation to the other entries.

The judges determine gold, silver and bronze medals for wines that they deem exceptional.

Oftentimes the decisions are unanimous, though occasionally there are differing opinions. In this case, the judges debate the positive and negative attributes of the wine in question until reaching a collective decision. With the number of entered wines often reaching in the thousands, the judging can take place over a number of days.

Along with the medals, special awards are often given in specific categories or to recognize wines and producers that have exceeded the level of excellence. One of the highest honors given at the Missouri Wine Competition is that of the C.V. Reilly Award, an accolade named after the Missouri entomologist who is credited with saving the French wine industry from phylloxera in the 1800s by the use of American rootstock grafting. The 2009 vintage of Stone Hill Norton poured at Rook’s dinner received this recognition at the 2011 competition.

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MAY 2013

55

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feastSTL.com

MAY 2013

beyond the vine Written by Brandon Chuang

|

photography by Jonathan Gayman

Though I know now

that it’s not true, I’ve long imagined that the relationship between Missouri winemakers, brewers and distillers is much like that of the Sharks and Jets in West Side Story. You know, just with another culturally defined gang of street toughs in the mix. So you can understand the potential cause for concern as more and more wine producers have begun expanding their portfolios to include products not normally associated with vintners and vineyards. They’re looking to expand their reach beyond the vine into new, but well-charted, territory, the blowback from which could be fairly messy. Lucky for all of us, this doesn’t seem to be the case. Riff and Bernardo and Tony don’t die at the end of this story — unlike any further analogies I may make involving Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim musicals.

While it would never occur to most winemakers that they may one day open their doors to brewing beer or distilling spirits, it initially didn’t even occur to Joal Russell to make wine. Alongside her husband, Jack, Russell initially planted grapes on their Ste. Genevieve property two decades ago as a retirement project for the pair. Their original intent was to sell the grapes to other winemakers. After planting two vineyards, the couple soon realized, as Russell says, “the money is in the bread, not the wheat.”

The Russells opened Charleville Vineyard in 2003, and in less than 12 months, Joal and Jack knew they needed to expand their offerings. After listening to their customers lament about palate fatigue from an entire day spent tasting wines, they began considering alternatives. “Then we had groups of women tell us, ‘If you had beer, our husbands would come with us.’”

The Russells initially thought they would simply bring in beer from a supplier and sell it alongside the vineyard’s wine, but their son Tait, a home brewer, argued that if they were to offer any beer at all on the premises, it should be their own. Charleville’s initial efforts included brewing in 5-gallon batches.

Once they ran out, they made more. As demand quickly increased, so did their batches, equipment and need to bring in additional help.

Crown Valley Winery opened in Ste. Genevieve the same year as Charleville, with the same oenophiliadriven intent: create and sell good wine. It had gotten off to a good start, especially with its port-style wines, which is why the winery began looking into distillation. “To make port-style wines you need to use high-proof brandies, and at the rate we were going, we were buying in large volumes,” explains Bryan Siddle, Crown Valley’s director of operations. “Because of the volume, we started looking into the idea of

distilling our own beginning in 2005-2006. When I learned that to make a spirit you have to use mash and make a beer wash, I thought to myself, ‘Well, then why don’t we start making beer too?’”

out its dual programs. Having also worked as a winemaker in California, Saballa brought with him larger commercial-grade brewing equipment along with his expertise in both wine and craft beer.

As both the head brewmaster and head winemaker at Charleville Vineyard, Tony Saballa understands the interconnectivity that beer, wine and spirits have with one another. To help with the growing demand that a 5-gallon brew tank just couldn’t meet, Saballa, a teacher in the brewery school at the University of California, Davis (yes, I checked – it’s real), came to Charleville to continue growing

“What I’m seeing now in the industry is a lot of brewers that are acting as winemakers, even if they don’t realize it yet,” says Saballa. “These guys have a fascination with fermenting and aging beers in wine or distillery barrels. They’re making sours and adding acidity, and when you’re looking at wine, you’re looking at acidity and pH and tannins. There are a lot of similarities.”

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MAY 2013

For Tony Kooyumjian, owner and winemaker at Augusta Winery, the foray outside the grapevines was started by the state of Missouri. In an effort to boost agricultural businesses in the area, Missouri’s then Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms division created an addendum to the state’s wine licenses making it possible to make both spirits and wine under the same license. “They wanted to add in the spirits, pretty much exclusively fruit spirits, because they figured that people who had orchards might be able to make additional income by making a spirit out of their produce,” recalls Kooyumjian. “Sounded like a good idea to me.”

Already making fruit-based wines, Kooyumjian researched the idea of distilling fruits. Having found that the Black Forest region of Germany was heralded for its spirits, he flew overseas to learn the process and came back with an entire distillery system. “When I was over there, I noticed that everyone was using equipment from the Holstein Company,” Kooyumjian says about the famed German still maker. “When I got back I found that they’d never sold a still to anyone in the U.S., so we negotiated directly, which is how I got one of the first Holstein stills in the country.

Of course, now they’ve sold hundreds of them.”

You would think that one of the great ancillary benefits of operating a multiproduction beverage business would be the overlap of ideas and ingredients, and for the most part that’s true.

Augusta now makes a grappa using the residual pomace from the white grapes it uses to make wine. Crown Valley distills its wine to make the company’s vodka, and its Missouri Moonshine is actually a subrecipe of its porter beer.

Charleville, in addition to growing grapes for its wine, now grows a small selection of hops that it uses to make an annual limited-edition beer.

Yet in speaking with each winery, you begin to

understand that the additional segments, while maybe originally seen as mere complements to the winery, are their own freestanding entities.

“Brewing is completely different from wine making,” Saballa stresses. “Brewing requires greater specificity and technicality. Making red wine, you could crush and ferment the grapes in the same bins that the fruit was picked in, and it doesn’t require too much conditioning in regards to controlling temperature. Beer requires a lot more control.”

“Each business is unique,“ agrees Crown Valley’s

Siddle. “Not only in your consumers but in your production standpoint – wine making is different than brewing and distilling, and when it comes to brewing and distilling, the beer wash is the only thing that’s the same.”

For many of the wineries that take on distilling and/or brewing, the surprising result is how strong the addition actually becomes. At places such as Charleville, where they’re producing wine just once a year but brewing beer several times a week, it can seem a bit confusing at first. “Sometimes I have to stop myself [while brewing] and say, ‘We

are a winery,” Saballa admits about his production ethos. So with all this rapid growth, how do the area’s brewers and distillers – the ones who solely brew or distill – take to the idea of one of their fellow actors wanting stage presence in two or even three different parts of the same play?

“Considering that craft beer is only about five percent of the total beer market, there’s plenty of room for growth,” says Urban Chestnut Brewing Co.’s Florian Kuplent. “I have to quote Tom Schlafly: He always says that more breweries are good for the whole industry as long as they make good beer.”

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Spiritmakers feel the same way. “I don’t look at it as competing with other small craft distillers,” explains David Weglarz, master distiller of StilL 630. “I think any awareness of our very existence helps to promote our niche industry. Any success by any of us is good for the rest of us because regardless of where or how a consumer gets interested in craft spirits, the important part is that they’re interested.”

Ralph Haynes of Pinckney Bend Distillery is currently working on a presentation for the Franklin County Municipal League titled “Beverage Tourism.” In it, he echoes the sentiments held by his colleagues: that craft businesses are stronger together than as individuals.

“Breweries, wineries and distilleries share two important things in common: yeast and cash flow.

Without one we don’t have a product, and without the other we don’t have a business,” Haynes writes in his presentation. “We would not be where we are today without the generosity of our local beverage community. They understand, as we all do, that the rising tide raises all ships.”

In the end, the expansion of wineries into other beverage markets isn’t one of malice or market share, it’s of market visibility. Growing, nurturing and creating from the soil around us, winemaking is a deeply romantic occupation. And as more wineries begin to supplement their first loves with brewing and distilling divisions, you begin to see a larger picture – one where this change showcases not a shift away from winemaking, but an evolution towards a more comprehensive, crafted production front for each winemaker to explore.

“All wineries are capable of producing great products,” explains Siddle about the Missouri wine evolution. “Whether you are producing wines, beers or spirits, the craft of the business is the art. No matter what we’re doing, we are hand-crafting a locally made product for consumers to enjoy.”

wineries: They’re not

just for wine anymore

Missouri wineries continue to grow their portfolio beyond wines. Below are just a few of the beverages that are currently being produced by some of the area’s best winemakers.

Charleville Vineyard, also known as Charleville Brewing Co., offers a wide selection of beers, including an annual brew made from hops grown on premise, as well as their Charleville Brewing Co. Barley Wine, which took home the silver at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival.

Crown Valley has also stepped into the brewing game, making over a dozen beers, such as their Wooden Nickel IPA, Raspberry Wheat and Plowboy Porter. They’ve also opened up a distilling operation, crafting spirits that include cold-filtered Crown Valley Vodka and Missouri Moonshine.

Tom Kooyumjian at Augusta Winery boasts that he was the first micro-distillery in the state, and he’s put that experience to use by making grappa and other fruit-distilled spirits.

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tober 24, 1845 Wochenblatt, Oc n an rm He om – Fr re residents and we grafted by local en be st, ve re ha fo e es iddle of th “Many wild grap growing in the m re we ey s. th ar re ye in a few left standing whe teresting results ourselves very in ise ew into the top om gr pr lly we d ua an these vines us at th , gh ou th , est the grapes, It is regrettable cut down to harv be to ve ha en th ars. … Hopefully of the trees and rvest in a few ye ha e th ce du ants re to ltivated grape pl which is bound have enough cu to g in go e ar es.” by that time we and for wild grap be any more dem n’t wo e er th at th

AERIAL PHOTO: Sun warms the trellised hills ofwine country. RIGHT: In

Hermann, wine wasn’t just the local economy, it was part of everyday life. Locals would gather to enjoy a glass, accompanied by a favorite toast: “Hoch soll er leben! Hoch soll er leben! Dreimal hoch! Er lebe hoch!

Er lebe hoch! Dreimel hoch!” Reprinted from Little Germany on the Missouri: The Photographs of Edward J. Kemper, 1895-1920, edited by Anna Kemper Hess, by permission of the University of Missouri Press.

Copyright ©1998 by the Curators of the University of Missouri.

a history of Missouri Wine Written by Jeremy Nulik

|

aerial Photography by Steven Schulte

ILLUSTRATIONS PROVIDED by The State Historical Society of Missouri

the folks who founded chandler hill vineyards know the value of a good story.

Located near Defiance, Mo., just down the road from the historic Daniel Boone home, one of Missouri’s newest wineries overlooks the Femme Osage River Valley. And according to Chuck Gillentine, CEO of Chandler Hill, the complex history of the land is as crucial to wine production as sunlight.

“This land was owned by a man named Fluesmeier who fought in the Civil War – first on the Union and then on the Confederate side,” says Gillentine, who co-founded Chandler Hill in 2008. “Somehow a freed slave named Joseph Chandler made his way to the property in the 1870s and worked for the Fluesmeier family. Eventually Mr. Fluesmeier deeded him the 40 acres that is now Chandler Hill.

It was during our construction that we learned Chandler once planted grapes on the property.”

During the excavation of the land, Gillentine ran across stones that used to be Chandler’s cabin along with artifacts. The stones are piled in the parking lot and serve as part of a bubbling waterfall, and the artifacts are proudly displayed inside the tasting room. Also, all of the winery’s Missouri wines are named after something on the property. There is the Fluesmeier Traminette (named after the original landowners), Old Bridge Chambourcin (named after the one-lane bridge over the Femme Osage Creek) and, most notably, Savage Norton (named after the Savage rifle found on the property). But this is more than just a simple marketing ploy. Gillentine knows that the soil and history create a context – a way to make the wine come to life.

– From Hermann Wochenblatt, October 3, 1845 “... if a cellar is a main requirement of obtaining a good wine, in relationship to this, again no area can be better suited for this than Hermann, where nature herself has formed the most beautiful rock cellars, so that several of them can be used without turning a hand for improvement. So it seems not to be an overstatement when we say, after surveying and considering everything, that nature gives us a definite sign to turn to viniculture, because we find everything here that is needed for this.”

Inspired Food Culture

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ABOVE: Friedrich Muench, from the Dorris Keeven-Franke collection.

“Giving the wine a story makes a difference,” says Gillentine. “I can talk to people about the hardy, savage Norton grape and the Savage rifle we found.

You will see this in other wineries in our region. The labels tend to tell the story about the land.”

Scores of others connected to the Missouri wine industry also say the story matters. And with a growing number of consumers demanding opportunities to eat and drink locally produced food and beverages, understanding the role Missouri has played in the American wine industry is more relevant than ever.

“If there are people with prejudices against Missouri wine, I would encourage them to give it another try. Local products pair so perfectly with local grapes from farm to table to glass,” says Danene Beedle, marketing director for the

Missouri Wine and Grape Board, a wine-industry stakeholders association responsible for researching, developing and promoting Missouri grapes, juices and wines. The Board is funded by tax on all wine sold in Missouri. Beedle gives the examples of pairing Missouri-raised grassfed beef or lamb with Norton, locally sourced trout with Chardonel, and anything grilled with Chambourcin.

“Once local wine drinkers understand the history of Missouri wine, they will appreciate the product so much more,” says Beedle. “Missouri soil is prime for growing grapes. They may not be the [grape] names that you know, but we would not have designated viticultural areas if we did not have good grapes.”

As unlikely as it may seem, history reveals that

grape growing and wine making are part of Missouri’s DNA.

the power of the pen and a tyrannical government According to several local historians, today’s Missouri winery owners are the sons and daughters of one man: Gottfried Duden. In their homeland, Germans were facing overcrowding, a struggling economy and tyrannical leadership. Duden, a German lawyer and writer who eventually settled in Dutzow, Mo., traveled to Missouri in the 1820s. He became enamored with the scenery and the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River. In his Report on a Journey to the Western States of North America, his propaganda-like tome published in 1829 in Germany and widely distributed through Europe, he expounded on the fertile virtues of the countryside, how it reminded him of his native home near the

Rhine River and how it would be the perfect place for scores of German families. Apparently they took his advice.

“At one point he did make mention of the grapevines he found growing native here and how lush and hardy they were,” says Dorris KeevenFranke, archivist at the St. Charles County Historical Society and a blood relative of one of the German families that Duden wooed to the area. “The Germans who then settled in the towns of Hermann, Augusta and Dutzow were making wine as early as 1832.”

Predating much of the German settlement activity, French immigrants had been planting grapes in communities along the Mississippi River since the late 18th century. By the 1830s, around the time the German settlers arrived,

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– From Hermann Wochenblatt, October 31, 1845 “Equally when one comes from large cities one must miss the assortment of daily food stuffs (victuals) which one finds there in open markets everyday. We don’t have fresh meat everyday, which some people often think they can’t do without in this meat eating country. Yes, it happens quite frequently that during the hot season our hausmutter (house mothers) have to make do for weeks with serving us all kinds of other dishes than meat containing meals. But that does not scare a good housewife and it would not even upset her if a guest would enter unexpectedly, who − unless he belonged to the French gourmets or was a professor of the art of gourmet cooking − would still have every reason to be satisfied with our cooking. ...Very many residents cultivate their own gardens, which are connected to each house in Hermann, with all varieties of vegetables, which are in demand and we lack nothing here, except maybe asparagus. ... In the hot season we do not need any ice to cool our water, but we go directly to the spring in the neighborhood, where we fetch the cool crystal clear water to drink and forget the heat of the summer.”

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AERIAL PHOTO: Sugar Creek Vineyards and Winery is perched atop a hill overlooking the Katy Trail and Missouri River Valley. ABOVE: Barrels stored in a Mount Pleasant

Winery wine cellar. Image provided by the Saint Charles County Historical Society Archives.

French Canadian settlers in Ste. Genevieve began to produce wine.

was a sap-sucking aphid known as phylloxera.

By 1847 Stone Hill Winery was established in Hermann, and around that same time Friedrick Muench led an exploratory trip into Missouri to search for native vines. He and his brother, George Muench, founded Mount Pleasant Winery in Augusta in 1859. The Missouri winemaking industry was well under way – Stone Hill alone was producing over 1 million gallons of wine per year with native American and French hybrid varietals.

It seems the early explorers had taken back to their homeland in Europe several grapevines and had unknowingly also transported phylloxera.

Once those insects jumped to vinifera (European) rootstock, the widespread devastation of French vineyards occurred at an alarming rate. Enter Missourian Charles Valentine Riley. According to Beedle, Riley saved the French wine industry by grafting phylloxera-immune American roots to the vinifera varietals that thrived in Europe. The new hardy American roots were shipped overseas and the epidemic was halted.

But, according to Michael Leonardelli, enology extension associate with the Grape and Wine Institute at the University of Missouri, the thing that really brought Missouri to international prominence

“The French reciprocated with a statue honoring the Missourians for saving France’s winemaking industry,” says Dianna Graveman, a historian and co-author of Missouri Wine

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AERIAL PHOTO: Oak Glenn Vineyards and Winery is located just east of Hermann along the Missouri River. RIGHT: Following the old proverb that dictates one wait to plant until after the “Three Icemen” (May 11 to 13) have passed – a tradition coming from northern Europe – German farmers in Hermann planted cuttings in late spring taken from the grapevines in the winter.

Reprinted from Little Germany on the Missouri: The Photographs of Edward J. Kemper, 1895-1920, edited by Anna Kemper Hess, by permission of the University of Missouri Press. Copyright ©1998 by the Curators of the University of Missouri.

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FREE PARKING IN THE METRO LINK GARAGE Country: St. Charles to Hermann. “I always thought this was pretty generous of the French considering the root-destroying insect came from America in the first place.”

This development brought international respect to the Missouri wine industry. That degree of respect is reflected in the sheer number of wineries and the level of wine production. According to Leonardelli, Missouri was the leading producer of grapes by the 1880s. By the turn of the 20th century, Stone Hill Winery was the second largest in the United States and third in the world and had won eight gold medals at various world fairs.

grape-stained streets What happened next is the saddest chapter in Missouri’s wine history: the 18th Amendment.

Legend has it that the brick roads of Hermann were blood red with wine and busted oak barrels lined the sidewalks. Prohibition not only stopped Missouri wine production but also sent the local economy backward.

“Vines were removed from the ground, so there was no chance of any wine being produced,” says Leonardelli. “Some of the wineries, like Stone Hill, started using their cellars for mushrooms. It takes at least three years to get good production from grapevines. And right after Prohibition we had the Great Depression and World War II. So the Missouri wine industry didn’t [begin to] come back until the 1960s.”

rising again from the mushroom cellars It was more than two generations after Prohibition when Missouri wineries began to reappear – many of them with different families.

Peter Hofherr was just a young boy when his father founded St. James Winery in 1970. He can still recall making trips over to Stone Hill, which reopened in 1965, to help them clean out the cellars and make them ready for wine production.

“Back in the ’70s it was unusual to have a winery, so people would stop just for the novelty of it,” says Hofherr, CEO of St. James, one of Missouri’s largest wineries. “Most people didn’t even know that wineries existed in Missouri at that time.”

Some of the novelty, however, wore off by June 20, 1980, when Augusta became the country’s first American Viticultural Area (AVA). An AVA is a designated wine-grape-growing region with certain qualities (such as soil composition and sunlight) and with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and

the Department of the Treasury. This is kind of a big deal considering that it beat out Napa Valley by almost three years. Other Missouri AVAs include Hermann AVA (which makes up Gasconade and Franklin counties – 1987), Ozark Mountain AVA (southwest Missouri – 1986) and Ozark Highlands AVA (near St. James – 1987).

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, October 17, 18 45 “It is regrettab le indeed that no t more attenti wild grapes, w on has been pa hich grow in M id to the issouri in abun may well dese dance and whi rve. But that th ch they ey really deserve anyone who dr it must be clea ank wine which r to w as made from these grapes. H the pressed ju ere in Herman ic e of n be tween seven an wine has [been] d eight barrels made from wild of grapes by vari admit that we ed persons and were surprise w e can d w he n we brought it and if we hadn to our tongues, ’t seen the proo f w ith our own ey have believed es, we would ne it, that this was ver wine from wild grapes.”

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Armed with designated areas and a growing consumer demand, oenophiles who had been amateurs began to create new wineries. And this acceleration of new wineries throughout the state has increased in the last 10 years or so. In 2002 there were something like 70 wineries. According to the Wine and Grape Board, Missouri saw its 100th winery established in 2011 and today there are more than 120 of them. While leading states such as California and New York have been reducing their wine production, the gallons produced in Missouri continue to climb at a rate of 16 percent per year.

“Missouri has long quietly played a major role not only in the U.S. but in the international wine industry, contributing the rootstock that allowed the French wine industry to recover from phylloxera in the 19th century and today producing the wood in which wine is aged in many parts of the world,” says Leonardelli.

coming of age … again In the basement of a First Bank in Warrenton, Mo., amateur winemakers from Missouri, Kansas, Indiana and Illinois gather for the Missouri Valley Wine Competition, hosted by the Missouri Valley Wine Society. This year there were a record 376 entries. Many of the wine makers, including Bob Truetken, have entrepreneurial aspirations.

Truetken, president of the Missouri Valley Wine Society, plans to open Deerfield Vineyards in Warrenton this coming summer.

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“I think that the industry is just gonna get bigger and bigger,” he says. “Within five years you could see 300 wineries in Missouri. And I think that is a good thing. There is important work being done at the University of Missouri to develop better rootstock and produce even better varietals, so the grapes will yield better results down the road.”

And it is this stepping up of the game that interests Hofherr, who currently serves as chairman of the Missouri Wine and Grape Board. When he gazes at the landscape, he is hopeful, but his enthusiasm is tempered with some realities. There is increased pressure from international wine and spirits companies, a shrinking market share with more small wineries and continued misconceptions about Missouri wine – namely that it is only made

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ber 14, 1845 nblatt, Novem he oc W n an – From Herm t our settlemen residents of e th at e th ur ed lt nicu knowledg to making vi “It has to be ac and energy in ty vi ti se of a few ac ur h co e uc e here in th ur are putting m in lt cu ri ag d about − and le branch of have been joke ly a considerab le nt ab ue rt eq fo fr m a more co hills, which still grant us years. … Our d ill w lle − ca so en ly ve be justifiab eas, which ha some respects than other ar e nc nd.” te ou is gr ex e of y and qualit and profitabl on ti ca lo r ei use of th superior beca

AERIAL PHOTO: Located in the historic town of Dutzow, Blumenhof Vineyards produces wines from a range of grapes, including Chambourcin, Seyval Blanc, Chardonel, Vidal Blanc, Vignoles and Rayon d’Or. LEFT: Hermann residents pose for a comical shot with items used in wine production. Reprinted from Little Germany on the Missouri: The Photographs of Edward J. Kemper, 1895-1920, edited by Anna Kemper Hess, by permission of the University of Missouri Press. Copyright ©1998 by the Curators of the University of Missouri.

– From Herm ann Wochenb latt, October 3, 1845 “...We can acco mplish it easi ly in this coun wine from Eu try, that all im rope comes to port of an end, especi which we plan ally since the t here give a vi nes juice (wine) w European win hich surpasse es in quality, s m ost and if not that Moreover, it , it is of equa should be men l qu al ity. tioned that th gives the Ger is branch of ag mans who liv ri cu e lture here an adva fellow citizens ntage over th because man eir native y of the form from their yo er have been uth on with vi familiar niculture in th eir old homel and.”

in sweet styles. Additionally, consumers are generally not familiar with the flavors and aromas of wines made from varietals that grow well in Missouri. He remains, however, hopeful that with continued cooperation among wineries, the future will be bright.

“What you have now are an increasing number of people who grew up and have been professionally trained in the industry. We are not the mom-andpops that we used to be,” says Hofherr. “We need to work together [as an industry] to have a bigger voice for policies and to make our industry better.

Cooperation floats all boats.”

Watch FeastTV on Sun., May 12 at 9:30am on ABC 30 to explore the history of wine in Hermann.

Recently, industry cooperation has become more formalized. In 2003, the Missouri Wine and Grape Board was created to support and promote Missouri’s winemaking and grape-growing industries. Out of that mission, the board turned to the University of Missouri which has one of the country’s top plant science research labs, to create the Wine and Grape Institute of Missouri. Since its foundation in 2006, the institute has already become a leader in the research of continental climate and its affect on grape varietals. They also offer experts like Leonardelli to act as extension agents and offer a professional support system for local winery owners.

“Wine is an emotional product, and the love of it can make people irrational,” says Hofherr. “They may be enjoying the process and the product, but if you want to start a winery, then you are talking about a complicated business. You have agricultural production, retail and wholesale businesses wrapped in one. Passion may propel the industry, but we need partnerships to get better.”

no longer the rodney dangerfield of wine If the history of Missouri wine does not propel you to pop open a bottle, then take it from Doug Frost, a Kansas City-based sommelier.

Frost is one of three individuals in the world to simultaneously hold the Master of Wine and Master Sommelier titles.

“Missouri has led the way with critically important Midwestern grapes such as Norton, Chambourcin, Traminette, Valvin Muscat, Vidal Blanc, Vignoles and Seyval Banc,” says Frost. “These grapes also prevail in other regions, but the Midwest is nearly completely dependent upon them, while the rest of the country dabbles in them. These hybrid grapes offer the way forward for two-thirds to three-quarters of the states in America. Missouri has been the benchmark and has proven that these grapes can produce high-quality wine.”

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Behind Denny's in South County

wicheese ne+ Written by Jennifer Johnson

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photography by Jonathan Gayman

wine and cheese are meant for each other.

The two effortlessly complement and contrast specific elements in one another, reshaping and highlighting the flavors, textures and aromas we experience when enjoying them together. Missouri wines are a fantastic accompaniment to cheese.

Beyond the stunning examples of sweeter styles − which by principle are ideal cheese wines − many local varietals exhibit characteristics that shine when paired with cheese, such as Chambourcin’s medium-bodied earthy nature, Norton’s ample acidity and structure, Vignoles’ semi-sweet aromatics and Traminette’s spice-fruit profile.

working with the wine merchant’s cheesemonger, simon lehrer, we tasted through scores of Missouri wines alongside his impressive selection of artisan cheeses. We selected five exceptional cheeses − two of which happen to be made in Missouri − and paired them with two local wines that each create a different pairing experience and exemplify general wine and cheese pairing rules of thumb that will help you design your own pairing experience. * Wines are available at various retail locations, and pricing reflects the suggested retail price. Call your local wine retailer to assure availability.

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1. moody blue from roth käse

flavors in blue cheese covet wines with their own boldness, and concentrated, extracted flavors in sweet dessert wines make a great match.

Wisconsin, $18.99/lb

paired with ○ Mount Pleasant Vintage Port,

$22 (375ml)

○ Les Bourgeois Vineyards Late Harvest

Vidal Blanc 2008, $20 (375ml)

Spain, $16.99/lb

paired with ○ St. James Winery Chardonel 2010,

2. flory’s truckle

$10

○ Edg Clif Farms & Vineyard

Missouri, $29.99/lb

Chambourcin Reserve 2010, $28

paired with ○ Adam Puchta Winery Traminette NV,

Blues illustrate the concept that cheese is the dominant partner in a wine and cheese pairing, and Roth Käse’s Moody Blue small batch Wisconsin cheese is no exception, although it is relatively mild in pungency. The subtle roasted nuttiness of this cow’s milk blue “adds time in the barrel” to the Mount Pleasant Estates 2006 Vintage Port, according to Lehrer. The cheese complements the tremendous dried fruit complexity of this medium-bodied port produced in the traditional Portuguese style of constant skin contact during fermentation and fortification with brandy.

This bottle-aged port’s definitive sweetness beautifully juxtaposes the salt-rubbed cheese in a similar way as the sweet extracted honeyed notes of the Les Bourgeois Late Harvest Vidal Blanc.

Something extraordinary happens, however, with the latter, produced from winter-hearty Vidal Blanc grapes that hung on the vine months after harvest, yielding grapes with little water and immense extraction. A bacon-y robustness appears on the palate, underscoring the sweet creaminess of the cheese and creating an entirely new flavor profile that Lehrer deems “a picnic basket filled with salami, dried apricots and creamy cheese.” This pairing is magical. Strong

3. drunken goat

$11 $15

○ Stone Hill Winery Chambourcin 2010,

Cheddar is defined by its slow aging process and painstaking flavor development through hand stacking, turning and packing in cloth-lined molds before pressing. The process yields an intense sweet-cream flavor and firm acidity in the Flory’s Truckle from Jamesport, Mo. The Adam Puchta Traminette − a French-American hybrid grape with lineage from Germany’s Gewürztraminer − embraces the Cheddar’s caramel nuttiness with its own concentrated aromatics of jasmine, sandalwood and kiwi. Cheddar’s sharpness and richness is a flattering pairing for wines with pronounced acidity (pairing like with like), but the wine must also have an additional contrasting component. A white with some sweetness can beautifully contrast the cheese’s sharpness, while a red with a solid tannin profile works well to counter the opulence of this cheese style.

Conversely, we discovered that the baked red earth and fresh cracked black pepper notes in Stone Hill Winery’s Chambourcin were enhanced by the cheese’s richness, and Simon noted that the pairing seemed to mask the cheese’s earth-driven qualities. Another French-American hybrid grown in the U.S., Australia and the Loire Valley, this mediumbodied Chambourcin was aged in American and French oaks, lending the defined tannins needed to counter a boldly flavored cheese.

Drunken Goat is a Spanish goat’s milk cheese that Lehrer adores for its versatility. It is mild, very approachable and easy to find, and it works with many different wine styles, an advantage if you choose to open several wines at once or if you anticipate a guest bringing a surprise bottle. It is easily paired because none of its components stand out, potentially conflicting with the wine’s flavor profile, texture or weight. It’s not too pungent, not too creamy, not too sharp. This go-to cheese’s moderate creaminess and mild nutty notes underscore the subtle creaminess from a secondary fermentation and toasty notes from mild oak aging of St. James Winery’s full-bodied Chardonel, while accentuating the wine’s solid acidity and pineapple-tropical fruit flavors. The Edg Clif Chambourcin Reserve 2010 boasts firm tannins from healthy amounts of French oak aging, and we were delighted to find that the cheese pulled out the wine’s otherwise subtle dark-berry fruit profile.

4. shepard’s crook dairy “rustico” Missouri, $39.99/lb

paired with ○ Montelle Winery Norton 2010,

$22

○ Baltimore Bend Vineyard Cirrus NV,

$10

Reminiscent of Spanish Manchego, the semihard “Rustico” from Shepard’s Crook Dairy in Bellevue, Mo., exhibits a complexity of savory black peppercorn and subtle garlic seasoning and an earthiness typical of sheep’s milk cheese that Lehrer enthusiastically describes as “a bit animalistic.” The medium-bodied Norton from Montelle Winery contributes to this complexity

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with its own tobacco, baking spice and restrained fruit profile from oak aging and a well-structured acidity that is indicative of this native American grape. The cheese’s savory nature, when paired with Baltimore Bend’s Cirrus NV, reminds us of the sweet and spicy elegance of Asian cuisine. Honeyed notes emerge during this pairing, and the semi-sweet Catawba grape offers a fragrant lemon peel and ripe strawberry profile protected by a controlled fermentation in stainless steel that emphasizes the freshness of the black pepper spice. Pairing a sheep’s milk, semi-hard cheese with a medium- to full-bodied red is a win-win, as the wine can stand up to the subtle barnyard-like qualities of the cheese, particularly if the wine exhibits its own earth-driven flavor profile. Semi-dry whites suit as well with milder sheep’s milk cheeses, especially if the wine possesses a solid aromatic profile.

5. tome de bordeaux France, $29.99/lb

paired with ○ Augusta Winery La Fleur Savage NV,

$11

○ Chaumette Chambourcin Reserve 2010,

$22

A goat’s milk cheese from Loire, France, the Tome de Bordeaux (Herbillette) is finished in Bordeaux caves and aged in herbs. Its hearty herb crust interestingly restrains similar herb-garden notes in the Augusta Winery La Fleur Savage rosé, accentuating the wine’s stunning freshness of strawberries and citrus. Lehrer appreciates this pairing for how well the semi-soft cheese’s rosemary, thyme and fennel notes integrate with the rosé’s balanced acidity and fruit presence.

Herb-crusted cheeses make for an intriguing pairing with wines that also exhibit herb- and spice-driven characteristics. So long as the wines are not terribly fruit-forward or full-bodied, a completely new flavor profile can result.

Alternatively, the Tome de Bordeaux’s complexity seems to seek out the earth-driven structure of the French-oak aged Chambourcin Reserve 2010 from Chaumette Winery. The wine complements the cheese’s herbaceous intensity and warm nuttiness with its own Old World-style, mediumbodied charm of black pepper notes, smoke and currants. Lehrer dubbed the pairing “a complex menagerie of flavors.”

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the last bite

Oatmeal Stout Cake

Contributor: Kyle Harsha, writer In the past, I never really considered myself to be a dessert guy. I usually order a glass of port or a Rusty Nail to finish a meal, perhaps taking a bite of the dessert someone else was eating.

That all changed when I tried the Oatmeal Stout Cake from Russell’s Café and Bakery.

Chef Russ first drizzles buttermilk pound cake with oatmeal stout beer from either Tallgrass or Schlafly. He then reduces the same beer and combines it with vanilla buttercream to make a frosting, covering each thin layer of the pound cake. He finally tops each layer with chocolate ganache, creating a dessert that is slightly sweet but with a savory toastiness to it. If you try it in the shop, pair the cake with a glass of the Hook and Ladder Station Ten Zinfandel blend. The combo brings out the dark chocolate notes in both the cake and the wine. If you’re serving the cake at home (like I requested for my birthday this year), pair it with Adam Puchta Signature Port NV, which adds just the right amount of raspberry. However you choose to enjoy it, be warned – this dessert makes converts out of dessert nonbelievers.

Russell’s Café and Bakery russellscafe.com Turn to p. 31 for Kyle’s recommended wines to drink during the month of May.

Photography by

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