PROMOTION
montelle winery Harvesting Excellence in Missouri’s Hills
Despite the challenges the Missouri climate presents to grape growing – including fluctuating humidity and summer rains – winemaker Tony Kooyumjian has been producing award-winning wines at Montelle Winery for decades in Augusta, Missouri. Established in 1970, the vineyards are the secret to the winery’s success and date back to the 1800s. In 1980, Augusta was recognized as the first U.S. American Viticultural Area (AVA) for its unique soil, climate, historical significance and the quality of wines produced from its grapes.
325 S Main St, Saint CharleS, MO 63301 www.bellavinOwinebarStl.COM (636) 724-3434
Date Night, Done Right Enjoy award-winning wines, fine dining and live entertainment all while taking in the Best View in the Midwest
Sip fresh, focused flavors in a variety of Montelle’s wines – two standouts are its Reserve Barrel Fermented Chardonel, this dry white wine has a bouquet of apple, pear, and fig followed by lush flavors of apple, citrus fruit, toasty oak, fresh baked bread, and hints of butterscotch. Then there’s the Reserve Norton, which is selected from the best barrels of Montelle’s exemplary regular Norton and aged an additional six
months. The result is a rich body, long finish and bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, cassis, elderberry and dark chocolate. Today, Montelle Winery is family-owned and -operated. Tony is joined by his son Tom in his mission to produce wines that exemplify the uniqueness of its vineyards. They’re motivated to produce the best wines possible that are pure expressions of the grapes grown in their vineyards. Sitting 400 feet above the Missouri River Valley, the tasting room is open year-round. Montelle’s philosophy is that there’s nothing better to show off good wine than good food, and its Klondike Café offers fresh, high-quality cuisine to complement its wines. The approach is more than just cheese and meat boards, too: think items like orchard apple and grilled chicken salad (paired with Montelle’s River Country White) roast beefGorgonzola “Black-n-Bleu” wrap (paired with Norton) or sandwiches like The Klondike with smoked ham and turkey, Genoa salami, Swiss cheese, tomato, red onion and Dijon (paired with River Country Red). Plus, pizza and flatbread come in offerings like bourbon barbecue chicken or the Tuscan with roasted garlic butter, mozzarella, Asiago, asparagus, roasted red peppers, shaved prosciutto ham and caramelized onions. Around this time of year, Tony heads to the vineyard to check the grapes’ sugar levels, acidity and pH balance, and the harvest usually begins between mid-August and midNovember. Enjoy the fruit of his labors by sipping any of the wines on offer at Montelle, as each is a unique, well-made wine that pairs well with local foods and always leaves you wanting another glass. 201 Montelle Drive, Augusta, Missouri, 888.595.9463, montelle.com
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