URBAN LEGEND
Amigoni Winery flips the barrel on other Kansas City wine makers, starting with its urban setting in the West Bottoms. And rather than using grapes grown exclusively in the Midwest, winemaker Michael Amigoni imports grapes from California to fortify his harvest from 60 miles outside of Kansas City. That’s why wine drinkers will recognize the varieties on the labels. Rather than norton, chambourcin, and chardonel you’ll see European styles like cabernet sauvignon, petite verdot and merlot. Take its popular Urban Drover, with a new label illustration representing a cowboy driving cattle to market. The wine is a blend of cabernet franc and petit verdot, resulting in dark, fruity flavors followed by notes of spice. Cabernet franc is where it all started; it’s the first grape Michael planted. The smooth and earthy taste, thanks to the san-
dy loam soil in his vineyards, has intense fruit and peppery accents. The bottleneck can hardly hold up its multiple medals from competitions like the Jefferson Cup and Indy International Wine Awards. Michael and his wife, Kerry, are proud of all their wines, but there’s one that has him almost giddy. His Cabernet Franc Reserve 2015 is 100 percent cab franc grown in his vineyards in Centerview, Missouri. “It’s been aged two-and-a-half years in previously used Missouri American oak barrels. You’ll note plum and black, dark cherries and more complexity a half-hour after opening.” Michael suggests pairing it with roasted pork or lamb, a beef tenderloin, or hard cheeses. Kerry recommends the Urban Cepages to serve along with ham or turkey, or the versatile Voignier, a medium-body white with notes of apricot, peach and honey. amigoni.com
DECEMBER 2018
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