I had two wines from Missouri on Thanksgiving. Both were white and both were made with the grape hybrid Seyval Blanc. Seyval Blanc is an ideal grape for Missouri as it withstands the cold much better than classic grapes like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. This grape also buds early and early ripens early, making it even more suited to the region.
The two wines I had were from one of the oldest wineries in Missouri (almost the oldest in the US,) Stone Hill Winery. This winery began in 1847. By 1866 it was the second largest winery in the whole US and had won national and international recognition for its wines. During Prohibition, grapes still grew on the property, but they were used for jelly. The underground cellars were used to grow mushrooms! The winery began to come back to wine making prominence in 1965 and is today one of the successful wineries of Missouri.
The first wine I had containing Seyval Blanc was the 2006 Steinberg White .
This wine is a blend of Vidal Blanc, Seyval and Vignoles. The winery describes the wine as a “German-style white” and it did remind me of a Riesling. But the wine also strongly reminded me of Viognier. The wine didn’t have quite the viscous mouth feel of a Viognier, but the distinct flavor was there.
Tasting Notes:
Color:
Pale yellow
Aroma:
Viognier like, not floral but still like a viognier
Taste:
Slightly sweet, light citrus but definitely reminded me of Viognier.
This wine was enjoyable with the Thanksgiving turkey, similar to the way a Riesling is. I could sip this wine by itself and enjoy it.
The two wines I had were from one of the oldest wineries in Missouri (almost the oldest in the US,) Stone Hill Winery. This winery began in 1847. By 1866 it was the second largest winery in the whole US and had won national and international recognition for its wines. During Prohibition, grapes still grew on the property, but they were used for jelly. The underground cellars were used to grow mushrooms! The winery began to come back to wine making prominence in 1965 and is today one of the successful wineries of Missouri.
The first wine I had containing Seyval Blanc was the 2006 Steinberg White .
This wine is a blend of Vidal Blanc, Seyval and Vignoles. The winery describes the wine as a “German-style white” and it did remind me of a Riesling. But the wine also strongly reminded me of Viognier. The wine didn’t have quite the viscous mouth feel of a Viognier, but the distinct flavor was there.
Tasting Notes:
Color:
Pale yellow
Aroma:
Viognier like, not floral but still like a viognier
Taste:
Slightly sweet, light citrus but definitely reminded me of Viognier.
This wine was enjoyable with the Thanksgiving turkey, similar to the way a Riesling is. I could sip this wine by itself and enjoy it.
2 comments:
OK, you've outdone me! I've never had seyval blanc. Cool!
You know I've driven through the Missouri wine region a couple of times. I had some bad wines and some great wines. Stone Hill is a nice place to visit but I found their wines average for Missouri. Seyval blanc is an interesting grape with nice fruity notes. It is one of the better wines from Stone Hill. I have had some terrific nortons from MO but not from this place. I would encourage everyone to visit MO for their wines. It is an interesting experience.
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