Wine in the City

Kerry and Michael Amigoni had something good going on in their basement. It had been seven years since they bought a 10-acre vineyard near Warrensburg, and the stuff they were stomping and bottling in their basement in Leawood was something their friends actually looked forward to having as gifts. Finally, it became clear that the couple needed to sell this stuff. So in October, they picked up a partner, architect John Poston, and opened Inland Sea, which they call KC's first urban winery. It's located in the Livestock Exchange Building (1600 Genessee, Suite 160), which is connected to the Golden Ox. The Amigonis bring the grapes back from their vineyard and process them in machines they set up in the parking lot. Then they age the wine in barrels in their small storefront. The goal is to sell wines made with grapes native to Europe, such as cabernet franc and chardonnay, instead of the native Missouri varieties. Some of their bottles, such as the Sea Turtle chardonnay, are blends of the Amigonis' grapes mixed with California-grown juice. But others, including the Inland Sea cab franc, are purely Missouri-grown.And here comes the best part: Every Friday, the couple opens the doors from 4 to 6 p.m. for free wine tastings. They also sell heavy pours of their wines by the glass for $5 or bottles for $14 to $25. For more information, see amigoni.com or call 888-894-9463. Inland Sea
Fridays, 4-6 p.m. Starts: Dec. 7. Continues through Feb. 28, 2007