For this week's battle, I went in search of two dry table wines -- one for each side of the state line. I grabbed a bottle of the Somerset Ridge Winery's Flyboy Red as my Kansas representative and selected Les Bourgeois Vineyards' Jeunette Rouge as the standard bearer for Missouri.
And with a bottle of red in each hand, I set out to discover which wine should represent the region as the table wine of choice. The victor is after the jump.
Somerset Ridge Flyboy Red. The wine from Somerset, Kansas, is named after the late Lt. Col. Arch Tucker (the "Vice President of Tasting") and it is his visage on the label, emerging from a jet fighter after completing a mission in Korea. The wine is a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin and Chancellor grapes.
I grabbed a bottle ($14.99) from Rimann Liquors in Prairie Village, where it had a prime front-of-store display. Interestingly, a small selection of Missouri wines was relegated to the small room off to the left at the back of the store. I was the only one who ventured back and found myself feeling guilty for considering wine from a neighboring state.
The Somerset Ridge is remarkable in that it doesn't seem to possess strong attributes. It is neither too oaky nor too dry. Instead it is mellow and extremely drinkable with almost hints of cherries or berries. A Cabernet drinker would easily embrace this red.
If you want to try the Flyboy Red, I know it's on the wine menu at Bonefish Grill in Leawood and will be featured at the Pork 102 dinner tonight at Jasper's Retaurant.
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For my taste, you can't beat the wines at Baltimore Bend Vineyard, on 24 hwy a few miles east of Lexington, MO. The Chambourcin or the Cynthiana (Norton) will rival any good California offering. They may be a little on the oaky side for some tastes, but not overwhelming. Try them, you will like!
I know nothing at all about Kansas wine, but I shudder to think that Jeunette Rouge (or anything from Les Bourgeois except their surprisingly decent Norton) is picked to represent Missouri. That winery is a nice spot to spend an afternoon or to have dinner if you're in the Columbia area, but great Missouri wine it is not. Incidently, I think Rob Dalzell was somehow involved in the early success of that restaurant. In my opinion , the best Missouri wines come from a select few vineyard in the Augusta, Herman, and St. Genevieve county. If you can find any around her, Adam Puchta makes several very decent bottles, as does Chaumette, Charleville, and a few Augusta wineries. Unfortunately, almost none of it is better than wines from other, better, growing regions when viewed with an eye to cost.
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