This weekend, the Platte City winery is holding free tastings of the bubbly, fruity white wine (think Missouri's verson of Moscato d'Asti), along with a few bites that pair well with the wine, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. As part of the release party, cases are 20 percent off.
The Westport Cafe & Bar (419 Westport Road) is breathing new life into classic cocktails, and you'll find there that you and your grandfather may have more in common than you think. A new cocktail menu has several glasses to rap your fingers around: a gimlet (Greyling Gin and a house-made lime cordial), the Champs Elysee (Maison Rouge Cognac, green chartreuse, lemon and simple bitters) and a Hot Buttered Rum (Gosling's Black Seal Rum, spiced hot cider, brown-sugar butter and grated nutmeg). You don't need a fire to warm yourself in winter.
If you need somebody else to carry the conversational weight, the Jazz Brunch at the Majestic (931 Broadway) is the way to go. Rich Hill provides the live Jazz to accompany the historic downtown restaurant's Sunday brunch from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dig into the bacon and brie frittata, fried risotto or crab cake Benedict. Make a reservation at 816-221-1888.
Café Europa (323 East 55th Street) is smart. The restaurant keeps the classics - tomato basil soup and lemon cake - but also has monthly specials that are just as tempting. In December, you'll have to choose among the gnocchi with duck confit and spinach; the fried cauliflower with pickled onions, cabbage and roasted garlic sauce; and pan-roasted sardines with white beans, tomato and fennel. Good luck.
What have you got on tap for the weekend?
