In 2013, Kevin and Kristy Long started a winery near Smithton, north of Stover. Named Wildlife Ridge, it is the only winery in Pettis County. On Saturday, Oct. 19, the Longs will bring 11 of their wines to share on the Clinton Square, during the 10th annual Clinton Wine Stroll.
What’s unique, besides the location: the majority of their wines are made from Missouri grapes, Kristy said.
Kevin and Kristy will be pouring samples at Glasscock Jewelry Corner, 100 S. Main Street. This is one of the last wine strolls of the season in the area. General admission tickets are $25 for sampling from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. About 100 VIP tickets are sold for $45 each, which allow early admission at 1 p.m.
Tickets are available online at (https://www.eventbrite.com/. General admission tickets are available in person at the Clinton Chamber of Commerce depot at 200 S. Main (pay by cash or check), or at the door.
Check in is in the breezeway of the Elks Building, 115 W. Franklin, an enclosed hall that bisects the first floor of the building. Check in for VIP ticket holders will start at 12:30 p.m. Cassie Cover Hilton and Amanda Johnson, former Clinton Main Street director, are organizing the Clinton Wine Stroll, which is a Main Street event.
A map showing which vineyards will be at which Clinton stores will be given out to ticket holders at check-in. Primitive Olde Crow and Winery of Clinton will have their signature wines. Luna Umbra Winery is coming from Butler, and Headquarters from Harrisonville. AI Brands of Clinton will be offering samples of their cocktail mixes.
Driving south to Clinton will be Baltimore Bend Winery. Get Drizzled, also located near Higginsville, will be serving samples of wine designed for dressing up holiday desserts. Les Bourgeois is coming over from Booneville.
From farther afield are Summit Lake Winery and Giggling Grapes from Jefferson City. Traveling from southern Missouri is Linwedel Winery from Branson. St. James Winery staff are making the trip from Route 66, also in southern Missouri, and Public House Brewing Co. from Rolla will be pouring brews.
Last year, Headquarters brought their Salted Caramel Sangria, a limited release, which they served at Silhouettes, Andrea Schmidt’s lingerie shop and clothing boutique at 114 S. Main.
Collective wisdom re: wine tasting is white before reds, light before full, and dry before sweet. The five S’s to appreciating the qualities of a wine are sight, smell, swirl, sip and savor. Smell is the most important step before sip, because the “nose” or aroma of a wine affects how our brains register flavors.
Wine strolls provide an opportunity to try new wines and expand your knowledge of viniculture in Missouri, which was second only to California in production before Prohibition. It was several generations before viniculture started making a comeback, with family vineyards springing up along the Missouri River. In 1980, Augusta, Mo., near Hermann, was designated the first American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the country.
The other four AVAs in Missouri wine are Hermann, Ozark Mountain in southern Missouri, Ozark Highlands in east-central Missouri and the Loess Hills District in northwest Missouri. Each AVA has a unique climate, elevation and soil, which creates the “terroir,” or sense of place, that creates a wine’s unique taste.
Brushing up on which grapes well grow in Missouri also adds depth to the Wine Stroll experience. Baltimore Bend, near Higginsville, is a family-operated winery that grows Norton grapes, the state grape of Missouri, which is adapted to the extremes of climate in the state. Chambourcin, a hybrid of French and American grapes, makes a dry red wine, known for its color that adds depth to red blends.
Baltimore Bend also grows Vignoles, a variety of hybrid grape that grows well here and in upstate New York. It makes a late-harvest sweet white wine, and is also used to produce a crisp, white wine with a citrusy tone. Baltimore Bend also makes full-fledged fruit wines in peach, blackberry and apple.
From Wildlife Ridge Winery, look for O Positive, a red wine made with Nortons that has a rich aroma and taste that will make your senses swoon. The winery’s Paint Brush Red is a semi-dry red wine with cherry and black currant flavors. For a semi-dry white wine, try Cricket, with citrus and pear flavors.
Kristy Long said Wildlife Ridge has taken part in the Clinton Wine Stroll for five or six years, and ranks it as a good event for everyone, vendors and strollers.
“In comparison with some of the other ones, it’s always right up there,” she said.
The Wine Stroll ends at 5 p.m., but the Elks set up a beer tent in back of their building.
Also check out the after-party at Primitive Olde Crow and Winery, 2.5 miles east of Clinton, just off Hwy 7 South. Olde Crow has brick-oven pizza and a large variety of craft beers on tap, and their new campground is open. The address is 32 SE HWY Aa, Clinton, MO 64735.
