Nearly 1,000 visitors taste the holidays' best from area wineries

Hundreds of visitors from all over Missouri and the surrounding states once again flocked to Hermann for the Holiday Fare Wine Trail to sample the finest from Hermann Area vintners. But the Holiday Fare Wine Trail isn’t all about the wine—there’s also plenty of delicious holiday food to jumpstart both the appetite and the holiday spirit.

At Robller Winery near New Haven, Lois Mueller had spent about 12 hours making up her patented pecan pie bar, and the dessert’s taste suggested it was time well spent. Robller also offered a peanut butter crinkle cookie to pair with the white steuben, a semi-sweet wine with strong fruity notes. The combination of the wine and the dessert evoked a caramel-covered apple sensation fitting with the end of autumn.

By 3:45 p.m. Saturday, Bias Winery had already seen more than 400 visitors anxious to try its cranberry apple pecan stuffing. The pairing with River Bluff Rouge, a semi-dry blush, created a pop with the cranberry flavor to meld with the savory stuffing.

At OakGlenn Winery, visitors could choose either a dry option—the vidal blanc—or the Sweet Caroline to pair with a miniature Thanksgiving dinner of smoked turkey, dried cranberries, toasted pecans and garlic butter toast.

“The food was very good,” said Meg Morrissey, who was visiting from Columbia, Mo. “It was all very seasonal.”

Hermannhof general manager Paul LeRoy baked up plenty of pumpkin apple streusel cake to offer visitors with just a bit of whip cream on top. The cake was paired with Germantown, a sweet and fruity white wine, which provided balance to the spiced dessert. The pairing tasted reminiscent of warm, crowded kitchens during holiday family gatherings.

Heartier fare was in order at Adam Puchta Winery, where winemaker Tim Puchta had scoured French cooking books for a perfect recipe for boeuf bourguignon. After making a few changes to the recipe and using Hunter’s Red wine in the stew, Puchta found a perfect dish. Pairing with the Hunter’s Red highlights both its peppery and savory qualities.

“This has been my favorite so far,” said visitor Ben DeMeyer. “It’s very tasty.”

Although most of the wineries’ staffs were happy to have a sunny, warm weekend for the event, Stone Hill Winery’s offering would have worked just as well on a cold winter’s day. Stone Hill used Hermannsberger red wine in a recipe for mulled wine—a hot wine concoction that warms both body and spirit when paired with holiday snaps.

Many of the wineries offered recipes to accompany their food selections. Visitors left the trail with food ideas, full stomachs, a souvenir wine glass and a love for Missouri’s wines.