Missouri Wines

I spent the four great days this month at the annual Midwest Grape and Wine Conference; an experience that's never disappointing. One of the people instrumental in putting together this event is Danene Beedle, marketing director extraordinaire at the Missouri Wine and Grape Board and also known as the Missouri Wine Girl (be sure to ck out her blog). The conference pulls viticulture and enology experts from both coasts, as well as from around the globe. While that feature is impressive and educational, the conference's biggest attraction is the chance to get together with the wonderful people in the industry - and what a esprit de corp. How fortunate for a newcomer like me to be able to discuss wine characteristics with the winemakers at Mount Pleasant; the local terroir with the great people at Les Bourgeois; new varietals with Jon Held at Stone Hill and all the other people who so generously share their knowledge, encouragement and friendship.

One highlight of the weekend was talking to Brian Duncan, co-owner and the wine director (a title he prefers to sommelier) of the BIN 36 restauarant group in Chicago. Brian was named as wine director of the year by Gourmet Magazine, was most recently in the November issue of Oprah Winfrey's O magazine and has graced the pages of GQ and Food and Wine, among others. It wasn't hard to figure out that Brian success is inextricably linked with his attitude - he's a straight forward, nice guy who is knowledgable but simply can't be bothered with being snooty about wine. I had the opportunity to set with him at lunch where his private label wines were served. Brian partners with Hahn Estates’ winemaker Adam La Zarre to make (among others) a beautifully unfeigned and affordable Chard. It's unmistakably a food wine but that by no means is its only attribute.

Check out this video of Brian on Wine Taste TV as he explains pairing wine with food.