Farm + Market: A Fence Stile and Local Farm Food and Wine Experience Featuring Fair Share Farm, Prairie Birthday Farm and Borgman’s Dairy Farm Sunday, November 18th, 3:30-5:30 PM Join us for a special event that highlights local Missouri wine and Missouri farmers! Farm + Market is a new food and wine experience from Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery that celebrates the 2018 harvest, the craft of winemaking, and the rich diversity of locally-grown and produced foods. Begin with a glass of apple sangria or mulled wine. Savor three dishes, served small plates-style, prepared using ingredients from Fair Share Farm based in Kearney, Prairie Birthday Farm based in Kearney, and Borgman's Dairy Farm based in Holden. Each dish is paired with a Fence Stile wine. Each farmer will share details about their farm and offer market goods for sale. Fence Stile owner-winemaker Shriti Plimpton and chef Pete Dulin will discuss wine and food pairings. $35 per person. RSVP at events@fencestile.com or call 816-500-6465. Limited seating available. Reserve a seat today! Welcome Glass - Enjoy a glass of apple sangria or mulled wine. First Course Sweet potato, ginger, and turmeric samosa with curry goat’s milk yogurt. Paired with Vignoles. Second Course Leek smoked with wild plum wood and lavender, grilled radish, oven-roasted turnips, and Chinese broccoli with spelt, topped with escabeche and goat’s milk cheese. Paired with Backpack Red. Third Course Honey and apple sweet grits topped with Fence Stile blackberry compote and goat’s milk caramel sauce. Paired with Vidal Blanc. Top row: Tom Ruggieri and Rebecca Graff of Fair Share Farm. Bottom row: Linda Hezel of Prairie Birthday Farm and Dr. Janet Smith of Borgman's Dairy Farm. Below: Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery owner-winemaker Shriti Plimpton.
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Fence Stile welcomed a parade of guests to the winery and crush pad for an old-fashioned grape stomping. The annual event is our way of closing out the grape harvest season. We picked Vidal Blanc, Vignoles, Seyval, Chambourcin, and Concord grapes with the help of many harvest volunteers from six acres of vineyards. The juice from this 2018 grape harvest will become future wine vintages. Grape stomping is squishy fun for all ages. Guests rolled up their pant legs and pulled up their skirts, stepped inside a tub filled with Concord grapes, and stomped away, "I Love Lucy" style. Check out the gallery of photos below and some video of grape stompers in action. Thanks to the many guests that came out, participated, and relaxed on the patio and Tasting Room on a balmy Sunday. As always, thanks to our many harvest volunteers that helped us throughout the season. In the background, Shriti's wonder-dog Kai found a playmate, Murphy, as they ran, ran, and ran more all afternoon. Harvest is a sensory experience much like wine tasting. The wine experience begins in the vineyard and the actual harvest itself is an immersive experience. Harvest days begin early when the pre-dawn sky is still blue-black. The Fence Stile team rises before daybreak, heads to the vineyard, and prepares supplies and equipment for the day's work. Most harvest volunteers are also up and on the way to the vineyard just as the sun rises.
Sight is perhaps the first of the senses engaged. The sun emerges over the horizon and pearls of morning dew glisten off the vines. A range of vibrant green hues signal the energy and vitality stored in the vines, canopy of leaves and grapes. The culmination of the season from winter dormancy to bud break in April to summer's lush growth leads to harvest day, when the grapes are finally ready to pick. Volunteers for the harvest party bring their own energy to jump start the day with camaraderie, greetings, and introductions. Participants gather for a glass of juice and instructions on where to pick, how to pick and the harvest plan for the day. Smiling faces of fellow volunteers and the Fence Stile team are evident as we prepare to embark on this communal experience. After all, beautiful clusters of plump, juicy and luscious grapes await on the vines, full, ripe and ready for picking. Specific sounds are part of the experience as harvest commences. Each person takes a pair of clippers and buckets and walks to the end of a row of grapevines. Random bird noises screech and caw in the distance. These recorded predatory bird calls are played on a loop in the weeks leading to and during harvest in order to scare away birds that would feast on ripe grapes. Friendly conversations and banter begins as folks partner up to pick grapes on each side of a row. Everyone is partnered to help each other locate and pick grapes hidden behind leaves. Periodically, the Fence Stile team offer reminders to stay hydrated and work as a group throughout the early morning. Located 2.6 miles from Downtown Excelsior Springs and 40 minutes from Kansas City, the vineyards lack the harsh, abrasive noises of the city. Perhaps a truck from a neighbor might rumble along the gravel road past the winery. For the most part, laughter and stories and perhaps the rustle of leaves in a breeze form the soundtrack to the morning. Conversation includes favorite memories of past harvests, sports scores, updates on kids and work and sometimes tips and tricks on picking are shared. Once in a while, the tractor growls as it rumbles along the row to move a macro bin filled with grapes. Harvesters ask questions about the grape, the kind of wine we plan to make, the season and if this year is better than previous years. We welcome all of the conversation and interest in sharing our passion – the transformation of grapes from the vine into wine in a glass. In fact, picking with our guests is one of our favorite thing to do. We get to know each harvest participant in a more meaningful way and relish the time spent with everyone. We could not complete harvest without each person that helps. Scents of fresh-cut grass and sweet grapes fill the morning air mixed in with sunscreen and perhaps bug spray. As macro bins are filled, the aroma of ripe grapes builds. We can't help but try a few grapes. We taste these grapes throughout the season to see how the flavors are maturing. On the morning of harvest, the flavors explode with the promise of what will be in the glass. We encourage our harvesters to taste the grapes, taste the free-run juice on the crush pad and also taste wine from these same varietals so they can experience the transformation from grape to glass. By late morning, everyone has some grape juice on them mixed in with a little sweat. We have a saying - if you don't want it in your glass, don't put it in your bucket! Everyone is very careful not to put MOG - material other than grape - into their bins. The vineyard team does a quick sort as buckets are emptied into the macro bins and then again when the bins are emptied into the crusher/de-stemmer. Harvesting is a hands-on activity! By late morning, the shared communal experience from the vineyard moves into the tasting room for lunch, wine and more stories. The chef-prepared harvest lunch not only offers well-deserved sustenance after the morning's work, but also another sensory display of color, aroma, taste and texture. We often see phone numbers, pictures and stories exchanged over lunch and overhear plans of the next get together. The morning ends with "thank you" and hugs. No one seems to care that we are all sticky from the morning's labor. Sharing this experience with guests and harvest participants energizes the team during the afternoon. Within hours of picking grapes, the team on the crush pad starts the process of crushing, de-stemming and pressing grapes that will become the next vintage of wines to be shared over more stories. Every vintage has a story. Each harvest is a part of that story reflected in the weather conditions before and during harvest, and the decisions made on harvest day to best preserve the inherent qualities in the juice of freshly-harvested grapes. Anyone who helps harvest has a deeper understanding of the wine when they visit the tasting room again and experience that particular vintage. We cherish having our guests become part of the story and look forward to the shared experience. Shriti Owner-winemaker Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery The team at Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery has been busy this summer not only tending to the grapevines, but also picking blackberries! We harvested 200 pounds of plump, juicy blackberries from our patch located next to the Concord grapevines. What did we do with the fruit of our labors?
Last weekend, we introduced a limited-edition line of Vineyard Lifestile Blackberry Chambourcin Jam, Blackberry Basil Jam, and Blackberry Ginger Chili Chutney. Blackberry Chambourcin Jam is made from our blackberries and Chambourcin grape juice. It's perfect to spread on toast, a bagel or muffin. Try it with some savory goat cheese and slices of baguette. The Blackberry Basil Jam is sweet and savory. Enjoy it with some brie, a topping for ice cream, on granola cereal for breakfast, or pair it with roast lamb or beef tenderloin and a glass of Chambourcin. For the sweet, mildly spicy and savory combination of Blackberry Ginger Chili Chutney, pair it with rich gorgonzola cheese served on a cracker or crostini and some grapes or figs. Enjoy the essence of fresh summer berries through these jams and chutney available exclusively at our Tasting Room. Stop in, try a sample and take some home! They won't last long! .
Join us and help with the harvest! RSVP to reserve a spot today. Our harvest is quickly approaching. Harvest begins on Sunday, August 26th. Participating in the grape harvest is a fun, immersive way to extend your wine experience and education. Our winery team will explain the harvest process and show you how to harvest grapes from the vines. Afterward, join us for a harvest lunch made in-house by our chef and toast the harvest with wine! Space is limited and reservations are required. Email us to get on the harvest list. Please include a phone number, preferred date, and how many spots you would like. Harvest dates: Sunday, August 26th Sunday, September 2nd Sunday, September 9th Sunday, September 16th Sunday, September 23rd Tentative date for our Annual Grape Stomp (I Love Lucy style) - Sunday, September 30th. Details to come. About our Harvest Parties We begin harvest in the cool mornings, starting at 8 am, after a light breakfast. We finish when the grapes are picked but strive to be done by lunchtime. As volunteers harvest, our team brings the macro bins – full of grapes that you helped to pick – to the crush pad. The grapes will be loaded into the crusher/destemmer and prepared for crush. After the harvest, enjoy a hearty lunch with the group. Also, watch the crush process and even taste some of the free run juice! This communal experience of working together to bring in the annual harvest is best shared with family and friends. Sign up with a group or make new friends when you join us. Email us to get details or sign up in the Tasting Room at the winery. Once we're ready to harvest, we'll email you in advance with instructions on what to wear and how to prepare. Hint: It's simple and basic. Preparing for Harvest Below, Shriti holds a refractometer that is used to measure the sugar level in a grape's juices. It's one way that we determine when grapes are ready to harvest. Veraison, a French term that describes the change in grape color, is another visual clue. As red grapes ripen, they begin to develop color as sugar levels develop. The skin of green grapes grow more translucent as they ripen. Below, compare photos of grapes from mid-July to early August. Soon, our grapes will be ready to harvest, full of sweetness and heady aroma. We'll see you in the vineyard and Tasting Room soon! Sign up today to RSVP for our Harvest Party! For Dinner and a Movie on Friday, August 3, we're offering a delicious spin on our popular WineIn Movies, a Friday night movie-watching party on the patio. Dinner and a Movie guests may reserve dinner from 6 to 8:30 PM. Menu by Chef Pete Dulin. $20/person (not including tax and gratuity). Wine sold separately.
You can make a reservation by emailing events@fencestile.com. Please specify the event, the number of people in your party and a phone number where you can be reached to finalize your reservation. Dinner and a Movie Friday, August 3 6-8:30 PM - Dinner 8 PMish - Guests are welcome to stay for a screening of the featured movie, Chef, at dusk. Suggested wines: Kaiscape, Vidal Blanc, Rosé, Loft Red, or our newest wine, Backpack Red. MENU Zucchini mushroom goat cheese galette with heirloom tomato corn salsa (Pictured above.) Chilled lentil salad with radish, mint and lemon Peaches and blackberries marinated in Ishq dessert wine 7/18/2018 1 Comment Backpack Red - New Wine ReleaseBackpack Red, Fence Stile's newest semi-dry red wine, is made for adventure. It's perfect for a picnic, an outdoor excursion to the lake or a hike, or indoor indulgence. We've created a Chambourcin-Norton blend that's easy-drinking. The addition of Norton adds body and structure to enhance the fruit-forward flavor of Chambourcin. Visit the Tasting Room for the debut of Backpack Red from August 3rd-5th and try this newly-released wine.
Fence Stile's owner and winemaker Shriti Plimpton named the wine Backpack Red. Its light body and versatility makes the wine suitable to pair with picnic foods that wouldn't hold up to heavy, full-bodied, more tannic reds. Enjoy Backpack Red on a picnic or camping trip with fresh summer fruit and vegetables with hummus, artisan cheese, whole grain bread and local charcuterie. "Picnics are generally daytime adventures," Plimpton says. "Having a heavy, full-bodied red in the middle of the day isn't always pleasant. Backpack Red offers a lighter, more adventurous option for red wine drinkers. White wine drinkers who want to explore the red side will appreciate the fruit-forward style of this wine. Also, there's no need to chill this wine when you are hitting the trails and lakes." To celebrate the release of Backpack Red, Fence Stile will have a la carte food specials on the wine release weekend, August 3rd-5th. In addition to our regular Nibbles menu, guests may order these French summer picnic-inspired foods. Goat cheese pearls, olives, and grape tomatoes marinated in olive oil and herbs Baguette with olive and spicy chickpea tapenade Chilled lentil salad with radish, mint and lemon Fancy cheese board with mixed nuts, house-made crackers and mustard, olives, and grapes This year's Fourth of July falls in the middle of the week. Extend your holiday weekend with a visit to Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery. Here are five reasons to visit us this weekend in Excelsior Springs. 1) Freedom tastes great with wine. So does apple pie and barbecue! Bring a picnic and celebrate Independence Day this weekend with a glass of red, white or rosé wine made from French-American hybrid grapes. While at Fence Stile, raise a toast to Missourians that helped save the European wine industry in 1846. You see, phylloxera, an American plant louse, infested European vineyards in the late 18th century. Missouri's first entomologist Charles V. Riley inspected France's ailing grape crop in 1871 at the invitation of the French government. Riley determined that phylloxera was the issue. He also found that some Native American rootstocks were immune to the louse. Missouri grape nurserymen grafted French vines onto native American grapevine rootstocks in order to grow healthy grapes. As a result of the successful trial, millions of cuttings of Missouri rootstock were shipped to save the French wine industry from disaster. Vive Missouri! Today, French-American hybrid grapes are grown and harvested throughout Missouri and Kansas because they grow well in Missouri's soil and climate. Try Fence Stile's Chambourcin, Vidal Blanc, Vignoles and Seyval to experience their taste and aroma. 2) Winery & Wine Cave Tour with Candlelit Tasting on Saturday. Enjoy a tour of the property, the vineyards and the winery. Finish with a candlelit tasting in the CELLAR57 club room and the wine caves. Keep the tasting glass and enjoy 10-percent off the wines purchased on the tour! $35/person. Reservations required. Upcoming tour dates include July 7th - 12:30 pm, July 14th - 12:30 pm, July 21st - 12:30 pm, and July 28th - 12:30 pm. Contact events@fencestile.com to reserve a spot. 3) Wine-In Friday. July 6th - In Eat, Pray, Love, a married woman (Julia Roberts) realizes how unhappy her marriage really is, and that her life needs to go in a different direction. After a painful divorce, she takes off on a round-the-world journey to "find herself." Arrive early and settle in with a bottle of wine. Bring food or order light bites from our Nibbles menu, such as bread, house-made crackers, pretzel bread, cheese, olives, and savory gourmet nuts from Savory Addiction. The movie starts at sunset. Gather at a table under the white canopy on the patio. Enjoy the sunset. When the sky grows dark enough, we'll start the movie on our screen above the stage. Please dress for the weather. 4) Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery is dog-friendly. Bring the puppers with you to the countryside. Escape the fireworks and relax. Enjoy our scenic vineyards, patio, cellar garden, shaded picnic tables, and air-conditioned Tasting Room. While Fence Stile's Becca and Kai (pictured above) won't be at the winery to greet you, your dogs are welcome to make new friends as you enjoy wine. We also have a pond for any water-loving pals. 5) Find out why Fence Stile is one of the region's top-rated wineries. Fence Stile vineyards and winery regularly receives top ratings on Trip Advisor, Facebook, and Yelp.
Join us this weekend and make plans to visit us this summer as we get closer to harvest in late August. See you soon. Fence Stile offers food and wine events in July that use plentiful summer vegetables, fruits and herbs. You can make a reservation by emailing events@fencestile.com. Please specify the event, the number of people in your party and a phone number where you can be reached to finalize your reservation. Dinner and a Movie Friday, July 13 6 PM Dinner. 8 PM (dusk) - Guests are welcome to stay for a screening of the featured movie, The Hundred-Foot Journey, at dusk. $20/person (not including tax and gratuity). Wine sold separate. Suggested wines: Kaiscape, Reserve Vidal, Rosé, Becca Blend. Menu Peruvian causa (chilled savory potato cake) topped with avocado, aji amarillo pepper sauce, and tomato and garnished with hard-boiled egg and Peruvian botija olive. Tower of zucchini, rosemary, and tomato with cheddar polenta served Napoleon-style Watermelon with lavender blossoms, purple basil and Thai basil from Fence Stile’s herb garden, smoked salt, charred scallions, and basil-infused olive oil SAVE THE DATE - Dinner and a Movie Friday, August 3 6 PM - Dinner (Menu to be announced) 8 PM (dusk) - Guests are welcome to stay for a screening of the featured movie, Chef, at dusk. Small Bites
Sunday, July 22. Two seatings: 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM $35/person (not including tax and gratuity) This wine and food event features four small bites (heavy appetizers) paired with four wines. The food is plated and served as one course with matching wines. We'll discuss sensory notes of the food and wine. You can make a reservation by emailing events@fencestile.com. Please specify the event, the number of people in your party, the desired seating time and phone number you can be reached at. Salad of jicama, cucumber, and mandarin orange with citrus dressing paired with Kaiscape. Strawberry lemon balm tomato jam on bruschetta served with rosé. Mushroom fried olive onion tart served with Chambourcin. Caramelized peach with honey and spiced granola crumble served with Vidal Blanc. A small team of researchers from the University of Missouri-Columbia arrived at Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery in early June to conduct a field test. Fence Stile welcomed the team and volunteered several rows of its grapes for a test that involved evaluating the growth and reproductive effects of broad-spectrum herbicide Dicamba on Missouri grapes. Sarah Dixon, a graduate research assistant and master’s candidate in the Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, led the field team on behalf of the project's principal investigator Dr. Reid J. Smeda; Professor, Weed Science.
About Dicamba Soybean farmers that use Dicamba on their crops have been able to combat increasing populations of glyphosate (Roundup)-resistant weeds. According to a summary of the research project, adoption of Dicamba is expected to be widespread on more than five million acres of Missouri soybean. Labeled use of Dicamba can occur between early spring through initial soybean flowering. Dicamba regulates growth and causes significant damage to broadleaf plants, including grapes, at concentrations measured in parts per million. The risk for damage to vineyards from Dicamba can occur through both particle and vapor drift with impacts possible for up to several years. The goal of the research is to conduct field-based experiments to determine the initial and long-term (two years) impact of Dicamba on grape growth and reproduction. Research at Fence Stile Research is being conducted on established grapes at two Missouri vineyards, including Fence Stile, with effects of Dicamba followed for two years at each location. Current available research on the impact of Dicamba in wine grapes is based off of greenhouse studies with rooted grape cuttings. Much less is known about the response of field-grown grapes to accidental exposure of Dicamba. During the test at Fence Stile, grapevines were exposed to Dicamba during initial growth and flowering, which coincide with early and mid-season application timings on soybean. Selected rows of grapes were covered by plastic field tunnels to isolate them from other rows in the vineyard. The effect of particle and vapor drift will be determined independently and results can serve as a baseline to understand expected losses from off-target movement of Dicamba. The treated rows of grapes will be compared to an untreated control group to evaluate any level of plant injury, grapevine development, BRIX sugar content during veraison, and berry development. Grapes will be hand-harvested and grape yield per plant will be recorded. 50 random grape berries placed in sealed containers and frozen for laboratory analysis of important berry characteristics. The research team received funding for the second year from the Grape and Wine Institute to continue this research. Photographs courtesy of Sarah Dixon. Summer officially begins on June 21 but we're already celebrating the season with rosé, the perfect summer sipper for hot, humid days. Celebrate Rosé Day on Saturday, June 9 Visit Fence Stile and celebrate Rosé Day! Try a flight of all three of our estate rosé wines. Purchase the 2014, 2015 and 2016 vintages by the bottle as a three-pack and receive 10-percent off your purchase. This is a rare opportunity to sample and purchase the limited-release 2016 rosé vintage at the Tasting Room today only. Bottles of the 2016 rosé are also available at Whole Foods Market (more details below). Drop in, sample the rosés, and compare the flavors and aromas between these vintages. For your listening pleasure, crowd favorite Laura Lisbeth will perform live music on Saturday from 2-5 PM on the patio. Pre-Weekend, Two-for-One Deal Get an early start to the weekend with a visit on Thursday to our Tasting Room. We offer a two-for-one tasting each Thursday. Bring a friend and receive two tastings for the price of one (a $5 value). A tasting includes a sample of five wines of your choosing. We have red, white and rosé wines, ranging from dry to semi-dry to sweet. After you find a wine that speaks to your spirit animal, settle in with a glass or bottle and relax in the Tasting Room, outdoor patio, or Cellar Garden. Fence Stile Wines Now at Whole Foods Market - Kansas City Can't make it to the Tasting Room on Thursday? Visit the new Whole Foods Market (51st St. and Brookside Blvd, just south of the Plaza) on Thursday, June 7, where we will offer wine samples from 4-7 PM. Whole Foods Market now carries seven Fence Stile wines for purchase! Sample, sip and pick up a bottle for the weekend. Fence Stile's Friday Night WineIn™ Our WineIn™(movies on the patio) season continues with a Friday, June 8, screening of Mrs. Doubtfire that features this unforgettable scene involving wine. Watch Robin Williams, Sally Field, and a dashing Pierce Brosnan perform in this classic role. Bring food or purchase items from our Nibbles menu to enjoy with wine. Once the sun sets at dusk, the movie begins on our patio. Watch the film under the stars in the countryside while surrounded by vineyards. Trivia Time on Sunday, June 10 Make Sunday a fun day with afternoon trivia and wine. Bring a team or we will pair you with other wine pals for a few rounds of trivia from 1-3 PM. Summer is here and Fence Stile's WineIn™ (movies on the patio) season returns. Join us to watch classic and contemporary feature films on Friday evenings. Arrive early and settle in with a bottle of wine. Bring food or order light bites from our Nibbles menu, such as bread, pretzel bread, cheese, olives, and savory gourmet nuts from Savory Addiction. New from our kitchen – have you tried our homemade mustard and crackers?! Fence Stile owner Shriti whips up savory mustard from scratch using mustard seed, wine, turmeric powder, and a little sass. Try some on your next visit. The movie starts at sunset. Gather at a table under the white canopy on the patio. Enjoy the sunset. When the sky grows dark enough, we'll start the movie on our screen above the stage. Please dress for the weather, but keep in mind that we do have blankets for any chilly evening. Here's the schedule for our July films. July 6th - Eat, Pray, Love. A married woman (Julia Roberts) realizes how unhappy her marriage really is, and that her life needs to go in a different direction. After a painful divorce, she takes off on a round-the-world journey to "find herself." July 13th - The Hundred-Foot Journey Dinner and a Movie For Dinner and a Movie, we're offering a delicious spin on our popular WineIn Movies, a Friday night movie-watching party on the patio. Dinner and a Movie guests may reserve dinner at 6 PM (limited seating available). Menu below by Chef Pete Dulin. $20/person (not including tax and gratuity). Wine sold separately. Suggested wines: Kaiscape, Reserve Vidal, Rosé, Becca Blend. You can make a reservation by emailing events@fencestile.com. Please specify the event, the number of people in your party and a phone number where you can be reached to finalize your reservation. After dinner, guests are welcome to stay for a screening of the featured movie, The Hundred-Foot Journey, at dusk (around 8:30 PM). Menu Peruvian causa (chilled savory potato cake) stuffed with avocado, topped with creamy bell pepper sauce, and garnished with hard-boiled egg, tomato, and kalamata olive. Tower of zucchini, rosemary, and tomato with cheddar polenta, served Napoleon-style. Watermelon with lavender blossoms, purple basil and Thai basil from Fence Stile’s herb garden, smoked salt, charred scallions, and strawberry-basil infused olive oil. July 20th - Breakfast at Tiffany's Watch the classic film starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. July 27th - The Other Woman Watch "The Other Woman," a classic film starring Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, and Kate Upton. Synopsis: "After discovering her boyfriend is married, Carly soon meets the wife he's been betraying. And when yet another love affair is discovered, all three women team up to plot revenge on the three-timing S.O.B." 4/22/2018 0 Comments Mother's Day Brunch MenuUPDATE - OUR MOTHER'S DAY BRUNCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.
Bring mom to Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery for brunch and wine on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 13, from 11:30 am to 2 pm. Carey Weir of Off the Vine Catering will prepare a fabulous spread of food to complement our selection of white, red, rosé, and sparkling wine. Mother's Day Brunch Menu Breakfast sliders with cheddar and herb biscuits filled with smoked ham, cheddar, and Dijon-roasted garlic aioli Breakfast sliders with cheddar and herb biscuits filled with egg and cheddar Frittata with potato, bacon, and smoked gouda Frittata with wild mushroom and herbed goat cheese Fruit and imported cheese platter with homemade Asiago, sea salt crackers, herb and sun-dried tomato grissini Roasted fingerling potatoes flavored with caramelized Vidalia onions, garlic, and fresh thyme topped with chive crème fraiche Bacon with a brown sugar, cracked black pepper, and rosemary glaze Brioche French toast bread pudding with blueberry and lemon-infused syrup Cost (gratuity and tax included) is $38/person, children are $25. Mothers will receive a craft cocktail courtesy of Shriti and Fence Stile. Please make reservations by emailing events@fencestile.com. Happy Spring! We have a few announcements, reminders, and events planned just around the corner, including a spring bonfire, Mother's Day buffet, and live music.
Sip N Shop - Saturday, April 21 Pop out to the Tasting Room for wine and fun shopping from local vendors, featuring a wide array of jewelry, apparel, arts and crafts, specialty foods, home furnishings and more. It's a perfect opportunity to shop and find a get for Mother's Day or to treat yourself. Spring Bonfire - Sunday, April 22 Fence Stile will host a spring bonfire on Sunday, April 22nd, behind the Tasting Room building in the area behind the crush pad. Join us on Sunday for the bonfire and wine. We'll have hotdogs and s'mores, plus sweet-and-savory bags of popcorn and our usual Nibbles menu of cheese, sausage, bread, and more. We've accumulated a mighty pile of deadwood and brush from our service road upgrade last year. Also, vineyard manager Shawna Mull has been busy over the winter pruning the vineyards and adding the clippings to the woodpile. Burning the woodpile is a final goodbye to wintery weather and salute to spring while taking responsibility to properly and safely manage the resources of our land. Wine Club Pickup Party - Saturday, May 12 Wine Club members, save the date for the quarterly Wine Club pickup party, wine and tasty bites. Not a Wine Club member yet? Contact Shriti at info@fencestile.com to learn more details. Mother's Day - Sunday, May 13 Save the date and make reservations for a Mother's Day buffet on Sunday, May 13, 11:30 am to 2 pm, at Fence Stile. We're finalizing the menu and will announce it early next week, but you (and moms) won't want to miss it. Cost (gratuity and tax included) is $38/person, children are $25. Mothers will receive a craft cocktail courtesy of Shriti and Fence Stile. Spring Music Now that the weather is turning warmer (Right? Right!!), it's a great time to venture out of the house, spend an afternoon at Fence Stile, and enjoy live music on Saturdays. Unless otherwise noted, performances are from 2 to 4 pm. April 21st - The Good Sam Club Band (1 pm) April 28th - Brad Allen May 5th - Steve Sterner and Sundown May 12th - Rick Lally May 19th - 3 Bricks Shy May 26th - Brad Allen June 2nd - The Good Sam Club Band June 9th - Laura Lisbeth June 16th - David Knopf Below: (Top row, left to right) - Brad Allen, Good Sam Club Band, Laura Lisbeth. (Bottom Row, left to right) - David Knopf, Rick Lally, Steve Sterner and Sundown. Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery celebrated its 9th Anniversary on Saturday, April 7, and Sunday, April 8, with many activities including a display of fire-spinning by vineyard manager Shawna Mull. She performed a 20-minute set on the front flagstone patio as dusk fell. A crowd of onlookers took a break from celebrating, storytelling, and visiting over wine in the Tasting Room to watch in awe as Shawna wielded various instruments lit with fire and performed carefully choreographed routines. Check out the gallery at the bottom of the post for more photos of her in action. The weekend's celebratory activities included live music on Saturday from 2 to 4 pm by David Knopf (above, right). This month, join us in the Tasting Room for a wine tasting, a bottle of wine, and music from other talented musicians. Enjoy live performances on the following dates: Jim Thomas at 2 pm on April 14th, The Good Sam Club Band at 1 pm on April 21st Brad Allen (above, left) at 2 pm on April 28th. While at Fence Stile, tour our winery and wine cave. Enjoy a tour of the property, the vineyards and the winery and then conclude with a candlelit tasting in the CELLAR57 club room and the wine caves. Guests keep the tasting glass & enjoy 10-percent off the wines purchased on the tour! $35/person. To reserve a spot, email events@fencestile.com. Upcoming winery and wine cave tour dates April 13th - 6:30 pm April 14th 12:30 pm & 4:00 pm April 21st - 12:30 pm April 27th - 6:30 pm Wine Xenos at Fence Stile Check out our new Wine Xenos Photo Stand in the Tasting Room. Take a photo with your friends or a loved one. Post the photo on social media and don't forget to tag #FenceStileWinery! We also have Wine Xenos logo wine glassware and T-shirts available. Spring Wine Savings
Get ready for spring patio downtime. Stock up on our estate white wines and receive 10% off when you purchase a 10-pack (mix-and-match) of wine. Take home a pair of our new Wine Xenos wine glasses as a thank-you gift (while supplies last) with a purchase of 10 bottles or more of estate white wine. Offer runs through April. Save the Date April 20 - Spring Bonfire and Wine Party. Check our Facebook page for details. April 21 - 4 pm, Sip N Shop. Enjoy a glass of wine and shop. Local vendors have jewelry, apparel, home furnishings, specialty food and more. April 21 - 2 to 4 pm. Fence Stile Wine Tasting at Grain to Glass (1611 Swift, North Kansas City). Can't make it to our Tasting Room? Drop by Grain to Glass and taste our wines. Grain to Glass sells Fence Stile wines by the glass and bottle. 4/3/2018 1 Comment 9th Anniversary Celebration: Stories From Fence Stile Ambassador Kevin Snedden, Fire-spinning and MoreFence Stile's winery ambassador Kevin Snedden has been involved with the winery since its 2009 debut. Kevin will share stories of the origins of Fence Stile and treasured memories during the winery's 9th Anniversary Celebration this weekend on Saturday evening, April 7, after 6:30 pm. Winery guests and friends are invited to share stories by the fireplace, play winery trivia, enjoy a bottle of wine, and join in the fun. After dusk, vineyard manager Shawna Mull will perform a fire-spinning demonstration (weather permitting). The anniversary celebration continues on Sunday, April 8. See bottom of the post for the full listing of anniversary events. Kevin and his wife Christine first discovered the winery's original tasting room in the old building (next to the current Tasting Room building) before the winery was officially open. Wine and conversation led to friendship and opportunity. Kevin's relationship with the winery and friendship with owner Shriti Plimpton developed into a role where he became Fence Stile's ambassador, unofficial historian, and storyteller. "The anniversary party will be celebrations of monumental moments from the winery's past and present," Kevin said. "I remember an event where a permit was pulled for a small fireworks display at a previous anniversary celebration. We set up the display at the far end of the parking lot, where there was no danger to the crowd on the patio of the Tasting Room." Well, the fireworks display fell over with exciting results. Kevin said, "The display shot balls of fire across the parking lot as some people were getting ready to leave." No one was harmed, but the fireworks display became a legendary memory. Another memory involves an early performance of Pyrosapiens, a fire-spinning troupe consisting of Kevin, vineyard manager Shawna Mull, and Tony McInturff. The trio performed their fire-spinning act at dusk. "Pyrosapiens performed for the first time at Fence Stile," Kevin said. "It was a hobby of our performing arts crew. It was fun for us as performers and the audience." This weekend's events will be a chance to share and capture stories from Kevin and our guests. Fence Stile will have a Wine Xenos photo booth on display, where guests can create a photo to share on social media (tag #FenceStile) and others. See the event listings below for the full schedule. 9th Anniversary Celebration Events Saturday, April 7 Kevin Snedden will lead winery and wine cave tours with a candlelit wine tasting on April 7th at 12:30 pm and 4:00 pm. Tour the property and the winery. Finish with a candlelit tasting in the CELLAR57 club room and the wine caves. Keep the tasting glass and enjoy 10% off the wines purchased on the tour! $35/person. To reserve space, email events@fencestile.com. Take a souvenir photo in our new Wine Xenos photo display. You have to see it in our Tasting Room! Tag #FenceStile when sharing photos on social media. Listen to live music by David Knopf on Saturday, April 7, from 2 to 4 pm. Guest chef Pete Dulin will be in the kitchen preparing savory and sweet small plates, while supplies last. The menu includes: • Lentil, chickpea, mint, and radish salad with lemon-mint dressing • Blueberry and blue cheese spread with crostini • Mushroom leek soup with sauteed asparagus and Parmesan cheese After 6:30 pm on Saturday, April 7, Kevin will share stories of the winery's history. Guests are also invited to share stories and favorite memories during a fireside gathering. Play winery trivia and board games. Enjoy a bottle of wine for a cozy evening. Shawna Mull will perform her fire-spinning display on Saturday, April 7, after dusk (weather permitting). The winery's gates will close at 6:30 pm. Guests are encouraged to arrive early. purchase a bottle of wine, and stay for the performance. Fence Stile has new T-shirts with a Wine Xenos logo on the front and the Fence Stile logo on the back. Available for purchase, the shirts come in men's and women's sizes, a variety of styles and colors. Pick up the latest in Fence Stile's Vineyard LifeStiles spring fashion this weekend. Fence Stile also has new glassware that displays the Wine Xenos and Fence Stile logos for our anniversary. To get ready for spring, stock up on our estate white wines and receive 10% off when you purchase a 10-pack (mix-and-match) of wine. Take home a pair of our new Wine Xenos wine glasses as a thank-you gift (while supplies last) with a purchase of 10 bottles or more of estate white wine. Sunday, April 8 Kevin Snedden will lead winery and wine cave tours with a candlelit wine tasting on April 8th at 1:00 pm. Tour the property and the winery. Finish with a candlelit tasting in the CELLAR57 club room and the wine caves. Keep the tasting glass and enjoy 10% off the wines purchased on the tour! $35/person. To reserve space, email events@fencestile.com. Meet winery owner Shriti Plimpton and say hello. Winery dogs Becca and Kai will also make a rare joint appearance at the Tasting Room. Drop by, say hi, and snap a photo of our four-legged friends. Take a souvenir photo in our new Wine Xenos photo display. You have to see it in our Tasting Room! Tag #FenceStile when sharing photos on social media. Enjoy savory and sweet small plates, while supplies last. The menu includes: • Lentil, chickpea, mint, and radish salad with lemon-mint dressing • Blueberry and blue cheese spread with crostini • Mushroom leek soup with sauteed asparagus and Parmesan cheese Pick up a cool new Fence Stile T-shirts with the Wine Xenos logo. Stock up on white wine for spring and receive a pair of Wine Xenos logo glasses. Receive 10% off when you purchase a 10-pack (mix-and-match) of Fence Stile white wine. Take home a pair of our new Wine Xenos wine glasses as a thank-you gift (while supplies last) with a purchase of 10 bottles or more of estate white wine. Promoting his latest album release, Rick Lally performs a solo show on Saturday, May 12, 2018, at Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery's Tasting Room. Lally will also perform with the band 3 Bricks Shy on Saturday, May 19, and another act, R2 Alchemy, on July 12.
Lally's new album, It's High Time, is a reference to the span of time it took to write, record, and release his work. The album is a retrospective of songs he wrote from 1989 to 2017. "I've been writing and playing music since I was a teen," Lally said. "I've always done it as a way to make sense of my thoughts or feelings." "Falcon Hill," a song Lally wrote as a 13-year-old teenager, was inspired by his childhood upbringing. "I grew up in Illinois. From 10 to 16 years of age, I lived in a suburban neighborhood," Lally said. "My backyard merged into underdeveloped park that was very much a small forest. In one section there was a clearing with a hill. I spent most of my time playing in nature and every inch of the park. I always saw all kinds of birds from that hill and would frequently see a falcon. My friends and I always called that area Falcon Hill. As I was learning the four chords in my song 'Falcon Hill,' I wrote the lyrics to express how I felt when I was out there in nature." Lally wrote the album's title song "It's High Time" to himself. "I have written a lot of songs. I've probably forgotten as many as I remember," Lally said. "'It's High Time' was intended to remind me and push myself to get my unrecorded songs recorded. It was also intended to urge me to pull the songs out of me that I either need to finish or start. In essence, the song was me being a cheerleader for myself!" True to his muse, Lally writes music at his own pace and his songwriting has developed over time. "Many of my earliest songs were just a stream of chords. Many lacked a bridge or a reprise. I have progressively improved in that area," Lally said. "I never have forced writing a song. It either happens or it doesn't. Sometimes it can take a song a long time to stew and simmer before it's ready. I have one song I wrote in a half-hour and it never changed. Others that have taken years to complete. I'm definitely a better guitar player now so that helps a lot." The songs on the new album vary in genre. "'No Jive' has a bluesy southern rock feel, while 'I Can't Breathe' has the feel of smooth jazz," Lally said. "'Slippin' Away' is currently playing on a Tropical Rock radio station. 'It's High Time' and 'Paralyzed' were both born to rock. Everything else is either folkie or folk rock." Lally is also an artist. One of his paintings, "Sun Glass," is displayed in the Tasting Room. "I have always been somewhat artistic, but never put much time into it. When I started painting, I dove in head first and began painting a lot," Lally said. "During that time, my band 3 Bricks Shy had a song called 'Screw The Cracker' with a line in the song, 'Polly wants wine.' Somehow, that song got us started with playing at wineries." Lally's inspiration for "Sun Glass" traced back to performing at Fence Stile during the summer when it was sunny. "I really appreciated that we continued to get chances to play at Fence Stile," Lally said. "I decided that Fence Stile would be a good home for a painting it mostly likely inspired." It's High Time is available at iTunes, Apple Music, and Spotify. Visit ricklally.com for more information on his music, art, and performance dates. Check Fence Stile's calendar for upcoming music performance dates from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Below: Rick Lally as a young musician. Right: "Sun Glass" is a painting inspired by Rick Lally's performances at Fence Stile. Hey friends, Fence Stile has been nominated for the Best Winery category in the Feast Magazine - Midwest 50 Awards.
Please vote for us. Here's how. Clink on the link below. Scroll down and select Fence Stile and enter your email address (required) to vote. Vote until 5/13 @ 12:00am Central. Feel free to vote for as many or as few categories as you like; you can vote once per category per day. Enter your email address for a chance to win a pair of tickets to Taste & Toast on Sun., May 6. Vote daily for us! Thank you. http://stltoday.secondstreetapp.com/2018-Feast-50-Awards-2/gallery?category=1458268 3/14/2018 0 Comments Wine Xenos and New T-shirtsFence Stile’s team members are sporting a new look in the Tasting Room – new T-shirts in purple, blue, dark gray and red printed with a design that reads Wine Xenos. What does this phrase Wine Xenos mean?
We know you know what wine is. If you don’t, please visit and we’ll offer a personal introduction and wine tasting ($5 for five samples). If you’ve forgotten, then you might need a reminder. Wink, wink. Either way, please join us for a visit. What about this word, xenos? Xenos (zee-nohs, rhymes with fructose), is a Greek word that refers to a stranger or guest. When a stranger arrives, a host is xenial and treats them as a guest, extending hospitality to visitors. The spirit of xenos matches the motto of Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery. We like to say, “Good fences make good neighbors, a Fence Stile makes neighbors, good friends!” What is a fence stile? Well, take a look at the back of our new T-shirts or our logo. A stile is a type of ladder with steps on both sides. The stile is mounted over a fence, allowing a person to easily cross over the fence. With a fence stile, neighbors can cross a fence between them, meet, and become good friends. We think of visitors to Fence Stile Winery and Vineyards as guests, whether you’re making the trip for the first-time or you’re one of our long-time regulars. In time, our guests become friends and family. Wine Xenos on our new T-shirts is a fun shorthand way to express this spirit. Through wine and the hospitality of our Tasting Room team, all who arrive for a visit will receive our hospitality as a guest. In time, we hope you’ll become friends and make new friends with other guests. Also, the back of our stylish new T-shirts depicts a fence stile. You’ll note that two boards on the fence stile form an X. As a Roman numeral, X signifies the number ten (10). As a tweak to our logo, the X is a subtle design feature that refers to our upcoming tenth anniversary in 2019. This year, we’re developing plans to celebrate this milestone next year in grand style. We invite you to visit the Tasting Room as our guest. Ask us about the new T-shirts. We have them available for sale exclusively at the Tasting Room. The shirts come in men’s and women’s styles and a variety of sizes. We also have a ladies tank top for the warmer weather. Share the spirit of Wine Xenos! We’ll see you soon. 3/6/2018 0 Comments Spring 2018 Pruning Update
As winter draws to a close, the team at Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery has been working outdoors in brisk weather to prune and tend to the vines.
"The intent of pruning in general is to control the size of the vine, optimize the production potential of the vine, and to maintain the balance between shoot and fruit growth," vineyard manager Shawna Mull explains. Between fall harvest and spring bud break, pruning is necessary to review each vine in each row to monitor its condition. Dead, diseased, or severely damaged parts of the vine are removed. This step helps the vine concentrate its growth on healthy sections later in the year. When pruning, the best canes and spurs are identified that will yield fruit. This blog post explains the spur pruning process in greater detail with illustrations on cane pruning vs. spur pruning. Vignole, Vidal, and Seyval grapevines are pruned in that order to mirror the order that white grapes will be harvested. Chambourcin and Concord are pruned last and, subsequently, harvested last in fall. The photo gallery and videos below illustrate the important work involved with pruning. Pruned canes are gathered in piles and removed by tractor for composting or burning later. As the weather warms up, Fence Stile will announce opportunities for volunteers to work with the team and help with "suckering" the vines. Once early growth begins in spring, the vines send up shoots, or suckers. "Suckering is necessary to remove all unnecessary and unwanted growth so that vine's energy can be redirected to the important growth," explains Shriti, Fence Stile's owner. "We end up doing this numerous times in a season. Personally, I enjoy walking the vineyards, looking at each vine, and seeing the progress." Check the website and Facebook page in coming weeks for more information on volunteering to help with the vines. Meanwhile, the winery's Tasting Room returns to its normal operating hours. Join us for wine tastings on Thursday, 3 pm - 7 pm, Friday 3 pm - 9 pm, Saturday 11 am - 8 pm, or Sunday 11 am - 5 pm. Visit our home page or calendar for event listings and winery tour dates. 2/24/2018 0 Comments Why Blend Wine?Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery offers a FirePit Red wine blending workshop on Sunday, March 4th, at 1 p.m. The workshop (registration details below) is a rare, invaluable opportunity for wine drinkers to experience firsthand how unfinished wine from different grapes, such as Chambourcin and Norton in this case, is blended.
Unfinished wine refers to grape juice pressed after harvest that has undergone fermentation. Stored in stainless steel tanks, the wine is monitored to determine how its flavor, aroma and other characteristics develop. At this stage, the winemaker has not refined the wine to the point where it is ready to bottle. "There are a number of reason and ways to blend wines," explains Shriti Plimpton, owner and founder of Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery. "The goal of blending is to create the best wine possible with the elements you have to work with. Blending creates a more balanced wine (and often a more complex wine). Winemakers may blend different varietals, different lots of the same varietals, different barrel lots, lots from different geographical areas of the same grape, different vintages or even different styles. Some wines lend themselves to blending in order to improve aromatics, round out the harshness or tannins or improve color. Blending can happen as early as fermentation, throughout aging or right before bottling." Blending wine is part of the craft of winemaking that begins with harvest and crush in fall and continues in the wine production facility. Blending is typically not an experience accessible to the public. Fence Stile's blending workshop is a chance for a select few guests to "peek behind the curtain." "To create a blend, we start with the goal," Shriti says. "The goal for FirePit Red was to create a smoky wine that you would enjoy by the fire. We want to develop a wine that is light enough to enjoy without a meal. Yet, it has the aromatics and familiarity of a warm fire." Samples are drawn from the available target wines in the winery's tanks and barrels for the workshop. The fun and learning begins in the Tasting Room as participants work in pairs as a team. They taste each wine to understand its nuances, flavors and characteristics before blending. "Then we create sample blends, working to highlight the strengths of each as well as account for missing elements," Shriti says. "We may have a sample that is nice and smoky but too harsh. It may need to be softened with an off-dry wine or perhaps a more fruit-forward wine. We create numerous combinations with the elements we have available to strike the right balance. The availability of the elements for us to work with often determines the quantity we are able to bottle." WINE BLENDING WORKSHOP The 2017 FirePit Red Wine Blending workshop is limited to 14 participants that will work in pairs (7 pairs total). Individual participants that sign up will be paired with a partner. After a discussion on wine blending led by Fence Stile's team, participants will briefly taste three unfinished red wines to assess their flavor, aroma, and other qualities. Using these samples, the participants will create up to three blends. Each pair will select one wine from their three blends, share the blend, discuss its attributes, and explain why they chose it. Cost for the workshop is $15 per person ($10 for Wine Club members). Limited space available. Email events@fencestile.com to reserve a spot and list the participant name(s) for up to two people. Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery offers a wine blending workshop on Sunday, March 4th, at 1 p.m. Participants will learn about the nuances of creating a blend by working hands-on with a variety of unfinished wines. The workshop is limited to 14 participants that will work in pairs (7 pairs total). Individual participants that sign up will be paired with a partner.
“Guests will learn about the delicate balance of working with unfinished wine to create a finished product, how to capitalize on the best qualities of each wine, and how to create a harmony that is the finished wine,” says Shriti Plimpton, owner of Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery. Initially, Fence Stile team members will discuss the 2017 harvest and winemaking process for that year’s wines. Then participants will briefly taste three unfinished red wines to assess their flavor, aroma, and other qualities. The unfinished wines originated from Chambourcin and Norton grapes picked during the 2017 harvest. Using these samples, the participants will create up to three blends. Each pair will select one wine from their three blends, share the blend, discuss its attributes, and explain why they chose it. Ideally, the goal is to develop a blend for the 2017 FirePit Red, one of Fence Stile’s most popular red wines. Participants will taste an older vintage of the wine from Fence Stile’s library and assess which blend most closely matches the bottled wine. Cost for the workshop is $15 per person ($10 for Wine Club members). Limited space available. Email events@fencestile.com to reserve a spot and list the participant name(s) for up to two people. Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery has the only wine cave in the region. While the main section of the man-made cave is reserved to store our bottled and barreled wine, our wine cave is also used for special events.
The room has been a setting for a concert video watch party, Eclipse education event in 2017, and candle-lit wine tastings as part of our winery and wine cave tour. Fence Stile can also host live music in the caves, wine and food gatherings, private parties, and speaking events with some audiovisual support available. The wine cave may be reserved for private events separately or in conjunction with our other winery spaces in the upstairs Tasting Room. Contact us at events@fencestile.com for more information, rates, or to arrange a visit for event planning. The Love Lock Wall at Fence Stile Vineyard and Winery is inspired by an ancient custom. Lovers lock a padlock on a gate or fence and throw away the key, symbolically locking their love forever. Adding a Love Lock to the Fence Stile Love Lock Wall celebrates your love.
These locks on walls can be found around the world from the Pacific Rim to romantic cities in France, Italy and Spain. The history of love padlocks dates back at least 100 years to a melancholic Serbian tale of World War I. At the bridge Most Ljubavi (literally meaning the Bridge of Love) in the spa town of Vrnjacka Banja, a local schoolmistress named Nada fell in love with a Serbian officer named Relja. Nada and Relja were engaged, but Relja went to war in Greece. While there, he fell in love with a local woman from Corfu. Relja and Nada broke off their engagement and Nada never recovered from the heartbreak. Young women from Vrnjacka Banja started writing down their names with the names of their loved ones on padlocks and affixing them to the railings of the bridge, where Nada and Relja used to meet, as a way to project their own love. This timeless tradition spans the world. Fence Stile created its own Love Lock Wall after opening its new Tasting Room several years ago. Couples of all ages and even family members secured their love lock to the wall as a testament to a loved one. For Valentine's Day (or any day), carry on the tradition by adding an inscribed lock to the wall. Bring your own lock or the winery has Love Locks available in the tasting room! While visiting during the weekends near Valentine's Day, celebrate the special day with a loved one and share a bottle of Mûre Blanche dessert wine. Mûre Blanche is a blackberry Vidal Blanc dessert wine made using juice from late harvest 2017 grapes and estate-grown blackberries. Packaged in 375-milliliter bottles, this young wine was created to drink with the arrival of spring and not meant to be aged. Also, we have fashioned a Mûre Blanche cocktail for Valentine's Day. On February 10th and 11th, enjoy handmade Blackberry Truffles with the purchase of two Mûre Blanche cocktails. Read more about the wine on our blog, Wine and Stile. We look forward to seeing you soon for a "lovely" visit. Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery is excited to introduce Mûre Blanche - a new limited-quantity wine. Released in early February, Mûre Blanche is only available in our Tasting Room. If you purchase four bottles of this special wine during the month of February, then you will receive a pair of Fence Stile logo dessert glasses.
To celebrate Valentine's Day, we have fashioned a Mûre Blanche cocktail. On February 10th and 11th, enjoy handmade Blackberry Truffles with the purchase of two Mûre Blanche cocktails. ABOUT THE WINE Mûre Blanche is a blackberry Vidal Blanc dessert wine made using juice from late harvest 2017 grapes and estate-grown blackberries. Packaged in 375-milliliter bottles, this young wine was created to drink with the arrival of spring and not meant to be aged. To develop this dessert wine, Vidal grapes were harvested in November rather than in late August or early September to develop character and sugar levels. Tasted fresh off the vine, the grape's juice yielded intense golden raisin notes and honeyed sweetness. Blackberries, harvested from Fence Stile's bushes last summer, were added to the Vidal Blanc grape crush. A wine bladder press was used to collect the fruit juices for this small-batch, limited-edition wine. After aging in a stainless steel tank, the unfiltered wine was bottled at the beginning of the New Year in early January. Mûre Blanche was purposely unfiltered to preserve the wine's character, resulting in a slightly hazy appearance. The addition of blackberry juice infused the wine with a cranberry-rose color. Delicate berry and cranberry flavors finish with subtle sweetness. The artwork on the wine label features an image from an original acrylic painting by Shriti's sister, Mayuri. The original painting is on display in the Tasting Room. Visit Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery, savor a bottle of Mûre Blanche or our other red, white, and sparkling wines, and stay for the beautiful sunset. |
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