1/30/2018 0 Comments Introducing Mûre BlancheIntroducing Mûre Blanche – Fence Stile Vineyard and Winery's latest release available in early February only in our Tasting Room. 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.
The grapes were harvested in November rather than 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. We hope you'll pick up a few bottles of Mûre Blanche, a fresh and bold addition to our wine list for a limited time only. The wine, featuring original painted artwork on the label, is perfect to share over brunch, a romantic toast for Valentine's Day, as a gift, or to simply add vibrant color and joy to the muted colors of winter. Check our Facebook page and our website for more details on the February release of Mûre Blanche. Remember, this limited-edition wine is only available in our Tasting Room. These cases of Mûre Blanche won't last long.
0 Comments
Winter is a time to wind down, reflect, and spend time with others. Fence Stile Winery's Tasting Room offers the ideal venue for a leisurely wintertime getaway. Enjoy a brief excursion from the city and town, head past rolling hills and scenic country roads, and visit our winery just outside of Excelsior Springs.
Staying at The Elms? The hotel has a shuttle that will bring you to us. Once you have arrived, we invite you to do a wine tasting (five pours for five dollars) to explore our red, white, rosé and sparkling wines, ranging from dry to semi-dry to sweet. Our Tasting Room team will guide you through the wines to arrive at something you may enjoy by the bottle or glass. Ask about our newest limited-release wine. During winter, try a glass of warm mulled red or white wine to shake off the chill. Also, we have a delicious fall spice sangria that's hard to resist. When the temperatures dip, we have our fireplace available to keep you warm. Finally, order food from our Nibbles menu, featuring cheese, sausage, olives, nuts, bread, and more, if you care for a light bite. Guests may also bring food into the tasting room for a winter picnic. Want to bring a group for a private event? We can reserve tables, our Assemblage Room, and other space for a gathering. Email us at events@fencestile.com with details and to receive information on options. Break that cabin fever and visit us at Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery. We have live music, wine cave tours, and other events. Check the calendar or our Facebook page for upcoming events. We'll see you soon! Fence Stile Vineyard and Winery owner Shriti Plimpton decided to leave the grapes on a few rows of Vidal Blanc during the 2017 fall harvest. Depending on how the grapes developed on the vine, she planned to have the grapes harvested later in the year. Juice from the late harvest Vidal Blanc grapes would be made into a new, limited-release wine for early 2018. Previously, Fence Stile used late harvest Vidal Blanc grapes to produce Ishq, a sweet dessert wine with a rich gold color and the flavor of golden raisin. However, this new wine would have its own identity, look, and character. Bird netting was placed over and around the rows of Vidal Blanc to preserve remaining fruit from birds and other predators prior to harvest. Long, heavy grape clusters hung on the vine until mid-November. As temperatures dipped, the vines dropped their leaves and no longer gained fuel from sunlight. The grapes, pale green-colored in summer, deepened in hue with a palette ranging from a deep green-gold to light purplish-bronze. The additional time on the vine enabled the grapes to build sugar level, or Brix, as well as develop its flavor and aroma profile. Picked off the vine, the grapes exhibited a concentrated flavor of caramel and hint of golden raisin. The bird netting was carefully rolled off the rows on a brisk November morning. The cool, gray day was a stark contrast to the warm, sunny harvest days in September, where valued volunteers helped picked grapes eight to ten weeks earlier. Wearing several layers of clothes for warmth, the team began the harvest and moved down the rows at a steady pace. The clusters were easier to spot since the vines bore no leaves. White five-gallon buckets, full of grapes were hauled to the winery production facility. Since the harvest yield was much smaller than fall harvest, a wine bladder press was used to press the grapes rather than the larger, high-volume press normally used on the crush pad. A slotted metal screen forms the cylindrical body of the tri-legged press. Grapes are packed inside the press around a bladder in the center. Water is pumped into the bladder so it expands and pushes, or presses, the grapes against the walls of the cylinder. Grape juice is expelled through the slotted screen and collected in a tray that drains into a storage container. In this case, a second fruit was also included in the grape crush – blackberries. Last summer, Fence Stile's team harvested blackberries from its bushes near Concord grapevines located just off the private patio behind the old winery tasting room building. The blackberries, frozen for preservation until November, were added to the crush. Bright magenta berry juice and grape juice trickled down the walls of the press. Wine from this juice was the culmination of planning, patience and development in 2017. The result is something to behold and taste – soon! Scheduled for release in early February 2018, Vidal Noir is a blackberry Vidal Blanc dessert wine. Fence Stile's newest release is a product of several seasons – summer's bounty of homegrown berries, a late fall harvest of grapes, and wine craft over winter. We're excited to release and share this limited-edition wine. Check back on Fence Stile's blog and social media for more details about the wine's appearance, flavor and bottling. As a limited-edition, small batch dessert wine that's meant to be consumed young rather than aged, Vidal Noir is a wine that won't last long on the shelves in our Tasting Room. 1/1/2018 4 Comments Grapevine Training and PruningGrapevines require training during the first few years after planting to guide growth and optimize production. Even after they are established, grapevines need attention, care, and pruning at different stages of the seasons. During the winter transition between fall harvest and bud break in spring, leaves fall off the vines once temperatures drop and the weather turns cold. Bare grapevines require pruning and maintenance from January through March to remove dead wood and prepare for optimal growth in the following year. Spur Pruning The illustration below depicts several methods for training young grapevines and pruning. Fence Stile uses the spur pruning method on all cultivar varieties, such as Vidal Blanc, Vignoles, and Chambourcin. "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. "The decision on how to prune can be dictated by the cultivar. Some cultivar produce better or a more even crop by cane pruning or other types of pruning. Spur pruning creates a strong cordon over the long term." In the vineyard, the cordon is the part of the vine that looks like arms. A cordon refers to the vine's growth in a cord-like shape along a linear path that may be single or doubly split from the main vertical root vine. The cordon provides support for spurs, or shoots that grow from the vine and will produce fruit. A formula is used for each variety of cultivar, or type of grapevine such as Seyval or Chambourcin, to calculate how many nodes/buds will be left on each vine to produce the optimal amount of fruit it can ripen. "This number is a starting point as each vine is surveyed and treated as an individual," Mull says. "Ultimately, we are trying to achieve balance. We try to keep the spurs an even distance apart and balanced on both sides of the cordon. While making these decisions, we try to consider how each new shoot will affect the next as it grows. We try to alternate the direction to keep them from potentially creating too much shade for the neighboring spur and shoots. We always try to save the best cane that is also closest to the cordon at that spur interval. This keeps the fruit weight close to the cordon and reduces the chance of breakage during storms." Pruning in Orderly Fashion
Fence Stile conducts pruning in the vineyard in the order that the vines would be harvested. "The Vignoles would be first. They will also take the most time because of their vigor," Mull says. "The Seyval are the least vigorous so I would do the Vidal next and then Seyval. The Chambourcin and Concord are the latest harvests so they would be last of the established blocks." Newer blocks of planted vines, such as Cabernet Dore, at Fence Stile "have a lot of vines that will have strong cordons already so we can prune to one bud per spur," Mull says. "Some of them, along with the Crimson Cabernet, are just making it to the wire. We will prune to one bud below the wire or to the first green internode, if not to the wire yet. We want to promote vigor in these young vines to grow strong trunks and cordons so they will be ready in a couple years to bear their first crop." The amount of pruning that can be accomplished in a day depends on the weather. Also, pruning is specific to the cultivar's vigor and the number of canes. For example, the Seyval vines were not as vigorous as the Vidal and Vignoles. "It takes longer to prune a hearty Vignoles vine because there are more canes and the canes are larger. If the weather is good, we can spend more than an hour or so outside at a time," Mull says. "One person can average 100-plus Seyval vines in a day. It may take two days to prune 100 of our Vignoles vines." Pruning at Just the Right Time Timing matters in the pruning process before bud burst occurs. As the term suggests, bud burst denotes when the vines first produce springtime growth. New buds will burst as shoots grow and, in time, develop leaves and flowers. "If Stephen [Fence Stile's winemaker] and I start the first week of February, then we should be able to finish all the pruning by the end of March just in time for bud burst," Mull says. "We don't want to start pruning too early as the pruned plants become more susceptible to winter or cold injury. However, it is important to have all the pruning done before bud burst. The biggest fear is always that late spring frost that can cause bud damage." Different Goals for Different Grapes Pruning methods vary, depending on the type of grapevine and the goals for production. "We will leave more buds on the Vignoles because we want to make the vine produce more clusters," Mull explains. "Our Vignoles produce a large amount of foliage and can become unbalanced with vigor. They are hearty with large, strong trunks and cordons. If we leave five to six nodes per spur, then we will average about 60 nodes total per vine." Doing so insures the plant will focus its energy on clusters and not so much vigorous growth. Comparatively, the Seyval and Chambourcin are much less vigorous. "We will leave fewer nodes per plant so that we insure enough vigor or foliage to provide ample photosynthesis to ripen the crop load," Mull says. "In simple terms, more buds per plant equates to the more clusters you should get. Fewer buds make the vine think it must grow foliage to survive so clusters are fewer. We always want balance in the vine so there's not too much vigor and just the right amount of clusters for that vigor to ripen." Vine training Once planted, Fence Stile's vines are trained to grow into a double cordon formation. In other words, the upper cordons will form a T-shape at the top of the vertical root vine. The vine is tied to the cordon wire of the trellis for support. New fruit producing shoots will grow from the cordon spurs every spring. "At Fence Stile we use two types of double cordon training," Mull explains. "High wire cordon training is used for cultivar that naturally like to grow downward. We purposely prune their spurs to point downward." Other cultivar prefer to grow upward. "We use the Vertical Shoot Position to train the cordon and prune spurs pointing upward," Mull says. "The cordon is kept lower to the ground and the shoots are supported by the positioning wire built into the trellis, helping them to grow upward. The fruiting zones on either training system is kept close to the cordon at the supporting wire." Fence Stile uses the Scott Henry training system for Concord vines. This method allows for grape clusters to grow closer to the ground for easier access while harvesting. Missouri Wines has announced the date for the MVP Extravaganza, the ultimate reward for the most dedicated MVP members, that will take place on March 24, 2018. The evening will feature gourmet food and wine pairings, plus the opportunity to engage with the owners and winemakers from many of Missouri's award-winning wineries. This experience requires 50,000 points. Register at missouriwinemvp.com. Deadline to redeem points: January 31, 2018. Missouri Wine Program Quarterly Sweepstakes
Enjoy a weekend getaway in Excelsior Springs! Win a fabulous weekend getaway in scenic Excelsior Springs. You and a guest could enjoy an all-inclusive Wine Trolley Tour. The tour includes gourmet brunch paired with wine at Willow Spring Mercantile, transportation aboard the trolley, a souvenir wine bag and full-tasting experiences at three wineries, including Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery. Then relax, renew and rejuvenate during an overnight stay at the beautiful Inn on Crescent Lake, Kansas City's most romantic getaway. This MVP experience is brought to you by the Inn on Crescent Lake and the Excelsior Springs Chamber of Commerce. During your stay in Excelsior Springs, explore the town's other attractions, including the Hall of Waters, Elms Hotel, Excelsior Springs Museum and Superior Well Pavilion. This historic area of the town is located along the East Fork of Fishing River with winding stream valleys leading into the river and hills. Explore more than 90 acres of parkland and walking trails within the city limits. Golf enthusiasts may wish to check out the Excelsior Springs Golf Course. By redeeming 500 MVP points for this reward, you will be entered for a chance to win. The total estimated value of this reward is $400. The entry for this sweepstakes will close on 11:59 p.m. CST on Wednesday, February 28, 2018. The winner will be notified on Thursday, March 1, 2018. Wineries on the Wine Trolley Tour include Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery, Four Horses and a Dog Vineyard and Winery, and Van Till Family Farm Winery. Winery Trolley Tours run the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month, starting April 28 through November 10. For the best date selection, winner will need to select the date and finalize their reservation by May 15, 2018. A Fence Stile gift certificate makes the perfect gift for the wine enthusiast in your life. Whether you treat a spouse, partner, family member, friend, or co-worker, a gift certificate is versatile and thoughtful. Remember, the gift certificate may be purchased now and used at a later time.
Visit our Tasting Room, call 816-500-6465, or email us at info@fencestile.com to purchase a Fence Stile gift certificate. Gift Ideas at Fence Stile • Fence Stile gift certificates may be used toward the cost of a guided winery and wine cave tour ($35/person) or other shopping at the Tasting Room. • Purchase and bundle the gift certificate with a bottle of Fence Stile's red, white, or sparkling wine to add to the experience. • Our tasting room also has stocking stuffers, such as Champagne bottle openers and stoppers, wine bottle gift bags, and bottle sealers designed to keep oxygen out. Add these wine-related goodies and a gift certificate to your gift package. It's a classy gift for any wine-loving recipient. Our team can help assemble a customized Fence Stile wine gift bag along with a gift certificate. • The Elms Hotel and Spa, located two miles from Fence Stile in downtown Excelsior Springs, is another way to create a luxurious gift package combined with a Fence Stile gift certificate. After all, The Elms operates a shuttle to and from the winery upon request. Surprise someone with a hotel stay and a reason to visit Fence Stile with a gift certificate in hand. • Pair a Fence Stile gift certificate with an autographed copy of author Pete Dulin's new book, Expedition of Thirst: Exploring Breweries, Wineries, and Distilleries Across the Heart of Kansas and Missouri. This travel guidebook covers regional wineries in eastern Kansas and western Missouri. To obtain a Fence Stile gift certificate, simply visit our Tasting Room, call 816-500-6465, or email us at info@fencestile.com. Happy Holidays! Fence Stile procured three whiskey barrels from J. Rieger & Co. before Thanksgiving 2017 and filled them with Norton wine for aging. The barrels are stored in Fence Stile's one-of-a-kind wine cave (which may be viewed on a guided tour).
J. Rieger & Co. was originally established in 1887 by Jacob Rieger in Kansas City's West Bottoms. Andy Rieger, Jacob Rieger’s great-great-great grandson, and Ryan Maybee re-opened the distillery in 2014 . In short order, the distillery has earned acclaim for its whiskey, gin, vodka, and other spirits. Seeking to expand its barrel-aging program, Fence Stile leaped at the opportunity to work with this historic distillery and obtain barrels used for aging spirits. The barrels were originally owned by Heaven Hill, a Kentucky distillery, for aging their bourbon and then by MGPI for corn whiskey before J. Rieger bought them. The barrels had the first whiskey in them for four years at Heaven Hill and at the latter distillery for 10 years. J. Rieger aged corn whiskey in the barrels next and emptied them in late November 2017. Char from the barrels, made from white American oak per federal law, the oak itself, and the prior spirits will impart flavor and aroma to the Norton wine. Typically, whiskey barrels often impart notes of vanilla and caramel to its contents. It's tempting to lean in, breathe deep, catch aromas from the barrel exterior, and imagine what the results will be. At this stage, it remains to be seen how the Norton will interact with the barrel and what qualities it will absorb in its character. Each barrel is unique with its own characteristics. Depending on the results of aging, wine from each barrel may be blended in a specific ratio to produce the most desirable results. Careful monitoring, tasting and testing over time will help determine how the wine evolves and when it will be ready for bottling and release. 11/22/2017 0 Comments December and January Winter MenuNow that the summer/fall farmers markets are closed for the season, we're shifting to winter comfort food for the weekend specials at Fence Stile. Friday through Sunday (unless otherwise noted on our Facebook page), we will have panini sandwiches and soups to tempt your tastebuds. Here's a peek at what we have planned. Whether the temperatures are chilly or mild, we hope you'll join us for a light bite and a glass or two of wine.
Nov. 24-26 (Thanksgiving weekend) Panini: Goat cheese, Granny Smith apple, baby spinach Soup: Ginger carrot with creme fraiche and crackers Dec. 1-3 Soup: Lentil soup with bread Dec. 8-10 Panini: Arugula, olive tapenade, mozzarella cheese Soup: Five-bean soup with crackers Dec. 15-16 Panini: Chipotle pepper, caramelized onion, and cheddar cheese Soup: Potato chowder with grated cheddar cheese and bread We'll resume our weekend winter menu in late January after everyone has a chance to recover from holiday eating!! 11/20/2017 1 Comment Wine Trolley Tour SweepstakesWinery friends, read below for more details on this Wine Trolley Tour sweepstakes prize. ______ Win a fabulous weekend getaway in scenic Excelsior Springs. You and a guest could enjoy an all-inclusive Wine Trolley Tour. The tour includes gourmet brunch paired with wine at Willow Spring Mercantile, transportation aboard the trolley, a souvenir wine bag and full-tasting experiences at three wineries.* Then relax, renew and rejuvenate during an overnight stay at the beautiful Inn on Crescent Lake, Kansas City's most romantic getaway. This incredible MVP experience is brought to you by the Inn on Crescent Lake and the Excelsior Springs Chamber of Commerce. During your stay in Excelsior Springs, you can explore the town's other attractions, including the Hall of Waters, Elms Hotel, Excelsior Springs Museum and Superior Well Pavilion. This historic area of the town is located along the East Fork of Fishing River with winding stream valleys leading into the river and hills. Explore more than 90 acres of parkland and walking trails within the city limits. Golf enthusiasts may wish to check out the Excelsior Springs Golf Course. By redeeming your 500 points for this reward you will be entered for a chance to win. The total estimated value of this reward is $400. The entry for this sweepstakes will close on 11:59 p.m. CST on Wednesday, February 28, 2018. The winner will be notified on Thursday, March 1, 2018. *Wineries on the Wine Trolley Tour include Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery, Four Horses and a Dog Vineyard and Winery and Van Till Family Farm Winery. Winery Trolley Tours run the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month, starting April 28 through November 10. For the best date selection, winner will need to select the date and finalize their reservation by May 15, 2018. 10/31/2017 1 Comment BYOW - Bottle Your Own Wine EventFence Stile Vineyards and Winery offers a rare opportunity to experience the wine bottling process and create a custom gift wine package. For the first time, we invite guests to Bottle Your Own Wine (BYOW) events on Sunday, November 12th and 19th. Reserve your spot at events@fencestile.com.
BYOW is a chance for our 2016 harvest volunteers to follow the grape from vineyard to winery to bottle. Our other winery guests may also bottle this 2016 wine and create a memorable, handcrafted gift with a story to share. Fence Stile’s team will show guests the steps to bottling wine. Then, guests are able to bottle, label, and sign the wines they bottled. BYOW Bottling Sunday, November 12, 10 am to 12 pm – Sweet Enchantment (2016 Concord harvest) Sunday, November 19, 10 am to 12 pm – Loft Red (2016 Chambourcin harvest) To participate in BYOW, reserve your spot at events@fencestile.com. These 2016 wines, Sweet Enchantment and Loft Red, will not be released to the public in 2017. BYOW is an opportunity to buy these wines in advance at current prices. For BYOW, guests may bottle and purchase these 2016 wines (half-case minimum or more, please) that day. Guests may also buy 2015 Sweet Enchantment and Loft Red bottles. Do a vertical tasting at home with the 2015 and 2016 wines, or give both vintages as a gift! Case discounts and Wine Club discounts apply to bottled wine purchases. Fence Stile will provide Sweet Enchantment and Loft Red wine labels and metallic markers. BYOW guests may label bottles, sign or write a message on their bottles, and create a custom, hand-crafted gift in time for the holidays. Fence Stile can help create a red wine gift basket for BYOW orders placed on bottling days. Add a packet of red wine mulling spices, Savory Addictions nuts, or other wine-related gifts to create a custom gift basket! To participate in BYOW, reserve your spot at events@fencestile.com. BYOW Pick-up Event Fence Stile will store purchased BYOW bottles for guests until they are ready for release. At the BYOW Pick-up Event in the Tasting Room on Sunday, December 17th, pick up the wine(s) you bottled, labeled, and signed. BYOW wines may also be picked up any day after December 17th. Need your BYOW wines shipped for the holidays? Fence Stile can ship wine through Vinoshipper. 10/24/2017 0 Comments Annual Grape StompFence Stile Vineyards and Winery held its annual Grape Stomp on Sunday, Oct. 8th, to close out the harvest season. After 7-8 weeks of harvesting grapes each Sunday, this ritual is a fun way to squash some grapes, celebrate with our guests, and enjoy some wine.
There's no need to dress up in a traditional outfit like Lucille Ball in the classic "I Love Lucy" grape-stomping scene. Guests step into the tub of grapes and stems, step high, and start smashing. Before long, the grapes yield bright, aromatic juice. Of course, the juice produced from squishing grapes isn't actually used for making wine. That's how it was done in the early days of winemaking. The alcohol produced during the fermentation process is high enough to kill microbes before wine is produced and consumed. We enjoyed having harvest volunteers and guests out for a sunny day to play in the grapes. And the remaining grapes and juice? All of it returns to the vineyard for composting. It's part of the cycle to nourish the vines as a tribute in hopes that they flourish once again next year. A lively group of Centurions from the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce visited Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery in late September for a wine tasting and retreat. After the group sampled wines and ate food from KC Pinoy food truck, they spent the afternoon on the spacious flagstone patio. As an icebreaker, the new class of Centurions performed their best John Travolta impression for the group. Needless to say, there was plenty of talent on site that day. ~~~ Planning a corporate or nonprofit event, holiday party, family gathering, or other group event? Fence Stile has a range of options for space indoors and outdoors – patio, private deck, private dining room for small groups, cellar garden, wine cave, and, of course, our Tasting Room. Our culinary director can create a custom menu for your event. We can also create custom wine sampling and pairing options, offer winery and wine cave tours, and other amenities to make planning a memorable event fun and free of stress. Contact events@fencestile.com to learn more and book a date. The New Neighbors League hosted a Murder Mystery event at Fence Stile Winery's Tasting Room. The group booked the entire facility for a murder mystery play with a gangster theme. Fence Stile's culinary director prepared a custom dinner for the group. Images courtesy of New Neighbors League. For more images of the event, visit Fence Stile's Facebook page.
Need to plan an event? Contact events@fencestile.com for room options, custom menu, wine pairings, and further details. In the last of our Harvest Music Playlist Series, we share some song selections by Troy Mull. Troy assists the crush pad team with his skills in driving and navigating the tractor. He moves macro-bins full of harvested grapes to the scale for weighing and then unloads the grapes from the bin into the crusher-destemmer for initial processing. He's a huge help behind-the-scenes on the crush pad as well as harvest.
Troy's "stile" in music consists of hair bands and heavy metal. He shares his rockin' list of artists and songs below. Check out other harvest playlists from winemaker Stephen Dollar, vineyard manager Shawna Mull, and general manager/culinary director Pete Dulin. Now that the harvest season is over, we welcome guests to drop into the Tasting Room for new releases of Chambourcin and Reserve Chambourcin that are ideal for cool weather sipping. Also, we've switched from WineIn movies to FirePit Fridays in the evening (weather permitting). Enjoy a bottle of wine, a warm blanket, and conversation around our firepit on the patio. With live music on Saturdays and wine cave tours and candlelit tastings on select Friday evenings and Saturdays, Fence Stile Winery offers plenty of reasons to enjoy the fruits of harvest labor. In other words, visit us and drink some white, red, rosé, or sparkling wine that ranges from dry to semi-dry to sweet. Troy Mull's Harvest Tractoring Playlist Soldiers - Drowning Pool (video) Love & War - Drowning Pool (video) Dirt - Alice in Chains (video) Billion Dollar Baby - Alice Cooper (video) Man in the Box - Alice in Chains (video) Rumbling Train - Badlands (video) Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N Roses (video) Breaking the Law - Judas Priest (video) Cold Gin - KISS (video) Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne (video) Caught in a Dream - Tesla (video) 9/19/2017 0 Comments Live Fire Grilling Demonstration and Dinner with Craig Jones and Fence Stile Wine SamplingGrilling expert Craig Jones will demonstrate grilling techniques and recipes for four dishes at 1 PM, accompanied by paired wine samples from Fence Stile Vineyards. Afterward at 2 PM, guests dine on a four-course meal served family-style al fresco on the patio.
$45 ticket includes expert grilling demonstration, four wine samples, and four-course meal. Additional Fence Stile wines available for purchase by the bottle and glass to accompany dinner. RSVP by emailing events@fencestile.com or calling 816-500-6465. Starters - Savory Addictions nuts. Crostini topped with creamy broccoli puree and cheese. Wine sampling - Fence Stile Vignoles. Salad - Grilled romaine salad with grilled harvest vegetables. Wine sampling - Fence Stile KAIscape. Entree - Marinated and grilled portobello mushrooms and twice-baked wasabi potatoes. Wine sampling - Fence Stile 57 Red. Dessert - Grilled peaches stuffed with blue cheese and grilled grapes. Wine sampling - Fence Stile Ishq dessert wine. Craig is a live-fire cooking expert, the Grill Mayor for Food Network (2012), owner of Savory Addictions Gourmet Nuts, and a food blogger for the Kansas City Star. He’s also a certified KCBS BBQ judge, a master student of pizza crafting, and an enthusiastic supporter of the greater Kansas City food scene. Fence Stile also hosts its Annual Grape Stomp (free to participate) from 11 AM and throughout the day. Join us for wine and grape-stomping fun to celebrate the end of harvest season. Music adds energy to the busy crush pad activity that takes place after the morning grape harvest. This week, vineyard manager Shawna Mull shares a playlist below of some of her favorite artists and songs that help pass the time and keep spirits up during the crush. Look for a new playlist from winemaker Stephen Dollar next week. After a morning harvest and lunch, volunteers are invited to observe the crush pad, learn how the grapes are processed, and perhaps taste some free run juice. Learn more about volunteering for an upcoming harvest on Sundays by emailing events@fencestile.com. "My heart is with the Kansas City musicians," said Shawna. "Roots and blues run deep with me so my playlist consists of killer music from KC’s Samantha Fish, Jason Vivone and the Billy Bats, and AJ Gaither One Man Band. They all play cigar box guitars. AJ plays all homemade instruments. They influenced my fascination with cigar box guitar building and playing."
"I chose Katy Guillen and the Girls to turn up some Kansas City rock-n-roll. 'Fishin in the Dark' by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is one of my all-time faves," said Shawna. "'Air Stream Driver' makes me want to move and groove. I love to spin poi to this one. 'Age Like Wine,' yup, I'm working on it every day. The Steel Wheels's songs are just great examples of American roots music from the Virginia mountains. I do love a mandolin and banjo! I have three songs from G. Love & Special Sauce. There are so many good ones to choose from, but I felt that 'I Like Cold Beverages' is the best closing song for a long harvest and crush day. Cheers!" Miles to Go - Samantha Fish (Video) Air Stream Driver - Gomez (Video) Unified - G. Love & Special Sauce (Video) My Heart is In the Right Place - Jason Vivone and the Billy Bats (Video) Hillbilly in Space - AJ Gaither One Man Band Age Like Wine - Todd Snider (Video) Find Your Mountain - Steel Wheels (Video) Fishin In the Dark - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (Video) Don’t Get Bitter - Katy Guillen and the Girls (Video) We've Got a Fire - The Steel Wheels (Video) Peace Love and Happiness - G. Love & Special Sauce (Video) I Like Cold Beverages - G. Love & Special Sauce (Video) 9/13/2017 0 Comments The Grapes Are SweeterHarvest volunteer Philip Jeffries recorded and produced "The Grapes Are Sweeter," a short video that captures a day's harvest in Fence Stile's vineyards and scenes from the crush pad. Thanks to Philip for this amazing tribute to the harvest season. Each weekend, we welcome volunteers to help us harvest grapes on Sundays through September and early October. Email events@fencestile.com to reserve a spot for our harvest party which includes a harvest lunch and wine after the harvest. Remaining dates Sunday, September 17th Sunday, September 24th Sunday, October 1st Tentative date for our Annual Grape Stomp (I Love Lucy style) - Sunday, October 8th 8/31/2017 0 Comments Founder's Note: The Harvest AheadLike human beings, a wine's taste is going to depend a great deal on its origins and its upbringing. – Linda Johnson-Bell Harvest season began at Fence Stile with our first harvest last Sunday. This marks the beginning of our busiest time in every aspect of Fence Stile. This season is when we have the most requests for tours, trolleys, tour busses, and events. It is the best time to see the vineyards. Since our tasting room is surrounded by vineyards, there isn’t a bad view on the entire property. Our tasting room is busy with first-time guests and long-time friends. The vineyards have non-stop activity as we get ready for harvest. The winery is busy emptying tanks, prepping for new grapes, and getting crush equipment back in use after a 10-month hiatus. The August weather has been highly unusual for the Midwest. Last Sunday was no exception. The team considered many scenarios and contingency plans for the day to prepare for when nature determines the grapes are ready. Volunteers and team members harvested nearly 2.8 tons of Vignoles destined for the tall blue bottles that everyone loves. This week marked the beginning of the smell of fermentation wafting into the tasting room, stains on our fingernails and clothes from harvest, and the careful dance with Mother Nature as we work to get our grapes from the vineyards through the transformation process of becoming wine. While harvest is an event, it is really the finale of almost a year of work. The grapes we harvest will reflect a year of sunshine, rain, frost, wind, temperature fluctuations, decisions made about canopy management, spraying, suckering, and more. Every decision made and everything Mother Nature serves us will be reflected in the grapes and, ultimately, in the wine. It is impossible to make good wine out of bad grapes. Every delicious sip starts with the vineyards and then, after harvest, our job is make sure we continue to shepherd the winemaking with the same diligence we gave to the grapes. In preparation for this week, we have made and revised plans, ordered supplies and spares, repaired equipment, cleaned, sanitized, checked equipment we haven’t used since last harvest, refreshed ourselves with the controls of the equipment, and recalled past failures to ensure the lessons learned are part of the new plan and contingency planning. The practice and mental dry-runs are no different than preparing for the big game, the big event, or even the eclipse. You get one shot to get it right! In preparation for the coming weeks, we have stocked up on water, Gatorade, snack packs, first aid supplies, favorite beverages, and even added a Bose wireless speaker. We can take turns connecting our phones to share our favorite music with the team to help get through the long days. We have talked about the intensity of the events with a team that has not been through this together yet. Tensions will be high. “Please” and “thank you” are intended, even if not spoken. Forgiveness is implied if voices are raised in a heated moment. We have the need to share neck rubs and jokes to help get through the long days. We are moving into seven-day work weeks, knowing that the next few months will be intense. Social commitments will be minimal and our family and friends will be supportive as we grind through long days. We will need our sense of humor, a common objective, and each other to help us stay motivated. This last weekend, we were reminded that while we feel this intensity and drive, so do our guests. With one-half of a row left to pick, the odd August sky turned from a cool, cloudy, comfortable one to a dark rainy one. As the rain came down, we told our volunteer picking crew to head inside the tasting room, dry off with the towels stacked inside the door, sit by the fireplace, and enjoy a glass of mulled wine while we get lunch ready. They did not. Not one person walked away. Our incredible volunteers said they came to harvest and they were not leaving the last of the row without finishing the harvest! This is the what we all work for – this is why we are an estate winery! Relationships are built, friendships are made, memories from previous harvest are shared, stories are told, new memories are created and, in the process, we make wine to be shared with loved ones. My team, a talented group of individuals, will come together to marry the art and science of viticulture and viniculture. Our hope is to express the best of nature, our drive, and our passions by creating something extraordinary to share with family, friends, and loved ones. My hope is that once we have discovered each other’s musical tastes, created new memories and stories, shared a bottle on the crush pad at the end of a very long day, forgiven, and learned from the missteps, celebrated the wins, and held each other up, we emerge as a strong family. Every vintage has a story. I am excited to see our 2017 harvest story unfold.
Shriti Owner and founder Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery 8/30/2017 1 Comment How the Harvest Crush WorksAfter volunteers and the Fence Stile team complete the morning grape harvest, what happens next? [Sign up to volunteer to harvest grapes on Sundays during September by emailing events@fencestile.com. View a gallery of photos during harvest.] Once grapes are picked and placed in five-gallon buckets, the buckets are emptied into a yellow macro-bin that can hold hundreds of pounds of grapes. The bin is transported by a tractor to the crush pad located behind the Tasting Room and wine production facility. The grapes in the bin are weighed to calculate the total tonnage for the day's harvest. Each bin is then unloaded into a crusher/de-stemmer machine. An auger turns and feeds the grapes into the machine which separates grapes from the stems. The stems are deposited into a tub and then dumped into an empty macro-bin for composting. The grapes are fed into a crusher that mashes them into pulp and juice. This grape mash is pumped through a hose to a press. The press further extracts juice from the grape pulp, separating skins, seeds, and pulp from the juice. The juice is pumped into tanks, where it will be inoculated with yeast after a day or two of settling. The yeast begins the process of feeding on natural sugars in the grapes to begin the fermentation process under the watchful eye of the winemaker. Grapes harvested by volunteers and the harvest team are transported to the crush pad and crushed as soon as possible to preserve the innate quality of the fruit's aroma, flavor, and physical composition. Harvest volunteers are an essential part of the timely process that transforms grapes from the harvest season into next year's vintage of wine. Loading grapes from the macro-bin into the crusher/de-stemmer. An augur turns and feeds the grapes into the crusher/de-stemmer.
Once grapes are removed from the stems, the stems are deposited into a tub that will be emptied into a macro-bin for composting later. De-stemmed grapes are fed into the crusher to produce a rough mash that breaks up the grapes. The pulp and juice is pumped into another machine that will press the pulp and skins to extract juice. The grape pulp and skins are pressed. Juice is extracted, collected, and pumped into a tank, where it will undergo the winemaking process. Grapes from this year's harvest will become next year's bottled wine.
Dedicated volunteers, including some first-timers, joined the Fence Stile team last weekend for our first harvest of the season. We harvested several rows of Vignoles in cool morning weather. These green-gold grapes form tight clusters and grow in dense bunches on the vines. With the help of volunteers, we were able to bring in that day's picking and enjoy a hearty harvest lunch and wine afterward.
View the harvest in the gallery below. We still need more volunteers to help with upcoming harvest of Seyval, Vidal Blanc, and other grapes. Join us! 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, September 3rd Sunday, September 10th Sunday, September 17th Sunday, September 24th Sunday, October 1st Tentative date for our Annual Grape Stomp (I Love Lucy style) - Sunday, October 8th 8/15/2017 0 Comments Harvest is Nearly HereAugust is an exciting time to visit the winery and tour the vineyards. Last weekend, Barley Bus brought a group to Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery for a wine tasting and tour.
The group was led into the vineyard along rows of Concord grapes. The vines are full of leaves and, more importantly, clusters of grapes. By this time of year, red grapes have begun to turn color from green to various shades of red and purple. Varieties of green grapes will become more translucent in the skin color as the grape ripens. The vineyard manager checks the progress of the vines to ensure healthy growth. Brix measurements are taken daily using a refractometer. Brix is a measure of the sugar level in the grapes. Two guests in the photos below are using a refractometer to assess the current reading. Harvest timing depends on multiple factors. Have the grapes have reached the target sugar level, or Brix? As sugar level increases, has the acidity dropped to the desired pH level? Do the grapes show even coloration? Have the grapes plumped up as sugars increase? Judging by taste, are there traces of bitterness in the flesh or seeds? Are the flavors of the varietal evident? Once various sections of the vineyard are ready to harvest, the winery's harvest team springs into action. Grapes are harvested by hand, row by row, and deposited into five-gallon buckets.. Once full, the buckets are loaded into large macro bins on the back of a trailer pulled by tractor up and down rows. Macro bins are taken to the crush pad to be weighed. Picked grapes are then loaded into a crusher/destemmer to remove the fruit from the stems. The crush process varies slightly between green and red grapes. In all cases, the goal is to minimize the time between harvest from the vine in the cool morning to the crush. Spots are still available to help with the harvest. 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. Tentative harvest dates: Sunday, August 27th Sunday, September 3rd Sunday, September 10th Sunday, September 17th Sunday, September 24th Dates are tentative and will be revised as we test the sugars, evaluate the juice chemistry, and see when nature is ready for us. Tentative date for our Annual Grape Stomp (I Love Lucy style) - Sunday, October 1st Learn more about volunteering for a harvest party. Red beans and rice, a staple dish in New Orleans, is traditionally prepared on Mondays. The dish can be easily prepared in a pot while tending to other tasks. Adding a twist to the dish, farro is substituted for rice. Farro is an ancient grain with a nutty taste and slightly chewy texture. It's also high in fiber and dense with nutrients like Vitamin B3 and zinc. Farros is versatile in salads, trendy grain bowls, and with yogurt and fruit for breakfast. Keeping matters simple and rustic, farro is paired with red beans for its similarity to rice while adding a hearty texture and taste.
Red beans and farro are cooked similar to red beans and rice with some Louisiana sass and spice. Served at room temperature, the dish includes a sauté of hot sauce-laced bell peppers, jalapeno pepper, zucchini, and greens to add color and farm-fresh summer flavor. Try red beans, farro, and summer vegetables with Firepit Red, Loft Red, or even Vignoles for a touch of sweetness to balance the mild spice. Prefer sweet to savory? Summer fruit makes tasty compote or jam. This weekend, try some flaky puff pastry ladled with blueberry, blackberry, and lemon basil compote with a glass of Sweet Enchantment or Sejour sparkling rosé. You might also opt for puff pastry with ginger peach jam and a glass of Vidal Blanc or Captivation, a dry sparkling white with peach and floral notes. Let us know what combination of wine and food you enjoyed best! Available while supplies last. 7/26/2017 0 Comments Live Music on SaturdaysThe Joel Gordon Jazz Trio graced our Tasting Room last Saturday, July 22nd, from 2 to 4 p.m. The trio entertained our guests from the Excelsior Springs Chamber Trolley and Barley Bus throughout the afternoon.
The Tasting Room is a cool refuge from summer heat to enjoy live music, share a bottle of wine, and eat cheese, sausage, bread, and our Chef's Special. When temperatures are cooler, featured live musicians perform on the patio with a nearby view of the vineyards. This weekend, we have music by Travlin' Kind Duo on Saturday, July 29, from 2 to 4 p.m. Visit us for wine, music, and fun. We'll save you a seat! 7/18/2017 0 Comments Chef's Special for July 22-23Gazpacho, a cool, refreshing summer soup, sounds ideal in hot weather for the Chef's Special this weekend, July 22-23, 2017.
Eaten in Spain and Portugal during hot summers, gazpacho is served cold as a light meal. The soup is made with ripe tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, onion, bell pepper, and other fresh produce that's abundant at the farmers market this time of year. Gazpacho pairs well with Fence Stile's KAIscape, a wine made in the Portuguese vinho verde style, as well as Loft Red. Also on the menu, we'll have mini cheese quiche made with fresh vegetables from the farmers market and sweet corn aioli. Aioli is a light, rustic version of mayonnaise made with garlic, olive oil, egg and lemon juice. Try pairing these bite-sized quiche with Becca's Blend, Sejour, Vidal Blanc, or Loft Red. The Chef's Special is available this weekend while supplies last. Drop in for a bite to eat, share a bottle of wine, and listen to the lively sounds of the Joel Gordon Jazz Trio from 2 to 4 pm. Can't make it to the winery on Saturday? We have Wine-in Friday, July 21, at sunset. Drive to the winery for the evening, bring a meal (no outside beverages, please) or order from our Nibbles menu, and stay for the film No Reservations that begins at dusk. |
Archives
September 2021
Categories |
HoursWinter Hours December - February
Saturday: 11 am - 5 pm Sunday: 11 am - 5 pm Regular Hours: March - November: Thursday 3 pm - 7 pm Friday 12 pm - 8 pm Saturday 11 am - 8 pm Sunday 11 am - 5 pm |
Telephone - 816-500-6465 |