Some fall days are just too nice to stay indoors and call for more extensive exploring . One winery that we had been to before was closing and there was no way we were going to miss saying goodbye and lose a chance to get the last of their wine. Another winery that we had not been to before, was having their last weekend of the season. Well, when you gotta, you gotta.
I like to have snacks when I drink, but wineries often don’t have any. The perfect en route stop was at The Habit Coffee Company in Rogersville, for an ice coffee with heavy cream and a picnic box. This amazing little, drive-up coffee shop has a variety of individually brewed drinks crafted from locally roasted beans. They also have tempting food options. Our picnic box had a variety of cheeses including Havarti and Tillamook cheddar. It also had grapes, homemade chicken salad, a croissant, a cookie and a handwritten note.
For our first stop, we headed to the north end of Springfield and were delighted at how quickly the landscape changed from urban to pastoral countryside, with a variety of farms, from fancy and new to more rustic. Tyler Ridge Vineyard Winery had friendly and fun hosts who made us feel welcome as soon as we entered their intimate tasting room.
Mike and Kathy Dennis, owner/operators of the winery, are a lively, retired couple who have been running the winery for over a decade. They have the easy banter of a couple who have been married for 53 years and quickly chat up newcomers and welcome them into the fold of regulars. The tasting room, which we entered across a lovely deck that overlooks the vineyard, was situated on the side of their farmhouse. The restroom had the cutest grapevine décor.
We talked for a bit and they mentioned a young, couple who visited recently and were starting up their own winery. As it was the end of the season at Tyler Ridge, the couple took a load of their grapes.
Of the offerings, we enjoyed the Chambourcin and Burnt Barn Red the best. During the tasting, we asked if they sold bottled water and Mike handed us one and said, “You don’t ever sell water or Bibles.”
We had outdoor options in which to enjoy the wine: a sunny afternoon deck, table and chairs near a fire pit on the the lawn, or a large, wooden swing in a vine covered bower in the vineyard.
Off we went with our picnic and wine. After our lovely lunch among the vines and falling leaves, and looking to go to another vineyard, we were happy they recorked our bottle and off we went.
Our next stop was on the way back home and situated more on a mountain. It was Lambs and Vines Winery in Seymour. It was a mixed visit.
On our first trip there, we had our host, Marshall Snodgrass, almost entirely to ourselves while we tasted and were educated on growing grapes in Missouri and some of their adventures. This final trip, however, had the large, tasting room bar full and we waited our turn, admiring Marshall’s spectacular woodworking all over the room.
We met a couple who were starting their own vineyard. We mentioned that we were at Tyler Ridge earlier in the day and they were the couple that Mike and Kathy told us about.
They were alpaca farmers and shared a now familiar moved-to-the-city-and-returned-to-farm story that I have written about with so many different characters in Ozarks Farm and Neighbor newspaper. Not only were they tasting and buying wine, but they were also a potential, new home for some of the winery equipment from Lambs and Vines.
A video of lambs played in the background and on a far wall, wool items were for sale. Marshall, his wife Kristin and their family faced many challenges in starting Lambs and Vines. They persevered into growing a successful business.
Being the last day, we couldn’t get freshly baked baguettes, but they still offered a nice choice of cheeses and I went for the Edam. We enjoyed a bottle of Chambourcin with the cheese on the long porch, overlooking the hilly, vine-covered terrain. Music played softly in the background, muffling nearby conversations.
People left with bottles and memories. It was a gorgeous day, full of new Missouri friends and wine. Again, the recorking and home we went.
My sister chose a vineyard tour (we visited four) in the Atlanta area for her 50th birthday almost five years ago, and we had such a great time! Those also were mom-and-pop operations. It’s quite a lovely experience, isn’t it? Good luck to the couple just starting up.
“You don’t ever sell water or Bibles.” My next tattoo… 🙂
It’s really neat to enjoy a treat where it was created. I wouldn’t think of a big city like Atlanta having so many wineries. Good to know for the next road trip south. I too was happy to see a new winery opening, especially after seeing the other close (BTW, that owner was doing well, but happy to move on to other projects on his list). Glad you liked the quote as much as I did, maybe more.