The place was jam packed when we got there and we had to wait about ten minutes for a table to empty out, but once it did we were fortunate enough to find ourselves with a primo spot at the edge of the deck looking right down into the vineyards. Admittedly my pictures aren't the best, especially because it was the middle of April and the vines were just starting to show some green, but I can tell you from experience in late summer or in the fall, this setting is truly spectacular.
We ordered a cheese plate and a bottle of 2005 Savage Norton to start our lunch - the cheeses were appropriately mild so as not to overpower the wine and included Brie, Gruyere, and a lightly smoked Gouda. Norton is a grape varietal that finds a lot of success in Missouri and some of the best wines you may ever taste from the armpit of the Midwest are likely to be reds that incorporate it - the result is usually a dry, yet rich and dark red wine with hints of berry that is very drinkable. The notes from the winery state that their Savage Norton is combined with Cabernet Franc to yield a bold taste of black currant and dark cherry.
Cheese plate and Savage Norton
As we nibbled on cheese and enjoyed our wine, Jay and I couldn't help but notice how much winery hopping has changed since our younger days when we used to make a day out of it driving from one Missouri winery to the next along highway 94. It used to be a casual, lighthearted experience but now apparently the rules of the game have been re-written. There were a handful of couples and groups scattered around the deck like Jay and me - comfortably dressed and there to enjoy the fabulous weather, lovely setting, and tasty wine - and then there was everyone else. These people were dressed to impress ... someone. A number of women were wearing white dress pants; nearly all of them were wearing heels and lots of makeup. And a few in particular were trying to out-aroma the wine with their perfume.
They were obviously there to be seen and smelled ... hahahaah!
On a purely academic note, I would really like to know how these ladies were able to make it so that their hair didn't move in the not insubstantial breeze that day.
To be fair, it's possible that many of them had arrived three hours early for a private event the winery was hosting later that evening. But still, I don't think I like being around this younger, trendy, hang-out-at-the-winery-and-drink-beer crowd. Those of them who were actually brave enough to drink wine didn't even know how to properly hold their wine glasses. We're not wine experts by any stretch of the imagination, but folks, you don't need to be an oenophile to know that the glass has a long stem for a reason - for gawd's sake, use it!!!
And then it was time to stop snarking at the younger generation and have some lunch before taking our crotchety selves back home. I ordered a tuna salad sandwich on a fresh croissant with a side order of kettle chips while Jay ordered the turkey, pesto, and dried cranberry sandwich on a baguette, also with a side of kettle chips.
Tuna salad
Turkey, Pesto & Dried Cranberry Sandwedge
Both selections were tasty and generous - nothing to make us do back flips, but just well prepared, solid food offerings that really hit the spot. Chandler Hill's restaurant menu is a little limited but the items we tried were quite satisfying and we would go back again. The winery itself is lovely and their wines, at least the ones we've tried, have been very good (except for the ruby port which set my teeth on edge it was so damn sweet). Jay and I look forward to going back to visit them again, hopefully with some friends next time so that we can share the fun. For those of you here in the Stinktown metropolitan area who haven't stopped at Chandler Hill yet, we strongly recommend that you do - it's worth the time!
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