An Unforgettable Day of Wine Tasting At Balducci Vineyards

When In Rome (Kinda) – Missouri Wine Tasting

I wanted to go wine tasting. We heard Balducci Vineyards in Augusta Missouri has a great reputation and received many awards.

We decided to go visit them while in Missouri to taste their wine.

Did You Know How Many Missouri Vineyards There Are?

My husband and I have been temporarily relocated near St. Louis Missouri for the next 8 months. We decided to find some fun things to do while we are residing in the area, and up popped one Winery after another.

Near St. Louis, there are many wineries. In fact, in the state of Missouri, there are over 100 of them.

This area is a popular place to do wine tours for Bachelorette parties and birthday weekends.

Many of the local vineyards have a restaurant and serve food as well but we didn’t try anything here today. At a few, there is even a trolley that will take you to multiple ones.

In Augusta where we decided to go for the day, they are family-friendly but don’t allow dogs. Some of the other establishments in nearby towns do allow dogs so don’t be discouraged to ask before visiting one of them.

The Beautiful Drive to Balducci Vineyards

The drive to Balducci Vineyards was very scenic. The road had many twists and turns and my husband and I both wished we were in a convertible.

We probably passed about six other vineyards and one brewery (that my hubby was very interested in).

Balducci Vineyards is said to have many awards for their wine so I wanted to try some of them firsthand. 

When we walked up we noticed the atmosphere and the scenic view was very relaxing.

We went into the tasting room to check it out. The wine tasting included a wine glass to take home and 4 wines to taste. 

We started looking at their wine list and promptly chose three wines and our server chose our fourth.

Balducci Vineyards 2020 Norton

The first wine we sampled was the 2020 Norton. It had a very smooth taste and I could really taste cherry and an oaky finish. I think the 12-month aging process in the oak barrels really softened the taste. 

We were told that some people thought the Norton grapes which are used to make this wine is too earthy but I didn’t find this to be true for me. I would buy this wine.

Chiaretto

The Chiaretto is a semi-dry red. It is said to have raspberry, strawberry, and cranberry notes.

When I tasted this wine I caught the cranberry but not the others. It had a strong tart taste for me. My husband and I usually have the same taste in wine but he did enjoy it more than I did.

Even though I wasn’t a fan of this wine, we were told that it is very popular among patrons. 

Aria

The Aria was made with a blend of Norton and Chambourcin grapes. They are both hybrid grapes and have very different tastes.

The Norton grape is the official grape of Missouri. It is dry and has a fruity taste with an earthy finish. This grape is a full-bodied grape with notes of spice and oak. 

The Chambourcin grape is different in that it is more acidic and gets a great boost when aged in oak barrels. 

When our server described the Aria red blend it interested me because it was said to have red licorice flavor along with pomegranate and plum. 

I smelled it but didn’t smell or taste red licorice myself but my husband said he tasted a hint of it. I did taste notes of plum but this wine wasn’t tops on our list.

Have You Heard of Fortified Wine? My New Obsession!

Fortified wine is a new obsession for me. I will look for this wine when I am out at other establishments to sample more in the future.

If you don’t know, Fortified wine is similar to Port wine. They are both dessert wines. 

However, for a wine to be Port wine it needs to be grown in a specific area of Portugal. Everywhere else it is called a Fortified wine. 

The Fortified wine (I was told) has the enhancement of distilled alcohol and it is usually Brandy.

No Other Wine is Called 43 10*

This wine’s interesting name came from the actual latitude and longitude of Balducci Vineyards.

We were to be surprised by this wine, and surprised we were! Our server didn’t say much but let the smell and taste do the talking.

The first thing I did when served this glass of wine was notice the light color of it and take in the smell. I have to admit I didn’t like it. The smell was very much a firey alcohol scent. I didn’t think I would like the taste at all.

When I sampled this mysterious wine I was stunned that it tasted absolutely delightful. I did guess it was a Port but I quickly realized we are not in Portugal so it couldn’t be.

The server told me what it was and I have to admit I have never heard of this before.

Balducci Vineyards 43*10 is actually called a Fortified wine. This Fortified wine is a mixture of Balducci Vignoles which is a semi-dry white wine mixed with Brandy. This delicious combination is aged in French oak barrels for 30 months (and well worth the wait).

The result was delicious! I am a big fan of this fortified wine and brought home a bottle to share with friends. 

I must admit, I was disappointed though when we got home and sampled our bottle. It didn’t taste as well as the one we sampled at the Winery. It was very bitter.

Missouri Craft Beer is Available Too!

They do have a selection of local beer available for non-wine drinkers. My husband chose one to try from Deep Sleep Brewing called Racemic Red Ale. He liked it.

Check Out the Live Music

While I finished my glass of wine and my husband his beer we got to listen to some live music on the patio. It was a pleasant experience until the bees really started swarming around. 

I am sure having bees around a vineyard is a wonderful thing but they were very bothersome for us. We decided to cut our visit short but said we would come back here again.

Do You Have a Favorite Local Winery

Have you ever been to a Winery near St. Louis? We would love suggestions of your favorite Winery nearby so we can try it out. Comment below or at nextcocktails.com