Wineries = Enjoying Life's Wine Journal
| Wineries Visited: 84Journal Entries:  79Photos Uploaded:  222 |  |
Favorite States
| State | Your Reviews | Wineries in State | Percent | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Wineries | 4 | 8 | 50% |  |
| Missouri Wineries | 46 | 125 | 36% |  |
| Nebraska Wineries | 11 | 36 | 30% |  |
| Iowa Wineries | 7 | 83 | 8% |  |
| Massachusetts Wineries | 2 | 36 | 5% |  |
| Vermont Wineries | 1 | 20 | 5% | |
| Connecticut Wineries | 1 | 34 | 2% |  |
| Indiana Wineries | 1 | 58 | 1% |  |
| New York Wineries | 3 | 302 | 1% | |
| Illinois Wineries | 1 | 103 | 1% | |
| Virginia Wineries | 2 | 207 | 1% | |
Latest Winery Visits
Land of Nod Vineyard and Winery (added May 24, 2013)
Millbrook Vineyards and Winery (added May 24, 2013)
Cuthills Vineyards (added Oct 29, 2012)
The Winery of Hot Springs (added Oct 29, 2012)
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Latest Wine Journal Entries
Land of Nod Vineyard and Winery (written May 25, 2013)
Wine: 
Winery: Ambiance:
The proprietor and winemaker is a very welcoming host. We really enjoyed him and his wines. While others have said his wines a not out of this world, they are definitely very nice. Not a bad one in the lot. His fruit wines were very smooth and clean. As one would expect from fruit wines, they are sweet but not overbearingly sweet. Probably some of the best fruit wines we've tried. Three grape wines were also available. His Bianca was an adequate representation of this variety. A smooth rose was nice as well. My favorite was his Ironmaster Red. It is unique. It was semi-dry. He said it was a blend of several hybrids from the University of Minnesota. He said there was St. Croix and Marquette in the blend. I think I might have detected some Frontenac as well. It was a little jammy in a good way. I liked it quite a bit. It's favor with me probably due in part to my being from the Midwest and thus my previous exposure to some of these varietals. My three stars say it was a good experience. It was tempting to go four based on how much we enjoyed our host. But three stars is nothing but a compliment.
Millbrook Vineyards and Winery (written May 24, 2013)
Wine: 
Winery: Ambiance:
This winery sits in the midst of 35 acres of grapes with wooded hills and mountains on every side. Wine tastings are $10 but come with a pretty extensive tour of of the vineyards, crushrooms, tanks, barrels and bottling lines. There is also an art gallery on the second level. I really liked their Cabernet Franc. My wife also liked their Chardonnay. A new variety to me was an Italian varietal that was an interesting white. It is Tocai Friulano. It was raining the day we went but on a nicer day, it would be very easy grab a bottle wine and enjoy at the tables they have at their pond. On the weekends they have food service as well.
Terre Beau Vineyards (written Oct 30, 2012)
Wine: Winery: 
Ambiance:
We gave this winery 2 stars meaning that we could take it or leave it. Didn't really stand out to us. However, that is not to say it is bad. Just didn't stand out. There Norton is dry but lighter bodied than I would really prefer. The Chambourcin was light as well but seemed to have a hint of a fortified brandy feel to it. I am sure that is not the case but it was sweeter albeit dry than other Chambourcins we've tried. The Vintner's Choice was a steel, non-oaked version of Norton which isn't my thing. I probably liked the KC best which was a fairly decent representation of a Norton/Chambourcin Blend. Nice people. I was just looking for fuller-bodied wines. August 2012 edit: opened a bottle of a Catawba at home that was semi-sweet and quite pleasant. Not syrupy like some other versions of this varietal. This white even had a hint of tartness. Not usually a fan of Catawba but instantly this one is my favorite. Upgrading my wine star rating to three stars.
The Winery of Hot Springs (written Oct 29, 2012)
Wine: Winery: Ambiance:
Nice gift shop and the museum is a nice extra. If you like sweet wines, this winery has a lot of sweet wines. We tried Razorback Red and Slick Willy. They were both Concord / Niagara blends. Of the two, the Razorback had more Niagara. While they weren't our cup of tea, I think they were good for what they set out to be. The staff was very nice and went above the call of duty. They recommended their driest wines in the house: Arkansas Red which was a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Our hostess didn't know if these grapes were produced locally or shipped in from California. Upon further conversation we gleaned that most of this tasting rooms wines come from the Altus, AR AVA so my guess is these two vitis vinifera were produced in Arkansas as Altus does grow quite a bit of vinifera. The Arkansas Red was not dry. It was rather semi-sweet and dry drinkers like us found traits to like that we bought a bottle. The helpful staff also recommended we taste their Rosé. I am not usually a fan of Rosé but this was nice. So we bought a bottle of it too. Overall if you want a nice staff, a nice gift shop and a tasting room while in Hot Springs, then you will be happy with your visit. If instead, you want to see a working winery and / or vineyards and a special setting, you will be better off going elsewhere. We will stop again when we're in Hot Springs.
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