As a big supporter of Missouri wines, I always look for them on local wine lists. And I’m usually disappointed, as many restaurants don’t include them among their offerings. Every month, I pontificate about the virtues of local wines and go into tirades about how restaurants preach about local farmers but don’t support local wineries. Well, it is time for me to prepare my crow for dining.
The commitment to local producers is obvious on Grace Manor’s menus. Not only is the Edwardsville restaurant using products from numerous local food producers, the entire wine and beer selection – 100 percent – is also regional. This is a very gutsy move, considering that our region produces a limited range of wine styles – when examining a wine list, I look at pricing, compatibility with the menu, and balance of the offerings. So while this wine program is impressive, I really believe that adding a few West Coast wines would add some depth and make it a better-balanced selection. Time will be the judge.
Even those few restaurants that include Missouri wines on their lists tend to stick with offerings from the same several wineries: Stone Hill, Mount Pleasant and St. James on wine lists. It’s unusual to see a restaurateur include the impressive wines of southern Illinois. Grace Manor offers wines from Alto Vineyards and Von Jakob, two of the most consistent Illinois producers, both located in the Shawnee Hills AVA.
Eight wines are offered by the glass, four white and four red ($6 to $8). The whites are very well chosen and range from dry to sweet. One of my favorite regional grapes is Traminette, which is a hybridized variety of the distinctive Gewurztraminer. Alto Vineyards’ Traminette brings all of the spicy and floral character of its parentage to the table. For a drier style, with only a delicate touch of oakiness, the St. James Chardonel is one of our regional wines’ great consistent values.
Reds by the glass showcase Norton from St. James, a multipurpose full-bodied dry red that pairs well with either the grilled tenderloin or the smoked pork ribs. If dry does not work for your taste, the Von Jakob Country Red will probably have more appeal. A blend of Foch, Chancellor and Chambourcin, this is slightly sweeter and is a great companion for the restaurant’s local cheese presentation.
The bottle list includes two of the benchmark reds from the Midwest, Stone Hill Norton ($52) and the Alto Vineyards Chambourcin ($38). Dessert wines include a Catawba from St. James, a grape rarely seen on a restaurant’s wine list ($7) and the famous Mount Pleasant Port at $9.
Other beverages maintain the local theme: Fitz’s Root Beer, three of beers from Schlafly and even a house-made Sangria made with local wines.
The commitment to local farmers and vintners makes the drive to Edwardsville exciting and rewarding for all of us who share in Grace Manor’s love of local products. Cheers!
To read Michael Renner’s take on Grace Manor’s fare, visit Gourmet Guru in the reviews section.
This article appears in Nov 1-30, 2010.
