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Tag Archive for: vignoles

September’s wine of the month is Dry Vignoles!

Our Executive Winemaker, Andrew Meggitt, provides an in depth description of the taste profile for this dry white, Missouri wine in the video below. As part of the Winemaker Series, our Dry Vignoles features the best-of-the-best blocks of grapes and is handcrafted in small batches by the St. James Winery Cellar Crew.

Our Winemaker Series Dry Vignoles has a beautiful floral nose with juicy bright flavors of mango, pineapple and dried apricot. It is crisp and light with a fruity finish. Perfect for a warm summer or early fall day.

Discover the flavors of our Dry Vignoles!

During the month of August, St. James Winery is celebrating Vignoles grapes in honor of Vignoles Month!  This French-American hybrid white grape is one of Missouri’s most versatile since it can be used to make dry, semi, sweet and dessert wines. Vignoles plays a large part in our state’s vineyards, accounting for 15% of all grapes grown in the state. Not only do Vignoles grapes thrive growing in Missouri, but they sell well too. Vignoles is Missouri’s most popular white wine.

St. James Winery has had great success with Vignoles and uses the grapes to make both semi-dry and dry wines. Our Frontier Series Vignoles is an easy-drinking semi-dry white wine that contains floral and fruity aromas with flavors of marmalade and pineapple with a crisp, clean finish. This wine is popular among customers and has won several prestigious awards. We take great pride in sharing that our 2016 and 2017 Vignoles together brought home five gold medals in several international wine competitions this year. With wine from all over the world being judged, this is a major accomplishment!

St. James Winery also uses the best of our Estate-grown Vignoles grapes to create our Dry Vignoles as part of our Winemaker Series. It has a beautiful floral nose with juicy, bright flavors of melon, peach and pineapple. Dry Vignoles possesses a crisp, light mouthfeel with excellent acid and a fruity finish. Our Dry Vignoles has also competed well this year with winning a Double Gold and two Gold in 2018. Our 2017 Dry Vignoles took home Best of Class and Gold in the Indy International Wine Competition this year.

We invite you to celebrate “Vignoles Month” this August by picking up a bottle of Missouri’s most popular white wine. You can find our Frontier Series Vignoles in our Tasting Room, online or in a store near you, and our Winemaker Series Dry Vignoles exclusively in our Tasting Room and online.

Cheers!

2016_governors_cup_banner
2015 Vignoles Beat Out 308 wines for Missouri Wine Competition’s Top Award

St. James Winery won the prestigious Missouri Governor’s Cup for the second year in a row. Out of seven best-of-class winners, the 2015 Vignoles, a semi-dry white vignoles, took the top award at the Missouri Wine Competition. A total of 308 wines were submitted from vineyards across the state to compete in the premiere competition designed to recognize and promote quality wines made in Missouri.

The winery’s 2015 Dry Vignoles and Friendship School White also won Gold Medals. Additionally, St. James Winery won four Silver Medals and five Bronze Medals for wines entered in other categories.

“We are extremely proud of Andrew Meggitt and his team on this outstanding achievement,” said Peter Hofherr, St. James Winery chairman and CEO. “Over the last three years, the team has won five international wine competitions, two Governor’s Cups and scored a top 14 ranking in the world. These are truly extraordinary accomplishments given the challenging weather patterns we’ve experienced. Without the day-to-day hard work and attention to detail in the vineyards and cellar, these incredible results would not have been achieved.”

2016_governors_cupThe Missouri Wine Competition took place in Columbia, Mo. on July 19 and 20. The competition is judged by the top wine and beverage experts from around the nation. Only Missouri wines are judged in this competition – those that received best-in-class honors were considered for Governor’s Cup.

Missouri’s premier white varietal, the Vignoles, is a French-American hybrid grape. Out of 150 acres of grapes that St. James Winery farms in the Ozark Highlands American Viticultural Area (AVA) of Missouri, 10 percent are Vignoles.

Founded by the Hofherr family in the Meramec Highlands region of Missouri in 1970, St. James Winery, located in St. James, Mo., is celebrating 46 years as a family owned and operated winery. It is Missouri’s largest and most awarded winery. St. James Winery produces 500,000 gallons (225,000 cases) of wine per year and is sold in 18 states and Washington D.C. For more information, visit StJamesWinery.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

2015_harvest

As of 9:19pm on August 11, harvest is on here at St. James Winery, and so far the results have been absolutely glorious!

“Throughout the summer, our Meramec Highlands region has received abundant rainfall,” said Andrew Meggitt, executive winemaker for St. James Winery. “The fruit quality has been outstanding, and the taste profile of the grapes is excellent. So far we’re very well pleased with the 2015 harvest.”

Already this season, St. James Winery has harvested Aromella, Niagara, Rougeon, Seyval, and Vincent. These blending grapes make up some of your favorite wines. For instance, Seyval finds its home in Pioneer White and Rougeon is found in our Friendship School Red.

We’re all harvesting Vignoles, but the waiting and ripening continue with blocks of Chambourcin and Norton grapes.

Pick up a few bottles of your favorite grapes!

Celebrate Missouri Wine Month

With more than 100 wineries calling Missouri home, there are plenty of places to visit on a wine tasting tour to celebrate Missouri Wine Month. So grab some friends, get in the car, crank up the tuns, and enjoy a wine-tasting road trip!

Be sure to schedule time for at stop at the St. James Winery Tasting Room to sample the 2015 Missouri Governor’s Cup award winner: St. James Winery’s 2014 Vignoles!

Visit the Missouri Wine and Grape Board at MissouriWine.org to learn more about Wine Month and winemaking in the State of Missouri!

St. James Winery’s 2014 Vignoles won the coveted “Governor’s Cup” trophy at the 2015 Missouri Wine Competition, an event held exclusively for Missouri wineries. This year’s competition received 270 entries, all of which were judged during the two-day event held July 14 and 15 in Columbia, Missouri.

During the competition St. James Winery 2014 Vignoles first won Best Vignoles, topping 30 other Vignoles before moving on to be chosen Best Semi-dry White, then Best of Class, and finally Best of Show.

“We are ecstatic for our vineyard and winery team,” said Andrew Meggitt, St. James Winery Executive Winemaker. “They work hard to ensure the grapes and wine are the best they can be. This honor is the result of great teamwork.”

St. James Winery farms 15 acres of Estate grown Vignoles grapes in the Ozark Highlands AVA of Missouri. Vignoles, a French-American hybrid grape, is Missouri’s premier white varietal.

“This award is very humbling,” said Peter Hofherr, CEO of St. James Winery. “When my mom and dad founded the winery in 1970, their goal was to make wines that reflect our region. The Governor’s Cup recognizes the hard work, research, and development we have invested since the 70s to show the quality of the grape varieties that grow here.”

In addition to the Missouri Wine Competition, the St. James Winery 2014 Vignoles earned top honors in other 2015 wine competitions: Best White Wine at the Riverside International and Best of Class/Gold at the Pacific Rim International. These top awards make it the first Missouri Governor’s Cup winning wine to win not only the top prize in-state but in out-of-state competitions open to international entries.

St. James Winery has won the Governor’s Cup twice previously, in 1997 and 1998, each time winning for their Vignoles.

St. James Winery, the largest and most awarded winery in the state of Missouri, recently placed in the top 15 of the World Association of Wine and Spirits Writers and Journalists annual list of the 100 Top Wineries in the World.

Founded by the Hofherr family in the Meramec Highlands region of Missouri in1970, St. James Winery is celebrating 45 years as a family owned and operated winery. St. James Winery wines are sold in through the Midwest and South. Find the winery online at www.stjameswinery.com.

2014 Vignoles Bottle Shot

2014 Vignoles Tasting Notes

White wine is a summer staple. It’s just not summertime without sipping a refreshing glass of white wine during a backyard cookout or while watching the sunset at the lake.

This year, there are even more white wines on the scene. I’m all for a good Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio, but instead of slipping into your same old summer habits, mix things up with newer grape varieties.

Read more at BlogHer

a2014_Vignoles_bottle_shott Riverside International Wine Competition in California

St. James Winery’s 2014 Vignoles recently won Best White Wine at the prestigious Riverside International Wine Competition in Riverside, California. The 2014 Vignoles, made from Vignoles grapes grown in the Ozark Highlands AVA, competed with more than 1,700 entries from around the world and was evaluated primarily by California judges.

“Riverside is a very large and well-respected competition, and the fact that our wine beat out the top Chardonnays, Pinot Gris, Rieslings, and other white wines from California and other notable wine regions around the world is a real tribute to the integrity of the wine. It shows that top-quality Missouri wines can compete on an international level, and I congratulate our vineyard and winemaking teams for their great work.”

This is the third time in recent history that a St. James Winery wine has won Best White Wine honors in a major competition. In 2014 St. James Winery Friendship School White wine won Best of Show at the Pacific Rim International and at the Long Beach International wine competitions.

At the Riverside International, St. James Winery also received several additional top awards including Best of Class / Double Gold for its Friendship School White, a Best of Class / Gold for its 2013 Cynthiana, and a gold medal for Friendship School Red.

St. James Winery, the largest and most awarded winery in the state of Missouri, recently placed in the top 15 of the World Association of Wine and Spirits Writers and Journalists annual list of the 100 Top Wineries in the World.

Founded by the Hofherr family in the Meramec Highlands region of Missouri in1970, St. James Winery is celebrating 45 years as a family owned and operated winery. St. James Winery wines are sold in through the Midwest and South. Find the winery online at www.stjameswinery.com.

2014 Vignoles Tasting Notes

“Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried,
with fewer tensions, and more tolerance.”
~Benjamin Franklin

We definitely agree with Benjamin Franklin! And with springtime finally here, we’re all about living easier, being less hurried, and feeling fewer tensions.

Now that it’s becoming white wine season, St. James Winery is here with a wide range of delicious white wines: sweet, dry, and plenty in between. So chill a bottle or two of white wine, grab a few friends and enjoy!

Springtime Fruit Soup

Fresh fruit is showing up at the market, bursting with flavors and tasting like spring. For a new twist on some traditional fruit flavors, try our Fruit Soup with Blueberry Ginger Ice Cubes

Our Blueberry Wine mixes with strawberries, mango, pineapple, and citrus for a cool treat on warm spring days.

August is Vignoles Month in Missouri! A versatile, French-American hybrid grape, Vignoles is a favorite at St. James Winery because it is so uniquely suited to flourishing in Missouri’s Ozark Highlands AVA.

Our Vignoles is a perfect balance of sweet fruit and citrus zing. This delicious white wine features crisp grapefruit and pineapple flavors which complement the clean, lingering finish.

Vignoles wines are delicious when served alongside late summer foods like apples, squash, and pears. Vignoles is also a perfect pairing for spicy Asian or Mexican dishes.

Recent Winners

At the recent Indy International Wine Competition and Missouri Wine Competition, St. James Winery was once again golden! Gold medal award winning wines were:

St. James Winery at Los Angeles Wine Competition

Eight St. James Winery wines received 90 points or better, including two 97 point ratings, at the 2013 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition, held May 15 and 16 at the Los Angeles County Fair. The LA Wine & Spirits Competition uses a 100 point rating scale for gold medal winning wines.

Best of Class winners were:

  • 2012 Vignoles (97 points)
  • Friendship School White (97 points)
  • Peach (91 points)

Other gold medal award winners include:

  • Cynthiana (92 points)
  • Blackberry (90 points)
  • Blueberry (90 points)
  • Mango (90 points)
  • Raspberry (90 points)

“Our 2012 Vignoles is absolutely amazing! The exceptional quality of the wine is thanks in part to last year’s drought. The lack of rainfall resulted in pristine Vignoles grapes,” said Peter Hofherr, CEO of St. James Winery. “Our Friendship White Wine is another wine that has traditionally done well for us, and over the years it’s won quite a few Best of Class awards in wine competitions.”

“It was also gratifying to see our fruit wines continue to be standouts in wine competition, too. This year at Los Angeles, Peach led the way with the Best of Class award,” Hofherr continued, “but Blackberry, Blueberry, Mango, and Raspberry were close behind with gold medals of their own. In fact, all 16 wines St. James Winery entered in LA, won medals, and half of those were gold medals.”

St. James Winery is the largest and most awarded winery in Missouri. Founded by the Hofherr family in 1970, St. James Winery celebrating more than 40 years as a family owned and operated winery, St. James Winery wines are sold in 19 states and is online at www.stjameswinery.com.

Tag Archive for: vignoles

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