Savor a Taste of Wine and Music at St. Louis Area Wineries This Fall

Fall has finally arrived, and not a moment too soon as far as I am concerned. Heck, after the blistering heat and drought of this last summer, it even seems to have arrived a little early here in St. Louis. We’ve had cool nights well down into the fifties and daytime highs that have barely scratched 70 degrees. This is also one of my favorite times of the year for food and drink. Now is the time that I have to worry about gaining a few pounds, not around Thanksgiving and Christmas. I guess that I must be like a bear, storing it up for the winter. I also find myself wanting to catch that extra couple of hours of sleep as the air conditioning is turned off and the night becomes cooler, quiet, and still. The first scents of smoke from a neighbor’s fireplace wafts across my backyard when the sun goes down.

This is also the traditional time of the year when winemakers and chefs take to the road to engage in a little demonstrating and salesmanship before the harvest. The first batch of pumpkin stout has just made it out of my local bottler’s beer vat. It’s spicy and delicious and makes me wonder why none of the wineries around here make it? But there are a bevy of fruit wines addled with spice that make up for it, or I guess you could make your own. But I digress. Now is a perfect time of the year to do some wine tasting at your local vineyard or favorite park.

The St. Louis Wine Festival in Forest Park runs from October 13-15 this year and features an opportunity to sample over 150 wines from all over the world. There will also be seminars where you can learn about new and exciting varieties from the experts in a relaxed setting. There will also be food from some of the area’s finest restaurants and cooking demonstrations from top chefs, with an emphasis on pairing different wines with food. Some of the best local Blues, Rock, and Jazz bands will also perform on the Anheuser-Busch Music stage.