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Winter always calls for things to look forward to. It's always a relief when the pitchers report to spring training, for example; the end of frigidity can't be too far off then, surely. But the carrot dangling at the end of the stick for me often turns out to be the annual vertical Norton tasting at Stone Hill Winery.
Held on a Saturday in April, the weather is almost unfailingly not just benign but downright lush. Plan on spending the night somewhere nearby. Besides the bed and breakfasts for which it's known, the town of Hermann has a couple of motels as well, but driving back to St. Louis is not what you'll want to do at the end of the evening.
So make a reservation and head out after breakfast, perhaps a leisurely drive across Highway 100 after you leave I-44, admiring the green in the fields. Make sure there's a cooler in the car along with dressier duds for the tasting and casual Sunday clothes. When you arrive in Hermann, it may be too early to check in at the bed and breakfast, so there's an excuse to drive a little farther south to go to Swiss and visit the wonders of the Swiss Meat & Sausage Company (right), nibble sausage and end up buying more than you'd planned. This is why you brought the cooler. Their sausage amazing in its variety and flavor. You can get a bite to eat there, too. Plan on a nap after you check in to your room, to save your strength for the evening.
Guests gather at the winery, strolling down the hill to the entrance to the historic cellar. The view across the town and the Missouri River is nicely indulgent as the prospect of the evening stretches before you. Guests are greeted with a glass of sparkling wine as they arrive and are directed to plenty of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, served in the cellar. Load up. You need something to eat before tasting and discussing ten vintages of their signature wine.
A few words about who else is there - people from across the state, and sometimes beyond, many repeat guests, and a fair amount of newcomers, who are always welcomed and brought into conversations at the tasting table and later, at dinner. The age range is wide, city folks and locals, sometimes faces you may know from your favorite restaurant or wine shop. It feels more like a party.
The tasting itself is in the large room atop the cellar. Tables of eight hold tastes of the ten most recent Norton vintages, including barrel samples. There are some introductions, both casually around each table and by the Held family, owners of the winery and hosts of the evening, and a discussion from the winemakers of each wine as it's tasted. Much discussion at this point, no reverential silence, thankfully. And then there's a vote for favorites. Voting more than once is part of the ritual.
And finally, there's a trek up the hill to the Vintage Restaurant in the old barn (right). The food at the restaurant has improved over the years I've been attending and these days is part of the pleasure. There's assigned seating and plenty more wine. That pleasant roar of people having a good time that so often marks a wine dinner resounds.
Hard to believe, but there are sometimes after-parties as well, If you get an invitation, unless you're too far gone to drive, they can be fun, too.
There are some tickets left, although many years it sells out. It's $140 per person for the whole evening, and you can reach the winery at 1-800-909-WINE or you can get information and buy tickets here.
