Stone Hill’s Nathan Held on Missouri wine, food pairings, and fall events

From the moment he was aware of his birthright—and even before that—Nathan Held could feel that he was destined to carry on his family’s legacy at the legendary Stone Hill winery in Hermann. His childhood memories involve running around the winery’s cellars—“the best playground,” he recalls—and drinking thimbles of wine well before he was technically allowed to imbibe. His parents were careful not to push him into the business, however, allowing him to find his way into the wine industry on his own, via undergraduate studies at Saint Louis University and wine graduate school at Cornell’s school of Viticulture & Enology. That journey, of his own taking, has resulted in Held’s unyielding passion for not only his family’s storied winery but also for the Missouri wine industry overall. It’s a passion that he hopes to instill in everyone who encounters Missouri wine, even if they might first greet his enthusiasm with a raised eyebrow.

There are a lot of Missouri wine skeptics out there—admittedly, I was one of them until this summer. How would you convince someone to give it a try? My favorite way to do it is to put a glass of our blanc de blanc in front of them and have them try it. It’s made in the traditional méthode champenoise, so it will taste like French champagne. It almost always blows people away and automatically makes them break down their misconceptions. I always find that sparkling is the easiest way to do that. If I don’t have a wine in front of me, I try to talk to them about the history, but I also like to get into the modern era. We are one of the most awarded wineries in the country, and that is a credential that also helps to break down misconceptions and get them across the hump to actually try the wine. I think a lot of  people think that there is no good wine in Missouri. To me, that means they are probably not drinking the right wines. If they think it’s all sweet, maybe they haven’t discovered the right wine for them. We have amazing sweet wines in the state, and we also have amazing dry wines. We are blessed in this region that we make wines across the spectrum. A lot of regions don’t get that full spectrum of quality-oriented wine, so people miss out on great wines that are not of their particular preference. 

Do you think that wide range is what makes Missouri wine country so special? I do, and I also think we have such a unique history and heritage to draw upon. Most other regions don’t have the depth of history and heritage that we get to explore and tell stories about with the same grapes that have grown here for 200 years. A few other states are starting to plant these grapes now, but we have been growing them since the 1850s. Our grapes have a beautiful, regional identity that can make a lot of interesting wines, everything from big bold reds to dry, subtler rosés. We are also blessed with a nice microclimate. This is still a challenging place to grow grapes, but we are in a nice spot for the midwest, especially in the Herman and Augusta areas. Being along the Missouri River gives us unique, rich soils. In wine, people talk about terroir, which is the soil chemistry and different  microclimate conditions. Here, we get a unique microclimate because of the rivers, hills, and where we plant the vines. It all comes together with our history and unique grapes to make something special.

You talk a lot about sustainability in winemaking, and a lot of your job involves forecasting into the future. What do you think the outlook for Missouri wine is in light of the changing climate? I think it involves some of the grapes we currently grow and doesn’t involve others. Quite a few will probably not be as sustainable or effective to grow in 15–20 years, so we will have to shift away from those. Some of this is because of climate, and some is because of disease pressure. When I think about looking into the future, a lot of that will involve looking to the past. There are amazing grapes that were the backbone of the industry prior to Prohibition and were completely lost; of the 50–100 pre-Prohibition grapes, only two are still being grown. Part of looking at those historic grapes might be to provide a tool in the toolbox when we are looking at new modern cultivars and breeding programs. We’re working with scientists to make sure the grapes we plant are sustainable and will produce the highest-quality wines possible.

What are some of your favorite Missouri wines? This is a pretty easy one for me. If we are looking at wines that we make at Stone Hill, my all-time favorite wine is our Old Vine Reserve Norton. It’s a very special wine that comes off vines planted in 1861 that have been producing fruit all this time. There’s such a unique chemistry that happens as they change and grow over all that time. The grapes have a very unique story to them, but I just love the wine and think it tastes amazing. Norton, in general, is my favorite grape that we work with and make. I also love our méthode champenoise sparkling brut rose or blanc de blanc. Sparkling wine is a really easy way to tell if you have a great wine because there is a lot less room to maneuver; off aromas or missteps are really in your face if they are there, so you need a clean wine to make good sparkling wine. In this region, our grapes have high acidity, so they are perfect for sparkling wines because of that. If we exclude Norton or sparkling, cream sherry is my other favorite. It’s a rich dessert wine that is incredibly complex.

Do you have any favorite food pairings with these? Norton is incredible with lamb. It’s really the perfect pairing. The wine has some rich cooking spice notes which pair nicely with most preparations of lamb, and also has a nice big juicy fruitiness that works well with the fat of lamb. It also goes great with steak, but lamb or even wild game is really great with it. I also tell people that if you are not too familiar with dessert wines, and you want to get the flavor without having an entire glass, try drizzling cream sherry over vanilla ice cream. It’s an amazing way to try it out, and maybe you will graduate to a nice little glass of it.

This time of year is perfect for enjoying the winery. How would you suggest someone spend their perfect day in Missouri wine country? Come on out to Stone Hill, pull into our lot, and stretch your legs for a bit by just walking the property. It’s a beautiful, historic property with hundreds of old trees and grapevines. Then, go inside and make sure to go on a cellar tour—we have North America’s largest series of cellars; they were built in the 1800s and are very unique. You will learn all about grapes, wine and the Missouri wine industry—and it’s free. Some people pass on it, but it’s so unique. You will go down the hill, pass the vines, and work your way from the bottom of the hill and then end in the main winery building, so it’s the perfect switchover to wine tasting. It’s a guided tasting with trained staff members who will lead you through everything. After that, grab a bottle and stick around on the hill. We even started doing evening events for fall, which have been turning out beautifully. We call them Sunsets at Stone Hill, and they will probably go into November and maybe until the end of the year. It’s a casual experience down at the sherry house directly overlooking the vines. The sun sets perfectly over that balcony. I don’t think you can have a more perfect experience than that.

Photography courtesy of Stone Hill Winery

Photography courtesy of Stone Hill Winery

RECIPE: Warm Cinnamon Bread Pudding

Held is proud of everything that Stone Hill Winery produces, but he admits that he has a soft spot for its cream sherry, which pairs perfectly with the famous bread pudding served at the winery’s restaurant. This decadent, cinnamon-infused dessert is excellent on its own, but when paired with a small glass of cream sherry, it becomes otherworldly. 

INGREDIENTS

Bread Pudding:

• 1 loaf of brioche
• 12 eggs
• 2 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Nutmeg
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 tsp. Vanilla

Caramel Sauce:

• 2 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 cup cream
• 1/2 lb. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Splash of Stone Hill Cream sherry

INSTRUCTIONS

Bread Pudding:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In large bowl, combine 1 3/8 cup of sugar, 2 tsp. salt, 12 eggs, 2 cups heavy cream, and 2 tsp. vanilla. Mix together.
3. Cut brioche into 1-inch cubes. Combine bread with the mixture. Stir until bread is coated thoroughly.
4. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan. Pour mixture into pan.
5. Combine leftover sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle mixture over top of bread pudding. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Caramel Sauce:

1. In a sauce pan over low heat, combine 2 cups brown sugar, 2 cups cream, 1/2 lb. butter, a splash of cream sherry, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Stir continuously, until it starts to come to a gentle boil and starts to thicken, about 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Cut bread pudding, and drizzle with caramel sauce. Top with whipped cream, and serve with Stone Hill’s cream sherry.