Celebrating Independence: All American Mid-Western Wines for an All American Meal

All American wines and menu for Independence Day

 
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” So proclaimed the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 when they adopted the Declaration of Independence almost 250 years ago when people came together in defiance of a king, to say that no one is above the law, not even the president of the United States. 
 
Happy Independence Day! What are some of your traditions? Do they include traditional American foods like grilled burgers or hot dogs? What about wine from the US? While California cab may be considered by many to be king, we decided to do bison and beef burgers with wines from the MidWest made from unusual and indigenous American grapes and hybrids! Bonus, Sue visited these wineries, took photos (below), purchased the wines, and brought them back to share. 

But to be honest, I’m terrified by recent events– by the January 6 2021 insurrection instigated by the former president, by the June 2022 Dobbs decision, by the recent Supreme Court decisions which offer the former president immunity and other decisions that break with precedent, and by Project 2025 which will roll back even more rights. People are worried about inflation but America’s 100 largest corporations raked in over $1 TRILLION in profits in 2023—and cut 55k jobs.

To be honest, I’m terrified by the fact that while all members of President Biden’s cabinet support him, 40 of 44 members of ex-President Donald Trump’s cabinet refuse to endorse him. To be honest, right now it feels hard to celebrate our country when I fear its demise.
 
But it’s important that we recognize we have much to celebrate: the economy is doing great with lower inflation than Europe, and low unemployment. Crime is down. Roads are getting fixed, and

CBS news reports that July 4th gas prices are expected to hit lowest level in three years, just in time for people to visit family and friends– and maybe a winery or two along the way!
 
The wheels of justice, while slow, are turning (for the most part!). So many successes in the current administration are worth naming and celebrating.  
 
To be honest, because of politics, I don’t even want to travel to some states and I don’t want to write about their wines (looking at you Texas and Missouri). It’s risky to talk like this, to be honest here about my political views and risk alienating my audience. But we are all at risk. And I feel strongly we must all do what we can to prop up the rule of law and democracy. I don’t want to be independent of truth, just independent of a dictator– or a king!
So this Independence Day celebrate your freedom like you are on the verge of losing it. Because you are.  And enjoy a glass or two of red, white or rose wine– maybe from the midwest for something different that celebrates our American heritage and Independence!

All of these wines were purchased by Sue Hill from the wineries while she was traveling through the area several years ago… while most wines in the midwest seemed to be sweet to Sue, not all! Sue found some that are gastronomic!  

All American wines and menu

All American Wines 

  • Terra Vox Munch, MO
  • Prairie Crossing “Meadowlark’s Song” Iowa  
  • Bodega Victoriana Frontenac, Iowa
  • St. James Winery “Pioneer Red” Ozark Mountain, MO
  • Shawnee Bluff Norton, MO

All American Menu

  • Organic Potato Salad with Myr’s pickled onions 
  • Corn on the cob
  • Smoked Santa Barbara Spot Prawns 
  • BBQ Chicken in peach bourbon sauce 
  • Hamburgers: bison plus beef from the Owen’s Valley, CA
    pretzel buns, organic tomato, organic spring greens, blue cheese   
 
 

2019 Terra Vox Munch White, MO

2019 Terra Vox Munch White, MO

ABV: 11.8%
SRP:  (Sue purchased)
Grapes: Muench

Terra Vox means “Voice of the Land” and at TerraVox, 100% of the wines come from estate grown grapes. 

Like many of the wines that Sue encountered, it is a very low production with only 28 cases produced. Overall, a surprising and lovely wine. 

Muench is a cross: Neosho x Herbemont, TVM 1886, and named after Friedrich Muench, one of the co-founders of Mount Pleasant Winery in America’s first AVA in Augusta Missouri. Large berries are grey-purple in color with  light colored juice. While highly susceptible to powdery mildew, overall it has good disease resistance, and is a very terroir expressive wine that can yield a light red, rose, or white wine. 

For more, read the Smithsonian article, “The Man Who’s Saving America’s Forgotten Grapes” or check out their website.

Appearance:  Gold, daffodil gold, bright yellow gold, almost amber.

Aroma: Sweet fruit and florals with an herbal backbone, chamomile, elderflower, narcisis, vanilla, vanilla pudding, petrol, sage, such an interesting texture.

Palate: Dense and heavy, viscous, bitterness at the tip of the tongue, vanilla custard with orange oil, oily coating the roof of the mouth, butterscotch on the finish,  

Pairing: Potato chips bring out nice fruit in the wine, very nice with the smoked deviled eggs, the wine and the egg together is like having a custard in your mouth, the salt in these foods bring out fruit in the wine, fantastic with the spot prawn bringing out the herbal aspects in the wine, very nice with the celery carrot and pickle tray making this a great opening wine for a picnic or backyard bbq, very good with the marinated grilled chicken drumsticks, the meat brings out the fruit and spice in the wine, there is a little bit of fruit and a little bit of a kick that works so well together with the wine.  On a subsequent evening, I enjoyed this wine with rotisserie chicken with lemon.

Prairie Crossing “”Meadowlark’s Song” Iowa

Prairie Crossing “Meadowlark’s Song” Iowa

ABV: We could not find the ABV
SRP: (Sue purchased)
Grapes: Mainly LaCrosse


Appearance:  Green gold, platinum rim,

Aroma: Very aromatic, sweet florals, sweet fruits, white flowers, tuber rose, peach, nectarine, baking spices, cinnamon, clove, very lovely nose, honeysuckle, star jasmine, 

Palate: Sweet without being too sweet, bruised apple, banana smoothy, ripe pear, light weight, clean, fresh and refreshing, very interesting wine, 

Pairing: Potato chips almost make this wine too sweet however it is still good, it really brings out the sweetness, This wine becomes sweet with food, delicious with the grilled drumsticks, so good with the smoked deviled eggs, Sue felt that this was a knock your socks off pairing, also great with the pickle tray loving the celery carrot and pickle, another great starter wine, the food also brings out the beautiful floral aspects in the wine that resonates,  

Bodega Victoriana Frontenac, Iowa

Bodega Victoriana Frontenac, Iowa

ABV: another no ABV
SRP: (Sue purchased)
Grapes: Frontenac

Bodega by Sue Hill



Appearance:  Super dark and dense, prune juice, bricky garnet, brownish rim

Aroma: Blackberry, Dr. Pepper, loamy soil, wet earth, compost, 

Palate: Tart cherry, tart blackberry, plum. very dense fruit flavors, eucalyptus, earthen, sage, mushroom, tobacco, 

Pairing: Very nice with the chicken, it loved the fruit in the bbq sauce as well as the smoke and the spices, great with the potato salad, this is a wine that goes well with traditional bbq food, very good with the buffalo burger however we liked it best with the chicken and the potato salad. Food made this wine so much better than we thought it was tasting it alone without food. 

2019 St. James Winery “Pioneer Red” Ozark Mountain, MO

2019 St. James Winery “Pioneer Red” Ozark Mountain, MO

ABV: 12.5%
SRP: (Sue purchased)
Grapes: Norton, Chambourcin and Rougeon

St James

Sue says they have a beautiful tasting room overlooking their own private lake where they will let you fish on the lake for the day for a small fee. 

Appearance:  Ruby with a mauve rim, medium density

Aroma: Blackberry, blackberry pie, blueberry, blueberry jam, blueberry pancake, mulberry, rich dark fruit, baking spice, mint, 

Palate: Very dry, nice acidity, mild tannins, blue fruit, raspberry on the finish, boysenberry preserves, 

Pairing: Quite good with the buffalo burger it really likes the tomato umami, it likes the complexity and the seasoning in this meal, Sue felt that it was not as great with the potato salad however I really liked it and thought that it was highlighted by the mustard in the salad, because of that I had to try it with the smoked deviled eggs and found it to be quite pleasing, it is also good with the bbq chicken but better with the burger, and while the corn becomes so sweet with the wine it is not a great pairing, this was our favorite sipping wine of the three reds,  and stood up to the food as well.  I enjoyed this on a subsequent evening with a nice steak and blue cheese and YUM.

Shawnee Bluff Norton, MO

Shawnee Bluff Norton, MO

ABV: 12.5%
SRP: (Sue purchased)
Grapes: Norton

Sue says this winery has a fun tasting room with a resort on a lake, rental cabins, and a swimming pool that has a giant bottle of wine pouring into it. Will add more ASAP!

Shawnee Bluff, MO

Appearance:  Ruby/Garnet with a brickish rim, very dark and dense

Aroma: Fresh cherry, blue fruit, mint, wet earth

Palate: Cherry, cherry mint, nice acidity, baking spice, cherry phosphate, 

Pairing: This wine loves the smoke, the marinade, and the spice of the bbq chicken, very nice with the smoked deviled eggs, really good with the potato salad, I felt that even more herbal elements could have been added to the salad and the wine would have responded, the corn is too sweet for the wine ( but corn is a really hard pairing for wine), fabulous with the burger bringing out the cherry and blackberry elements in the wine.

So mark your independence from the dominance of west coast wines to try some grown in the midwest!

 

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