Adventurista: Wine Cures The Whines!

Finally, a new adventure! After weeks of holiday have-tos, despicable weather, and coordinating client and stylist schedules non-stop at Details Salon -- I swear, working in the salon biz during the holiday season is just as crazy busy as working retail! -- DMan and I got away yesterday for a winery road trip.

DMan and I sipping Retro Red at Shawnee Bluff Winery

First stop was Shawnee Bluff Winery at Osage Beach, a new winery for us to visit. The weatherman predicted a sunny day in the upper 40s, so I envisioned sipping wine on their elaborate deck overlooking Lake Ozark, maybe even getting to watch the sun set. Um, no, the weatherman was wrong. Murky sky leaving Springfield, we hit a patch of beautiful blue sky with white billowy clouds around Lebanon, then we were back to murky, with steel gray clouds rolling turbulently and spitting rain by the time we made it to Shawnee Bluff. No matter, the wine tasting/dining room was cozy, with a real (if small) wood fire going in the fireplace. Nearly every table was packed with groups sipping wine or beer, having rowdy conversation and laughing. We wrangled our way through the crowd to the wine tasting area, which they offer four wines to try for free, add five more for $5.00. Several of the wines on the menu seemed familiar to us, and the sweet gal pouring up the wine told us that was because Shawnee Bluff is affiliated with Casa de Loco Winery, west of Camdenton, whose wines we have tried many times. Mysterious Beauty is our fave Casa wine, but they didn't carry it, so we just did the free tasting of four reds totally new to us. Retro Red was our top pick, a Pinot and Merlot blend, fruity bold but easy-sipping smooth. We both ordered a glass, found an empty table, and watched the people and what we could see of the lake. DMan ordered the meat and cheese plate off the tapas menu for a quick nosh. Hint: Don't waste your money on the meat and cheese plate if you visit Shawnee Bluff. All he got for $10.50 was a few squares of greasy summer sausage, a dozen or so squares of processed pepper jack cheese that looked and tasted like it came straight out of a cellophane wrapper, and a handful of flavorless purple grapes. After we finished our wine and he finished the tapas -- he doesn't like to waste food so he ate everything but a few of the grapes -- we bought a Retro Red and two wine glasses to take home. We don't even have room to display all the wine glasses we already have, but we can't stop ourselves from buying a set as a keepsake from every winery we visit. Finally, the rain took a break and gave us time for a quick stop out on the deck to peek at the lake before we headed on.
If you are in Osage Beach, check out Shawnee Bluff Winery. It is quaint and cozy, with some tasty wines. Don't go by what their website (www.shawneebluffwinery.com) shows, though, as the wine and dining selections are not up to date, but the photos are breathtaking. They also have eight rooms overlooking Lake Ozark that are available for rent, with a cute little pool fed by a huge wine bottle and a hot tub just steps away, that would be great for a weekend getaway. The vineyard shop, located farther north near Eldon, has a working distillery with sampling available, if spirits are more your thing than wine. DMan and I will be back for another Shawnee Bluff experience, but on a hot summer day next time.

DMan (on the right) in the wine tasting/dining room of Shawnee Bluff Winery

I was in the mood to play Skeeball, but we drove down the old Hwy 54 strip and couldn't find a single arcade open. And DMan isn't a fan of shopping, so stopping at the Outlet Mall was out. The only thing to do was hit another winery, Golden Rock, our fave in Camdenton! Scott Wood, the owner, called out, "Hey, welcome back! How are things in Springfield?" as we came in the door. What a pleasure to be remembered and welcomed so warmly! That's the spirit of Golden Rock, friendly and warm, that keeps us driving back to Camdenton as often as we can. That and the delish food and wines! Carol, our excellent server, got me started with a glass of Latin Grande, my choice wine of all that Golden Rock makes, while DMan went with a flight of three reds for tasting. For our supper selection, I had a hankering for pizza and boy, did I get satisfied with a Sicilian-style Veggie-normus! Scott and Carol both laughed because I only managed to eat two pieces, DMan helped by eating half a piece, and we still had two containers filled with pizza to take home. That is one humongous tasty pizza! DMan had beef tenderloin medallions in a rosemary mushroom sauce, salad, and garlic mashed potatoes. And he ate nearly every last bite again, even mixing his "taters" in with the "gravy" like farm boys are known to do. We had a nice chat with Scott, stocked up on Latin Grande, Amarosso, and California Syrah wines for our rack at home, and headed back to Springfield. If Lake of the Ozarks is on your road trip radar, make sure to drive the few extra miles to Camdenton and Golden Rock Winery -- you'll love it!

A new adventure, big fun with my Sweetie, good food (at Golden Rock!), and excellent wines to cure my wintertime whines! I needed that. Stay tuned next week for our hot tub trip -- my body cannot wait!