Baltimore Bend Vineyard’s Standout Vignoles

During the drive back from a weekend trip in Missouri, Midwest Wine Press dropped in on family owned, Baltimore Bend Vineyard and Winery in Waverly. Still an hour from home near Kansas City, a much needed cheese and sausage snack was taken and, of course, a quick wine tasting.

Baltimore Bend Vineyard’s tasting room and winery

The modern winery building is on Highway 24 set in the middle of farmland with the spacious tasting room and shop fronting onto the carpark. Owners, Richard and Kathleen Livingston, who opened their winery in 2003, share their facility with a local apple orchard.

At the bar in the rustic style tasting room, Richard poured samples of Baltimore Bend’s 2009 Norton Reserve (aged in French oak), the 2009 Chambourcin and their Cynthiana/Chambourcin blend. He explained that today his daughter and fellow winemaker was doing the real work, checking the state of their juices in the adjoining winery.

Despite what Richard says are challenging conditions, Baltimore Bend also grow and make a Cabernet Franc. All the dry reds were very pleasant. A standout wine was their 2011 Vignoles – really bursting with tropical fruit flavors. It won a gold medal at this year’s Missouri Governor’s Cup.

Richard in his tasting room