Pirtle Winery Review
Address: 502 Spring St. Weston,Missouri 64098.
Phone Number: 816-640-5728
Tasting Hours:
Region: Missouri
Reviewer: Mark and Sonja
Review Date: 10/19/2014
Reviewer: Mark and Sonja
Rating: 4
The Review
Wineries come in all shapes and sizes. We’ve seen sprawling estates with long winding drives and castle-like structures, quaint awning-covered small town shop fronts, and even a few that take on the shape of a barn. Pirtle Winery ranks high in the unique structures category, and lucky for us, we visited on a Sunday just in time for communion. Well, maybe not, but we did enjoy some heavenly wine in Pirtles tasting room, a repurposed church in the town of Westin, Missouri.
From the outside, you still might mistake Pirtle for a church if you were just passing by. A tall set of stairs lead you to the main doors of the large, red brick structure with arched doorways and windows. Inside, the room is undivided and open with a tasting bar along the left side as well as the back of the room. Although quite busy, the tasting bar was fully staffed and we were greeted promptly upon entering the room. Downstairs is a newly finished area with seating and another bar which are often used for events and parties. Additional seating can be found outside in a pergola-covered area nestled against the building.
The staff at Pirtle were friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating (we had a dog with us that day). Theyre all locals from the small Missouri town, and seem very much to have about them an air of candor and unpretentiousness that is refreshingly Midwestern and was very much appreciated.
The red wine selection at Pirtle included the bold Alhambra wine, a St. Vincent grape aged eighteen months in French Oak that we enjoyed, as well as the staple Norton and a few blends. The whites included the usual suspects for the area, Vignoles and Traminette, though nothing all that interesting. In addition, there were lots of fruit wines and several meads, and each of these was interesting and enjoyable. While a traditionalist might be put off by the randomness of the selection, the casual Saturday adventurer is sure to find something that they fall in love with. And one thing that virtually everyone who goes to Pirtle will agree upon: their port wine is something special. Dark, strong, and multi-gold medal winning, the port rivals any weve had from the area and is sold in a full 750ml bottle, a bargain at $32.95.
Being from Nebraska and having spent most of our winery time in Nebraska or else in Napa and Sonoma, our visit to Pirtle was something of a religious experience. It definitely proved to us that small town Missouri wineries can be something special, and can hold their own with other, larger operations. If youre heading between Omaha and Kansas City on I-29, be certain not to miss Pirtle, one of the best little wineries we’ve found to date!