Wine Barn Winery & Vineyard Review
Address: 2850 N 119th St. Kansas City,Kansas 66109.
Phone Number: 913-721-5577
Tasting Hours: Sat-Sun 12:00-5:00 and by appt.
Region: Kansas
Reviewer: Mark and Sonja
Review Date: 6/7/2015
Reviewer: Mark and Sonja
Rating: 4
The Review
Five minutes earlier, we had driven past Arthur Bryants new location and the stadium where Sporting KC play their games. It was hard to believe, with that in mind, that so shortly thereafter we were pulling out of a tunnel made of trees and into a clearing, with a vineyard running along a gently sloping hill and a small pond out of which a covered veranda sprung, connected to the bank by a small footbridge. It was beautiful, rural, and a dramatic change of pace from the hustle and bustle of Kansas City where we had spent our weekend.
The lawn in front of the grapes was set up with a massive tent, and we learned later that a wedding was to take place there the following day. Wine Barn‘s winery and tasting room werent much to look at a small, simple steel building with a concrete floor. That said, the wine enthusiast would surely take interest in the collection of antique wine presses that decorate the interior of the building.
When we arrived, we were the only ones there, so we pulled up to the bar and ordered a tasting. We were impressed with the care that went into the wines, many of the reds aged in oak for two years or more. The reds and whites both ran the spectrum of sweet to dry, and we admired the winery for not simply catering to the more marketable sweet wine palate. The winery sources its grapes from the Hott Sciatt Vineyard. French Hybrids and American Native grapes such as Chambourcin and Norton account for the majority of the planting, but a total of ten different varieties are grown. Ultimately, we took home a bottle of their fortified wine, which, if were being honest, is kind or our habit at small wineries, as were lovers of port.
During our tasting, a man came in to touch base. He was clearly the father of one of the lucky people getting married the next day. He looked over the wine order, tasted a few wines, made a few adjustments, and double-checked everything. We were impressed with the care and attention the owners gave him, while simultaneously managing to attend to us and our tasting seamlessly. It seemed very much to us as though anyone who came in was going to get great service, regardless of what their business was or how much money they were spending.
Though we often find ourselves in Kansas City on weekends, weve only visited a couple of wineries in Kansas, a state known for, well, anything other than wine. But if our recent experience is any indication, were looking forward to checking out more in the near future. In the meantime, if you find yourself in the Legends area and want to step outside of the concrete jungle for an afternoon, The Wine Barn is a good alternative to, or break from, an afternoon of outlet mall shopping.