CUISINE
Spring Buds
By Suzanne Corbett
Spring has sprung . It ’ s time to take a break with some buds - make that take a break and enjoy Missouri ’ s vineyards . Just pop the top , open the sunroof and drive with your best “ buds ” through Missouri ’ s wine regions where budding grapevines are revealing their new green canopy .
Greening grapevines and spring are reasons enough to party . Millenniums ago , Rome , the original party central , celebrated spring ’ s vines and wines in April . Through the ages , springtime festivals haven ’ t waned , especially in Missouri ’ s vineyards , thanks to the 19th-century
Germans who founded the state ’ s wine industry . After nearly 200 years , their descendants and friends of the grape continue to enthusiastically raise their glasses each spring during Hermann ’ s Maifest .
While Maifest is considered spring ’ s ultimate festival , it shares calendar space with other seasonal celebrations and concerts hosted by Missouri ’ s wineries and its established wine trails . With 1,700 acres of grapes and over 125 wineries , you don ’ t have to venture far before encountering picturesque scenery and award-winning wines and juices ; a fact worth celebrating well beyond spring .
64 GAZELLE STL