River Ridge - Commerce, MO

Date of dining experience: October 18, 2015

Place: River Ridge Winery

Location: 850 Co. Rd. 321 in Commerce, MO

Appetizer: My favorite appetizer here is the fried okra. It is always light and flavorful without being soaked with grease. Dip it in the awesome WOW sauce and you're good to go!

Food: Most of the time I tend to get the Big Mess Burger, even though I'm generally against messy foods. This burger is amazing. You're just going to have to try it to gain the experience.

Wine: All of the wines are so good. My wife and I tend to start with a bottle of Rose (semi-dry) and move to a Cabernet (Fall/Winter) or Chardonnay (Spring/Summer) once our food arrives. My favorite River Ridge wine is probably the Villard Blanc (semi-dry). Their website right now says they have a Joie de Riviere (blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Malbec), which I hope to try soon!

Entertainment: On this particular visit Pat Schwent's Saxy Jazz Quintet was playing and it was great. Pat really knows how to put on a show and conveys true enthusiasm and love of the music when she is playing her saxophone. Her rhythm section is made up of top-notch players. Pete Parysek is one of the best piano players I've ever seen. Drummer Mark Ellison and bassist Sam Godwin are fantastic. The guitar play, Matt Gates, is a personal friend of mine and is a Dexter native.

River Ridge is one of my favorite Missouri wineries. The people are fantastic, the wine is extremely good for Missouri, the atmosphere is wonderful, and the entertainment provided is always great. I highly recommend this winery.

If you have never been to River Ridge you need to go now! They are open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Make sure you go inside to the tasting room as well. Let me know what you think once you try it. Enjoy!