Group celebrates special events by visiting wineries

Carol Guard of Cape Girardeau is no amateur when it comes to wine tasting. Although neither Guard nor her husband had a hobby of visiting wineries before they married, they now make sure to include it in their list of things to do.

Guard's interest in wineries started after marrying her husband, Perry Guard, eight years ago. The couple visited wineries together, and two years ago started going with a group of her husband's co-workers in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Saint Francis Medical Center.

The group of eight meet every other month to celebrate a variety of occasions. His co-worker, Sarah Kinney, said the group started going to wineries around two years ago. She said they usually do lunch on a Thursday or Friday, but it is harder to plan an outing in the summer when their grade school children are out of school.

"Believe it or not it's easier to do lunch during the school months. That way we don't have to worry about the kids," Kinney said.

The group started going to River Ridge Winery in Commerce, Mo., and since then has branched out to other wineries. Kinney said the some of the group enjoy Crown Valley Winery's Ladies Sip Into Summer event that offers a various activities such as massages, karaoke and free wine tastings. She said that although the event is geared toward women, some of the men go as designated drivers.

Guard recently won the Southeast Missourian's Wine Bracket 2010 contest by filling out a bracket and choosing wines to win each round and an ultimate winner. Guard won a gift certificate for a day excursion to a winery from the Vines 2 Wines shuttle bus.

Guard said she has had a wide range of experiences when visiting various wineries.

"They are all very different," she said. "Some serve cheese some have fudge. Some places give you sips [to sample] and some give you a half a glass."

Guard said to ask around when first going to a winery. She said you can ask friends or other family members which places or wines they prefer, but also remember everyone has different preferences. She also suggested not buying a bottle before tasting it because it could end up wasting money. She said when you test different wines, sample dry wines first, then move to sweet or dessert wines.

Guard said the atmosphere of a winery plays a role in the amount of possible enjoyment. If a winery is as dry as the wine being served, Guard said she will most likely not be a fan.

"If it's filled with laughter, your going to have a good time," she said.