Same Building, Different View

I like this one too, also not taken by me. I like the white-ness of the porch and the sky.

Open Daily

This picture was taken this fall and emailed to me, and for whatever reason I thought it was a fresh take on a building I've seen a zillion times. I like the angle, and the shadows, and the way the flag is blowing. Come by this winter for some authentic radiator heat, and of course, oodles of great wines to taste. We're open until the end of the year from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed early at 3 p.m. New Year's Eve, closed all day New Year's Day and then start with our new hours of being open from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays from January through March.

Quick Paint

We hosted a quick paint this year as part of the Plein Aire event in Ste. Genevieve, and this is our favorite local artist, Chuck Drost doing what he does best. Brilliant.

Art!

Julie Wiegand to Conduct Painting Workshop on October 1 in Ste Genevieve

This year, the Ste Genevieve Art Guild has invited Julie Wiegand, a gallery artist at Gateway Gallery in Clayton, to conduct it's annual autumn workshop on October 1. Past invitees have included Billyo O'Donnell, Thom Buttner and Michael Anderson.

Growing up in what was once the "small town of Chesterfield, Missouri," Wiegand writes, her "youth was spent discovering nature, art, music and sports." Today, with her art studio in a one room schoolhouse in Berger, Missouri, Wiegand states, "A large percentage of my oils are painted en plein air and I truly enjoy this challenging and rewarding work. Many of my plein air subjects then become larger studio works. There is true joy for me in capturing a mood with light and color." Julie Wiegand is also a partner in an impressive artist cooperative known as the Gateway Gallery on Forsyth Boulevard in Clayton, Missouri.

The workshop will be held on Thursday, October 1, 2009. Many of the participating artists will meet between 8:00 and 8:45 AM for coffee and juice at Studio de Michel on North Main Street before heading out to the workshop location, the Moses Austin house and grounds, located at South Main and Gabouri Streets. About fifteen artists will be seen carrying their painting supplies, portable chairs and easels in backpacks, shoulder bags or rolling carts. The workshop location, in case of rain, will be announced on that day.

At 9 AM, Wiegand will begin the workshop with a short lecture and painting demonstration in oils. Artists of varying experience, from beginner to professional, will then begin their own paintings, in their chosen medium, under the close instruction of Wiegand. After a short lunch break, the workshop will continue until 4 PM culminating in a group critique. Some artists will then break for a short supper and then head out to begin their first painting for the Art Rendevous plein air competition, before the daylight fades.

There are a few seats left for the workshop. Artists wanting to learn how to paint outdoors are invited to attend. The public is invited to stop by and observe what happens at a plein air painting workshop. Once in awhile, an eager visitor or art collector will buy a wet painting off an artist's easel.

The Art Rendevous plein air event and competition will continue through Thursday, October 8 at 2PM and will culminate with a reception, auction and awards ceremony at 188 North Main Street at 6PM. The public is invited. The weekend of October 9 to 11 is filled with other art events such as the Autumn Daze Art Festival, Art Rendevous and the Promenade des Arts held downtown in various locations including the Lion's Club Park and the "Mammy" Shaw House.

Comedy Showcase

Don't delay, get your tickets now!

A Better Perspective

I thought the picture I posted yesterday was pretty cool, until I saw this picture on Diane Wilson's facebook page. It's evident that she's the professional photographer. Check out more of her pictures, and just all sorts of good info on her shop at Center for the Arts. Brilliant.

Tour of Missouri

The Living is Easy

This is a picture of Lynn Rose Terry and Friends playing Summertime under the grape arbor at Jour de Fete. With the warm breeze, a glass of sangria, delightful music, Cecilia dancing around me and Charlotte asleep in my arms, I was the happiest woman around.

Nice Article

Here's a link to a nice article printed over the weekend in the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Come to Ste. Genevieve this fall, you won't be disappointed.

After Hours

Our tasting room has a wonderfully large front porch and last Saturday evening we sat under the arbor with our good friends Sara and Chuck and their kids and watched Jour de Fete close up shop for the night. This is Cecilia and Char (short for Charles) peeking over the railing of our big front porch.

Sangria

Jour de Fete was a scorcher for sure, but we would expect nothing less from the Missouri summer. The Sangria was a big hit; who can resist cool wine and fresh fruit on a hot day. It was nice to see Vicki Meyer and her friend from Shady Grove Vineyard and finally put a face to the name.

Jour de Fete

On Saturday August 8th, and Sunday August 9th, Ste. Genevieve, Missouri's most historic town hosts it's annual Jour de Fete celebration with arts, crafts, entertainment and exhibits.

Jour de Fete Wine Cooler
1 bottle Sainte Genevieve Concord Wine
1 bottle Sainte Genevieve Cranberry Wine
Orange Slices
Fresh Cranberries

Chill all ingredients. Mix the wine together and add fruit just before serving.

This wine cooler is refreshing on a hot summer day and pairs well with barbeque.

Art Walk and Wine Tasting

I'm happy to tell you that on July 24th, 2009, the wineries of Ste. Genevieve County will be pairing up with the monthly 4th Friday Art Walk. 7 wineries will be pouring and selling wine at 7 different galleries in downtown Ste. Genevieve. We will be featured at the Center for the Arts, and our tasting room will also be open that evening. Admission and tastings are free. Art and wine will both be available for purchase as well. The event is from 6-9 p.m., just show up at any one of the art galleries in town.

I'm really looking forward to this event- hope to see you there!

Display

Ste. Genevieve is revamping their Tourist Information Center. It will now be called the Welcome Center. Every month different merchants, wineries, and artists will be able to put up a display in one of their many display cases. This is our display; we have the month of April and since this is the first month they are doing it, we set up a little early. You can see in the front middle we are displaying the original artwork for the new Cherry and Blackberry labels, painted my local artist Chuck Drost. There are also coupons for each display case, so when you are in Ste. Genevieve, make sure you stop by the new Welcome Center, check out the new displays, and grab a coupon. Can't wait to see you!

Tour of Missouri Comes to Ste. Genevieve!

Tour of Missouri Announces 2009 Host Cities
Third Annual Elite Pro Cycling Race, Sept. 7-13

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (January 27, 2009)Event organizers and Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder today announced the start and finish host cities and the overall course for the third Tour of Missouri professional cycling race, scheduled for September 7-13, 2009.

The following cities will play host to a leg of the Tour: St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau, Farmington, Rolla, St. James, Jefferson City, Sedalia, Chillicothe, St. Joseph, and Kansas City.

"We had a record amount of cities inquire about the Tour of Missouri," said Lt. Governor Kinder. "It is a testament to the success of the race. We faced a very difficult process of eliminating some great cities. Our commitment, however, is to continue to route the course to all areas of the state. This year, for the first time, we will visit the southeast part of Missouri while spending a longer time north of Interstate 70. In addition, we will be able to highlight some of the agricultural regions."

The overall course will take on a very different slant in 2009. For the first time, the race will route east to west, starting in St. Louis and finishing in Kansas City. The past two years, the race routed west to east starting in Kansas City to finish in St. Louis. Stage by stage courses will be announced at a later date.

"In keeping with tradition, we will change the course from year to year to keep it fresh," said Chris Aronhalt, the managing partner of event organizers Medalist Sports of the Atlanta area. "There will be new drama on the race route and we expect a few more hills. Overall, we have some great and very excited host cities."

The race will be contested over seven days and seven stages. There will be two circuit races (St. Louis, Kansas City), one individual time trial (Sedalia), and four point to point road races (Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau; Farmington to Rolla; St. James to Jefferson City; Chillicothe to St. Joseph).

STE GENEVIEVE'S FOURTH FRIDAY ART WALK SKATES ON THROUGH THE WINTER MONTHS

Ste Genevieve's Art Community Presents the Monthly Fourth Friday Art Walk on the Evening of January 23.

The artists and their supporters will put on their coats and hats and go out in chilly weather, once again, to enjoy the Fourth Friday Art Walk in Ste Genevieve, Missouri. This is the seventh month in a row that this event is being held.

Long known for it's historical buildings, and the artist colony which populated it in the 1930's, Ste Genevieve and it's art community is witnessing a resurgence lately. In 2008, four spaces were opened in the historic downtown district by artists to display art. In 2009, there are plans for four more to open. These eight new spaces are joining four others which have kept art visible in Ste Genevieve for years.

In addition, it has been announced that young people's art will be on display for the Fourth Friday event in a display called "Art at Sara's Antiques" from 6-9 pm. Iris Vincent, an art teacher and one of the organizers of the children and youth art exhibit, says that this display is planned for Fourth Fridays only, at this time. The other studios and galleries are looking forward to this new exhibit being a part of the Fourth Friday Art Walk.

The venues reporting to be open this Fourth Friday are Studio 221, The Center for the Arts, Galleria Ste Genevieve, Studio de Michel, Mo'sArt Studio, Art at Sara's Antiques and Only Child Originals. Other businesses, such as Ivy & Twigs and Miss Patty's Place, have been open to art walkers' delight on Fourth Fridays. "The Ste Genevieve community and local businesses have been very generous and supportive of the artists on Fourth Fridays," says one organizer of the event.

The studios and galleries try to have new work on display, featured and regular artists to visit with, and refreshments for visitors to enjoy. There is no charge for this event and it is open to the public. Maps for the Art Walk may be picked up at any art studio or gallery open during the Fourth Friday Art Walk.

For more information on the art studios and galleries in Ste Genevieve, on the web, visit http://stegenartwalk.blogspot.com



For more information or an interview, contact:
Mike Devaney
573-883-3783 or 573-915-1470

Just a couple things to tell you about to keep you in the know...

There's a new Mississippi River Hills blog. Check it out!

Want to taste some wine? I will be at Lukas Liquor tomorrow from 2-6 p.m. and I will be at The Missouri Mercantile store in the Mills Mall on Sunday from 1-4 p.m.

See you there!

Welcome

If you found us through the St. Louis Magazine welcome! Our big, normal website is temporarily down and out, so here is my little blog. I originally started this blog because our tasting room in downtown Ste. Genevieve sometimes seems like a storefront, and I know it's so much more than that. There are quite a few wineries in Missouri who do not grow their own grapes or make their own wine (shocking, I know) and so since our vineyard is not open to the public, I wanted to make it available through this wonderful thing called the whole wide web.

If you are wondering about the pictures of the cluster of grapes, way back when early this growing season I started taking a picture a week of a cluster of Norton grapes, so you can scroll down and see the backward progression.

If you have any questions whatsoever about our winery, just email me at stgenwinery@hotmail.com

Art in Ste. Genevieve

There is a thriving artist community in Ste. Genevieve. In the 1930s there was an artist colony here. I have this beautiful book about the colony. Now we have a very busy Artist Guild. I have already mentioned Chuck Drost who is painting and designing our new labels one by one. Click on some other links; Studio de Michel, Ali Cavanaugh who is new to Ste. Genevieve, Mike Devaney, and his grandmother's typewriter art Winifred T. Caldwell.

Very interesting indeed.

Too Much Water

This picture was taken last Thursday down by the marina in Ste. Genevieve. The flood gate is closed, and on this side of the gate, there is water everywhere, and on the other side things are normal. I guess after 1993 our little town is better prepared.

The Mississippi River is supposed to crest in St. Louis today. Let's pray for no more levy breaks, and a normal subsiding of the water.