"Missouri" news and stories

A weekly look at the draft selection in beer-friendly bars across the country.

We talk about Zinfandel being the ultimate American wine, but as I've mentioned on here before, Zin is actually a cousin to grapes from Croatia and Italy, and it probably came from Croatia. Today's Wine of the Week showcases a truly American grape varietal: Norton.

Unlike most wine grapes, which are from the Vitis vinifera species, Norton (also called Cynthiana) is part of the Vitis aestivalis family. Many winemakers think it's the best indigenous American grape for making wine that's rich, full-bodied, and flavorful. Because it's a hardy grape, Norton thrives in growing regions all over the U.S., most notably Missouri but also Illinois, Virginia, and other states. And since it's so dark, Norton has more of those magic compounds in the skin, resveratrol, than other red grapes, according to researchers.

Still, I admit I was skeptical, at least a little bit, before actually trying the wine. I mean, don't all wine snobs have just a bit of an attitude about American wine that doesn't come from the West Coast? And now I'm here to officially eat my words, because Norton blew me away.

Tasting notes for Norton - Wine of the Week after the jump.

It doesn't get any better than this. If I had magical powers and could transport myself to any food festival in the country this weekend, I don't think I'd be able to decide where to go! We've got BBQ in Missouri and Pies in Florida, and starting next Wednesday (4/23), Texas is the place to be with festivals in both Houston and Dallas.

Read on for details about all of these yummy events, and check out the gallery from last weekend's Scottsdale Culinary Festival!

The largest commonly eaten nut is the brazil nut. The 4-5cm nuts grow on one of the largest species of rainforest tree, which reaches about 30–45-m tall and 1–2 m in diameter. The nuts are grown in coconut-like shells that weigh approximately 4.5-lb and contain up to two dozen brazil nuts. The coco de mer, the fruit of a palm tree grown in the Seychelles, is usually considered to be the largest nut in the world. Also grown in a coconut-like shell, the mature fruit can reach up to 65-lbs and contains several seeds, which are also the world's largest.

The rest of the world's largest nuts tend to be of the inedible variety. The world's largest pecan, for example, is located in Brunswick, Missouri and is 7-ft. high. x 12-ft. long, and weighs about 12,000-lbs. The world's largest peanut is in Ashburn, Georgia

Incidentally, the world's largest nutcracker is located in Germany. The device stands about 19 ft high and can crack any nut up to the size of a coconut (which is a drupe, not actually a true nut).

Along Route 66 lies a quite piece of American history: the first drive-thru restaurant. Red's Giant Hamburg is located in Springfield, Missouri and has been there since 1947. Sheldon “Red” Chaney decided that it would be easier for the customers to place their orders through a window to the kitchen, rather than repeating them to waitresses. Just like that, the car hop service was replaced with the first drive-thru window.  Legend has it that the name of the restaurant was originally meant to be "Red's Giant Hamburger", but due to some poor planning, the sign was not large enough and the "er" had to be dropped.

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