Shamrock Hills Vineyard & Winery

A Letter From the Riley’s

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Denise and Mike offered tastings during a 4-course Wine Dinner with Willow Spring Mercantile. Greetings to our favorite people! Amid all the busyness of summer, I realized I forgot to send out our August newsletter! It has certainly been a whirlwind as we wrap up the season. Unfortunately, our fruit harvest this year wasn’t as […]

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Greetings to our favorite people!

Amid all the busyness of summer, I realized I forgot to send out our August newsletter! It has certainly been a whirlwind as we wrap up the season. Unfortunately, our fruit harvest this year wasn’t as bountiful, so Mike has been traveling the highways and backroads to procure grapes and juice for our 2024 vintage. He also invested in more tanks and a few additional French oak barrels, and I can’t wait to begin my quality control on the wines! We still have a couple of 2023 wines left to bottle and hope to complete that in time for our Chloe and Finnigan’s Wine Club Release on October 17th. Haven’t joined yet? There are still a few spots available, so it’s not too late to sign up: shamrockhillsvineyard.com/wineclub

Mike and Matthew Vincent are busy making wine, and they’re definitely up to their elbows in the process!

In other exciting news, we held our first annual Fall Irish Festival last weekend—check out this article for all the highlights!

To celebrate our upcoming second anniversary in April, we will be having a final sale on our Four Horses and a Dog wines. From October 1st through December 31st (or while supplies last), all remaining Four Horses and a Dog wines (excluding Tony’s Harbor Port) will be available for just $8.00 a bottle or $60.00 a case. Please note that all sales will be final, and other discounts cannot be combined.

We’re thrilled for you to visit us this fall! With cooler temperatures on the horizon, our firepits are ready for use. Picture yourself enjoying your favorite bottle of wine from our tasting room while savoring the sounds of crackling fire by the pond—doesn’t that sound like the perfect evening? We have s’more kits for both adults and kids, and Finnigan’s Fiz is the perfect fall mocktail for children to enjoy by the fire! Plus, the fish are biting, so feel free to bring a pole (just don’t accidentally toss it into the fire! 😊). We also have picnic baskets available to check out so you can take your bottle, glasses, and snacks to the fire pit. Come relax with us this fall!

As the weather changes, we are planning our winter hours. Unlike last year, we won’t close on Fridays. Based on last year’s sales, we will shut down our tasting room from January 7th to February 9th, reopening just in time for Valentine’s Day on February 14th. Be on the lookout for something special! We will continue selling our wines at Willow Springs Mercantile, and did you know the winery phone number is also my cell? So, if you have a W-I-N-E-1-1 emergency, we’ll be happy to deliver or meet you at the winery for a pickup! Rain or shine, snow or sleet, we’ll be here, because the puppies depend on it—so give us a call! This downtime will allow us to finish rebranding our space and produce some fantastic new wines.

We truly appreciate each of you and the joy you bring to the winery. Your support and dedication mean the world to us! We love the sense of community we have built together.

Please enjoy this newsletter, where you’ll find details about our upcoming events for October and November, highlights from the 1st Annual Irish Festival, and more!

Cheers!
Mike and Denise

Fall, Friendship, Fellowship, and Wine

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Fall… the changing leaves, football games, children’s sports, hayrides, and pumpkins. What comes to mind when you think of this beautiful season? Do you ever pause to truly appreciate the splendor of autumn? In the midst of life’s hustle and bustle, do you take a moment to savor the warmth of connection with friends and

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Here in Missouri, fall can slip away in the blink of an eye. One moment it’s summer, then we get a brief taste of fall, followed by an Indian summer, another fleeting glimpse of autumn, and suddenly—boom—it’s winter! I used to blame those box stores for bringing out their Christmas displays too early, but perhaps we get so caught up in our busy lives that we miss the fleeting beauty of fall.

I challenge you to embrace this season as an opportunity to reconnect with those around you. Celebrate fellowship, rekindle old friendships, and forge new ones. At Shamrock Hills Vineyard and Winery, Mike and Denise have created an inviting atmosphere perfect for these moments. Whether it’s hiking the scenic trails, fishing with your kids and watching them reel in their first catch, gathering around one of our four cozy fire pits, or relaxing on the patio while listening to live music, Shamrock Hills Vineyard and Winery offers the ideal backdrop for creating lasting memories and appreciating the beauty of fall.

Take a day to venture off the beaten path and immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of autumn, friendship, and community, all while enjoying Shamrock Hills Vineyard and Winery’s first releases and award-winning wines. And don’t worry if wine isn’t everyone’s preference—Mike and Denise also offer delicious microbrews, a selection of beers, Irish whiskey, ciders, refreshing wine slushies, and delightful mocktails.

We can’t wait to see you soon! Join us this fall for a day of fun, laughter, and cherished moments!

A Letter From the Riley’s

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Dia Duit Friends and Family, Dia Duit is “God Be With You” in Gaelic, a traditional Irish greeting! It’s hard to believe summer is winding down and we are getting ready for harvesting grapes, beginning our second vintage of Shamrock Hills Wines. We started our summer with an amazing European trip with our friends at

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Dia Duit Friends and Family,

Dia Duit is “God Be With You” in Gaelic, a traditional Irish greeting!

It’s hard to believe summer is winding down and we are getting ready for harvesting grapes, beginning our second vintage of Shamrock Hills Wines. We started our summer with an amazing European trip with our friends at the Mercantile and travel tribe from Excelsior Springs. We went on a 7-day cruise along the Rhine River, ending with a few days in Lake Como, Italy to wind down our trip. Some of us went early and had a few extra days to explore Amsterdam beyond the Red-Light District and experience a taste of culture, a lot of history, and yes, even some authentic gouda cheese which they pronounce “Houda”.

We had our share of wines from where wines began along Germany and France and where a lot of our grapes, which we now grow in Missouri, came from originally. We had a few hiccups on our trip, like the government shutting the river down due to high waters, not just for the cruise ships but all ships. The river is their main form of transportation of goods. However, we didn’t let that stop us from having fun as we explored Düsseldorf and Cologne Germany, floating along the Rhine River Gorge where we played a game of “Here A Castle, there a Castle, everywhere a Castle”. Beautiful scenery and a little Rüdesheim coffee to take off the chill!

We ended our floating in Rüdesheim, from there on the rivers were too high to travel, so from there we took a bus to Strasbourg, France, which is borderline Germany and France, and did bus transportation to get to the rest of our excursions. However, before we left Rüdesheim we got to do one of our tours there—some of us went to the Music Box Museum and others followed a tour guide like little ducks to a family-owned winery that was down in a cave. We learned about their vineyard and the prominent grapes there, as well as tasted a few of their wines and bought a couple of bottles or a case to share with our travel tribe or to enjoy on our journey to Strasbourg.

But our wine adventures didn’t stop there. Instead of doing our last assigned tour with the ship, we decided along with Jim and Daphne Bowman to do a little exploring in the Alsace Wine Region with our tour guide. He showed us a little of the beautiful countryside, including some beautiful vineyards that Mike and Jim went exploring in, and to two family-owned wineries in the region. We learned how their region was different and how they had to get approval from the government if they wanted to grow something other than what the government would allow.

Then of course we ended our trip with Italy . . . aw Italy, where the wine flows continuously. It was truly a wonderful trip.

Shamrock Hills wants to continue the Travel Tribe of Excelsior Springs—because going on a trip with people from your community really makes the trip special and turns those lemons into Limoncello when those travel hiccups occur. That’s why we decided to host a custom Ireland Tour next summer from May 21 – June 3, 2025.

We will take a coach tour through the hills and valleys and countryside of Ireland seeing all of the big highlights of things you think of when you think of Ireland. We will be breaking the travel up with stops along the way and multiple days in the same town, doing day trips to nearby towns. While the wineries in Ireland are scarce, there is still much to see and do and experience in Ireland. We will be visiting the famous Guinness Store House and Brewery, a few big distilleries, Blarney Castle, Cliffs of Moher, Giant’s Causeway, Atlantic Sheep Dogs, and a night staying in the Castle—to name just a few of the highlights. In addition to group excursions, there will be time for you to explore many of these on your own as well.

For more information, please reach out to Anna Sue Spohn and Itchin’ 2 Go Travel, LLC at annasue.spohn@voyanetwork.com. Because this is a motor coach tour, we are limited to the number of people who can join us for this epic adventure. Who knows, you might even come home with your own kilt, or bodhran!

Sorry for the lengthy letter! It’s going to start getting busy here at Shamrock Hills and the Shamrock Ranch, so until next time! Enjoy our August edition!

Slainte,
Denise and Mike

Missouri Wine 2024 Governor’s Cup Competition

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July 9-11th the 2024 Missouri Wine Competition was held in Columbia, MO.

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July 9-11th the 2024 Missouri Wine Competition was held in Columbia, MO. On Tuesday, July 7th they held the label contest as well as their “Flight Crew” of volunteers polished glasses, labeled bottles, and prepped for the next 2 days of blind tasting of over 240 Missouri Wines showcasing some of the best of what Missouri has to offer!

On July 10th, a panel of 8 expert judges formed to blind taste the wines. Wines were evaluated and the ones that received a gold medal distinction went head-to-head on the following day for the honor of a Best of Class Award in their respective category. The top wines then competed for the ultimate recognition, the Governor’s Cup Award which was presented to the best wine in the state. This year’s honor went to Stone Hill Winery’s 2022 Cross J. Norton—a single Norton varietal. They also won the C.V. Riley award for best Norton. Congratulations to Stone Hill Winery—what an honor to achieve.

The top white varietal went. To Adam Puchta Winery’s 2023 Dry Vignoles. They received the Husmann-Jaegar award named after George Husmann and Herman Jaeger. Both influential men who were crucial in the early development of the Missouri Wine industry. Congratulations to the team of Adam Puchta Winery!

While Shamrock Hills didn’t win a gold, we didn’t walk away empty handed! For our first vintage of wine and our first wine competition, we were thrilled to be recognized with a silver medal for our 2023 Vignoles and a bronze medal for our 2023 Carbonated Moscato and our 2023 Chardonel. We were competing against a hefty group of renowned Missouri Winemakers and talent throughout the state of Missouri.

Mike Riley has come a long way honing in on his winemaking skills and he gives a lot of credit to Stefan and Dean from the University of Missouri Viticulture and Enology Extension services as well as the winemakers around him who have shared and coached him through a few challenging hiccups. We love how Missouri Wineries are a united collaboration where people aren’t competing with each other but work in collaboration so that we all can provide customers and wine enthusiasts an experience when they come to visit.

Watch out California, Oregon, and Washington State—Missouri is continuing to step up their game for wine making!

Letter’s from the Riley’s – July 2024

Letter From the Riley's / shamrockhills

The Vineyard season for 2024 has been an adventurous one to say the least. So much that Mike wants to create a Vineyard Manager Creed t-shirt.

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Hello, Friends and Family!

The Vineyard season for 2024 has been an adventurous one to say the least. So much that Mike wants to create a Vineyard Manager Creed t-shirt:
I survived the Early Frost
I survived the late frost
I survived the mildew from the excessive rain
I survived the Japanese Beatles
I survived the racoons and 4 legged creatures
I survived the birds
I survived all of this so you can enjoy the wine

Don’t be surprised if you don’t see a t-shirt of some sort in relation to this…. But seriously, it’s been a battle, especially when the day after you spray for Japanese beetles and you think you are good for at least a couple of weeks because the weather forecast showed no rain for at least 10 days and a monsoon shows up and washes all of the spray away.

Thank goodness we have contracted with the drone sprayer. He has been very helpful in getting all four vineyards that we assist with sprayed efficiently and effectively. However, it definitely makes us appreciate every grape that we bottle and every glass that we sip.

We know our hard work is paying off. We have produced some great wines our first year and love the feedback we are getting. We know everyone’s tastes are different and we are wanting to capture as many styles as we can. Next up for bottling is Sweet Hadley Jo—named after our granddaughter. We will be debuting it at the Wine Dinner at Willow Springs Mercantile on July 26th. The Reserved Chardonel is tasting mighty smooth as well and we’ll be bottling it soon. In time for our fall release in October for our Wine Club.

While we are pleased with our 3 awards we received from the Missouri Governor’s Cup competition, we know the best compliment or award for us is watching you enjoy the wine as you sit on our patio and take in the ambiance, bring your friends and family out with you to share the experience, or take a bottle home to enjoy later. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

As we are now into our 2nd year—we’d love to get feedback on what we can do to bring more people into the hidden gems of Excelsior Springs Wineries. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Cheers!
Mike and Denise Riley

A Letter From the Riley’s

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Letter from the Riley’s Greetings to our Shamrock Hills Friends and Family, I apologize for not getting the May newsletter out so I’m combining it with June’s newsletter. Mike and I enjoyed our friends at the Willow Springs Mercantile and Itchin’ to Go Travel along with a few other Excelsior Springs area/Liberty/KC friends on a

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Letter from the Riley’s

Greetings to our Shamrock Hills Friends and Family,

I apologize for not getting the May newsletter out so I’m combining it with June’s newsletter. Mike and I enjoyed our friends at the Willow Springs Mercantile and Itchin’ to Go Travel along with a few other Excelsior Springs area/Liberty/KC friends on a Riverboat Cruise on the Rhine River through AmaWaterways. 39 in total on a ship of 149 guests. What an adventure we had. We started in Amsterdam and was supposed to end up in Basil, however, due to high waters from flooding on the Rhine—we had to do a switcheroo with a sister boat that was doing Basil to Amsterdam ½ way through the cruise. So the last half we were docked in Strasbourg, FR along with at least a dozen other boats in the same predicament as us. The government closed the River. However, we still got to do the Rhine Gorge cruise and see all the cities on our itinerary and we still had an amazing trip. However, this letter isn’t about our trip. It’s about the winery.

We have been busy at the winery this spring. Mike and crew have planted 250 new vines (given my brown thumb, I’m not allowed to plant)—we planted 50 Cordot Noir, a grape we discovered when we were in Indiana and are experimenting to see how well it would grow here and 200 Vidal Blanc plants. We also lost some of our initial plants from last spring’s planting, so we are planting replacement plants. We have hired Matthew Vincent to join our vineyard team. He has previously worked at the Jowler Creek Vineyard and Amigoni winery and are excited to have him join our team. He was a huge help with getting vineyard tasks and maintenance done while we were gone.

We have also contracted with an independent Drone Sprayer service to spray our vineyards for us vs. spending hours upon hours between our vineyard, the church vineyard, the Stubbs farm, and the Bowman’s farm spraying by hand. This method is more precise and uses less chemicals and takes less time. We hope more of our fellow vineyards will start using this service, because in the long run it’s better for the environment because it uses less chemicals and it’s more time efficient once you get the GPS coordinates set up.

We had a fabulous first release party and was glad to welcome all of the new wine club members in to listen to music, enjoy appetizers, and sample the first wines in their club shipment. We closed the winery to the public and everyone had a good time! We are limiting our club to 50 people to begin with and right now we are at 32 members between Chloe’s Club and Finnigan’s Finest. Our next release party will be this fall. We have a couple of more wines ready to bottle once we get back from across the pond.

Speaking of upcoming events—we are excited to enter a few of our recently released wines in the Missouri Governor’s Cup competition this July. Mike is a perfectionist and I love the passion he’s taken into making these wines. He has definitely embraced the art of wine making. We are also going to be representing Missouri Wines at the City Market at the River Market on July 6^th. So if you’re in the area stop by and see Mike and I and sample some of our Shamrock Hills Wines! We will have Shamrock Hills wines available for purchase as well. Finally, the end of July, we will be the wine host at the Willow Springs Mercantile’s monthly wine pairing dinner they hold at the end of each month. A lot is going on and not enough hours in a day sometimes but we are enjoying it all! To check out our local winery events, visit our website at www.shamrockhillsvineyard.com/events. We keep at least 2 months of events out there at one time.

Summer is upon us! We can’t wait for you to come and visit us. Bring your family, your friends, and join us for a day of fellowship, wine, and fun.

Cheers!

Denise and Mike

Highlights from our First Wine Club Release Party

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Shamrock Hills Vineyard celebrated a memorable evening on Thursday, May 2, 2024, as Wine Club members gathered at the winery for their inaugural Release Party.

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Shamrock Hills Vineyard celebrated a memorable evening on Thursday, May 2, 2024, as Wine Club members gathered at the winery for their inaugural Release Party. Despite the heavy rain, the warmth of camaraderie filled the air as guests indulged in the new release wines straight from the vineyards.

The event featured an exquisite lineup of wines, including the Crimson Cabernet, Carbonated Moscato, Reserve Chambourcin, Chardonel, and Vignoles. As members savored each pour, the talented Levi Turner, an Excelsior Springs High School student, serenaded the crowd with soothing piano melodies, enhancing the ambiance of the evening.

Despite the inclement weather, the Rileys opened the winery’s garage door, allowing guests to spill out onto the porch and enjoy the fresh air. Throughout the evening, conversations flowed freely, and guests shared their thoughts on the new releases.

To complement the wines, Shamrock Hills curated a delightful selection of food pairings, offering a taste sensation for every palate. From chicken wings and bruschetta to meatballs and sliders, each dish was expertly paired with a corresponding wine, elevating the tasting experience.

With two membership options, Chloe’s Club and Finnigan’s Finest Wine Club, wine enthusiasts can choose the tier that best suits their preferences. To join or learn more about the Wine Club, visit our Wine Club page!

The inaugural Wine Club Pick Up Party at Shamrock Hills Vineyard was a resounding success, marked by great wine, wonderful company, and a shared passion for the vineyard’s exceptional offerings. As the rain subsided and the evening drew to a close, it was clear that this celebration of fellowship would be cherished for years to come.

A Letter from the Rileys

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Greetings Friends and Family: April Showers bring May Flowers and as I write this letter to you, I am overlooking the winery and all of the beautiful blooming plants lining our landscaping and trees thanks to our friends at Blue Sparrow. They did an amazing job on our fire pits and if the wind would

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Greetings Friends and Family:

April Showers bring May Flowers and as I write this letter to you, I am overlooking the winery and all of the beautiful blooming plants lining our landscaping and trees thanks to our friends at Blue Sparrow. They did an amazing job on our fire pits and if the wind would die down a tad and it’d rain more during the week than when we are opened on the weekends, we would love for you to come out and enjoy one of the 4 firepits that align our pond. Oh and don’t forget your fishing pole, the fish are biting and the wine is chilled so come enjoy a bottle as you fish.

Mike and I are excited to launch our new Wine Club and if you haven’t checked it out, go out to our website or stop in at the winery and learn about it. We had our first release party Thursday, May 2nd at the winery. We will open on Thursdays for Spring and Summer starting Thursday, May 9th from 3:30-7:30pm! Six of our wines were released at this time and friends of Chloe’s Club and Finnigan’s Finest were able to taste the wines they then brought home! They snacked on some appetizers while High Schooler Levi Turner played the keyboard in the background.We currently have 23 people that have joined us on our wine club journey and we will cap the club at 50 people at first until we get the details perfected.

Speaking of new releases, something new we are going to offer at the winery now that we have 18 different wines to sample, we are going to narrow down your selection and give you a couple of options from each category—white, rose, reds, special wine drinks, and Reserve/dessert to choose from. While we will rotate these wines once a month, you’ll still be able to buy a bottle of your favorite or a glass—we are just trying to not overwhelm our guests and staff with all of the different options. These “Tasting Menus” will be in addition to our full menu and will narrow down the wines we are sampling for that period. We’ll include a mixture of your Four Horses and a Dog favorites and Shamrock Hills new releases.

We look forward to spending an afternoon with you out at the winery! Cheers!
Denise Riley

Bottling Our First Vintage Vignoles Wine

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It was an exciting week at Shamrock Hills as we bottled 551of our 2023 Vignoles! Here’s a step by step of the process so you can get a better idea. Here’s the tank. Getting it ready to transfer to the bottling machine. Empty bottles ready for wine! Here are the stations set up. Normally we’d

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It was an exciting week at Shamrock Hills as we bottled 551of our 2023 Vignoles! Here’s a step by step of the process so you can get a better idea.

Here’s the tank. Getting it ready to transfer to the bottling machine.

Empty bottles ready for wine!

Here are the stations set up. Normally we’d have 3-5 people but today it was just the 2 of us.

Once the bottle was filled, I put it under our new corking machine!

Then put the foil wrap on top.

Mike then used a sealing gun to seal the foil on. Once the bottle is filled, corked, and capsule is put on, we put the label on and put it into the case.

We then put the boxes on a pallet and get them ready for storage!

Celebrating One Year of Shamrock Hills Vineyard & Winery: A Weekend to Remember!

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As we mark our first year of bringing exquisite wines and unforgettable experiences to our cherished patrons, we invite you to join us for a weekend of celebration from April 6th to April 8th. Here’s what’s in store: New Wine Releases: Be among the first to taste our latest Shamrock Hills wines, meticulously crafted to

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New Wine Releases: Be among the first to taste our latest Shamrock Hills wines, meticulously crafted to delight your palate and elevate your senses.

Friday, April 5th: Kick off the festivities with Dusty’s Turn Up Dance Hip-Hop Class. Get ready to groove and move as we dance into the weekend!

Saturday, April 6th: Indulge in a culinary adventure with Lip Smackin’ Barbecue food truck, serving up mouthwatering delights from 12pm to 6pm. Meanwhile, Knead Bread Co. will tantalize your taste buds with their artisanal bread and delectable treats.

Live Entertainment: Let the soulful melodies of Michael Neal serenade you from 4pm to 6pm on Saturday, creating the perfect ambiance for an evening of celebration.

Sunday, April 7th: Join us for a relaxing afternoon as John Bedall serenades us with his enchanting tunes from 3:30pm to 5:30pm.

Monday, April 8th: Cap off the weekend with a celestial spectacle as we provide eclipse glasses for viewing the solar eclipse from our picturesque vineyards. Bring your lawn chair, sip on your favorite beverage, and witness this breathtaking phenomenon with us.

Join us as we raise a glass to the memories made, the friendships formed, and the dreams fulfilled in our first year of operation. Here’s to many more years of creating unforgettable moments together at Shamrock Hills Vineyard & Winery!

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