Paul Beaver/
Jennifer Stanton, left, owner of Wines by Jennifer in Parkville, pours wine for Donna Harryman, center, of Platte County; and Barb Duffy of Kansas City.
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Fine wine, room to dine
Wines by Jennifer pairs wide selection with peaceful gathering space
By: Jared Hoffmann
If not for its subtle signage and ornate façade, Wines by Jennifer might blend seamlessly with the rest of the quaint homes along Main Street near downtown Parkville.
Founded in 2003, owner Jennifer Stanton said the concept for the business was birthed while traveling to wineries both locally and abroad. Those experiences had a direct impact on the shop's interior design, as each room is dedicated to major wine regions such as Spain, Italy, France and New Zealand.
“I just love the feel of wineries,” Stanton said. “I had always wanted to make this a business.”
Although no wine is actually crafted at the shop, Stanton maintains ample stock of products from nearly every major wine-producing country as well as local producers.
In addition to a wine selection representing nearly every region of the world, the shop also offers an indoor tasting room and outdoor garden seating in which patrons can sip their favorite selections and snack on appetizers anytime between noon and 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.
The shop also hosts regular events for community wine connoisseurs. On Saturday, Oct. 6, roughly 30 individuals gathered to take part in a traditional grape stomping. Some treaded gingerly in the barrel of frigid grapes while others danced charismatically, but nearly all in attendance took their try at the age-old barefooted ritual.
Kansas City Resident Barb Duffy was one who experienced the process for the first time.
“There's nothing like the feeling of grapes between your toes,” Duffy said. “It's better than sand.”
Jason Gerke, owner of Jowler Creek Vineyard and Winery near Platte City, was on hand to educate as well as guide attendees through the process. Gerke said in some regions of the world, stomping remained the primary method of extracting the juices used to make wines. A much more time-consuming process compared to modern machinery, Gerke said roughly 12 pounds of smashed grapes equated to one gallon of wine, with one gallon generating about five bottles.
“It was just practical to stomp them to get the juice out of the cluster,” Gerke said. “It later became a traditional part of the harvest.”
For more information, visit www.winesbyjennifer.com.
Staff writer Jared Hoffmann can be reached a 389-6636 or jaredhoffmann@npgco.com.
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Founded in 2003, owner Jennifer Stanton said the concept for the business was birthed while traveling to wineries both locally and abroad. Those experiences had a direct impact on the shop's interior design, as each room is dedicated to major wine regions such as Spain, Italy, France and New Zealand.
“I just love the feel of wineries,” Stanton said. “I had always wanted to make this a business.”
Although no wine is actually crafted at the shop, Stanton maintains ample stock of products from nearly every major wine-producing country as well as local producers.
In addition to a wine selection representing nearly every region of the world, the shop also offers an indoor tasting room and outdoor garden seating in which patrons can sip their favorite selections and snack on appetizers anytime between noon and 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.
The shop also hosts regular events for community wine connoisseurs. On Saturday, Oct. 6, roughly 30 individuals gathered to take part in a traditional grape stomping. Some treaded gingerly in the barrel of frigid grapes while others danced charismatically, but nearly all in attendance took their try at the age-old barefooted ritual.
Kansas City Resident Barb Duffy was one who experienced the process for the first time.
“There's nothing like the feeling of grapes between your toes,” Duffy said. “It's better than sand.”
Jason Gerke, owner of Jowler Creek Vineyard and Winery near Platte City, was on hand to educate as well as guide attendees through the process. Gerke said in some regions of the world, stomping remained the primary method of extracting the juices used to make wines. A much more time-consuming process compared to modern machinery, Gerke said roughly 12 pounds of smashed grapes equated to one gallon of wine, with one gallon generating about five bottles.
“It was just practical to stomp them to get the juice out of the cluster,” Gerke said. “It later became a traditional part of the harvest.”
For more information, visit www.winesbyjennifer.com.
Staff writer Jared Hoffmann can be reached a 389-6636 or jaredhoffmann@npgco.com.