Windy Wine Co. returns with grand re-opening
Sep. 3—After a seven-month hiatus, a winery in Osborn, Missouri, is returning with a new vision.
Along with its fan-favorite wines, The Windy Wine Company will re-open with a distillery offering new concoctions called Long Line Distillery.
"I want this to be more focused on what I do well, which is the fine wines and stuff like that," said owner Kraig Keesaman. "Of course, with the spirits, we're implementing a lot of that stuff too. We're having a lot of fun flavored spirits."
The business, located at 9478 MO-J, in Osborn, will host its grand re-opening at the winery and distillery at noon Saturday, Sept. 3.
When Keesaman talks about most-requested wines, he doesn't go in deep about dry reds or sweet white varietals. He's referring to flavors like Peanut Butter & Jelly, Peaches & Cream and Mango, Chili & Lime.
"I jokingly say, 'I'm like the Willy Wonka of wine.' There's all kinds of fun flavors and things like that and that's where my business model is. What I'm focused on going forward is more of that and less of the traditional-style wines," he said.
Through the years, one thing Keesaman noticed was a lack of beverage options for visitors who weren't into wine. While Kraig's brother, Kasey Keesaman, would brew beers in the past, he had to put that on pause in 2021 when he was sworn in as DeKalb County Sheriff.
After years of talking about making their own alcohol-based concoctions, Keesaman brought on Aaron Swopes as Windy Wine Co.'s head distiller.
"We've been talking about having a distillery for the better part of a decade. Finally, he twisted my arm hard enough. I've been working on stuff for quite a few years, on and off, I couldn't tell him 'No,'" Swopes said laughing.
The distillery will offer drinks that complement the business's wine. Swopes said he's developed a drink using Peanut Butter & Jelly whiskey. He'll also offer the Phoenix Fire, a whiskey drink flavored with cinnamon and chipotle peppers.
"It's going to give it a little bit of a kick. That turned out to be a real good one. I think people are going to like it," he said.
Though it had to jump through some hoops to do it, it will also offer Early Bird Whiskey, a corn whiskey that contains a mealworm at the end of the bottle, similar to tequilas that have made eating the worm at the bottom of the drink a tradition.
"We're the only ones in the world doing it. Tequila has the worm in the mescal. We've got the mealworm," Keesaman said.
Since the winery is a continuation of the Keesaman family legacy, residing on land the family has owned for hundreds of years, it pays homage to that in all the nooks and crannies. In the winery's new tasting room, a giant fan made from an old windmill keeps people cool.
While people can order Keesaman's wine, they also offer meat and jerky made from his family's KK Farms Red Angus Cattle.
"My dad and my brother raised cattle. So we sell their meat here. We have meat sticks from our beef and then people can buy hamburger and packages," Keesaman said.
Keesaman and Swopes said they have a lot of plans for the location that they don't want to make public until they're ready, but they're both excited to talk about them. The important thing right now is celebrating the business's return after being out of the wine game for the better part of a year. Keesaman said it feels good to be back and in a way that's different than before.
"I'm hoping (people) come here with the nostalgia of what we were and the hopefulness of what's going to happen, like just the optimism about moving forward," he said. "We're getting progressively better as we move along."
Windy Wine Co. is open noon to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon to 8 p.m. on Fridays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, call 816-675-2002.
Andrew Gaug can be reached at andrew.gaug@newspressnow.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @NPNOWGaug
