The old Centennial Malt House will soon be serving up alcohol of a different sort. This Friday, Moulin (2017 Chouteau Avenue; 314-241-4949) is hosting the first ever Centennial Wine Expo in the historic building.
This is the first year for the Centennial Wine Expo, which will feature more than 140 different types of wine from around the world. Fifteen local distributors are bringing in wines that are currently only available to restaurants or specialty wine shops for the tasting, which Scott Gaghan, Expo founder, hopes to make an annual event.
Gaghan, who is also wine director for Eleven Eleven Mississippi and Vin de Set, says in a press release, "We will be presenting wines from all over the world, including many that will be entirely new tastes for Expo visitors. It will be a great opportunity for wine lovers to discover some new favorites."
All of the wine being sampled at the Expo will be available for purchase by the bottle or case, while supplies last. But even though these wines aren't necessarily mainstream, don't assume that they are out of a normal drinker's price range. Wines of all prices and varieties will be available.
The Expo will also provide tasting sheets to allow imbibers to keep track of their favorites, and order forms will be available for any wines that aren't in stock at the event.
Tickets for the Centennial Wine Expo are on sale now for 34.99 plus tax at centennialwineexpo.chirrpy.com. For an extra $10, you can get access to the VIP tasting area, which includes light hors d'oeuvres.
Constructed in 1876 as part of the Schnaider brewery complex, the Centennial Malt House is now home to restaurants Vin de Set, PW Pizza, the Grand Petite Market and the Malt House Cellar, as well as the event venue Moulin. The malt house is the only surviving building from what was once one of the largest breweries in St. Louis, and it's on the National Register of Historic Places. It was one of the first malt houses in St. Louis, and it exemplifies the German "rundbogenstil" or round arch style.
But enough about beer. Let's have some wine!
