April showers bring May flowers, right? Why not help them along with these great DIY ideas to make gardening easier? Whether you have an expansive outdoor garden or are looking to create a small herb garden in the window sill, these tips and ideas are perfect for bringing your garden to life.

Wine Bottle Garden Markers: Avoid a plant mix-up with these simple and handy plant markers.

More info at Home Talk.

Wine Cork Plant Markers: If container gardening is your thing, these cork plant markers are a better option than the bottle markers, and they couldn’t be easier!

More info at Shine Your Light Blog.

Twinkle Garden Lights: As the days get warmer, you may prefer to spend the evenings in your garden. These lights are a great way to lengthen the amount of time you can spend working in and enjoying your outdoor spaces.

More Info at More Organics.

Wine Bottle Watering Device: A little time upfront can mean worry-free watering with these wine bottle watering devices that are perfect for container gardening.

More info at Home Talk.

Self-Watering Planters: Transform your window sill into an herb garden with these beautiful and hassle-free self-watering planters.

More info at DIYprojects.com.

Bird Feeders: Who doesn’t love hearing the birds sing while they enjoy their garden? Make this simple wine bottle bird feeder to bring the birds to your yard.

More info at Elizabeth Joan Designs.

Hummingbird Feeder: Those hyper little lovelies will flock to your outdoor oasis with this wine bottle hummingbird feeder hanging in it.

More info at The Garden Roof Coop.

These DIY projects are the perfect way to upcycle the bottles and corks from your favorite Missouri wines while enjoying your garden. Cheers!  

Spring is such an exciting time in Missouri. Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping and warmer weather is finally on its way. It’s the perfect time to celebrate the season with Missouri Chardonel. Take some time this spring to discover this delicious white wine!

Chardonel is a hybrid grape; its parent grapes are Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc. It’s a relatively new varietal introduced in 1996. This cross was developed to be more cold hardy than its famous vinifera parent, making it a better fit for the challenging Missouri climate. There are 66 acres of Chardonel being grown across the state.

Many winemakers choose to age their Chardonel wines in Oak barrels, but there are several who prefer to use stainless steel. Depending on process used to make Chardonel, it can either be crisp and bright or smooth and rich. Chardonel is known to smell like lemon or the inside of a barrel and is most often a dry, white wine.

As the temperature warms up it’s a great time to start the seasonal shift back to white wine. Chardonel is Missouri’s classic white wine and has an amazing impact on a variety of foods, including smoked pork, grilled chicken, mushrooms, creamy white cheeses and sweets, like apples and vanilla pudding.

Head out to Missouri wine country this month and discover why Chardonel is the ideal wine to help you head into the spring season! 

Fifty thousand points. Let that sink in… fifty thousand! That is a lot of points and it’s exactly how many were needed to reserve a seat for yourself and a guest at the 2018 MVP Extravaganza, which took place on Saturday, March 24 in Columbia, Mo. Twenty-one dedicated MVPs redeemed this top-tier reward as part of the Missouri Winery Visitors Program.

Esteemed guests were greeted with a specialty wine cocktail upon their arrival and welcomed into a reception featuring a spread of gourmet appetizers, all paired with award-winning Missouri wines from across the state. During the reception, MVPs had the opportunity to mix and mingle with winemakers and industry leaders, take advantage of the photo booth for a fun snap, and enjoy the live pianist tickling the keys.

After the reception, guests were ushered to a gourmet four course dinner perfectly paired with (you guessed it) award-winning Missouri wines. After a delicious meal, each MVP was honored with a commemorative gift, a specially etched decanter, and a fun gift they chose at random from a collection of great products and experiences donated by organizations across the state. Everyone joined in a celebratory toast recognizing the dedication and loyalty of the MVPs.

 

After dinner, guests enjoyed a decadent dessert reception where sweet treats were matched up with delicious Missouri wines or coffee. When it was time to say goodnight, each MVP received a swag bag full of goodies to take home with them.

 

It was truly a night to remember and we want to thank all of the sponsors who helped us make this a wonderful experience for the MVPs. If this sounds like an event you would have loved to attend, keep an eye out for the next top-tier reward on the Missouri Winery Visitors Program. Start earning and saving those points!

 

Thank you to our sponsors: 

Dinner Sponsors- 

• Missouri Pork Association
• Missouri Beef Industry Council 

Winery Sponsors- 

• Adam Puchta Winery 
• Augusta Winery 
• Balducci Vineyards 
• Baltimore Bend Vineyards 
• Edg-Clif Winery & Brewery 
• KC Wineworks 
• Ladoga Ridge Winery 
• Les Bourgeois Vineyards (and Rocheport Distilling Company) 
• Montelle Winery 
• Noboleis Vineyards 
• St. James WInery 
• Stone Hill Winery 
• Vox Vineyards
• Windy Wine Co. 

Special Gift and Swag Sponsors- 

• Adam Puchta Winery
• Annie Gunns
• Augusta Winegrowers Association
• Barley Bus
• Bed & Breakfast Inns of Missouri 
• Candy Factory
• Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate
• Clinton Chamber of Commerce
• Columbia Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Feast Magazine
• Hermann Wine Trail
• KC Wineworks
• Ladoga Ridge Winery 
• Mississippi River Hills Wine Trail
• Missouri Beef Industry Council
• Missouri Cattlemen’s 
• Missouri Division of Tourism & Worlds/Oceans of Fun
• Missouri Farm Bureau
• Missouri Grown
• Missouri Pork Association
• Missouri Restaurant Association
• Missouri State Fair
• Missouri State Fair Foundation 
• MO Corn
• Ozark Mountain Wine Trail 
• Route Du Vin Wine Trail
• Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau
• St. Louis Science Center
• Stone Hill Winery
• Tan-Tar-A
• The Rotary Club of Eastern Independence
• Visit Cape
• Visit KC
• Vox Vineyards 
• Washington Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Willow Spring Mercantile
• WineStein Trail

What is on the table brings us together, and a brand-new event this spring celebrates that idea. Join us along the Hermann Wine Trail on Saturday, April 7, 2018 for an opportunity to enjoy delicious food and wine pairings and the unique opportunity to meet the farm men and women behind the food.

Along the trail you will find delicious dishes showcasing corn, beef, pork, chicken, lamb, dairy and vegetables, each paired perfectly with a Missouri wine. Every winery along the trail will feature a different wine and food pairing, while offering you the chance to visit with area farmers and learn where your food comes from and how it’s grown.

The Farmers’ Table Wine Trail runs from 10a.m. to 5p.m. on April 7. Tickets for the event are $30 and include wine and food pairings, a souvenir wine glass and the chance to win a drawing for a Missouri gift basket and a one-night stay in Hermann. Tickets are available online here.

This event is made possible through a partnership between Missouri Commonground, a group of volunteer farm women passionate about agriculture and sharing their experiences raising food, and the Hermann Wine trail with support from the Missouri Wine and Grape Board.

See you there!

The Missouri wine industry has a rich history dating back to the early 1800's when German settlers began growing grapes and producing wine in Hermann. By the mid 1880's, wine consumers in America and Europe enjoyed 2 million gallons of Missouri wine each year. Prohibition dealt a fatal blow to the industry in 1919 which lasted for many years. Thanks to a couple of pioneering families in the 1960's and 1970's, the Missouri wine industry experienced a rebirth. Today, Show-Me wineries are thriving and continue to earn top awards in national and international competitions. We invite you to learn about the challenges the pioneers overcame to resurrect the local wine industry in this video featuring exclusive interviews with Jim and Betty Held and Pat Hofherr.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXrL9DgIyEc&feature

****UPDATE****

We want to thank all the talented people who submitted their poems into the Missouri Wines Poetry Challenge. Carl Kinsky won the challenge with his poem titled "A Sense of Place." We hope you enjoy his entry as much as we did.

A Sense of Place
by: Carl Kinsky

As every wine lover knows,
A wine's more than just its nose.

A wine's more than just its taste.
A wine's about a sense of place.

A barren vine, stark and still,
Set against an Ozark hill.

Green grape shoots on a prairie slope,
Without any worries, full of hope.

Ripening grapes, lazy, no hurry,
                                                                                         On a bluff above the hazy Missouri.

                                                                                             A hint of color in the tree leaves,
                                                                                            Harvest comes to Ste. Genevieve.

                                                                                            Now I've heard folks praise Zinfandel,
                                                                                             But I'd rather have my Chardonel.

                                                                                            So call me a Missouri Pollyanna,
                                                                                            But pass me a glass of the Cynthiana.

A great poet can do more than just put words on paper. Poets like Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes and Robert Frost have a way of stirring emotions from deep within us. Poetry in books, canvas and songs (“Red Red Wine” by UB40 anyone?) has enchanted us since Shakepeare’s sonnets.  

World Poetry Day is Wednesday, March 21, 2018 and is a day set aside to celebrate our favorite poets and discover new ones. It is also a great time to try our own hand at poetry. Missouri Wines invites you to share your poetry about Missouri wine country with us. Tickle the keyboard or blow the dust off your journal and let the words flow. One lucky poet will receive a pair of tickets to the Farmers’ Table Wine Trail event in Hermann. This special event takes place on Saturday, April 7 and includes delectable wine and food pairings at seven wineries on the Hermann Wine Trail.

Submit your poem via this link by 11:59 p.m. CST on March 27, 2018. Winner will be notified on March 28, 2018.

We even tried our hand at a little poetry and, no, we won't quit our day jobs. 

Always Time For Missouri Wine 

While the horizon’s vivid hues change with the passing of time
Her beauty remains constant
Velvety soft meadows
Never ceasing valleys and peaks
Meandering trails and winding roads

While fog gently rolls in
Her beauty is shrouded 
Mist laces the vines and leaves with dewy droplets
Until the sun shines through
Lifting the veil of cloud from the vineyards

Thus the day finds me
Enjoying the beauty in a glass that comes with hard work and care
Greeted by a hearty handshake and a welcome smile somewhat debonair
And, although not until the end did this poem rhyme
There’s always time for Missouri wine

In honor of International Ask a Question Day (March 14), we wanted to take some time to answer questions we get asked frequently. Most of these questions come to us during events where we are sampling local wines or Missouri Wine 101 classes. Wine is a broad subject with a great deal of information, and Missouri wine has its own long list of facts, figures and details.

Q: Aren’t all Missouri wines sweet?

A: Nope. With more than 125 wineries across the state, Missouri wines are as varied and unique as the people who make them. There are sweet wines, dry wines and everything in between.

Q: Why doesn’t Missouri have Cabernet and Chardonnay?

A: Many varietals of wine you may be used to hearing about or seeing on retail shelves are what you call Vinifera (originally European varieties). Most Vinifera simply can’t handle Missouri’s growing conditions (weather, primarily). So, local vintners focus on native varietals and hybrids that are more hardy and can handle our cold winters and humid summers. Bring on the Norton and Chardonel!

Q: How long is wine good after I’ve opened it?

A: “It depends” is the short answer. A slightly longer and more complicated answer is… it depends on which wine it is. Whites will last 3-5 days after being opened, reds 5-7, and port-style desserts wines for up to a few weeks. More info on how to preserve open wine can be found here.

Q: What kind of Missouri wine should I pair with _________?

A: We have an entire section on our website that can help answer this question! Food and wine pairing is tons of fun and all about trying new things, but this interactive guide is a great place to start.

Q: Why is it called fruit wine when a wine isn’t made from grapes?

A: This question totally makes sense. After all, grapes are a fruit too, right? Yes. However, in the wine world, a wine made from grapes is referred to as wine (plain and simple), and a wine made from other fruits (cherries, blueberries, pineapple, apple, etc.) is called fruit wine. (Don’t look at us. We didn’t make the rules.)

We hope this short Q and A has cleared up some things for you. If you ever have Missouri wine questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out on social media. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and we are happy to be your resource for all things Missouri wine! 

Originally a religious feast day to honor Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved over the years into a day to celebrate all things Irish across the globe. Whether it’s festivals or special foods, St. Patrick’s Day revelry is a good time for all… unless you forget your green of course! Here is a fun and easy craft project you can do to join in the St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Show your Irish spirit with this DIY Cork Shamrock.

Watch this video for a step-by-step, how-to guide:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhAg8ZY0pe4&feature=youtu

Supplies

• 47 used wine corks
• Hot glue gun
• Hot glue sticks
• Green acrylic paint
• Paint brush

Instructions

• Plug in hot glue gun to warm up.
• Using this downloadable diagram, arrange your corks into the shamrock shape.
• Begin attaching the corks to each other one by one until you have connected them all in the shamrock shape.
• Once the glue has dried, remove any excess strings left behind from the hot glue.
• Paint the ends of the corks green and let dry.
• Display your festive wine cork shamrock!

Have a great St. Patrick’s Day. Sláinte! 

Mulled wine is a warm, flavorful beverage that can remove the chill from a cold winter’s day. Although there are many mulled wine recipes, here is a simple and delicious version that features Missouri Chambourcin and port-style dessert wine, guaranteed to tantalize your taste buds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivnCPDQiolg

Mulled Wine

Time: 25 to 30 minutes    l    Yield: 4 to 6 people

Ingredients
750 ml (1 bottle) - Missouri Chambourcin
1 cup - Missouri port-style dessert wine
⅓ cup - Brown sugar
½ cup - Mulling spices: cloves, nutmeg, star anise, ginger
1 - Orange

Garnish
1 - Orange
4 to 6 - Cinnamon sticks

Prep work:
Wrap spices in a cheese cloth. Tie with kitchen twine and set the sachet to the side. Slice 2 oranges.

Directions:
Pour the bottle of Missouri Chambourcin into a large pot. Add ⅓ cup brown sugar and 1 cup Missouri port-style wine. Heat on medium for 12 to 15 minutes. Add fresh orange slices and the sachet of spices then cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. Do not boil. Ladle mulled wine into each glass. Optional: garnish your glass with a fresh orange slice and cinnamon stick. Serve warm and enjoy.

You can combine a variety of spices to create a mulled wine that is perfect for you. Check out this more traditional Missouri Wines' mulled wine recipe here.