Pizza and wine make a delectable pair meant to be enjoyed at all times of the year. These 21 wineries offer unique pizza choices. If you love pizza and visiting Missouri’s beautiful wineries, then these should be on your list of places to visit.

Please note that this list was gathered from a survey from participating wineries.

1.Steele Crest Winery – Jackson, MO

Steele Crest Winery offers a unique menu of artisan flatbread pizzas. Offered in two sizes, you can get classic toppings like Supreme, Hawaiian and more. Mix it up and add your favorite choices on top to customize the perfect pizza for your taste.

2.KC Wineworks – Kansas City, MO

KC Wineworks has two delicious flatbread pizzas on their menu. The first is a white sauce cheese pizza with optional pesto drizzle, and a red sauce veggie pizza with spinach, arugula, feta and olives. Pepperoni is a bonus option to add to either pizza choice.

3.Viandel Vineyard – Mountain View, MO

Viandel presents a full menu of food made in-house from scratch using high quality ingredients grown by local farmers when possible. Their menu changes seasonally based on the availability of fresh ingredients. Their pizzas are cooked in a Napoli Forno Bravo Wood-Fired Pizza Oven that cooks at extremely high temperatures. Pizzas are baked for about 90 seconds at 750 degrees.

4.Cave Vineyard – Ste. Genevieve, MO

Cave Vineyard is proud to offer a pizza selection from Katie’s Pizza & Pasta in St. Louis. They are 10” pizzas with choices of Margherita, Pepperoni, Black Garlic, and Sausage – Mushroom – uncured Bacon. Pizzas are offered on Saturdays.

5.Wild Sun Winery – Hillsboro, MO

Wild Sun Winery offers 12” pizzas with varieties of Italian Sausage, Pepperoni, Gourmet Veggie with goat cheese, Bacon & Spinach, and the fan favorite, Meat Lover’s Pizza. They suggest to ‘come hungry’ on your next visit and order this “go-to” item off the menu.

6.Backyard Vine and Wine – Maryville, MO

Backyard Vine and Wine offers a great selection of pizzas from Shakespeare’s Pizza in Columbia, MO. In the cooler months, pizzas are baked in the pizza oven. Warmer weather allows them to cook on a grill which provides a smoky pizza oven taste.

7.La Bella Vineyards & Winery – Wellington, MO

La Bella Winery offers delicious pizzas which include options of both thin crust and gluten free crust - great options for everyone.

8.LaChance Vineyards – DeSoto, MO

LaChance Vineyards has a mouth-watering menu of specialty flatbread pizzas. All made as a personal size, their pizzas are guaranteed to bring you back for more the next visit.

9.Riverwood Winery – Rushville, MO

Riverwood Winery makes five varieties of delicious flatbread pizzas. All of which are made fresh at the winery and baked to order in their 800 degree pizza ovens. Their options include Prosciutto with Fresh Mozzerella, Italian Sausage, Pepperoni, Barbecue Chicken with Crispy Pancetta, and Three Cheese Bianco.

10.Meramec Vineyards Winery – Saint James, MO

Along with the rest of their delicious food menu, Meramec Vineyards Winery also offers several kinds of pizza which include both meat and vegetarian options.

11.Les Bourgeois Vineyards at The Blufftop at Rocheport – Rocheport, MO

The Bistro offers a non-traditional pizza on the appetizer menu. The flatbread is topped with warm brie, poached cranberries, fresh apples, pecans, fresh berries and Jeunette Rouge gastrique.

12.Arcadian Moon Winery & Brewery – Higginsville, MO

The wood-fired pizzas at Arcadian Moon Winery & Brewery are crafted with house-made dough that is hand stretched and fermented for 24 hours. They offer a huge selection of traditional and specialty pizzas. Serving up slices for everyone!

13.Villa Antonio Winery – Hillsboro, MO

Explore the many made-from-scratch pizza options offered at Villa Antonio Winery. Fun flavors come to life when cooked in their traditional wood fired pizza oven at 750 degrees.

14.Van Till Family Farm Winery – Rayville, MO

The Van Till Family makes pairing pizza with wine easy! Every Friday and Saturday night, artisan pizzas can be enjoyed in their Wine Garden. Their imported French Le Panyol wood-fired oven makes some of the finest gourmet pizza around. Gluten free crust is always an option!

15.Balducci Vineyards – Augusta, MO

Choose between Balducci Vineyards’ 10” original thin crust or a 10” deep pan pizza. Each style is available in a variety of specialty and traditional flavors, with gluten free thin crust available as well. This winery visit is worth the deep dive into pairing.

16.Belmont Vineyards – Leasburg, MO

Take advantage of Belmont Vineyards’ summer menu on Fridays and Saturdays! Create your own specialty pizza by ordering “My Pie” or lean into ordering a delicious classic such as Margherita or Meat Lovers. Either way, you’ll enjoy the ‘za.

17.Chaumette Vineyards & Winery – Ste. Genevieve, MO

Try one of the delicious flatbreads the next time you visit Chaumette Vineyards & Winery. Their award-winning food has been recognized nationally. Pick between four cheese, roasted chicken or Italian sausage – you can’t go wrong!

18.Montelle Winery – Augusta, MO

Stop in at Montelle Winery’s Klondike Café to try one of their fresh baked pizzas. Classic and specialty pizzas with strong Italian flavors are offered. Pizza lovers can mix it up by ordering their Tuscan, Fromage or Chicken Florentine pizzas.

19.Noboleis Vineyards– Augusta, MO

Noboleis creates unique 14” pizzas on regular or gluten free crust. Choose between classic toppings or build your own pizza with fresh, delicious ingredients of your choice. The combination options are endless – check them out next time you’re in Augusta.

20.Sand Creek Vineyard – Farmington, MO

Calling all thin crust lovers! Stop in Farmington to enjoy a variety of traditional pizza offerings on a unique, delicious thin crust you won’t be able to forget.

21.White Mule Winery – Owensville, MO

Create your own thick or thin crust pizza at White Mule Winery on Saturdays. Choose from one or two topping, pepperoni, sausage mushroom, and meat lovers made with their home raised beef hamburger. Get creative or keep it simple, it is deliciously made either way.

For more pizza inspiration, check out our pizza and wine pairing graphic. This list of delicious pizza choices in Missouri wine country should leave you hungry and craving a slice or two. Let us know which pizzas you try and tag us on social media @missouriwines and #MissouriWine.

Raise your glass and celebrate Missouri Beef Month with us! Our state is home to 50,000 cattle farmers and ranchers, making it one of the largest states in beef production.

As with many Missouri wineries, the tradition and legacy of raising beef is rich in history and goes back many generations.  We made a list of delicious beef-based recipes for you to create this month, as well as the perfect Missouri wines to go with them. We hope you enjoy this beef recipe and pairing collection!  

Smoked Strip Steaks with Seyval Blanc Blue Cheese Wine Sauce

You don’t have to follow the old “rule” of how you can only have red wine with red meat. The crisp and refreshing flavor of Seyval Blanc goes deliciously with the garlic and blue cheese featured in these smoked strip steaks. Use it in the marinade and enjoy a glass while cooking too!

Beef Jerky and Spinach Pasta with Vidal Blanc

Unique and tasty! Red onion, red pepper and other spices complement the bright and refreshing fruity notes in Vidal Blanc. Sip a glass paired with the finished pasta.

Mushroom Merlot Burgers with Chambourcin

Complex Chambourcin is perfect for these far from simple burgers. Shallots, mushrooms and thyme parallel with this dry, red wine’s oaky, spicy bold flavor.

Norton Marinated Grilled Flank Steak

A Missouri-raised steak marinated in a Missouri-grown Norton is a classic Midwestern combination. These bold and delightful spices in this flank steak are well matched with this robust full-bodied wine. Enjoy as a pairing in addition to the marinade for the full experience.

Norton-Braised Short Ribs

These short ribs created with Norton certainly rival restaurant quality. The delicious sauce simmered with tomatoes is the perfect topper to these mouth-watering, fork-tender short ribs. Don’t forget to serve with your choice of Missouri Norton!

 

Currently, more than 90% of U.S. farms and ranches are family-owned and operated. Learn more about the people who are invested in raising high-quality, sustainable beef for generations to come. Share your beef creations as you celebrate Missouri Beef Month throughout May! Tag us with @missouriwine and #missouriwine for us to share with other wine and beef enthusiasts!

In 1965, Herb C. Barrett crossed the Gewürztraminer grape with the French-American cultivar known as Joannes Seyve 23.416 at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. The resulting grape was named Traminette, a well-known and celebrated varietal, especially in the Midwest. This final progeny produced large, moderately loose clustered grapes, similar to its famous parent, while bringing the cold hardiness and disease resistance of the lesser-known wine grape.

Johannes Seyve was a French biochemist that often utilized Seibel wine grape hybrids in his breeding program. Seibel hybrids were created from native American grape varietals, known as vitis labrusca, in the 1860s by Albert Seibel. Seyve is also credited for creating the French-American cultivar Chambourcin. His brother and father bred grapes as well, and are credited for hybrids including Seyval Blanc, which is also grown in Missouri.

It was initially bred as a table grape, but after finding stronger wine grape qualities suited to several inland states and their continental climates, vines were planted in Virginia, New York and Indiana to produce wine. It proved to be a high producing varietal with good yield and disease resistance. Traminette is grown across the state of Missouri, and is seen as an important varietal to grape producers who face similar climate challenges.

Traminette is very similar to its well-known perfumed parent in terms of flavor and aroma, yet less intense as Gewürztraminer. This floral forward white grape can have notes of apricot and peach, honey, rose, lychee, apple, passion fruit, pear and citrus. It is a versatile varietal and can be made into dry to off-dry, sweet and sparkling style wines, and even into ice wines. Its distinctive aroma can feature spicy notes as well.

In the vineyard, it is mostly low maintenance. There is little cluster thinning to be done to berries, and due to this, it is easier to maintain vine balance throughout the growing season. However, it is important to manage leaf canopies to guarantee the grapes get enough sunlight. Berry exposure ensures the formation of monoterpenes, the main contributors to the floral aroma. Traminette’s root system thrives in a variety of soil types and has a high disease tolerance. When the grapes turn a light gold or yellow, it is time to harvest the mature fruit from the vines. In the off season, Traminette can survive the cold and its hardy nature protects it from winter damage.

Did you learn something new about Traminette? Tag us on social with your favorite Missouri Traminette wine. If you haven’t had the chance to try this fabulous floral varietal, pursue it next time during your travels in Missouri wine country.

As a little girl in South Africa, Luzaan Bahr knew even then that she wanted to do something “different.” She grew up in a fairly rural area around many forms of agriculture. Luzaan craved new experiences, new places and growth beyond her small hometown. This adamant curiosity led her to discover her passion for grape growing and winemaking, which has taken her around the world.

As soon as she started working at a winery, she knew she had found her vocation. The hands-on labor required in the vineyard and working outdoors was alluring to her. Combine that with the science, creativity and caretaking needed for making wine and she easily selected it for her future. However, it wasn’t an easy educational path to pursue. Luzaan received her degree in viticulture and enology from the world-renowned wine program at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. The popular program is competitive, as it is a top three program nationally and it’s work with sister school University of California – Davis is widely recognized.

After graduation, she continued to add to her resume working for several more wineries. In 2015, she was offered a job in Oregon to help with harvest, which she took, and was then was hired in a full-time role a few months later. While in Oregon, she met Nathan Bahr, a Missouri native and her future husband. She stayed at Union Wine Company for four years, assisting with the rapid growth of the business, quality control and emerging trend-setting products. Underwood, the original wine in a can, as well as other wine offerings helped Union Wine Company become the largest winery in the state of Oregon in less than three years. The demanding time and energy from this high-paced environment, combined with the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, forced Luzaan and Nathan to reevaluate career paths.

While visiting Nathan’s family in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, Luzaan once joked that they should move there. Nathan quickly quipped back that he would never move back to his hometown. Fate’s humor soon took precedence. Nathan and Luzaan had recently invested in a camper and reduced their belongings to focus on living simply. This flexibility led to four months on the road visiting the country, eventually stopping in Ste. Genevieve. After arriving and seeing new opportunities with his family farm, they decided to stay and create a new journey in the Midwest.

After their return to Ste. Genevieve, Nathan was pruning vines at Cave Vineyard and discovered that the owner wanted a transition of work responsibilities. Marty Strussione, self-taught winemaker and vineyard patriarch, was looking to take a step back from winemaking and vineyard work after many years of hard labor. Marty’s focus shifted to other parts of the family winery and distillery business, often working directly with his children and grandchildren. This family involvement was, and still is, top priority. Nathan knew Luzaan would enjoy both the wine work as well as working with Marty. Nathan brought Luzaan into the fold, where she fit perfectly for the role, the varietals and with the Strussione family.

After many years of working with vitis vinifera cultivars, Luzaan had once again found a thirst for new skills, information and experiences within the wine industry. Missouri’s different varietals and vitis labrusca grapes solidified a new challenge which she excitedly accepted.

“This is my dream job,” Luzaan said glowingly, “I have definitely hit the jackpot working for Cave Vineyard.”

She proudly manages every step of the winemaking process and works with Marty on the final product. Whether in the vineyards or in the lab, Luzaan thrives off of the new opportunities for her that lie ahead with Missouri wines.  Cave Vineyard and Winery grow all their own grapes on roughly 15 acres of self-owned land. Vignoles, Traminette, Norton and Chambourcin are their current varietals, with new acres of Seyval being planted this year. Marty still enjoys helping with taste-testing and quality control, and is very active with the winery and distillery business. 

Luzaan admits she still has a lot to learn about navigating the terroir and winemaking with Missouri grapes. However, the potential to grow and master these new opportunities is what drives her passion forward. Her past experience with other cultivars brings a freshness to the strong foundation at her Cave Vineyard and Winery.

Harvest is her favorite time of year - seeing the fruits of her labor come to a final product, to then again ferment into a new challenge. Luzaan admits Chardonel is one of her favorite varietals because of its versatility, countered with Norton being the most challenging to manage in the vineyard. Vineyards in Oregon were not close to the winery, often being an hour away or more, just to turn in another direction to monitor more vines another hour away. Luzaan loves having the vines she manages close by to monitor and care for as she believes they should be cared for. Growth and progress are sure to be made when care is intentional and thorough, “just like other plants,” she jokes. Luzaan is proud of her role as winemaker and hopes to keep expanding the definition of her title for years to come. Whether expanding Cave Vineyard and Winery’s offerings, or eventually creating a label of her own, she believes the future of Missouri wines is bright and strong, just as its past.

Share your travels to Cave Vineyard and Winery on social media with us by tagging #missouriwine and @missouriwine.

This smooth Mexican cheese dip made with Missouri white wine is sure to please a crowd. Made for dipping or serving over your favorite Mexican dishes, this queso will add some extra flavor to your next Taco Tuesday.

Serves 12

Total time 20 minutes

 

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter

4 oz can of green chili’s

¼ c jalapeño diced – 1-2 whole jalapeños depending on size

¼ c dry white wine – we used Seyval Blanc

½ pound white American cheese

4 oz Monterey Jack cheese

½ c heavy whipping cream

¼ tsp cumin

¼ tsp garlic salt

1 pinch cayenne pepper

Taco seasoning – to taste

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add chili’s and jalapenos and simmer until fragrant (about 3 minutes).
2. Add wine. Stirring occasionally, bring mixture to a low boil and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in American cheese and Monterey Jack. Add heavy cream and stir until smooth.
4. Add cumin, garlic salt and cayenne pepper. Add taco seasoning to taste, if desired.
5. Serve as a dip or over your favorite dish and enjoy!