Happy Earth Day! Missouri Wineries work overtime to create the unique and delicious sips you enjoy. But they put just as much effort into being responsible stewards of their land and communities. For Earth Day, let’s look at a key practice wineries are using to give back to the land!

Grape must is a combination of freshly crushed grapes, skins, seeds and stems, everything but the juice! For red wines, the must is soaked with the juice to extract color and tannins. After the juice is ready, wineries separate the must from the juice that will soon be the wine you love.

Many wineries use the must, to get everything they can from their grapes. The must is rich in nitrogen and can be used as an organic fertilizer to improve soil structure. Because of this, wineries will use it! The solid leftovers after pressing and maceration, are spread back out into the vineyard. It is typically applied to the inner row area, and helps to prevent weeds, provide nutrients and retain moisture in the soil.

This process not only uses every bit of the grape grown but helps keep the vineyards healthy and ready to produce the next vintage.

Happy Earth Day to all wine lovers. Today raise a glass to Missouri Wineries for the care they give to our home planet!

Share your vineyard pictures with us using #mowine!

Spring is here, and it’s the perfect time to declutter and refresh your living space. Beyond the usual weekly dusting and vacuuming, let’s tackle some often-overlooked areas! 

Let’s talk about those wine shelves! Spring cleaning is the ideal opportunity to go through all your bottles to remind yourself of the amazing wine you have stored up. Make little tags with when you complete goals, special moments, or even hard days to open that bottle to help you celebrate or unwind. 

While putting those bottles back we want to make sure you are storing them correctly so they can last as long as possible. Ideally, store wine in a cool, dark place with a consistent temperature. No big deal if you don’t have a wine fridge, a cool basement or closet can work. Storing bottles horizontally helps keep the cork moist, which prevents it from drying out and letting air in. 

If you already have your wine glasses pulled off the shelf, here are some polishing tips! 

• Use a microfiber cloth to gently polish glass surfaces
• Use steam from a boiling pot of water or steamer
• Never hold the base plate and the bowl at the same time when drying or polishing the glass, as this can cause the stem to break due to twisting
• To polish the bowl, first hold the glass with a drying cloth directly under the bowl with one hand or place the bowl in one hand and carefully polish the inside and outside of the bowl with the other hand using the second drying cloth

This spring, we are going to knock out the spring cleaning early, kick our feet up and enjoy sipping on a glass of wine. Make sure to tag one of those bottles for when spring cleaning is complete! 

Have you ever wondered how those delicious grapes make their grand entrance each year? It all starts with something called “bud break.” Think of it as the vineyard’s version of hitting the snooze button a few times before finally waking up for the growing season. 

After a long winter, as the temperatures rise, the grapevines start to stir. Tiny buds, begin to swell and burst open, revealing the first tiny leaves. That is bud break. It is a crucial time for the vineyards. Everyone at the winery are on high alert during this time because those tender buds are extremely sensitive to frost. One unexpected cold snap can damage the grapes’ delicate growth, potentially affecting the entire harvest. 

Bud break usually happens when daily temperatures are around 50°F consistently. Of course, all grape varieties and vineyard locations play a factor into the timing of bud break. Once those tiny little leaves emerge, the vines are officially ready to start their process toward producing grapes that will eventually become your favorite wine! 

Next time you’re sipping on a glass, remember the incredible journey that starts with this delicate and exciting time in the vineyard. If you find yourself at a winery, stroll through the vineyard and experience bud break with your own eyes.