Attention: we just brought meatballs to a whole new level.

You’re in for a treat with this homestyle meatball recipe – it even includes wine! These hearty meatballs are the perfect choice for any event, gathering or even a comfy night in. 

So go ahead, take some time to whip up these juicy, mouthwatering, flavorful, cheesy meatballs featuring Missouri’s norton.

Yields: 4 servings | Prep Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: ~120 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Meatballs

1 Ib      Ground beef
1 ½ tspMinced garlic
½ c       Shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ c       Parmesan
2 tbsp  Parsley
1          Large egg        
1 tsp    Salt
½ tsp   Black paper
2 tbsp  Extra virgin olive oil 

Sauce

½         Small yellow onion
½ tsp   Minced garlic
Extra virgin olive oil 
1 tbsp  Tomato paste
1 c       Dry red wine – Missouri Norton
½ c      Beef broth
1 can   (15 oz.) Whole plum tomato
½         Sprig of rosemary
¼ tsp   Salt
            Black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the meatballs
In a large bowl, combine beef, garlic, mozzarella, parmesan, parsley, egg, salt and pepper.  Form into 12-16 meatballs. 

In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat oil. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides, about 30 minutes. Remove from skillet and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Drain grease from pan if necessary. 

Make the sauce

Dice the onion. In the same large skillet, over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until very soft, about 10 minutes. (Turn the skillet down if necessary.) 

Stir in the tomato paste and fry for a minute or two, stirring until well-incorporated. Pour in the wine and broth and bring to a simmer, then add the tomatoes, salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Place the rosemary sprig on top, bring to a simmer and cook for 30 - 60 minutes, covered. When the sauce develops a deep, rich flavor, turn off the heat and stir.  (If necessary, put sauce in a blender to get a finer consistency. However, if you like chunkier meatball sauce, a blender is not necessary.) 

Next, combine the wine sauce and meatballs in the skillet and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.  

  Enjoy our signature style! 

Exploring Missouri wine country is an exciting adventure. From breathtaking views to delicious wines, each winery offers its visitors a unique experience. One of the highlights during any winery visit is the opportunity to try a variety of wines and even discover a new favorite. Before you enter a winery and step up to the tasting bar, here are suggestions to help you get the most out of your winery visit.

You’re always welcome at Missouri wineries, but you might want to plan ahead.

Contact a winery for its hours. While spontaneity is great, you run the risk of arriving at a winery only to find that it’s closed for a special event or not opening until later in the day. Some wineries have limited hours during the winter season.

Choose your destination based on your group’s needs. Want to bring your family pet with you? Before you grab the leash, make sure the winery you plan to visit allows outside animals. Visit our website and sort wineries by their amenities, including but not limited to whether they have an on-site restaurant, offer tours and are pet friendly. If a winery offers tours, don't pass up the opportunity. Tours are a great way to learn more about a winery, their wines and history. Of course, it’s always a good idea to contact a winery before your visit to check on their policies and special features.

Give advanced notice for large groups. Some wineries require advance notice; others don’t. Wineries with smaller tasting rooms like KC Wineworks may require reservations for larger groups. Some wineries have limited or no parking available for large vehicles like buses or RVs.

Before the wine tasting

Dress appropriately: While Missouri wineries offer outdoor, indoor seating or both, wine tastings are usually done standing. Wear comfortable shoes. Consider bringing a sweater or jacket if you plan to tour the winery's cellars as they tend to be a little on the cool side.

Avoid chewing mint gum or consuming coffee. Both are palate killers and will impact your wine tasting experience.

Skip the smelly stuff: Scents can affect your ability to smell the wonderful aromas in the wine so avoid wearing overly fragrant perfume or cologne.

Military member? Rodney Toombs, Tasting Bar Manager at Chaumette Vineyards and Winery, encourages you to ask winery staff if they offer a military discount. Toombs, an Air Force veteran, says you might be surprised how many Missouri wineries provide special offers to veterans or active members of the military.

Put your cell phone away. Be respectful to the person behind the bar and to others around you who are enjoying a wine tasting. Unless it’s an emergency, stay off your phone.

During the wine tasting

The 5 S’s of Wine Tasting: See, Swirl, Smell, Sip and Savor. Visit our website to discover how each of these Ss can help enhance your wine tasting experience.

Sip, bite, sip. If you are offered a food item like an oyster cracker or chocolate to pair with your wine, always taste the wine before the food. “You want to taste the wine on its own to know whether you enjoy it,” advises Stephen O’Brien, Wine Club Manager at Van Till Family Farm Winery. Once you discover a favorite wine, explore all of the amazing food pairing possibilities with our helpful wine and food pairing graphic. Wine trail events are also great opportunities to experience the impact that delicious Missouri wine can have on a variety of foods. Visit our website to discover our state’s 11 wine trails.

Be honest with the person doing your tasting. It’s okay to admit that you don’t know much about wine. They will help guide you throughout your experience.

Taste in the correct order. When tasting a variety of wines, it’s always best to start with dry wines and move towards the winery’s sweeter selection. If you start with a sweet wine, the dry wines will taste too acidic. 

Let winery staff know which wines you prefer but don’t be afraid to try new things. Whether you’re on the sweeter end of the winetasting scale, prefer dry, or a wine style that’s in between, this is a great opportunity to try new wines. Keep your mind open and you may just discover a new favorite. 

You do not have to like everything you taste. Everyone’s palate is different. However, avoid being insulting. Just because you don’t like a wine, doesn’t mean that the wine is bad.

Rosé wines are not always sweet. You can also find semi-sweet and dry rosé wines at Missouri wineries. Whatever your preference on the sweetness scale, you’re likely to find a rosé that you enjoy during your excursions in Missouri wine country.

Trust the person behind the bar. He or she knows the wine they are pouring inside and out.

It is okay to not finish your tasting pour. Use the dump buckets provided by the winery.

Record what you like. Make notes of your favorite wines and take a photo of the bottle. This will make it easier to remember which delicious wines to take home with you.

Have fun! Immerse yourself in the experience. Can’t pick out a wine’s flavor notes or aromas? Ask the winery’s friendly staff.

Although it may be tempting to squeeze as many wine tastings as possible into a single day, it’s best to take your time and enjoy the experience. With more than 130 wineries in the state, the trickiest part will be deciding where to start. See you in Missouri wine country!     

During the month of January, we proudly celebrate the norton grape. This grape varietal is extremely important to the state of Missouri; in fact, it’s our state grape. When it comes to norton, there are so many things to love. 

Norton is many things – it’s the most prominent red wine grape in Missouri, its clusters are small and blue-black in color, its extremely hardy and vigorous, resistant to most diseases, Missouri’s latest grape to ripen and is fermented on the skins. Missouri’s norton is big, bold, red and most importantly, delicious! 

You might have also heard this grape called cynthiana. There is some controversy over the name, but most consider norton and cynthiana one in the same. Nonetheless, this grape accounts for nearly 21% of all grapes grown in Missouri. 

There are more than 350 bearing acres of norton in Missouri that often craft this grape into dry and dessert wines. Norton pairs perfectly with smoked meat, wild game, BBQ, lamb, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, garlic sauce, dark chocolate, black cherries and spice cake. 

So now what? Try our signature style and possibly make Missouri’s norton your go-to red this winter season! 

The new year is here and there are many things to look forward to. On our calendar, you’ll find several months dedicated to the promotion of Missouri grape varietals as well as important dates in the wine industry. As you enjoy the upcoming seasons, keep these Missouri wine-centric holidays in mind and celebrate accordingly – with a glass of Missouri wine, of course! 

Another year has come and gone and we are already running head first into the Christmas holiday! As time flies and everyone grows older, we realize how important it is to stop and take a look around. The holiday season is a great time to be thankful for our loved ones and all that we have. 

Allow Missouri Wines to be a part of your celebrations this year. In addition to the many great pairings that we share all year-round, we also want to supply you with a tasty holiday wine-tail that will be a delight at any gathering this season. 

Cheers to being thankful, grateful and blessed! 

Missouri Cranberry Rosemary Cocktail​

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Freeze Time: 8 hours | Serving Size: 10 glasses

Cocktail Ingredients:

1 ½ cup          Water
1 sprig            Fresh rosemary
2 cups            Cranberry juice
1 cup              Triple Sec
1 bottle           Missouri sparkling wine, chilled

Directions: 

Heat water to boil in microwave – depending on your microwave, this could take 2-5 minutes. Once your water begins boiling, remove from the microwave and add a rosemary sprig to the water, let it steep for 10 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprig. 

In a 1-quart freezer container, combine cranberry juice, rosemary water and Triple Sec. Cover and freeze for 8 hours or until ready to use. 

To serve, scoop frozen cranberry mixture into your glass of choice – champagne flutes, wine glasses, etc. Fill the glass about ½ full. Top the glass with your Missouri sparkling wine of choice. Garnish with sprigs of fresh rosemary. 

Enjoy!

Although Johnna’s mother Donna struggles with dementia, she recognized her husband the instant she saw the label. “She was overcome with emotion,” recalls Johnna who made a print to hang in her mom’s room.  “She loves it and shows it to everyone.”

There’s another reason why Jack’s Frost is so special to the Swineford family. It’s the first wine that John and Johnna have produced at the winery. The couple purchased Viandel Vineyard on February 23, 2018. The winery’s seasonal wine has a rich color and crisp cranberry flavor with a smooth finish. Jack’s Frost’s semi-sweet nature has the perfect balance of tartness and tastes like Christmas in a glass.

It’s the time of year when we scramble to find gifts for our friends and family members. Sometimes it is hard to think outside the box and find the perfect gift year after year. 

No worries, Missouri Wines is here to help! What better way to spread holiday cheer than shopping local and supporting Missouri businesses?

Have you ever thought about going to your local winery and checking out their retail items? Many wineries have great options for that wine lover in your life. Of course you can find a great selection of Missouri wines, but retail items may also include:

• Apparel 
• Wine stoppers
• Home décor
• Baking items
• Mulled wine spices
• Tumbler cups
• Wine glasses
• Cheese boards
• Candles
• Wine totes
• Pillows
• Dish towels
• Hats
• Koozies
  
      
    
     
     
  
  
  The best tip we have to give when it comes to Christmas shopping? When in doubt, a bottle of wine always does the trick… especially when it’s Missouri wine!  

Do you have a Christmas tree with spare space? How about one or more sparkling wine corks lying around? If the answer to both questions happens to be “yes”, you’re in for a treat! 

Get in the crafting mood and create these adorable sparkling snowman cork ornaments. It’s fun and easy. Plus, you only need a few supplies. These cork ornaments are the perfect addition to any Christmas tree or holiday decorations. 

Supplies Needed: 
Paint brush
Paper plate
Permanent markers (black and orange) 
Ribbon
Scissors
Screw eye rings 
Sparkling wine corks
Twine
White paint 

Optional: 
Glue
Hot glue gun

Assembly Steps: 
1. Gather your sparkling wine cork and one screw eye ring. 
2. Gently turn the screw eye ring into the cork.  Keep turning the screw until you can only see the ring peeking out of the top of the cork. 
3. Once you have the screw eye ring in the cork, hold the cork by the screw and paint the cork white.  Depending on how your paint spreads, you may need to apply a second coat. 
4. Let your cork dry completely.  Again, depending on your paint and the number of coats you apply, this could take 5-15 minutes.  To speed up the drying process, use a blow dryer or heat gun on low speed.
5. After the cork is dry, draw eyes, buttons, and a mouth with a black permanent marker.  
6. Next, use your orange permanent marker to draw the snowman’s nose. 
7. After you’ve drawn on your snowman, cut ribbon for the scarf.  We cut our pieces about 5 inches long. 
8. Gently tie the scarf around the snowman’s neck.  In order to get the scarf to lay to the side, try tying a loose double knot. If you don’t want to tie the scarf, you can also use a hot glue gun to place the scarf on the snowman. 
9. Cut your twine to the length that you want, loop the twine through the screw eye ring and tie a knot. 
10. Place your snowman on the tree!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsPGM_N_FyE&feature