A bottle of wine tells many stories. The first chapter revolves around the origin of the grapes. Many regions around the world are historically known for their grape growing and the quality wines they produce. Napa and Sonoma are two of the most recognized appellations or American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in the nation.  But did you know that the honor for the first AVA was bestowed on Augusta, Missouri?

An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States. An AVA is distinguished by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Missouri is home to the country’s first designated AVA.

Viticultural areas allow winegrowers to more accurately communicate the origin of their wines to their consumers. 

Federal regulations require 75 percent or more of wine be derived from grapes grown within the TTB-established AVA boundaries in order to designate a wine with the name of an AVA. The wine must be fully finished within the labeled appellation.

AVAs in Missouri include:

Augusta AVA
The first AVA in the United States was accorded to Augusta, Missouri on June 20, 1980. Seven California districts and one in Oregon had filed applications with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; however, the honor went to the 15 square mile area surrounding Augusta. The bureau cited the unique soil, climate and wines, as well as Augusta’s long history as one of America’s oldest and foremost grape and wine districts.

Ozark Mountain AVA
The Ozark Mountain AVA was established on August 1, 1986 and covers a vast 3.5 million acres in southern Missouri, extending into northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma. The Ozark Mountain AVA is so large, several smaller AVA’s lay within its borders, including Augusta, Hermann and Ozark Highlands. It is the sixth largest AVA in the United States.

Hermann AVA
The Hermann AVA was recognized on February 27, 1987 and consists of 51,200 acres in the Hermann area between St. Louis and Jefferson City, Missouri. German immigrants settled the Missouri River Valley area in the 1830s and began planting vineyards in what is today one of the most historic wine regions in the nation.

Ozark Highlands AVA
The Ozark Highlands AVA was designated on September 30, 1987; although the grape growing tradition goes back to the 1870s. The fourth accorded AVA in Missouri encompasses 1,280,000 acres in south-central Missouri, covering portions of eleven Missouri counties including the town of St. James, Missouri.

Loess Hills District AVA
The Loess Hills District AVA was established on April 4, 2016 and consists of 12,897 square miles of loess-based hills comprising a long, narrow region along the western banks of the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers in western Iowa and northwestern Missouri. The topography is characterized by rolling to steep hills. The deep loess enables grapevine roots to reach deeply into the soil and allows water to drain quickly.

Any person or group can file a petition for a new or modified AVA. The TTB has created an AVA Manual for Petitioners that provides guidance on preparing a petition and collecting and evaluating information regarding distinguishing features. Establishing a new AVA can take years to complete and requires both patience and persistence from both the petitioner and the TTB.

Next time you’re shopping for Missouri wine, check out the labels to see which ones originated in one of the five AVAs.

Whether you’re relaxing at home after a hard day of work or hosting a formal get together, pouring your favorite bottle of wine into a glass covered in smudges and water spots can ruin the experience. Below are some tips to ensure an odor-free, gleaming wine glass.

Remember to handle glassware carefully. Slower is better and even when they feel sturdy, wine glasses are very fragile. Avoid a possible injury by handling your glass gently in every step.

What you will need:
Clean wine glasses
Microfiber cloth (won’t leave fuzz or odor)
Steam
Pot or bowl

The first step is to fill a pot or large bowl with hot, not boiling, steaming water. Grab your wine glass by the stem and hold above the hot water at an angle. The glass should not touch the water or become wet.

Once the inside of the wine glass is steamy, begin to gently polish with your cloth. This will not require a lot of pressure.

Repeat step one by placing the glass back in the steam, and steaming the exterior. Gently polish. The same steps will be taken to polish the base of the wine glass: and, as for the stem, wipe down a few times and you’re done!

Now it’s time to invite some friends over and raise a toast with your beautifully polished wine glasses.

From grape to glass, winemaking is a multi-step process. If you are a lover of wine you likely have the basics down, like harvesting, crushing, pressing and bottling. However, there is so much more that happens in-between the basics.

Additional terminology that winemakers use in their vocabulary:

AVA: American Viticulture Area. An AVA is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).
Brix: scale used to measure the sugar level in unfermented grapes.
Cap: grape solids such as pits, skins and stems that rise to the top of the tank during the fermentation process.
Cold Stabilization: cooling of a wine to remove excess unstable potassium bitartrate, forming tartrate crystals or wine diamonds.
Decanting: transferring wine from the original bottle to a glass vessel. The purpose of this process is to aerate a young wine or separate any sediments from older wine.
Devatting: separating the juice from leftover solids.
Disgorgement: removal of frozen sediment from the bottle that remains after the second fermentation in sparkling wine-making.
Enophile: person who enjoys wine.
Hybrid: genetic crossing of two or more grape varietals.
Legs: droplets of wine that stream down the inside of a wine glass after swirling.
Magnum: large format bottle of wine that is twice the size of a regular 750 ml bottle and contains approximately 10 glasses of wine.
Pressing: process of extracting juice from grapes.
Pruning: annual trimming of grapevines from the previous years’ harvest.
Sommelier: formally trained and educated wine professional who specializes in all aspects of wine services, pairings and storage.

We hope you try out some of these terms during your next excursion in Missouri wine country. For more wine terminology, check out Wine Words and Terms and 21 Wine Tasting Terms You’ll Want to Know.

Down a long gravel road bordered with rows of vineyards in Potosi, Missouri, you’ll find Edg-Clif Vineyard Winery and Brewery.  Every nook and cranny of this place calls to mind delightful memories for winery owners, Cyndy Keesee and Steffie Littlefield. The two sisters spent many blissful moments of their childhood exploring the former Hereford farm.

“When we welcome our visitors here,” says Cyndy, “it’s truly to our home.”

The sisters are the third generation entrusted with the care of this rugged yet beautiful land located in the Ozark Mountain wine region. Their grandparents, Andrew and Hazel Knapp, originally purchased acreage for a hunting retreat in 1926, but had bigger visions for the area. The enterprising couple began buying adjoining properties and started a Hereford ranch in the 1930s. During their visits to the farm, the sisters enjoyed helping their grandparents with their world-renowned show herd. They prepared the cattle for show and led them around the ring for judging. They even had a pet bull, a grand champion named Tuffy.

When their parents passed away, Cyndy and Steffie were determined to revive the farm and give it new life. After carefully researching the soil and climate, they planted a four acre vineyard in 2008. French-American hybrid grapes are now grown on seven acres, while the winery and venue are situated on 30 acres. Bison from a neighboring ranch have been roaming a portion of their farmland for more than twenty years. Wildlife are plentiful on the farm while the spring fed Fourche a Renault River flows with bass and trout throughout the property.  

The winery opened in 2011 and is very much a family affair. Each essential member of the crew has their own set of skills. Steffie is a horticulturalist and loves the outdoors. She is the winery’s official viticulturist and keeps a close eye on the vineyards, while also tending to the vegetable and flower gardens. Her husband, Stephen, manages the property and is the go-to guy for anything that needs to be built or fixed. Cyndy is the winemaker and also excels at cooking, while her husband, Girard, is in charge of winery operations. Cyndy’s daughter, Rachael, makes a full selection of craft beers in one of the farm houses.

The winery features 15 delicious wines, although the sisters admit they have a favorite - their Chambourcin Rosé, made in the dry, French-style. “We are crazy about that grape,” says Cyndy. “It’s so beautiful.”

Many of the farm’s original buildings still stand, including the historic Showbarn, where you’ll find the winery’s tasting bar. The 1862 stone house built into the side of an 80 foot limestone cliff has been expanded and restored multiple times.  

Visitors to the winery who want to extend their day trip into a weekend getaway can rent one of three 100-year-old farm houses on the property. These homes have been renovated and offer a quiet oasis from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Explore the nearby rivers, trails and vintage towns. “There is something so spiritual in watching the sun set over these ancient hills and native forests,” says Steffie. “Many take advantage of our walking trails where they discover wildflowers and the river, while marveling at the majestic oaks and pines that remain untouched by modern demands.”

Cyndy and Steffie credit their grandparents and the people who lived on their family farm for instilling in them determination and a great work ethic. “We learned to see life from many perspectives and appreciate hard working people,” explains Cyndy. “Taking care of our family farm and creating a viable business here again is our dream come true. Our children love to participate when they can and are proud of what we have. For us, that is what it’s all about.”

The sisters enjoy sharing the family farm with their visitors and strive to make sure each person feels welcome. “There is something special and humbling about being the guardian of nature’s beautiful land that fills our life with satisfaction,” says Steffie. “It’s important that we are leaving it just as wonderful for the next generation.”

Hello April! Spring has sprung and many wine enthusiasts are trading in their reds for whites. Whether you’re picnicking in the park or relaxing inside while it rains, don’t forget to grab one of your favorite Missouri wines.   

April is also Chardonel Month. Chardonel is a cross between Seyval Blanc and Chardonnay. The Missouri Chardonel is a classic white wine that ranges in style from dry to sweet. When aged in an oak barrel, the wine has a subtle spice but in stainless steel Chardonel has more of a citrus taste.

One of our favorite things about Chardonel is how food friendly it is. Spring is a great time to fire up that grill and Chardonel pairs well with grilled chicken and fish like trout and halibut. It also pairs well with smoked pork, portabella mushrooms, gouda and Monterey jack cheeses, apples and even vanilla pudding.

Chardonel accounts for only 3.9% of all grapes grown in Missouri, but don’t let that number fool you, the grapes are highly productive and durable to our Show-Me State’s frigid temperatures.

Enjoy the season and sip a spring classic - Chardonel.

Have you ever read the description on the back of a wine bottle but then struggled to detect the notes in your wine glass? 

You’re not alone. Our ability to pick out the aromas in wine is aided by all the wonderful smells in our memory bank. For example, if you’ve smelled a lemon before, chances are you can detect a citrus smell in a wine, but how many of us have smelled a black currant?

Why is our ability to smell so important? Research shows that between 75 to 95 percent of what we taste is derived from our sense of smell. Familiarizing yourself with the aromas in a wine can help you more fully appreciate the experience. 

The great news is that you don’t have to be a sommelier to improve your sniffing skills. You can educate yourself on your own time with a wine aroma kit. You can find a variety of premade kits online and in select stores. These kits take the most common aromas found in wine and bottle them into small vials. The kits come in different sizes. Of course, the more aromas they contain, the more expensive the price tag, with some kits costing several hundred dollars. 

Or you can save money and build your own wine aroma kit. Examples of DIY wine aroma kits can be found on Wine Spectator and Wine Folly. 

Once you have a premade or homemade kit, sniff the vials on a regular basis until you can identify each one, then take your trained nose to a get-together and impress your friends. Engage in a little blind wine smelling. Ask your friends to hand you a glass of wine and see if you can correctly identify the notes.
 
The UC Davis wine aroma wheel is another great resource that can aid you in the process. The wheel has several sections designed to help you identify the different flavors, scents and aromas found in a variety of wines. 

Of course, an even more enjoyable way to improve your sense of smell is to gain firsthand knowledge while visiting the beautiful wineries in Missouri. During your visit, the winery’s knowledgeable staff will guide you through the tasting experience and help you detect the aromas in their wines.

Before you embark on your adventure, review these aromas often associated with Missouri wines.

Red wines

Chambourcin
• Cherries and light oak

Concord 
• Grapey

Norton
• Dark berries with light spices

White wines 

Chardonel
• Lemon or the inside of a barrel

Traminette
• Floral arrangement 

Vidal Blanc
• Fresh summer garden

Vignoles
• Fresh cut tropical fruit 

Additional information about these varietals can be found on the Missouri wines website.

We hope these suggestions help you become more familiar with the delightful aromas in Missouri wines and get more out of your wine tasting experience. 

Searching for appetizer ideas? Let your online pursuit end here. This creamy (and absolutely dreamy) Missouri red wine cheese dip is so delicious it deserves six stars out of five. While it may take a little effort to whip it all together, the end result is worth it. Impress your family and friends with this savory cheese spread, destined to be the one snack that keeps people coming back for more.

Prep Time: 1 hour I Serving Size: 8
Ingredients:
¼ cup Caramelized onions
2 tbsp Fresh rosemary, minced
5 oz Feta cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp Red wine (we used a semi-dry wine)
3 tbsp Honey
½ tsp Sea salt, fine
8 oz Cream cheese – 1/3 less fat, softened 
Bread or Crackers

Instructions:
1. Caramelize onions. Place the onions, rosemary, feta cheese, red wine, honey and fine sea salt in a food processor. Pulse until it forms a thick paste, occasionally scraping down the sides.
2. Add cream cheese and pulse until well-blended. 
3. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
4. Serve chilled with your favorite bread or crackers and Missouri wine.