A brand new award is being added to the lineup of accolades named in the Missouri Governor’s Cup Wine Competition. This competition is the annual opportunity for local wineries to showcase their wines and see how they compare to others made in the state. The new addition is the Husmann-Jaeger Award for Best White Varietal Wine. It will be the top award for white wines made in the state that are single varietals. White wines are often overlooked as they’re considered less complex than their red counterparts. However, Missouri wine country is home to many fantastic white varietals such as Vidal Blanc, Vignoles, Seyval Blanc, Chardonel, Traminette, and Muscat; and the delicious wines these grapes produce deserve to be lauded.

To take home the Husmann-Jaeger Award, a white wine will need to first be deemed gold medal worthy, then it will move on to be judged alongside the other gold medal white varietal wines. Only one will rise to the top and be named the winner of this new honor. The Missouri Governor’s Cup Wine Competition is judged blind, meaning the esteemed judges do not know the name of the wine or the winery when they taste and score the entries. This allows for a fair and unbiased result.

This new award draws its name from two men who were integral in the early development of the Missouri wine industry, grape cultivation in the United States, and saving the French wine industry from the devastating blight, phylloxera… George Husmann and Hermann Jaeger.

George Husmann, born in Prussia, lived in Hermann, Missouri much of his life and gained fame as a viticulturist throughout the state. While initially successful with Norton, he introduced Concord to Missouri in 1855. He helped found the Missouri Fruit Grower’s Association, which later became the Missouri Horticulture Society and published many works on grape growing. He continued to be integral in the agriculture industry of the state, and in the 1870s and 1880s he and other Missouri grape growers helped save French vineyards from a devastating louse called phylloxera by shipping resistant American root stock to France for grafting. This effort garnered him international renown. Find out more about George Husmann in the Missouri Encyclopedia here.

Hermann Jaeger, born in Switzerland, immigrated to the United States in 1864, settling near Neosho, Missouri. He planted his first vines in 1866 from East Coast varieties he’d brought with him. His initial experiments were successful in the end, but nearly led to disaster due to a blight called downy mildew. Ultimately he discovered a concoction that combated the mildew. His experiments were pioneering in the practice of spraying to control crop disease, a tactic still used today. He was one of the primary figures in the efforts to save the French wine industry in the late 1800s, earning him the accolade of the cross of the Legion of Honor in 1889. He disappeared in 1895 and there is speculation about his final days. Learn more about Herman Jaeger in the Missouri Encyclopedia here.   

The 2023 Missouri Governor’s Cup Wine Competition takes place July 12 and 13. Stay tuned to find out which wine will be the first to win this new honor.

Resources for this blog:

Heiming, Carol.  “Herman Jaeger (1844–?).” Missouri Encyclopedia, 14 Sept. 2021, missouriencyclopedia.org/people/jaeger-herman.

Heming , Carol. “George Husmann (1827–1902).” Missouri Encyclopedia, 4 Apr. 2022, missouriencyclopedia.org/people/husmann-george.

Sitting poolside, next to a fire pit, or soaking up the sun on your back porch all sound like fun. A chilled glass of your favorite Missouri wine will add the perfect touch to a day well spent. It can often be a challenge to get your wine chilled to the ideal temperature and keep it that way. Here are some tips to help you chill with Missouri wine this summer.

Rules of refrigeration:
If there is time to plan ahead, use the 3-2-1 rule. Sparkling wines need roughly 3 hours to be ideally chilled. White, rosé and sweet red wines need 2 hours. Lastly, your semi-dry and dry reds need about 1 hour in the refrigerator to get to the ideal cellar temperature.

Chilled in a flash:
Placing a bottle of wine in the freezer will take about 30-40 minutes to get chilled. Speed things up by wrapping the bottle in a wet towel (or paper towel) before placing it in the freezer. This cuts the chilling time down to 20-25 minutes.

Salt will do the trick:
A bottle of wine iced down in a large tub will chill in about an hour. Accelerate the process by instead submerging the bottle in a tub of ice, salt and water. Adding water ensures the entire surface of the bottle is in contact with the cold temperature. Bonus tip: Spin the bottle by the neck to speed things along even more.

Frozen fruits:
Once your wine is chilled and you want to keep it that way in your glass, try using frozen grapes or other fruits as ice cubes. This will prevent your wine from tasting watered down and you’ll get to enjoy delicious fruit as you sip.

Insulate and enjoy:
Try finding a nice insulated wine tumbler that you can use when the Missouri heat is in full swing. There are many options out there to keep your wine chilled so you can enjoy it all day long.

Use these tips to enjoy your favorite Missouri wines in the squelching Missouri heat.

We love our fathers even more than we love Missouri wines. And Father’s Day is the perfect day to tell dear old Dad to put a cork in it — his tacklebox, that is. Corks — natural and synthetic — float great, which makes them the perfect pieces to upcycle on the water. Follow these simple DI-Wines to learn quick and easy ways to use corks, whether you’re catching fish or just catching some rays. 

Hook Holder
Don’t stick your hands into a tangle of hooks in your tackle box anymore. Use a cork as a hook holder to keep your hooks organized and their barbs away from your fingers. 

Trouble-Free Treble Hook Holder
This tip can apply to tricky treble hooks too. Cut small pieces of cork to cover the points on your treble hooks. Not only do they store more safely and tangle-free, but it also makes tying on your chosen lure of jig a breeze when you’re not worried about getting hooked in the process.

Survival Fishing Set
Here is a pocket-size survival fishing kit if you ever find yourself in a real pickle. Wrap several yards of fishing line around a cork and place several different size hooks on the top. If you’re ever trapped in the great outdoors and need to fish for food, this pint-sized tackle set has everything you need — line, hooks and, of course, the cork, which can serve as a bobber. This mini survival set is light and super portable. Throw it in your backpack or even your pants pocket before hiking or camping. 

Cork Bobber
But you don’t have to be a survivalist to use a simple cork bobber. You can simply cut indentions in the middle of the bobber to tie your fishing line around, or you can fasten hooks out of eyelets or wire to thread your line through. If you’re a woodworker, a simple wine cork, some dowel rod and a lathe make beautiful cork bobbers. Check out this YouTube tutorial by Makify.

Sunglasses Saver
While hope may float, your favorite pair of sunnies don’t. A couple pieces of cork can save your sunglasses. Cut a piece of cork halfway through longways, and then thread your sunglasses strap through the slit so the cork encases the strap. You can also place the cork in a vice, drill a hole straight through the center, and thread the strap through. We recommend one cork for each side of your sunglasses strap to keep your sunglasses afloat. 

Floating Cork Key Chain
Bobbers aren’t the only time that cork’s innate ability to bob along in the water comes in handy. Water-safe keychains are the perfect use of used Missouri wine corks. Whether you’re fishing, boating or floating down one of the Show-Me State’s many waterways, a cork keychain keeps your keys on the surface if they take a tumble overboard. To make a cork keychain, simply screw a small eyelet into the middle of the cork and attach a keyring to it. Secure the eyelet with a dab of super glue to be extra safe. 

Next time you enjoy a Missouri lake, river or stream, keep your corks handy and enjoy a sip of your favorite Missouri wine. 
 

Summer has arrived and as the temperatures rise, we’re all thinking about ways to cool down. This super easy and totally refreshing Frosé (frozen rosé) is exactly what you need! Frozen fruit and Missouri rosé wine come together quickly and simply to create this delicious, frosty treat. 

Frosé Recipe 

Time: 5 minutes, Servings: 5-6

Ingredients 

1 bottle Missouri rosé wine (750ml) 

2 cups Strawberries, frozen 

2 cups Watermelon, frozen (seedless and chopped into small cubes, approx. 1 in.)

¼ cup Fresh lime juice 

2-4 tbsp Simple syrup or agave, to taste 

Instructions 

1. Add the rosé wine, frozen fruit and lime juice to a blender. 
2. Blend on med-high until smooth and slushy. If it’s thinner than you would like, add more frozen fruit half a cup at a time. 
3. Taste the mixture and add simple syrup one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired sweetness. The amount you’ll need is based on the sweetness level of the wine you use. If you choose a sweet rosé, you’ll need less sweetener. 
4. Pour and enjoy! 
5. Optional: Garnish with fresh strawberries and lime wheels. 

*If you want to make this treat ahead or have leftovers you want to save for another time, pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze them. Just pop the cubes into the blender when you’re ready to enjoy the frosé. 

Missouri Catawba, usually made in the rosé style, is a great varietal to try in this simple recipe. However, it works well with just about any rosé wine as it is so easily customized to your sweetness preferences. Cheers to staying cool with a glass of Frosé!

Salads are especially popular during the summer when a hot meal may not be as appealing. Everyone knows a good dressing is a must for creating a delicious salad. Here is an infographic that breaks down how to make tasty salad dressings every time using Missouri wine. 

Hardy on the vine and delectable in a glass, Vidal Blanc provides a simply crisp and refreshing taste with every sip. The medium bodied, crisp and clean wine typically offers flavors of pear, apple and citrus fruits, making it the perfect wine to celebrate the start of summer. 

This Missouri varietal is known for its hardiness in the vineyards given its ability to tolerate colder climates with a thicker grape skin. The grape was developed by a French grape breeder in the 1930s and has been prominent in Missouri wine country ever since.

Flavors of summer can be found in every glass, while pairing this crisp white wine will enhance your experience furthermore. Ideal pairings are grilled chicken and seafood, broccoli, asparagus, citrus and melon; the perfect items to top your menu this summer.

Celebrate Vidal Blanc month during June and enjoy this delightful Missouri wine that is perfectly simple like a summer day. Learn more about Vidal Blanc and find delicious recipes to try here.

Drinking wine is an experience for all of the senses. Mouthfeel refers mostly to the sense of touch, but with your mouth rather than your hands… ergo mouth-feel. It’s the way the wine feels while you are sipping and after. The primary components of mouthfeel are body, texture, balance, and finish. This infographic explains everything that goes into those pieces to make up the entire mouthfeel, which is a large part of the wine tasting experience.

Mark your calendars! We’ve partnered with the Kansas City Historic City Market to bring Missouri wine country to the Farmers Market this summer. Each date will feature a different winery from across the Show-Me state. Taste award-winning wines, discover new favorites, and purchase bottled and canned wine directly from the producers. 

Event Location:

City Market
5th & Walnut
Kansas City, MO 64106

May 21: Stone Hill Winery – Hermann

May 27: Adam Puchta Winery – Hermann

June 3: Edg-Clif Vineyard, Winery and Brewery – Potosi

June 24: Jowler Creek Winery – Platte City

July 1: Fence Stile Vineyards & Winery – Excelsior Springs

July 2: Baltimore Bend Vineyard – Waverly 

July 8: Augusta Winery, Balducci Vineyards, Montelle Winery, & Mount Pleasant Estates – Augusta

July 15: Viandel Vineyard – Mountain View 

July 22: St. James Winery – St. James 

July 23: Prairie Barn Winery – St. James 

Aug. 26: Noboleis Vineyards – Augusta

Sept. 9: Fountain City Winery – Kansas City

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about varietals and local growers, and destinations throughout Missouri for wine enthusiasts.