What better way to enjoy a sweltering Missouri wine country day than by combining two summer favorites? You’ll be delighted to know that your favorite ice cream treats can get even more delectable with the incorporation of award-winning Missouri wine.

Want to make your own ice cream to celebrate the occasion? Check out our easy, three-ingredient recipe card for wine ice cream and chocolate sauce:

Classic ice cream floats and milkshakes enhanced with your favorite Missouri wines are also tantalizing treat to make in celebration of National Ice Cream Day. Both are incredibly simple and scrumptious to make, and the flavor combinations are nearly limitless!

We’ve got easy-to-follow recipe cards for both wine ice cream floats and wine milkshakes below:

If you’re in need of flavor combination inspiration for the wine ice cream floats or milkshakes, we’ve got you covered. Here’s what we recommend:

Chocolate ice cream + Chambourcin + Strawberries
Mango sorbet + Vignoles + Pineapple
Vanilla ice cream + Concord + Raspberries (or black grapes)
Vanilla ice cream + Vidal Blanc + Melon
Dark Chocolate ice cream + Norton + Cherries
Vanilla ice cream + Sweet Sparkling + Raspberries

Concoct a frozen treat and raise a toast to summer and Missouri wine! Make sure to share your creation and celebration with us on social media using #MOWines.

This month, Missouri Wines celebrates one of life’s greatest dairy delights: cheese. June is National Dairy Month, and while there are a variety of nutritious and delicious dairy foods, few result in a blissful culinary marriage like cheese and wine.

According to the International Dairy Foods Association, there are more than 2,000 varieties of cheese. Additionally, more than one-third of the milk produced each year in the U.S. is used to manufacture cheese. With all those cheesy choices and the vast variety of Missouri wines, you’re sure to find a favorite match.

While there are no hard-and-fast rules when pairing food and wine, there are some helpful guidelines to keep in mind when tasting these two delicious items. Part of the fun is trying your own combinations to see what complements your palate best. Below are various cheese styles and the wines that pair best.

We hope you try some of these delicious cheese and wine pairings and if you find one of your own, share it with us!

Take a sip of your favorite Missouri wine to celebrate summer nights and the Fourth of July. Of course, you likely have your favorite red and white wines to pair with picnics, grilled entrées and all things summer, but have you tried a Missouri blueberry wine?

Blueberry wine offers a sweet and refreshing sip for wine aficionados in the Show-Me State. Like all Missouri fruit wines or wines made from fruit other than grapes, blueberry wine can be enjoyed in many different ways. We recommend trying these three to start.

Sip — Simply pour yourself a taste of blueberry wine. Unlike Missouri's grape wines, which contain notes of other fruits and flavors, fruit wines are known to taste like the fresh fruits from which they're made. This means a sip of blueberry wine tastes sweetly reminiscent of a handful of ripe, fresh blueberries.

Cook — Blueberry wine is a fun, summer addition to savory entrees and sweet desserts alike. Simmer it with spices to create a blueberry wine reduction sauce to top off a dish or add it to a marinade. A good marinade ratio is 2-parts wine to 1-part fat, such as olive oil, with a dash of your favorite herbs or seasonings and a pinch of salt.

Mix — Blueberry wine doesn't need to be simply sipped by itself to be enjoyed. Mix it with your favorite summer cocktails. Bring a little bit of berry to your favorite sangria. Make your spritzer blue in the best way, or craft a wine cocktail around its sweet, summer flavor. One of our favorites is this simple winetail — Blueberry Lemonade.

To mix up a batch of Blueberry Lemonade, you will need: 

• Missouri blueberry wine
• Your favorite lemonade
• Frozen blueberries to chill your drink (optional)
• Lemons for garnish (optional)

Simply mix 1-part Missouri Blueberry wine with 1-part lemonade to create the perfect sweet and sour sip for hot summer days. Add some frozen blueberries to keep your drink chilled without watering down your glass and garnish with some lemon slices. Enjoy!

Share you incorporation of blueberry wine into winetails and recipes by taking photos and using #MoWine!

Explore Missouri's Vidal Blanc with Fence Stile Vineyards & Winery and Cat Neville. 

Who doesn’t love an easy and delicious meal prolific enough to feed a group? Juicy pulled pork is a classic crowd-pleaser, made even more mouthwatering with a Vidal Blanc simmering sauce and a blend of tantalizing spices. Plug in your crockpot, raid your spice rack and get ready to prepare a meal that will make you the star of your next potluck or cookout.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 6-7 hours | Yields: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. brown sugar                        2 tsp. thyme

2 tsp. chili powder                           ½ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. red pepper flakes                   6-7 lb. bone-in pork shoulder

2 tsp. paprika                                    1 cup barbecue sauce

1 tsp. marjoram                                 1 ½ cups Vidal Blanc wine

2 tsp. mustard                                   1 onion, chopped

1 tsp. rosemary                                 3-4 tbsp. minced garlic

Directions:

1. Mix brown sugar and spices together in a small bowl. Use paper towels to pat the pork roast dry, and rub the spice mixture over all sides of the roast.

2. Place chopped onion, garlic, and barbecue sauce in the bottom of a large crockpot. Pour wine over top.

3. Place the roast in the crockpot, fatty side up, and cook on high for 6-7 hours. After cooking, turn the crockpot off and let rest for 30 minutes so juices can soak back into the roast.

4. Remove the roast from the crockpot and use two forks to shred the meat, making sure to remove the bone and fat. Add a little juice from the crockpot into the meat if desired.

5. Serve with a bun and your favorite side!

Make sure to document your recreation of this delectable dish, and share your photos using #MOWines on social media!

What better way to celebrate the amazing father figure in your life than giving him the experience of Missouri wine country? From outdoor activities, to rich history and beautiful scenery, wine country offers something nearly every father will enjoy. To top it off, the amazing food and award-winning wine found at Missouri wineries will make this holiday even more fantastic.

Is Dad a road trip fan? Wine country is the perfect destination for a weekend-long celebration. Our downloadable trip planners, interactive map and ideas for traveling in Missouri wine country are awesome tools to help you plan the ultimate outing for Father’s Day. Turn your excursion into a multi-day celebration by staying at one of the many lodging options in wine country.

Enjoy quality time with your loved one in the relaxing and scenic spaces only offered by Missouri wine country. From blufftop perches to valley views, celebrations are made even more spectacular with award-winning wines served in beautiful settings. For our food-loving fathers, many wineries offer mouthwatering eats that are guaranteed to impress - treat Dad to a glass (or bottle) of Missouri wine and a meal. For those who enjoy a craft brew, you’ll find that several wineries also brew their own beer or work closely with local breweries. Does Dad enjoy live music, incredible food or fun events? Check out our events calendar for Father’s Day weekend happenings in wine country.

Still looking for the perfect last-minute gift for the vino-loving father in your life? Not to fear, we’ve got you covered! Check out our list of perfect wine-centric gifts for the special people in your life.

Whether you choose to treat your loved ones to time in wine country or give them the gift of award-winning vino, make sure to include Missouri wine in your Father’s Day celebration. As you snap photos of your time together, share them using #MOWines!

What could be better than a sunny day, a stretch of open road and your favorite songs on the radio? We can only think of one thing that could make this scenario better – if that road leads you through scenic Missouri wine country!

Warmer weather and blooming foliage make for the perfect time to hit the road in the Show-Me State. Whether you’re looking for a quaint afternoon drive or a statewide road trip, wine country is your destination. You’ll come across stellar views, award-winning wineries and one-of-a-kind attractions only found here.

Every great road trip starts with a game plan and mapping out your journey. Historic Route 66 and breathtaking highways 94 and 100 wind through wine country, and are great starting points for first-time road trip travelers. Want to explore a specific Missouri wine region? We’ve got nine interactive trip planners that are loaded with resources and links to lodging, dining and wineries to visit. As you plan out your road trip itinerary, be sure to use our interactive map to find wineries along your route; with 125 wineries spread across the state, there’s bound to be a winery near you! Want to extend your trip into a multi-day adventure? You can find several wineries with on-site lodging that allow you to rest and rejuvenate before another day on the road.

Now that your route is determined and bags are packed, don’t forget to pick up bottles of award-winning Missouri wine to commemorate your trip! From dry to sweet, red to white and everything in between, there is a wide array of wines that will please any palate. To keep your precious vino safe during transport, follow our easy suggestions for traveling with wine.

For tips on storing wine at home, check out our recent blog that outlines the do’s and don’ts of proper storage of your favorite vintages.

No matter where your road trip travels take you, make sure to include Missouri wine and gorgeous wine country! As you’re traveling, share your photos using #MOWines.