May is Teacher Appreciation Month, and we want to raise a glass to all the educators out there. You’ve spent the entire school year working tirelessly to impart wisdom and knowledge to your students. Thank you!

Now that the school year is coming to a close, take some time just for you. Treat yourself to rest, relaxation, and fun in Missouri wine country. We appreciate all you do and would be thrilled to help you unwin[e]d (See what we did there?) from the stress of the school year. 

Whether you hop on one of Missouri’s ten wine trails or blaze a trail of your own among the 125+ wineries, you’re in for a great time. Let the tables turn and enjoy learning a bit about Missouri wines at a tasting or tour. Find wine terms, Wine 101 videos and more in our wine library. Sip, savor, and repeat. That’s our kind of lesson plan! 

Cheers to all teachers out there!

College is tough. It takes a lot of time, dedication, and focus. So, when you’re finally graduating, it’s time to celebrate! These local, award-winning wineries are a stone’s throw from Missouri’s best-known college towns and are the perfect place to raise a glass to our “Show Me” State graduates! 

Graduates looking to celebrate near Missouri’s metro areas have lots of local winery options as well: St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield. 

Cheers to Missouri’s 2016 college graduates! 

Mom has been there for you through everything. She deserves to be treated like the queen she is, especially on Mother’s Day. Missouri wine country is the perfect place to celebrate mom and let her relax and unwin(e)d. Take your mother to one of the “Show Me” State’s 125+ wineries, and they’ll help  show her how much you appreciate her. Here are some great gift ideas for mom this year. 

Make: Show mom how much you care with one of these great DIY gifts. 

It’s all in the wrapping with this great “Pineapple” wine gift. Award-winning, Missouri sparkling wine, covered in chocolates… what mom wouldn’t want that? 

Honor the family name and your mother with a wine cork monogram. A really fun décor piece she can enjoy for a long time.    

Is your mother a stickler for using a coaster? Make her a set out of used wine corks: easy, quick, and practical! 

This leather and reclaimed wood wine rack is fairly simple to make and seriously cool. Mom will definitely appreciate it. 

Purchase: Not big on crafts? No problem. These gift ideas are fun and functional. 

A Wine Cubby is great for the mom who likes to camp.

This butterfly wine rack is sleek, chic and requires no assembly. If you really want to be mom’s favorite, fill it with Missouri wine too.

Give your mother a set of GoVino ‘glasses’. They’re perfect for the patio, pool, or the clumsy house guest who can’t be trusted with breakable things. 

Get her a “Best Mom Ever” engraved wine glass, so everyone knows how great she is.

Experience: What’s a better gift than time? Get your Mom and yourself tickets to a great event in Missouri wine country. 

Taste & Toast Event in Mapplewood: May 6th
Wild Bacon Event on the Hermann Wine Trail: May 7-8
Sunset Dinners on Friday nights at Montelle Winery in Augusta 
Find many more events here. 

Missouri’s classic white wine is a great choice for your dinner table. Chardonel’s rich, delicious flavors pair well with a variety of foods. Use this Infographic to help you find the perfect match for your next meal. 

Feast Magazine, producer of Feast TV, is hosting an event to feature the best tastes and toasts of the region. It’s time to raise a glass to locally produced, award-winning wines!
On Friday, May 6th from 7-10pm, join Feast at Majorette in Maplewood, Missouri to celebrate local flavor at the second annual Taste & Toast! Enjoy pours from area wineries, eats from some of the area's best restaurants and live music by DJ Billy Brown. This is your chance to meet some of the winemakers who are crafting the local, award-winning wines that are taking the regional wine industry to the next level.
While you’re tasting and toasting, be sure to also visit the Missouri Wines table to learn more about the industry and enter for a chance to win a prize perfect for celebrating your love of Missouri wine. Cheers! 
Purchase a VIP ticket to attend a pre-event happy hour in Majorette’s game room featuring exclusive wines, beers and spirits. Each ticket to the event includes a Riedel wine glass!
Participating wineries include: 

• Augusta Winery
• Balducci Winery
• Belmont Vineyards
• Cave Vineyard
• Chandler Hill Vineyards
• Chaumette Vineyards & Winery
• Montelle Winery
• Noboleis Vineyards
• Röbller Vineyard and Winery
• Stone Hill Winery
• and many more!

Click here for more information and to purchase tickets to the event. 

April 19th is National Bicycle Day, and that inspired us to post about the breathtaking wineries you can find along the Katy Trail (AKA- bicycle heaven). The legendary Katy Trail is a 237 mile (386 km) trail stretching across most of the state of Missouri. It is built on the former corridor of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) Railroad (better known as the Katy). It's ideal for walking, hiking, running, or cycling on just about any kind of bike. Next time you’re looking for a beautiful trail to take, hop on the Katy and stop at one of the 17 wineries along the trail. (All of the wineries listed are within 5 miles of the trail and are listed from west to east.) 

• Les Bourgeois Vineyards in Rocheport
• Canterbury Hill Winery & Restaurant in Holts Summit 

Hermann Wineries:

• Endless Summer Winery 
• Adam Puchta Winery
• Stone Hill Winery 
• Hermannhof Vineyards
• OakGlenn Winery
• Lost Creek Vineyard in Marthasville 
• Blumenhof Vineyards & Winery in Dutzow

Augusta Wineries 

• Balducci Vineyards 
• Noboleis Vineyards
• Augusta Winery
• Mount Pleasant Winery 
• Montelle Winery

Defiance Wineries: 

• Sugar Creek Winery & Vineyards 
• Chandler Hill Vineyards 
• Little Hills Winery & Restaurant in St. Charles 

Grab your bike and hit the trail. We’ll see you in wine country! 

Missouri wine country is home to 130 wineries and countless cherished memories with family and friends. Spring is here! The warmer weather and sunshine are begging you to enjoy them, and there is no better place to do that than a local winery. A glass of wine in hand, good company by your side… we’ll see you in wine country this weekend!  

Prep Time- 5 minutes        |    Cook Time- 20 minutes

Ingredients: 
1 ½  cup     Red wine
½  cup        Balsamic vinegar
2                 Shallot, diced
2 tbsp         Butter
2 tbsp         Flour
2                 Fresh rosemary sprigs, leaved trimmed from stem and finely diced 
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Sauté shallots in butter over medium-low heat until the shallots are soft, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add flour, stirring constantly until fully coated. 
2. Stir in red wine, vinegar and rosemary.
3. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Serve immediately. 

* This sauce is great on top of meats, like pork chops or steak, and on roasted vegetables.     

Vidal Blanc wine is light and bright with delicious citrusy notes. It’s perfect for adding extra flavor to this springtime lemon cake. This recipe is simple and delightful! Don’t forget the glaze; it might be the best part!

Prep Time- 25 minutes         |     Cook Time- 45-55 minutes

Ingredients: 

Pan prep 
2 tbsp    Melted butter
2 tbsp    Flour 

Cake 
1 box     Lemon cake mix 
¼ cup    Brown sugar
¼ cup    White sugar 
1 box     Instant lemon pudding mix (3.4oz)
Zest of 1 lemon
4    Eggs 
¾  cup    Water
¾  cup     Vegetable oil 
½  cup     Missouri Vidal Blanc Wine 

Glaze 
1 cup    Confectioners’ Sugar
2 tbsp    Missouri Vidal Blanc Wine  
Zest of 1 lemon 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). 
2. Melt two tablespoons of butter. Add two tablespoons of flour, and whisk together until smooth. 
3. Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of a bundt pan generously with the butter/flour mixture. Set aside. 
4. In a large bowl, combine all the cake ingredients (cake mix, sugars, pudding mix, lemon zest, eggs, water, oil, and wine).  
5. Beat with an electric mixer until fully incorporated, approximately 2 minutes.
6. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan.
7. Bake cake 45-55 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean. 
8. While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze. 
9. Glaze instructions: Stir wine into confectioners’ sugar one tablespoon at a time until smooth. Stir in the lemon zest and let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. 
10. Remove cake from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert on a wire rack to cool completely. 
11. Once cool, drizzle with glaze. 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTon-QgEJoU&feature=youtu

Click play to learn how you too can make a White Wine Lemon Bundt Cake!