Looking to shop the day away with your favorite people without the crowds? Then forget Black Friday and let’s shop on Small Business Saturday! It’s a magical time of the year for you to discover the charm of local wineries. Think twinkling lights, friendly faces and finding that perfect one-of-a-kind gift. But Small Business Saturday is more than just a shopping day!

Why is supporting local businesses so important? It’s about more than just finding a unique gift. When you shop small, you’re investing into your community. A significant portion of the money spent at local businesses stays within the local economy. This means more jobs and thriving neighborhoods. Local businesses are more likely to support local charities and events, furthering and strengthening the community ties. Plus, small business owners are your neighbors, friends and fellow community members. They’re passionate about what they do and that passion shines through in their products and services. 

Many Missouri wineries will direct ship to you as well! 

Missouri Wineries with Deals on Small Business Saturday & Cyber Monday: 

*Denotes if they will ship wine to you!

• 7C’s Winery*
• Adam Puchta Winery*
• Amigoni Urban Winery*
• Apple Creek Vineyard & Winery
  • 20% off all TO-GO wine & sangria
• Augusta Winery*
• Beckett’s Winery*
• Blumenhof Vineyards & Winery*
• Canterbury Hill Winery & Restaurant
  • Buy One Get One 50% Off on TO-GO Bottles of Wine
• Chandler Hill Vinyards*
• Dale Hollow Winery*
• Defiance Ridge Vineyards*
• Eagles’ Landing*
• ElderBlossom View*
• Endless Summer Winery*
• Fence Stile Vineyards, Winery & Distillery*
• Hermannhof Winery*
• Jowler Creek Vineyard & Winery*
• LaBella Vineyards & Winery*
• LaChance Vineyards*
• Les Bourgeois Vineyards*
• Lindwedel Winery*
• Mathany Family Vineyards*
• Montelle Winery*
• Mount Pleasant Estates*
• Musket Cellars & Vineyard*
  • Mix and Match a case of 12 wines and receive 10% off
• Noboleis Vineyards*
  • Winter Wine-derland Igoo Experience
• Ozark Hills Winery*
• Pennington Wines*
• Pirtle Winery*
• Primitive Olde Crow & Winery*
• Red Fox Winery & Vineyards*
• Riverwood Winery*
• Serenity Valley Winery*
  • Traditional Christmas Craft Day
• Seven Springs Winery*
• Shamrock Hills Vineyard & Winery
  • Free tasting of 4 wines with every gift basket or gift card purchased.
  • North Pole Visit: ride on a hay wagon to the cabin to visit Santa.
• Spencer Manor Winery
  • Holiday Retail Wine Sale
• St. James Winery*
• Stone Hill Winery*
• TerraVox Winery*
• Westphalia Vineyards*
• Windy Wine Company*

So, this Small Business Saturday, skip the crowded malls and explore the hidden gems in your own backyard. While supporting Missouri wineries, be sure to grab a coffee at the local café or find a one-of-a-kind gift at the market. Not only will you find something unique and special, but you’ll also be making a real difference in the small communities. Let’s celebrate the entrepreneurs who make our small towns exceptional and show them our support. Shop small, support big, and make this Small Business Saturday one to remember! 

The holiday season is here, and wine is for more than just sips! Check out this unique and festive wine glass centerpiece. It is sure to impress and make a statement this holiday season!

Supplies

• 3 wine glasses of varying heights
• 3 small candles
• Placemat or stand
• Christmas ornaments
• Other greenery or Christmas décor of choosing
• Ribbon is optional

Directions

1. Place ornaments inside wine glass, then turn upside down and set on platform or placemat.
2. Arrange other Christmas décor how you would like, place some on the base of the wine glass.
3. Place candles on top of the foot of the glasses.
4. When your event or gathering is about to start, light the candles.

Celebrate the season the right way, with all things wine!

Share your wine décor with us using #mowine

The wine says dry, but it tastes sweet. What is happening? Are my tastebuds broken? No, they are not! Many times, you may think a wine labeled dry is actually sweet, but this is not the case. Today we are busting the myth that some wines still taste sweet, but they are actually dry wines.

Residual sugar determines the sweetness of a wine. Winemakers control the residual sugar in their wines depending on type, style and their end goal for the product. The more residual sugar, the sweeter the wine. 

With dry wines, residual sugar levels are non-existent or low, which gives the wine the dry quality. So why do some dry wines, seem to taste sweet?

Fruit. Some grape varietals are very fruit forward. Meaning that they have notes of fruits. These fruit notes can cause a wine that is actually dry, to taste sweeter. It is the perception of your tastebuds, because fruit is associated with sweetness.

So, your tastebuds are not broken, some wines are just more fruit forward than others. A good example is a Missouri favorite, Vignoles. While Vignoles is made ranging from dry to sweet styles, it is a wine with a lot of fruit notes, specifically tropical fruit. This causes some people to taste a sweeter wine, even if it is actually a dry wine.

Myth busted!

Fall is here and Winter is on its way. Get ready for the Holiday season and impress your guests with these 4 Seasonal Wine Cocktails!

Chambourcin Blackberry Fizz 

• .5 oz lemon juice
• 1 oz bourbon
• .5 oz simple syrup
• 1.5 oz Missouri Chambourcin
• 3 blackberries
• Sparkling water

1. Combine lemon juice, bourbon, simple syrup, wine. Stir or shake until sugar has dissolved.
2. Stir in whole blackberries and lemon slices
3. Top with sparkling water before serving.
   1. Add ice if you prefer.

Chardonel Apple Cider 

• ½ bottle of Missouri Chardonel
• 2 cups of apple cider
• 1/4 cup Fireball Whiskey
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 sliced apple
• 1 sliced orange 

1. Combine the wine, cider, whiskey, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a large pot and whisk to combine.
2. Place pot on the stove over medium heat and add the sliced apples and oranges.
3. Bring the mixture to a light simmer and continue simmering for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the pot from heat.
5. Ladle the wine into mugs and garnish with cinnamon stick, sliced apples and oranges.

Mimosa Cocktail

• 4 sugar cubes
• 1 bottle Angostura bitters
• 1 bottle Missouri Sparkling
• 1oz Orange Juice
• Lemon twist, for garnish

1. Start off by taking a single sugar cube, and while holding it over the opening of a bottle of Angostura bitters, invert the bottle so that some bitters soak directly into the sugar.

2. Drop the cube into the bottom of a chilled Champagne flute and then fill the glass with orange juice and Sparkling wine.

3. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Christmas Wine Spritzer

• 1 bottle Missouri Vidal Blanc
• 3 cups cranberry juice
• 3 cups ginger ale
• 1 cup cranberries
• Mint

1. In a large pitcher combine white wine and cranberry juice until well combined.
2. When ready to serve, pour over ice, top with ginger ale, cranberries and mint.

Whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just the season, these wine tails are sure to impress! Share your wine tails with us using #mowine

Why did the llama bring wine to the party? 

• He heard it was going to be a “llama-zing” time!

Missouri wineries spend time crafting the perfect label just as they do creating what is inside. Why? Labels are your first introduction to a bottle. They can tell you everything you need to know about what is inside the bottle. Combining art, information, and a story they can make one buy the bottle just by the looks.

This wine below has a special story!

Les Bourgeois Vineyards: 

• Collector’s Series: 2022 Late Harvest Vignoles
  • $30
  • Sweet White
  • Artwork: “Hey Y’all” by Stacey DeGrace

The artwork on the Collector’s Series: 2022 Late Harvest Vignoles bottle is special because Les Bourgeois Vineyards hosts an artwork competition. Anyone can submit artwork that has potential to be selected to be featured on a bottle!  Be sure to pay attention to Les Bourgeois Vineyards social media platforms for the chance to submit artwork next year! 

Trends reflect the dynamic nature of society, capturing shifts often driven by innovation and consumer behavior. Statistics in the United States show that “Animal labels are twice as attractive to wine consumers.” Putting an animal name or image on a bottle of wine will more than double its sales in the United States.