College basketball fans are gearing up for the most exciting weeks of the season – March Madness. Watching our favorite teams move from Selection Sunday to the Final Four, and hopefully on to the NCAA championship game, is a cause for celebration in itself.

While you watch players dribble, drive and dunk their way to the championship, make sure you’re enjoying award-winning Missouri wine. Your favorite varietal pairs perfectly with game day grub – from pizza to sandwiches, cookies to sweet treats, Missouri wine and your favorite dish go together like none other.

Your tournament bracket may be filled out perfectly, but do you need help matching up your wine and food pairings? We’ve got you covered! Take a look at our handy pairing guides for your favorite foods:

(click the infographic to see it in full-screen view)

We’ve got plenty more guides in our infographic gallery to help you!

Need some recipe inspiration for gatherings with fellow college basketball lovers? Our blog has a plethora of ideas, from sweet to savory dishes that will delight and easy sippers for a crowd.

Finding Missouri wine nearby is “nothing but net” with our interactive map, which shows retailers near you that sell your favorite award-winning vino. Use this handy tool when planning your game day spread, along with our other resources on chilling, serving and hosting with Missouri wine.

From tip-off to the final buzzer, make sure your March Madness plans are a slam dunk with Missouri wines!

Make your day even brighter with the cheery and delightfully sweet Springtime Sunrise Sipper. Clean and crisp Seyval Blanc mixes with lemonade, cool mint and fresh berries to remind you of springtime with every sip. With just 6 ingredients and only a few minutes of preparation time, the Springtime Sunrise Sipper can turn your day around! Check out this quick video to see how to recreate this easy, refreshing treat. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geg666WxYmI

Springtime Sunrise Sipper Recipe

Ingredients:

½ cup powdered lemonade mix

1 bottle of Seyval Blanc white wine

1 small lemon, sliced

18 fresh strawberries, quartered

1 clamshell of fresh blackberries

Ice (if desired)

Mint Leaves

Directions:

Pour lemonade mix into a medium-sized pitcher or jar. Add Seyval Blanc and stir until lemonade mix is dissolved. Add strawberries and blackberries to mixture, followed by lemon slices (make sure to save 1-2 lemon slices for a garnish!) Gently stir until all fruit and liquids are evenly mixed. Place in refrigerator until slightly chilled. Twirl the mint leaves between the thumb and index finger or muddle in glass to extract oil from the leaves. If desired, add a handful of ice cubes to serving glass. Pour mixture into glass and garnish with a lemon slice. Enjoy!

March is designated as Women’s History Month and we want to take this time to recognize those that are laying the foundations today for those who will follow in their footsteps in the years to come. These women serve in many different capacities, each works diligently to uphold the quality and reputation of Missouri’s wines.

(Please note: This information has been compiled from a survey and is by no means a complete list of all the women who work in Missouri wineries.)

Baltimore Bend Vineyard

Sarah Schmidt is an owner of Baltimore Bend Vineyard, and has been instrumental in all aspects of the vineyard and winery's growth over the years. She moved into the head winemaking role 12 years ago. She holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism from the University of Missouri - Columbia, and a certificate in enology from Washington State.

Dale Hollow Winery

Katy Dale is co-owner of Dale Hollow Winery and is essential to every step of the winemaking process: pruning, harvest timing, yeast and oak selection, blending, finishing and packaging. Her mother-in-law, Beth Dale, draws all of the label pictures and Katy builds out the labels.
 

Edg-Clif Vineyards and Winery

From left to right: Girard Keesee, Cyndy Keesee, Rachael Fry, Steffie Littlefield, Stephen Littlefield 

Three dynamic women keep things running smoothly at Edg-Clif Vineyards and Winery. Cyndy Keesee is the winemaker and co-owner of the winery along with her sister, Steffie Littlefield. Steffie has degrees in agriculture, horticulture and economics and utilizes her experience as the vineyard manager. Rachael Fry oversees their craft brewery. The winery is situated on beautiful farmland in the Missouri Ozark hills, a unique property that has been in the family for three generations.

Pictured here is Cyndy Keesee with her daughter, two nieces and two grandnieces who are getting a lesson in winemaking.

Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery

Shriti Plimpton is the founder, owner and winemaker at Fence Stile Vineyards and Winery. Shriti established the winery and vineyards in 2009. Her focus is on distinctive wines that appeal to a wide range of tastebuds using French-American hybrid and Vitis vinifera clones. She is quite innovative in product development, including developing and bottling Missouri's first piquette and skin-contact wines.

Hemman Winery

While Bonnie leaves the winemaking up to her husband, Doug, once the wine is bottled she takes over. From labeling to paperwork, sales and promotions, she keeps things running smoothly. 

Les Bourgeois Vineyards

Rachel Holman (left) is the owner and CEO of Les Bourgeois Vineyards. Prior to acquiring ownership, Rachel served in many capacities at the winery, including Director of Catering and Marketing. She was named the CEO in 2013 and took over strategic planning, financial management, retail operations, production and human resources in addition to wholesale and marketing. Rachel and her husband, Jacob Holman, the head winemaker at the winery, bought the winery with an outside investor in 2019

Noboleis Vineyards 

Did you know that chilling your favorite varietal may enhance your tasting experience? Before you open that bottle of award-winning Missouri wine, give its temperature some consideration.

You might be surprised to know that different types of wine have unique ideal serving temperatures. For example, red wines are ideally served at “cellar temperature” or approximately 65 degrees.  White and rosé wines are best served at a temperature around 55 degrees, and the optimal temperature for sparkling wine is closer to 45 degrees. How long should you chill your wine to ensure that it reaches the ideal serving temperature?

A good rule of thumb for chilling wine is to follow our 3-2-1 guideline! Check out the easy to follow graphic below for the approximate time and temperature that your favorite Missouri wine should chill.

In a perfect world, we’d all have plenty of time to chill our favorite wine before serving. In reality, we realize that life happens! Not to fear, we have a few tips and tricks for chilling wine quickly in a pinch – watch the video below and discover our hacks for getting your wine chilled in under 30 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMF1zIgLSXU

Pro tip – Avoid using your refrigerator as a long-term storage solution for the unopened wine that you intend to serve. When left too long, corks can dry out and lead to wine oxidation.

Use these guidelines and tips to make sure your next glass of Missouri wine is chilled to the right temperature for optimal enjoyment. Want to know where to find award-winning wine near you? Let our interactive map be your guide to restaurants and retailers in your area!

Röbller Vineyard has a unique, distinct history of staying true to tradition, and in April they are celebrating three decades of success in being unique in Missouri wine country.

Robert and Lois Mueller were hobby winemakers in the 1980s, and moved to New Haven to pursue their passion. This family-owned and operated Missouri winery has been growing grapes for 33 years on their property in a unique geological region of the state, and operating their winery for the last 30 years. From the beginning, Röbller Vineyard has remained dedicated to dry farming with the goal of becoming a 100% estate-produced winery. The result of this commitment comes through in their vintage driven wine portfolio expressing the best of what can be achieved in Missouri.

The winery property, which has its own historic past, is also celebrating a landmark anniversary. In 1821, the same year that Missouri gained statehood, the property was land-granted to the original owner. The homestead’s original log cabin (built in 1821) remains on the property and an active part of the Röbller operation.

With multiple anniversaries that coincide with Missouri’s bicentennial, Röbller Vineyards has some big plans up their sleeve to honor their history of success.

To commemorate this momentous occasion, Röbller is releasing special wines. One of which is Land Grant Red, paying homage to the historical significance of the anniversary and roots of the property. This wine was created as a field blend of five red grapes including Norton and Chambourcin. The Old-World approach of field blending is indicative of Robller Vineyard’s commitment to the European winegrowing philosophy.  The grapes were harvested, processed and fermented together as a single wine from the vineyard’s 30th growing season with the intent of creating a special wine for the coming celebration. Additionally, Röbller plans to release a Reserve Vignoles and several other anniversary wines that will be available for purchase. As a special treat, Röbller is partnering with local business, Cool Cow Cheese, to offer special-edition blocks of cheese made with Land Grant Red.

Röbller Vineyard plans to celebrate their special anniversary with events to be held April 17th and 18th 2021, as the winery’s official anniversary is April 27. To stay up-to-date on the anniversary events, make sure to follow the winery on social media and keep an eye on their website.

Stop by Röbller Vineyard during your next adventure in Missouri wine country, enjoy a glass of estate-produced vino and savor the rich history of this family-owned and family-grown winery.

Who doesn’t love to savor a bite of mouthwatering chocolate, especially when it’s accompanied by an award-winning Missouri wine? These fudgy, deep-dish style brownies are a delicious delight that can brighten up any day. Dark chocolate and rich Missouri Port-style wine makes this mouthwatering chocolate treat even more delectable. Indulge yourself with this easy and satisfying recipe that yields plenty to share (if you choose)!

Deep-Dish Fudgy Port Brownie Recipe

Time: 1 hour | Yield: 12 generous servings

Ingredients:

2 sticks of butter                               ¹/₂ tsp. sea salt                      

1 cup dark chocolate chips               ¹/₂ tsp. baking powder

4 eggs                                                   1 cup all-purpose flour

1 ³/₄ cup granulated sugar            ¹/₄ cup unsweet dark cocoa powder

¹/₃ cup Missouri Port-style wine      1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and lightly flour a 10x15” baking dish or pan.

Place butter and dark chocolate chips in a double boiler over hot water. Stir mixture until butter and chocolate are completely melted and smooth. Remove mixture and allow to cool.   

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar until well blended. Add port and cooled chocolate mixture.

Blend in flour, sea salt, baking soda and cocoa powder. Mix until batter is smooth and all ingredients are incorporated. Use a spatula to gently fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out nearly clean.

After removing brownies from oven, place pan on a cooling rack. Let rest and ensure that brownies are cooled completely before using a knife to cut into slices.

Enjoy!

Mix up your Margarita recipe this year by adding award-winning Missouri wine. We’ve gathered some recipes that are sure to impress you and your guests.

Sunset Wine-a-Rita
*Recipe courtesy of Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard
 What you will need:
 lime juice
 sugar
 ice
 4 oz Sunset Rosé Wine
 1 oz Triple Sec
 2 oz margarita mix
 watermelon wedges

Instructions:
1. First, wet the rims of two margarita glasses in lime juice and then dip them in sugar to cover the top of the glasses.
2. Fill glasses with ice. (Be careful to avoid knocking sugar into glass)
3. Add wine, triple sec and margarita mix to a glass and stir.
4. Pour into glasses and finish with a watermelon wedge.

Frozen Red Wine Margarita

What you will need:
1 bottle of light and fruity red wine
8 oz tequila
12 oz margarita mix
2 oz lime juice
3 oz Triple Sec or Grand Marnier
1 pinch of kosher or flaky sea salt

Instructions:
1. Pour the entire bottle of red wine into an ice cube tray and let freeze for at least 6 hours.
2. In a blender, mix tequila, margarita mix, lime juice, red wine ice cubes and triple sec until slushy.
3. Pour, sip and enjoy!

Optional: Before pouring your Red Wine Margarita, wet the rim of your glass with a lime wedge and sprinkle rim with salt.  

Citrus Wine-a-Rita

What you will need:
1 bottle Vidal Blanc
12 oz can of limeade concentrate
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup (or more) quality tequila
water
sea salt 
lime or orange slices (optional for garnish)

Instructions:
1. In a large pitcher, combine the wine, limeade, orange juice and tequila.
2. Fill the empty limeade can with water twice and pour into the pitcher.
3. Stir to combine all ingredients.
4. Wet the rim of each glass with a lime wedge and dip into sea salt to coat.
5. Pour Citrus Wine-a-Rita over ice.

Garnish with lime and/or orange slices and enjoy!

Sangrita Swirl

What you will need for the sangria swirl:
1 cup red frozen red wine (freeze in ice cube trays)
2 tbsp of triple sec
1 tbsp fresh lime juice  
juice from half of an orange

What you will need for the margarita:
6 oz. frozen limeade concentrate
2 shots of tequila
1 shot Triple Sec
1 cup ice
Straw (optional for swirling)

Instructions:
1. First, wet the rims of your two margarita glasses in lime juice and then dip them in either kosher salt or sugar to cover the rim of the glasses.
2. Blend the frozen red wine cubes with the triple sec, lime juice and orange juice. Pour into a glass and set aside (or store in freezer).
3. Add frozen limeade concentrate, tequila, triple sec and ice to the blender. Blend until slushy.
4. Pour the margarita mix into the two glasses and then pour the sangria mixture on top. Swirl together with a straw.

*Recipe makes two servings. Double and use the entire can of frozen limeade to make four.

In addition to our tried-and-trusted recipes above, here are a few other recipes you might enjoy.

Grab a crisp bottle of Vidal Blanc for this White Wine Margarita.

Chambourcin will surely rock this Red Wine Margarita recipe.

We hope you try one (or more) of these delicious Wine-a-Rita recipes and that you enjoy them as much as we did. Please share your favorite concoction on social media by using #MOwine.

While visiting Missouri’s 125+ wineries is an awesome adventure in itself, there’s no place quite like home. Why let your enjoyment of Missouri’s award-winning wines end when you depart from wine country? Host your own wine night, right in the comfort of your own home!

Follow our top tips for creating your own at-home wine night, where you can explore Missouri’s unique varietals or savor your favorite Show-Me State wines.

Planning

Just like any gathering or activity, preparation is key! Planning your at-home wine night a bit in advance can ensure that you maximize the enjoyment of the evening. Want to recreate a wine tasting in your own home? Or, would you rather pair a few of your favorite varietals? Regardless, purchasing the right wine selection is critical to make your wine night a success!

For those who are interested in a tasting night, purchase a few different Missouri varietals so your palate can delight in the range and variety of Missouri’s wines. Depending on your taste preferences or adventuresome spirit, you may want to select options that vary in dryness and include both red and white wines. Take a look at our varietal page to learn more about each individual varietal, and find a wine retailer near you using our interactive map!

But what would a wine night be without perfectly paired food? After you settle on your award-winning wine selection, it’s time to decide on a menu for your evening of enjoyment!

Pairings

The pairing possibilities are nearly endless with Missouri wines, which brings incredible flexibility to your at-home wine night. We’ve got the resources you need to select the right menu based on your wine choices and preferences for this at-home evening.

If your wine night includes cooking a homemade meal, take advantage of the recipes listed on our blog for inspiration. From burgers and pasta, to sweet treats like a fruity trifle, our wine-centric recipes are perfect for experiencing Missouri wines in a new way! Not interested in preparing an entire meal for your at-home wine night? You may want to have a spread of easily-enjoyed food offerings, such as cheeses (perhaps a charcuterie board) or junk food. These simple and low-stress food choices pair well with Missouri wines and a relaxing evening.

Want to focus your wine night on the wine, rather than cooking or preparing food? This is the perfect time to support a local restaurant and order a meal to complement your wine selection. Our infographic gallery has pairing ideas for pizza, takeout and more!

Preparation

Once your wine has been purchased and your food pairings have been selected, it’s time to think about the proper serving of your award-winning wine. Take a look at our quick infographics on chilling wine and using the proper glassware:

Want tips on how to use the 5 S method for tasting wine? Check out our infographic resource that will walk you through the process!

Activities – if you choose!

Although tasting and enjoying Missouri wine can be an activity within itself, adding crafts or games to your at-home wine night can make this occasion even more special!

Use upcycled Missouri wine bottles and corks, along with findings from your craft drawer, to create your own DIY masterpieces. We have craft ideas on our blog (including this wine cork tray) to get you started! Are games more your speed? You’re in luck – Missouri wine is the perfect match for your favorite card or board game!

Regardless of how you choose to enjoy your at-home wine night, make sure you include award-winning Missouri wine!

Drink Wine Day - February 18, 2021

In celebration of #DrinkWineDay, why not host an impromptu wine tasting?

At-home wine tastings don’t have to be over the top. Choose a theme, gather the wine and select some yummy food items from the kitchen. We lay it all out here. 

Need more inspiration? Check out some of our food and wine pairing infographics.

We hope we’ve inspired you to celebrate this day with a tasting and hope you find a new Missouri wine and food pairing you love.

Open That Bottle Night

We also invite you to grab that bottle of Missouri wine you've been saving for a special occasion and savor it for Open That Bottle Night on Saturday, February 27. Tag us in your photos on social media, we would love to see which wine you celebrate with.

You can also use hashtags #OpenThatBottleNight and #MOWines.