Pouring delicious Missouri wine into a smudged glass is a major bummer. Don't forget to add glassware to your spring quarantine cleaning list! Below are some tips to ensure an odor-free, gleaming wine glass.

Remember to handle glassware carefully. Slower is better and even when they feel sturdy, wine glasses are very fragile. Avoid a possible injury by handling your glass gently in every step.

What you will need:
Clean wine glasses
Microfiber cloth (won’t leave fuzz or odor)
Steam
Pot or bowl

The first step is to fill a pot or large bowl with hot, not boiling, steaming water. Grab your wine glass by the stem and hold above the hot water at an angle. The glass should not touch the water or become wet.

Once the inside of the wine glass is steamy, begin to gently polish with your cloth. This will not require a lot of pressure.

Repeat step one by placing the glass back in the steam, and steaming the exterior. Gently polish. The same steps will be taken to polish the base of the wine glass: and, as for the stem, wipe down a few times and you’re done.

Be sure to show off your beautifully polished wine glasses on your next video chat!

Now that spring has sprung it’s time our beverages start sporting brighter colors to match. No need to grocery shop, this easy to make “Quarantini” incorporates many ingredients you may already have at home. Treat yourself to an afternoon on the back deck with this quick delicious infusion. 

Servings: 1 (Can be multiplied for Quarantine Crews up to 10)

Ingredients 

• 2 oz Dry Rosé
• 1 oz Gin
• 1 oz Lemon Juice 
• 1/4 oz Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz Club or Lemon-Lime Soda
• Frozen fruit garnish (optional)

Combine the rosé, gin, lemon and lime juice in a shaker. Use freshly squeezed juice if you have lemons or limes on hand. Add ice and shake to your heart’s content. (30 seconds or less should do the trick!) Pour the mixture over ice and top off with a splash of club or lemon-lime soda. Garnish with your choice of frozen fruit. Enjoy this outside while pretending you are at your favorite Missouri winery! 

Looking for a new twist on a family favorite? This spaghetti recipe will wow your quarantine crew and uses many common ingredients you may already have on hand. This flexible dish allows you to easily switch out the protein and still tastes delicious!

Serving Size: 2

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
8 oz. spaghetti or any pasta you may have
4 Tbsp butter
4 garlic cloves – minced
¼ c sweet onion – finely chopped
8 oz. crab meat, shrimp, scallops or cooked chicken
½ lemon - juice and zest
½ c Missouri Chardonel
Fresh parsley – chopped for garnish
Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the pasta as directed by the packaging. While waiting on the pasta to cook, melt butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Sauté garlic with the butter for 2 minutes. Add onion, then salt and pepper to taste and continue to sauté. Incorporate your protein, white wine (we used Chardonel) and lemon juice. Continue to cook mixture for another 2 minutes. Place pasta and seafood mixture on serving platter and top with lemon zest, parsley or even Parmesan cheese.

Pair with a glass of Missouri Chardonel and let all your worries dissolve.

Spring is here! Warmer temperatures are on the way. As nature emerges from the shadows of winter, you may find your wine preference shifting from red to white. If this time of year has you reaching for something on the other side of the wine color spectrum, we invite you to brighten your day with Chardonel.

Chardonel is a French-American hybrid with well-known parents, Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc. This full-bodied white wine may be crafted in oak or stainless steel, depending on the winemaker’s preference; therefore, you may experience a more oaked or fruit-forward, dry or off-dry wine. Chardonel is delightful on its own but also pairs well with a variety of foods including smoked pork, grilled chicken and fish like trout and halibut, as well as creamy white cheese, almonds and mushrooms. Like many of Missouri’s wines, Chardonel is a game-changer in recipes including this incredible Butterscotch Blondie. 

There are 1,700 acres of grapes in the Show-Me State. Chardonel is grown on 123 of these bearing acres, consisting of more than seven percent of the grapes grown in the state. 

Enjoy the beauty of the spring season and brighten your day with Chardonel!

Do you have leftover wine bottles sitting around? Turn them into something amazing! Below are some quick and easy ideas on how to upcycle those bottles.

For most of these crafts, you will want to remove the label. Here’s how:

Soak the wine bottle in warm water with 5-10 tablespoons of baking soda or dish soap for 30 minutes. Remove the bottle from the water, and wipe the label off with a rag. If any of the label still remains, use a fingernail or steel wool to remove the rest.

Wine Bottle Garden Markers: Avoid a plant mix-up with these simple and handy plant markers.

More info at Home Talk.

Twinkle Garden Lights: As the days get warmer, you may prefer to spend the evenings in your garden. These lights are a great way to lengthen the amount of time you can spend working in and enjoying your outdoor spaces.

More Info at More Organics.

Wine Bottle Watering Device: A little time upfront can mean worry-free watering with these wine bottle watering devices that are perfect for container gardening.

More info at Home Talk.

Self-Watering Planters: Transform your window sill into an herb garden with these beautiful and hassle-free self-watering planters.

More info at DIYprojects.com.

Oil and Vinegar Jars: Turn a couple of empty wine bottles into classy and useful oil and vinegar holders. It’s a great gift for your foodie friends and family too!

[Photo + tutorial from hometalk.com]

Twine Wrapped Bottles: All you need is a bottle, some twine and a hot glue gun or tacky glue to create beautiful homemade décor.

[Photo + tutorial from ablissfulnest.com]

We hope we have inspired you to create something awesome with your leftover wine bottles!

How is rosé wine made? You may have heard that all rosés are made by mixing white and red wine together, that however is a myth. The majority of rosé wines are made with the skin contact method where red grapes are crushed and the skins are allowed to remain in contact with the juice for a short period, often called maceration. This time period can range from a few hours to a few days. The must (skins and seeds) is then pressed and discarded.

The longer the juice macerates with the skins, the darker the color. The type of grape also affects the color of the resulting rosé wine. Whatever the shade, they are a pleasing pink color which has garnered them a fair amount of popularity all over the world (and definitely here in Missouri).

The unique flavors, aromas and characteristics of rosé wines vary based on the grapes used, but overall, they are light and fruity. Their light, fruity nature makes them a great pairing for many different foods.

The versatility of rosé wines is another reason they are a crowd favorite, especially since sparkling rosé made its debut. Many Missouri wineries offer bubbly rosés.

Whether you’re grabbing a Missouri rosé to enjoy on its own or mixing it into a delicious cocktail, we’re sure you will find one to add to your favorites list.

How do you improve on the classic Moscow Mule cocktail? By adding Missouri wine, of course. This easy-to-make cocktail dates back to the 1940s and is credited with establishing vodka’s popularity in the United States. The next time you are interested in trying a twist on an old classic, break out the copper mugs and add a delicious dry Missouri wine. We feature a Chardonel in this 3-minute recipe.

Ingredients
• 4 oz Ginger Beer
• 3 oz Chardonel
• 1 oz Vodka
• Ice
• Juice from a freshly cut lime
• Slices of lime (optional)
• Mint leaves (optional)

Directions
Fill a copper mug or glass with ice. Pour in the vodka, wine and ginger beer. Squeeze in juice from a freshly cut lime. Lightly stir. If desired, garnish with a slice of lime and add mint leaves to your cocktail.

Perhaps you’ve seen something called Mead on your local grocery store shelves but you asked yourself, “What is mead?” In short, mead is honey wine. Its tremendous amount of versatility puts it in a category of its own, between beer and wine. Spices, fruits and even vegetables can be added to mead opening the doors for immense creativity.

The alcohol by volume can range from 3-20%, but traditional meads range from 7-14% ABV. In ancient cultures, mead was called “the drink of the gods” for its association with good health and vitality. The reason lies in its star ingredient, honey.

Depending on the ingredients added, mead can taste like anything from fruit wine to a hard cider, and often those ingredients are locally grown. Almost every state has their own meadery now making this fun new beverage accessible.

Head over to Martin Brothers Winery in Hermann, MO for a traditional mead. Martin Brothers Winery uses different varieties of honey, yeast, oaking and all the science that goes into it. Its Wildflower Sweet Mead was awarded Best Traditional Mead in the 2017 World Mead Challenge by the Tasting Institute. Since 2015 Martin Brothers Winery meads have won double gold, gold, silver and bronze awards at the Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition.

Several other Missouri wineries have made their mark offering a variety of mead styles and flavors. One winery opened with the sole focus of making mead. The Leaky Roof Meadery in Buffalo offers four unique meads that are slightly carbonated and intended to be enjoyed by the pint.

Pirtle Winery in Weston boasts a plethora of awards for their Mead, Effervescent Mead, Blackberry Mead and Raspberry Mead.

7Cs Winery in Walnut Grove offers many different kinds of mead ranging from the traditional Clover to After Burn featuring a surprising kick from jalapeño peppers. They also offer seasonal favorites such as pumpkin. 7Cs hosts a Mead Fest and Renaissance Fair every fall to celebrate the beverage and the era that made it famous.

Windy Wine Company in Osborn produces several styles of mead: 2017 Maiden’s Spell, 2017 Wizard’s Fyre Mead and 2017 Dragon’s Breath Mead.

We hope we have intrigued you to try this diverse beverage that is rising in popularity.  

*This is not an all-inclusive list.  

How do you improve on the classic Moscow Mule cocktail? By adding Missouri wine, of course. This easy-to-make cocktail dates back to the 1940s and is credited with establishing vodka’s popularity in the United States. The next time you are interested in trying a twist on an old classic, break out the copper mugs and add a delicious dry Missouri wine. We feature a Chardonel in this 3-minute recipe.

Ingredients
• 4 oz Ginger Beer
• 3 oz Chardonel
• 1 oz Vodka
• Ice
• Juice from a freshly cut lime
• Slices of lime (optional)
• Mint leaves (optional)

Directions
Fill a copper mug or glass with ice. Pour in the vodka, wine and ginger beer. Squeeze in juice from a freshly cut lime. Lightly stir. If desired, garnish with a slice of lime and add mint leaves to your cocktail.

Cheers!
 

Winemaking is a year-round process. While vineyards are being pruned in preparation for the upcoming season, your favorite wines are being perfected inside Missouri’s wineries. Scott Pirtle, owner of Pirtle Winery, and Andrew Meggitt, VP of Production at St. James Winery, give an inside glimpse at what keeps their crews busy during the wintertime months.

Pirtle Winery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X42ZZRsnhzs&feature St. James Winery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Vgj-UAEgEQ&feature