Who knew fruit wine could pair so well with food? Many Missouri wineries offer a variety of fruit wines that you can pair with your favorite dish.

This season, make the beef kabob and dip recipe that’s guaranteed to be a real crowd-pleaser. Grill mouth-watering morsels of sirloin steak along with your favorite fruits and veggies, then dip them into a delicious sauce featuring a dry, Missouri white wine. It’s easy to make so what are you waiting for? Watch our step-by-step video and fire up the grill today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0QZfuBSwGQ

Skewer ingredients
• 1 beef Top Sirloin Steak Boneless, about 1-1/2 pounds, cut 1 inch thick
• 2 tsp coarse ground black pepper 
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• Red Onion
• Pineapple
• Green, red or orange peppers

Dipping Sauce Ingredients 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 14 oz oasted red peppers, rinsed, drained, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (Vidal Blanc)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3/4 tsp dried thyme leaves, crushed or 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme 
• 1 cup unsalted beef broth
• 2 tsp cornstarch 

Sirloin steak seasoning instructions

Add salt, course ground black pepper, sweet paprika and minced garlic to sirloin steak, then add your favorite fruits and veggies. Grill to perfection!

Cave Hollow West Winery features an entire wine series that pays homage to Mark Twain. The winery is located across the street from the Mark Twain Cave Complex in Hannibal, the boyhood home of the legendary author. 

Satire, the winery’s newest dry white wine, is dedicated to Mark Twain’s legendary dry wit. The author, known for his satire, knew how to weave a good tale – some tall and unbelievable - others he swore were true, including the story of his birth. Twain claimed that Haley’s Comet passed overhead as he was born in 1835 and prophesied that he would die as it passed again. Twain died when earth passed through the tail of Haley’s comet on April 21, 1910. 

Spring is in the air and we couldn’t be happier! Missouri wine country is stunning this time of year with the bright flowers and bud break in the vineyards. Our wineries have a lot of upcoming events that we know you will enjoy.

 *This information is based on wineries that responded to a survey so it may not include all Missouri winery events.

Amigoni Urban Winery
Celebrate your mom and the release of Sparkling Syrah Rosé over Mother’s Day weekend, May 11 and 12. Amigoni will celebrate their first ever sparkling wine in style with new t-shirts, pink macaroons and specialty truffles. A portion of all sales will benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Visit the winery’s Facebook page for more information.

Edg-Clif Winery, LLC
Listen to live music by TNT Acoustics on May 11 from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Celebrate mom on May 12 by treating her to brunch and wine!

Author Luella Gregory will offer a cooking demonstration and sign copies of her book, Luella’s Front Porch Farm Kitchen cookbook, on May 19 from 12:00-4:00 p.m.

Grindstone Valley Winery
The 5th annual Car, Truck and Motorcycle show is happening Saturday, May 11! This popular car show benefits the Rose Lowenstein Foundation for Childhood Cancer Awareness. Your entire $20 entry fee will be donated to the foundation. There will be vendors on site and live music at 7:00 p.m. For more information, visit Grindstone Valley Winery’s Facebook page.

Jowler Creek Vineyard and Winery
Nothing says Mother’s Day like chocolate and wine! For just $15 you can pair each of Jowler Creek’s eight wines with exquisite dark and milk chocolate, truffles, cake bites and other chocolate desserts designed to pair perfectly for each wine. This event takes place on Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and the cost includes a free "Make Your Mother Proud" wine glass to take home as a souvenir Mother’s Day present. Purchase tickets here.

Les Bourgeois
Cheers to mom on Sunday, May 12 from 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. at the Blufftop Bistro with a delicious brunch. This all-you-can-eat buffet is $28 for adults, $12 for children 12 and under, while youth ages 5 and under eat free. Make your reservation online or call 573-698-2300.

Lost Creek Vineyard
It’s a jeep thing on Saturday, June 15 at Lost Creek Vineyard’s inaugural Jeep Show and Shine, a fundraiser benefitting the Wounded Warrior Project. Enter your ride whether you like to make them shine or show off the dirt, rock-rash and trail scars! Don’t drive a jeep? No problem. Come check everything out while enjoying live music, wine tastings, signature sangria and a food truck.

McKelvey Vineyards
Enjoy half-price specials every Friday from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Sit back, relax and listen to live music on the weekends. Check out their website for a list of performers.

OOVVDA Winery
Grab your lawn chair and attend the free lawn concert featuring local band, Techs and The Roadies, on Saturday, May 25. Event will take place from 5:00-9:00 p.m.

Peaceful Bend Vineyard
Enjoy live music? Peaceful Bend Vineyard hosts live music every Saturday from 2:00-5:00 p.m. If the weather is nice the festivities will be outside; if Spring rain makes an appearance, entertainment will be moved indoors.

Father’s Day is right around the corner! Treat your dad to a delicious lunch at Burger Bash on Sunday, June 16 at the winery. Meet four local chefs and listen to live music.

Pirtle Winery
Don’t miss the 4th annual Weston WineFest on Saturday, May 18 from 12:00-7:00 p.m. There will be ten wineries, food trucks and a live band in attendance. Tickets for this springtime favorite are $25 and can be purchased here.

Riverwood Winery
Sit back, relax and enjoy live music every Friday evening starting at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday afternoons starting at 1:00 p.m. Check out the list of performers here.

Viandel Vineyards
What better place to learn the art of alcohol ink then at the Vineyard?! Alcohol inks are vibrant, fluid and unpredictable but they truly create unique and one-of-a-kind pieces. Guest artist, Dolores Winkler, will teach this amazing art technique at the Alcohol Ink Trivets or Coasters class. For $25, you’ll be able to make and take home a set of 4 coasters or 2 trivets! You will also receive a beverage of your choice. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 9.

Wenwood Farm Winery
Wenwood Farm Winery is kicking off their Second Saturdays events on Saturday, May 11 from 6:00-10:00 p.m. Celebrate the Winemaker’s Limited Series release of Sweet Corky, an ice wine with pear honoring their late winery dog. You can also enjoy the first of their delicious family-style Everyday Table farm dinners from Everyday Good Life and live music by Mercer and Johnson. A portion of the proceeds from Sweet Corky will benefit Unchained Melodies Dog Rescue.

West Winery
JP Hartung will serve up pork-on-a-stick with delicious sides for a suggested donation of $10 at the annual Vintage Vinyl Night, Saturday, May 11. All proceeds from this event go to the VCVC Gravel Grinder, a benefit for the Macon Co. Emergency Food Pantry.

Treat mom to a delicious made-to-order crepe from Maple Tree Crepes and special recipe mimosas this Mother's Day, May 12, from noon-3:00 p.m. Reservations are not required.

We hope you are able to attend some of these great upcoming events. Check our calendar often, as it is always being updated with more fun things to do in Missouri wine country!

Skip the crowded restaurant and sip your Cinco de Mayo Rita at home. Mix up your cocktail recipe this year by adding wine. Here are four recipes that are sure to impress your guests:

Sunset Wine-a-Rita
*Recipe courtesy of Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard
 
What you will need:
4 oz Sunset Rosé Wine
1 oz Triple Sec
2 oz margarita mix
Ice
Sugar
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:
8 oz tequila
12 oz margarita mix
2 oz lime juice
3 oz Triple Sec or Grand Marnier
1 bottle of light and fruity red wine
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 2. Double and use the entire can of frozen limeade to make 4.

We hope you try one (or more) of these delicious Wine-a-Rita recipes and that you enjoy them as much as we did. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

A bottle of wine tells many stories. The first chapter revolves around the origin of the grapes. Many regions around the world are historically known for their grape growing and the quality wines they produce. Napa and Sonoma are two of the most recognized appellations or American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in the nation.  But did you know that the honor for the first AVA was bestowed on Augusta, Missouri?

An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States. An AVA is distinguished by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Missouri is home to the country’s first designated AVA.

Viticultural areas allow winegrowers to more accurately communicate the origin of their wines to their consumers. 

Federal regulations require 75 percent or more of wine be derived from grapes grown within the TTB-established AVA boundaries in order to designate a wine with the name of an AVA. The wine must be fully finished within the labeled appellation.

AVAs in Missouri include:

Augusta AVA
The first AVA in the United States was accorded to Augusta, Missouri on June 20, 1980. Seven California districts and one in Oregon had filed applications with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; however, the honor went to the 15 square mile area surrounding Augusta. The bureau cited the unique soil, climate and wines, as well as Augusta’s long history as one of America’s oldest and foremost grape and wine districts.

Ozark Mountain AVA
The Ozark Mountain AVA was established on August 1, 1986 and covers a vast 3.5 million acres in southern Missouri, extending into northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma. The Ozark Mountain AVA is so large, several smaller AVA’s lay within its borders, including Augusta, Hermann and Ozark Highlands. It is the sixth largest AVA in the United States.

Hermann AVA
The Hermann AVA was recognized on February 27, 1987 and consists of 51,200 acres in the Hermann area between St. Louis and Jefferson City, Missouri. German immigrants settled the Missouri River Valley area in the 1830s and began planting vineyards in what is today one of the most historic wine regions in the nation.

Ozark Highlands AVA
The Ozark Highlands AVA was designated on September 30, 1987; although the grape growing tradition goes back to the 1870s. The fourth accorded AVA in Missouri encompasses 1,280,000 acres in south-central Missouri, covering portions of eleven Missouri counties including the town of St. James, Missouri.

Loess Hills District AVA
The Loess Hills District AVA was established on April 4, 2016 and consists of 12,897 square miles of loess-based hills comprising a long, narrow region along the western banks of the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers in western Iowa and northwestern Missouri. The topography is characterized by rolling to steep hills. The deep loess enables grapevine roots to reach deeply into the soil and allows water to drain quickly.

Any person or group can file a petition for a new or modified AVA. The TTB has created an AVA Manual for Petitioners that provides guidance on preparing a petition and collecting and evaluating information regarding distinguishing features. Establishing a new AVA can take years to complete and requires both patience and persistence from both the petitioner and the TTB.

Next time you’re shopping for Missouri wine, check out the labels to see which ones originated in one of the five AVAs.

Whether you’re relaxing at home after a hard day of work or hosting a formal get together, pouring your favorite bottle of wine into a glass covered in smudges and water spots can ruin the experience. 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!

Now it’s time to invite some friends over and raise a toast with your beautifully polished wine glasses.

From grape to glass, winemaking is a multi-step process. If you are a lover of wine you likely have the basics down, like harvesting, crushing, pressing and bottling. However, there is so much more that happens in-between the basics.

Additional terminology that winemakers use in their vocabulary:

AVA: American Viticulture Area. An AVA is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).
Brix: scale used to measure the sugar level in unfermented grapes.
Cap: grape solids such as pits, skins and stems that rise to the top of the tank during the fermentation process.
Cold Stabilization: cooling of a wine to remove excess unstable potassium bitartrate, forming tartrate crystals or wine diamonds.
Decanting: transferring wine from the original bottle to a glass vessel. The purpose of this process is to aerate a young wine or separate any sediments from older wine.
Devatting: separating the juice from leftover solids.
Disgorgement: removal of frozen sediment from the bottle that remains after the second fermentation in sparkling wine-making.
Enophile: person who enjoys wine.
Hybrid: genetic crossing of two or more grape varietals.
Legs: droplets of wine that stream down the inside of a wine glass after swirling.
Magnum: large format bottle of wine that is twice the size of a regular 750 ml bottle and contains approximately 10 glasses of wine.
Pressing: process of extracting juice from grapes.
Pruning: annual trimming of grapevines from the previous years’ harvest.
Sommelier: formally trained and educated wine professional who specializes in all aspects of wine services, pairings and storage.

We hope you try out some of these terms during your next excursion in Missouri wine country. For more wine terminology, check out Wine Words and Terms and 21 Wine Tasting Terms You’ll Want to Know.

Down a long gravel road bordered with rows of vineyards in Potosi, Missouri, you’ll find Edg-Clif Vineyard Winery and Brewery.  Every nook and cranny of this place calls to mind delightful memories for winery owners, Cyndy Keesee and Steffie Littlefield. The two sisters spent many blissful moments of their childhood exploring the former Hereford farm.

“When we welcome our visitors here,” says Cyndy, “it’s truly to our home.”

The sisters are the third generation entrusted with the care of this rugged yet beautiful land located in the Ozark Mountain wine region. Their grandparents, Andrew and Hazel Knapp, originally purchased acreage for a hunting retreat in 1926, but had bigger visions for the area. The enterprising couple began buying adjoining properties and started a Hereford ranch in the 1930s. During their visits to the farm, the sisters enjoyed helping their grandparents with their world-renowned show herd. They prepared the cattle for show and led them around the ring for judging. They even had a pet bull, a grand champion named Tuffy.

When their parents passed away, Cyndy and Steffie were determined to revive the farm and give it new life. After carefully researching the soil and climate, they planted a four acre vineyard in 2008. French-American hybrid grapes are now grown on seven acres, while the winery and venue are situated on 30 acres. Bison from a neighboring ranch have been roaming a portion of their farmland for more than twenty years. Wildlife are plentiful on the farm while the spring fed Fourche a Renault River flows with bass and trout throughout the property.  

The winery opened in 2011 and is very much a family affair. Each essential member of the crew has their own set of skills. Steffie is a horticulturalist and loves the outdoors. She is the winery’s official viticulturist and keeps a close eye on the vineyards, while also tending to the vegetable and flower gardens. Her husband, Stephen, manages the property and is the go-to guy for anything that needs to be built or fixed. Cyndy is the winemaker and also excels at cooking, while her husband, Girard, is in charge of winery operations. Cyndy’s daughter, Rachael, makes a full selection of craft beers in one of the farm houses.

The winery features 15 delicious wines, although the sisters admit they have a favorite - their Chambourcin Rosé, made in the dry, French-style. “We are crazy about that grape,” says Cyndy. “It’s so beautiful.”

Many of the farm’s original buildings still stand, including the historic Showbarn, where you’ll find the winery’s tasting bar. The 1862 stone house built into the side of an 80 foot limestone cliff has been expanded and restored multiple times.  

Visitors to the winery who want to extend their day trip into a weekend getaway can rent one of three 100-year-old farm houses on the property. These homes have been renovated and offer a quiet oasis from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Explore the nearby rivers, trails and vintage towns. “There is something so spiritual in watching the sun set over these ancient hills and native forests,” says Steffie. “Many take advantage of our walking trails where they discover wildflowers and the river, while marveling at the majestic oaks and pines that remain untouched by modern demands.”

Cyndy and Steffie credit their grandparents and the people who lived on their family farm for instilling in them determination and a great work ethic. “We learned to see life from many perspectives and appreciate hard working people,” explains Cyndy. “Taking care of our family farm and creating a viable business here again is our dream come true. Our children love to participate when they can and are proud of what we have. For us, that is what it’s all about.”

The sisters enjoy sharing the family farm with their visitors and strive to make sure each person feels welcome. “There is something special and humbling about being the guardian of nature’s beautiful land that fills our life with satisfaction,” says Steffie. “It’s important that we are leaving it just as wonderful for the next generation.”