Be Wowed by Weston

July 12, 2019

Weston, established in 1803, is a charming town tucked in northwest Missouri. The town offers a slice of American heritage with its antebellum homes, historical museums and exhibits, award-winning wineries and more.

Vox Vineyards Weston Bend State Park

 The National Silk Art Museum Jowler Creek Vineyard dog, Vidal, and sheep

The activities are endless. Download our trip planner below.

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Behind the Label: Baltimore Bend Vineyard's Arrowhead Red

July 11, 2019

Go on a quest to find an arrowhead and odds are you may end your search empty-handed. Get ready to plant your first vineyard and you may just hit the motherlode.

When the Livingstons uncovered several perfectly intact arrowheads while tilling land for their first grapevines, they knew they had stumbled upon something special. They chose to showcase the pattern from one of their finds on the label of their Arrowhead Red, Baltimore Bend Vineyard’s Concord wine. The wine with its quintessential grape taste is a popular choice for those who prefer their sips on the sweeter side of the scale. It’s also sought after by Chiefs fans who enjoy the wine and its unique albeit indirect connection to their favorite football team.

Baltimore Bend Vineyard is truly a family endeavor. Richard and Kathleen Livingston along with their daughter, Sarah Schmidt, planted their first vines in 1997 and opened their winery in 2003. Their son, Scott Livingston, plays a vital role in all aspects of the winery’s operation, focusing on the wholesale growth of the brand throughout the state and region, while Sarah manages the tasting room, tends to the vineyard and serves as the primary winemaker. She takes great pride in crafting delightful wines from the five grape varietals they grow as well as the varieties they buy from other growers. 

The Livingston’s boutique winery is located outside Waverly, Missouri, 60 miles east of Kansas City, along parts of the Santa Fe Trail and the legendary path of Lewis and Clark. In addition to being known as a great spot to sip award-winning wines, this small farming community has been hailed as the “Apple Capital of the State” due to the large number of fruit orchards in the area. The winery’s tasting room is the former site of an apple cider production facility.

Waverly is bordered on the north side by the Missouri River, a waterway that greatly influenced the town’s history and development. Native American tribes including the Sacs, Ayauways and Sioux crossed the river nearby in their excursions against the Osage. Tradesmen and pioneers traveled on steamboats, sometimes coasting too close to the murky water’s bends. When it came time to choose a name for their winery, the Livingstons chose “Baltimore,” the name of a riverboat and the nearby bend where the boat sank. Bends in rivers were customarily named after boats that met their untimely demise near them.

Visit Baltimore Bend Vineyard the next time you are on a quest to sip delicious Missouri wines. You’ll find a variety of wines to try, everything from red to white, dry to sweet. Venture into town and explore the Port of Waverly and Marina, dine on delicious hometown food and check out fresh produce from the local orchards. Enjoy nature? Take a leisurely stroll through the Baltimore Bend Conservation area. And, if your visit happens to coincide with the second week of September, take time to join in the festivities at the Waverly Apple Jubilee.

We hope you continue to enjoy your adventures in Missouri wine country.

Cheers to the Fourth of July

July 04, 2019

Family, friends, food, fireworks and… WINE!

Missouri wines pair well with Independence Day.

Pair traditional Fourth of July foods with a Missouri wine.

  • Hamburgers + Chambourcin
  • Hot dogs + Traminette or Rosé
  • Barbecue chicken + Catawba
  • Salads + Vidal Blanc
  • Fresh Fruit + Vignoles

We hope you have a safe and happy Fourth of July celebration!

Concord Month in Missouri

July 02, 2019

 

Summer is here and so is Concord month. Cool off with this sweet red wine that pairs great with warm weather.

Concord, pronounced kahn-kord, is a deep, dark plum colored wine that smells like a jar of concord grape jelly. Its candy-like sweetness pairs well with cheddar cheese, BBQ, pork chops, orange chicken, spicy seafood, nutmeg, vanilla, poached pear, figs, grape pie and chocolate.

Concord accounts for 7% of all grapes grown in Missouri. There are 120.5 bearing acres of concord grapes in the state.

Missouri Wines invites you to cool off with Concord on a hot summer day!

Red, White and Blue Sangria

June 27, 2019

Looking for a delicious sangria for your next get-together? Skip the online search and go with this refreshing recipe that features a dry white Missouri wine. This recipe also calls for a liqueur that you may never have added to your sangrias in the past – elderflower. Try something new and see why this sangria is the perfect choice for summertime entertaining.

Serves: 4

Ingredients
• 1 bottle dry white Missouri wine
• 2 tbsp Elderflower liqueur
• 2 cups lemon lime soda
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 to 2 Granny Smith apples
• Club soda

Directions:

Stir together the dry white wine and elderflower liqueur. Add lemon lime soda. To give your sangria a red, white and blue theme, gently stir in raspberries, blueberries and apples cut in the shape of stars. (Who knew that holiday cookie cutters were so versatile?) To give your beverage a more colorful hue, muddle the fruit to release some of their hue and flavor. Add a splash of club soda and enjoy!    

Red, White and Blue Sangria

June 27, 2019

Looking for a delicious sangria for your next get-together? Skip the online search and go with this refreshing recipe that features a dry white Missouri wine. This easy to make recipe also calls for a liqueur that you may never have added to your sangrias in the past – elderflower. Try something new and see why this sangria is the perfect choice for summertime entertaining.

Serves: 4

Ingredients
• 1 bottle dry white Missouri wine
• 2 tbsp Elderflower liqueur
• 2 cups lemon lime soda
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 to 2 Granny Smith apples
• Club soda

 

Directions

Stir together the dry white wine and elderflower liqueur. Add lemon lime soda. To give your sangria a red, white and blue theme, gently stir in raspberries, blueberries and apples cut in the shape of stars. (Who knew that holiday cookie cutters were so versatile?) To give your beverage a more colorful hue, muddle the fruit to release some of their hue and flavor. Add a splash of club soda and enjoy!    

The Unique Wines of Missouri

June 20, 2019

Missouri’s 130+ wineries produce amazing wine, including unique wines that will surprise even the pickiest palate.

Fruity
If your palate prefers fruity flavors, you may enjoy Hermannhof’s Cherry, Montelle Winery’s Red Raspberry, West Winery’s Sweet Blackberry, St. James Winery’s Mango or Strawberry, Stone Hill Winery’s Peach. Other fruity favorites include Tipple Hill Winery and Vineyard’s Black Cherry, Stonehaus Farms Vineyard and Winery’s Apple Cranberry, Hemman Winery’s Apricot, Pirtle Winery’s Blueberry, Odessa Country Winery’s Pear, 7C’s Winery’s Apple or Endless Summer Winery’s Pineapple.

Baked Goods
If you’re craving something delicious from the bakery, try St. James Winery’s Apple Pie, West Winery’s Spiced Apple or Windy Wine Company’s Blueberry Muffin. Ladoga Ridge Winery makes a flavorful Strawberry Rhubarb.

Spicy
If you’re a fan of spicy, try Endless Summer Winery’s Habanero or Jalapeno wines. They also feature a Raspberry Chipotle wine that begins with semi-sweet raspberry and quickly moves to a light smoky flavor, then finishes with a bit of a jalapeno/peppery flavor.

Nostalgia
Who doesn’t want to go back to their childhood favorite from time to time? Windy Wine Company’s Peanut Butter and Jelly wine is sure to make you nostalgic for classic PB & J sandwiches.  

We hope you try one of these and many of the other unique wines that can be found at Missouri wineries. For a complete list of wineries, visit www.missouriwine.org/wineries.

*This is not an all-inclusive list of unique wines Missouri wineries offer. Photos are credited to wineries.

Pasta Primavera with Vidal Blanc

June 18, 2019

What’s better than a clean, crisp white wine? Adding it to a delicious pasta salad. Pasta Primavera with Vidal Blanc is a flavorful dish that is full of beautifully colored vegetables, making it a great summertime dish. It’s easy to make and sure to impress your guests while they relax on the patio or poolside this season.

Servings: 4 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 28 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 oz farfalle pasta
  • 1/4 cup leftover liquid from cooking pasta
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 1/2 cup sliced asparagus (1 inch pieces)
  • 1/2 cup minced garlic
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1/4 cup Vidal Blanc
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 pt baby grape tomatoes (cut in halves)
  • 1 diced yellow onion
  • 1 diced summer squash

Instructions

Cook the pasta in salted water according to package instructions. Remember to save 1/4 cup cooking liquid before draining. While cooking the pasta, preheat a large skillet over medium low heat for a couple of minutes. Once preheated, add butter to the pan. Add diced onion and sliced asparagus and cook for two minutes. Add diced squash and cook another two minutes. Add the frozen peas. Cook for another two minutes. Stir in salt, pepper and minced garlic. Do not let the garlic burn. Cook one more minute. Add Vidal Blanc and cook a minute and a half. Turn off the heat after the wine has cooked. Add tomatoes and cooked pasta. Stir to combine. Add cooking liquid from the pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Serve immediately.

Refrigerate any leftovers and enjoy them later, cold or reheated.

A Family Tradition: Multigenerational Wineries

June 14, 2019

It’s all in the family. The joy of working with the earth and producing award-winning wines goes back two or more generations at several Missouri wineries. We proudly recognize the families that continue to pour their love for the land into each bottle of wine they produce.

1947 Frene Creek Road
Hermann, MO 65041
 
Adam Puchta Winery is the oldest continuously owned family winery in the United States.  The winery is located on land purchased by John Henry Puchta in the 1840s. Adam, John Henry’s son, produced his first wine in 1855. At the height of productivity, the winery produced 10,000 gallons of wine. Prohibition dealt a devastating blow to the winery, but the winery reopened its doors in 1990. The tasting room, the family’s original stone home, features photos of the winery’s owners, including current owner, Tim Puchta. 
 
 
601 State Hwy 165
Branson, MO 65616
 
485 Booneslick Road
New Florence, MO 63363
 
Thomas Held grew up learning about the winemaking business from his father, Jim Held, at Stone Hill Winery. Thomas and his wife Andrea created Curling Vine Winery when they rebranded the Stone Hill Winery outlets in Branson and New Florence. 
 
 
502 Spring St.
Weston, MO 64098 
 
Established in 1978, Pirtle Winery has been family-owned and -operated for more than 40 years. Elbert and Patricia Pirtle started the winery and have passed it down to their sons. The winery is located in a former German Lutheran Church that dates back to 1867 in historic Weston.
 
 
1110 Stone Hill Highway
Hermann, MO 65041
 
In 1965, farmers Jim and Betty Held bought Stone Hill Winery. They and their four young children moved into the remnants of the original winery and began the long restoration of the buildings and vaulted underground cellars. The business is now in the hands of the next generation, managed by son Jon Held and his wife, Karen.
 
For these families, their passion for producing delicious wine goes back generations. Their commitment to the land is woven into the fabric of their family’s history and tied to the farms where their vineyards are planted. We invite you to discover these wineries during your next visit to Missouri wine country.

Secrets of the Vineyard

June 12, 2019

Inside each vineyard there is a potential for greatness, but before the grape clusters are transformed into wine, they must first survive the elements. Insects, animals and weather all threaten the health of the vines and their ability to thrive and produce delicious grapes. Fortunately, wineries have a few tricks to protect their vineyards. From bud break to harvest, we uncovered the tactics most commonly used by wineries in Missouri. 
 
 
 
 
Bird Busters Birds love eating grapes as much as winemakers enjoy turning them into delicious wines. In an attempt to keep birds from creating too much damage in the vineyard, wineries use a variety of ploys, including reflective tapes, wind flappers, bird calls and moving owls. Noise scare tactics like popguns and predator calls can also be an effective way to keep birds away. Some Missouri wineries place nets over their vines. Secured tightly to eliminate any holes, this tactic even keeps birds from flying underneath the bottom of the net.
 
Good fences make great neighbors. Deer fences can be an effective way to keep animals out of vineyards. These fences are durable and tall enough to stop deer from jumping over them. Electric fences can also deter deer from wandering into a vineyard for a snack. 
 
Flower Power Although not as common of a practice as it used to be, some wineries plant rose bushes at the end of their vineyard rows. While the blossoms add beauty to a winery’s lush landscape, they also serve a special role. These plants can alert winery staff to issues taking place in the vineyard. Rose bushes tend to show stress first, so vineyard managers can act quickly to protect their vines. Roses and grapevines are susceptible to a couple of the same types of fungus. The flowers on a rose bush can also act as a deterrent to insects that find the grapes hard to resist.
 
Soap Secrets Deer have a very strong sense of smell. Surrounding vineyards with highly-scented, tallow-based soaps can be an effective way to keep those pesky animals at bay. This tricks tends to work better in areas where there are smaller amounts of deer. 
 

Hidden or in plain sight, wineries employ tactics like these to ensure a better selection of grapes at harvest time. With a winemaker’s steady eye and gentle coaxing, the grapes will begin their transformation into delicious wine. We hope you have the opportunity to explore their fabulous array of wines the next time you’re in Missouri wine country. 

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