Keeping a tidy vineyard is an ongoing challenge during the growing season which is why some vineyard managers have enlisted the help of sheep. These natural weed eaters are superb at trimming below trellises and they aren’t picky eaters so they won’t complain about what’s on the menu.

Utilizing sheep in the vineyard is a practice that is common in the states and overseas. Jowler Creek Vineyard and Lambs and Vines Winery are just two of the wineries in the Show-Me State that keep sheep on staff. The animals are green alternatives to gas-powered lawnmowers and herbicides.

Watch this video to see how a herd of Katahdin sheep are earning their keep at the University of Missouri Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center in New Franklin.

We are pleased to announce that the results are in from the 2019 Missouri Wine Competition! For more than 30 years, this annual competition has honored the highest quality wines made in the state. More than 280 wines from 32 different Missouri wineries were entered, but which ones soared to the top?

An acclaimed panel of 10 judges, comprised of wine experts and industry professionals, spent two days swirling, smelling and tasting all the wines entered. After all wines are scored, the entries that receive gold medals go head-to-head for the honor of being named “Best of Class.” Those that make it to this top tier battle for the highest award - the Governor’s Cup.

Join us in congratulating this year’s Best of Class winners:

Dry Red Wine: Stone Hill Winery – 2017 Chambourcin
Semi-Dry Red Wine: Noboleis Vineyards – 2018 Syncopation Jam Session
Sweet Red Wine: Dale Hollow Winery – 2018 Concord
Dry Rosé Wine: Montelle Winery – La Rosee Missouri
Semi-Dry Rosé Wine: Defiance Ridge Vineyards – Femme Osage Rosé
Sweet Rosé Wine: Les Bourgeois Vineyards – Pink Fox
Fruit Wine: Stone Hill Winery – Peach
Sparkling Wine: Stone Hill Winery – Brut Rosé
Dry White Wine: Adam Puchta Winery – Dry Vignoles
Semi-Dry White Wine: St. James Winery – 2017 Dry Vignoles
Sweet White Wine: Stone Hill Winery – Moscato
Late Harvest/Ice Wine: Montelle Winery – 2018 Vidal Blanc Icewine
Dessert/Fortified Wine: Adam Puchta Winery – Signature Port

The winner of the coveted Governor’s Cup for 2019 is Stone Hill Winery’s 2017 Chambourcin, a dry red wine that blew the judges away. The C.V. Riley Award for the best Norton went to Stone Hill Winery for their 2017 Norton. This is a special recognition honoring the official state grape and the history of winemaking in Missouri and is named after Missouri’s first state entomologist.

In addition to Best of Class, C. V. Riley Award and Governor’s Cup honors, 87% of all the wines entered into the 2019 Missouri Wine Competition took home a medal.

The breakdown:

48 Gold Medals
110 Silver Medals
89 Bronze Medals

A devoted group of volunteers we call “The Flight Crew” helped ensure that this year’s two-day wine competition ran smoothly. We can’t thank them enough for all their hard work.

You can find the complete list of this year’s award-winning wines here.

Concord is a deep, dark plum colored wine that smells like a jar of concord grape jelly. Its candy-like sweetness makes it a great wine to create summer treats that are perfect for cooling off on a hot summer day.

Here are a few of our favorite summertime recipes using concord:

3 Ingredient Wine Ice Cream
There is nothing better than a bowl of ice cream on a hot day, nothing except ice cream made with Missouri wine, that is. This recipe is incredibly easy and only requires three ingredients. If you’d like to add even more fun to this delectable dessert, make a wine chocolate sauce to top it off.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Missouri concord wine
• 1/4 cup superfine sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream

Directions
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the superfine sugar into the wine until completely dissolved. Slowly whisk the cream into the wine and sugar mixture until it begins to thicken, about 2-3 minutes. Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for 3-4 hours or overnight. Scoop and enjoy!

*Bonus: Top your Concord Wine Ice Cream with this decadent wine chocolate sauce for an extra special treat!

Wine Chocolate Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Missouri concord wine
• 6 oz milk chocolate chips

Directions
Bring the wine to a simmer over medium-low to medium heat in a small saucepan. Let the wine simmer until reduced by about half, approximately 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and add the milk chocolate, stirring until thoroughly melted and smooth. Let cool slightly and serve.

MO Wine and Peanut Butter Popsicles
Peanut butter and jelly is truly a classic flavor combo, and you’d be hard pressed to find a more delicious way to enjoy it on a hot, summer day than with these popsicles.

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups Missouri concord wine

Directions
In a medium-sized bowl mix the peanut butter and yogurt until smooth. Spoon or pope the peanut butter mixture into ice pop molds until 1/3-1/2 full. Fill the rest of the molds with Missouri concord wine. Freeze for 3-4 hours until solid. Run the molds under cool water for a few seconds to loosen the pops from the mold. Remove the pop and enjoy!

Concord Dessert Sauce
This Concord Dessert Sauce is the perfect addition to pound cake, baked apples, vanilla ice cream and more desserts that need an extra boost of flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 cup concord wine
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat combine wine, sugar and cinnamon. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook until mixture is of a syrup-like consistency and reduced to 1/4 cup, approximately 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

We hope you will try one of these recipes to cool off with concord this summer!

Every year, wineries from across the state are invited to compete for top honors at the Missouri Wine Competition. This year, 10 wine industry experts from across the nation will judge more than 280 wines. These professionals include sommeliers, wine educators, retailers and food and wine publishers. We would like to introduce you to several of the judges at this year’s competition.   

Glenn Bardgett
Wine Director, Annie Gunn’s Restaurant

Glenn Bardgett is the Wine Director at Annie Gunn’s Restaurant, a renowned steakhouse that offers a top-notch culinary experience in Chesterfield, Missouri. Bardgett features a large selection of Missouri wines on the restaurant’s wine list. Under his guidance, Annie Gunn’s has been honored with The Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence for 17 consecutive years and a semifinalist in the James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Program. Bardgett has more than 30 years of retail wine experience. He serves as a judge for a number of wine competitions across the nation and is a passionate advocate for the Missouri wine industry.

Bob Foster
Assistant Editor, California Grapevine

Bob Foster is the wine director of the Mid-American Wine Competition. He has judged wine competitions for more than 30 years. Foster is the assistant editor of the California Grapevine, the oldest continuously published private wine newsletter in the United States. He leads one of two judging panels at the Missouri Wine Competition.

Doug Frost
American Master of Wine, Master Sommelier, author and wine consultant

Doug Frost is a Master Sommelier and American Master of Wine, one of only four people in the world to hold both of these distinguished titles. He is also a published author who writes and lectures about wine, beer and spirits. Frost is a founder of the Beverage Alcohol Resource, an education and examining body for the spirits and cocktail industry. He serves as President of the Institute of Masters of Wine North America and is the founder of the Mid-American and Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competitions. He leads one of the judging panels at the Missouri Wine Competition. When Frost is not judging wines, writing and engaged in professional speaking engagements, he enjoys down time with his family in Kansas City.

Catherine Neville
Publisher, Feast Magazine
Producer and On-Air Talent for tasteMAKERS

Catherine Neville is an Emmy Award-winning television producer. Although Neville calls St. Louis home, her culinary adventures have taken her across the state and the nation. She created, produced and anchored Feast TV, a show that promoted food and wine in Missouri, eastern Kansas and southern Illinois and aired on PBS stations. With her national PBS show, tasteMAKERS, Neville travels throughout the United States in search of delicious American food and beverages. Neville is also the publisher of Feast magazine, a publication that features the best in the St. Louis, Kansas City and the Midwest region’s culinary scene.

Andrew Stover
ISG Certified Sommelier, Certified Specialist of Wine

Andrew Stover is an International Sommelier Guild Certified Sommelier and Certified Specialist of Wine based in Washington, D.C. In 2009, Stover launched Vino50, a brand and wholesale wine portfolio that includes wines from all 50 states and encourages consumers to explore local and regional wines. He has been named one of the “40 Under 40 Tastemakers” influencing the U.S. wine trade.

Our other judges this year include Linda McGovern, Director of the St. Louis Chapter of Chaîne des Rôtisseurs; Michelle Meyer, winemaker for Holy-Field Vineyard and Winery in Basehor, Kansas; Jonathan Parker, wine retailer at Parker’s Table in Richmond Heights, Missouri; Patricia Wamhoff, Advanced Sommelier and Certified Wine Educator in St. Louis, Missouri; and Mark Baehmann, owner and winemaker at Wild Sun Winery in Hillsboro, Missouri.

The Missouri Wine Competition features the blind judging method to ensure that each wine is judged fairly and on its own merit. The judges are provided some details about the wine including its varietal and vintage, but not which winery submitted the entry.

Bronze, silver and gold medals as well as best-in-class honors are awarded to submissions. Only best-in-class wines are eligible to compete side-by-side for the coveted Missouri Governor’s Cup. This top honor is bestowed on the wine that is judged best in show at the competition. Another highly sought-after honor, the C.V. Riley award, is named after Missouri’s first state entomologist and is awarded to the best Norton in the state.

Check back next week for results from the 2019 Missouri Wine Competition. Click here for a behind-the-scenes look at last year’s competition. 

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.

The activities are endless. Download our trip planner below.

Download PDF

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.

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!

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!

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!    

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!