Hosting holiday gatherings is so much fun when you look back on all the memories made, but they can be very stressful while planning. Let us help you take some of the stress out of planning your get-together with these pre-fab menus and pairings. Each menu will ensure that you have something for everyone including gluten-free, vegetarian, dairy free, etc.   

Elegant: If you want to present a more upscale menu, these recipes and pairings are sure to impress.

• Wine Poached Figs with Blue Cheese and Crusty Bread: Pair with Norton
• Porchetta and Polenta: Pair with Chambourcin
• Garlic Herb Roasted Shrimp: Pair with Chardonel
• Cucumber Dill Bites: Pair with Vidal Blanc
• Dark Chocolate Red Wine Chocolate Truffles: Pair with Norton

Casual: If you’re looking to have a relaxed and comfortable get-together, try these appetizers and pairings.

• Hot Corn Dip with Tortilla Chips: Pair with Vignoles
• Pizza Wreath: Pair with Chambourcin
• Veggie Tray with Hummus: Pair with Vidal Blanc
• Hot and Saucy Meatballs: Pair with Concord
• Peanut Butter Balls or Truffles: Pair with Concord

Quick and Easy: The holidays can be a hectic time. If you need to have a spread ready in no time, these recipes and pairings are for you!

• Cheese Cube Wreath: Pair with Chambourcin
• Greek Layer Dip with Pita Chips: Pair with Vidal Blanc (Omit Greek yogurt for dairy-free)
• Ham and Cheese Crescents: Pair with Chambourcin
• Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip: Pair with Vignoles
• Reindeer Bait: Pair with sparkling wine or Vignoles 

Whatever style you want for your soiree, one of these menus will fit the bill and take some of the stress out of hosting this holiday season. Cheers! 

Chambourcin is a French-American hybrid that is most commonly used to make dry reds. It’s often overshadowed by Missouri’s official state grape, Norton, but for many in the Missouri wine industry it is considered a deliciously versatile varietal. It’s fair to say Chambourcin is the best kept red wine secret in Missouri wine country.

One reason to love Chambourcin is its food pairing potential according to Catherine Neville, Vice President of Niche Publishing – Feast & Ladue News.

“This wonderful grape with a beautiful name makes equally beautiful wines. Lighter in body and flavor than Norton, Chambourcin plays well with a wide variety of foods. Cheese is a particularly good pair, as is pork. Try Chambourcin paired with barbecue. The smoky richness of low and slow cooking is an excellent foil to Chambourcin’s backbone and acidity. If you’re looking for a bottle of red wine to pair with your Thanksgiving feast, you can’t go wrong with Chambourcin. Because it is fruity and has a relatively light body, it won’t overwhelm delicate flavors on the table, and enhances ones that are more robust. Chambourcin is gaining in popularity and for good reason. It is offered by a large number of our local wineries, so try vintages from various winemakers and see how the varietal can be made in different styles by different folks. Enjoy!”

It’s an easy to enjoy varietal according to Glenn Bardgett, CS, CSW - Wine Director at Annie Gunn's/Smoke House Market.

“Although Norton is our State grape and gets all the love, Chambourcin offers a familiar style and amazing value. Very reminiscent of the lovely reds of southern France, Chambourcin needs little to no aging, tastes great even with a light chill in warm weather, and pairs wonderfully with chicken or grilled seafood. Chambourcin also loves medium strong cheeses and loves to make burgers happy.”

From a winemaker’s perspective, Chambourcin offers a lot of potential and versatility. James Lowery from KC Wineworks says, “Chambourcin is honestly probably the best grape grown widely in the Midwest. It can make fantastic varietal wines from the lightest rosés but has enough flavor intensity to stand up to barrel aging and of course it excels in blends. I personally think it really shines when it is treated with a very light touch.“

Now you are in-the-know about this delicious red wine too. (So much for secrets.) Time to enjoy some Chambourcin. Cheers!  

It’s that time of year. Thanksgiving is almost here and now is the perfect time to think about what we are thankful for. What are you thankful for? Being grateful is a powerful thing and we want to share some of the many things we have to appreciate.

Growth – The addition of six new wineries and two new wine trails to the Missouri wine family is very exciting and we’re very grateful this wonderful industry keeps growing and evolving.

Passion – With 130+ wineries in the state, it should come as no surprise that there are countless new and creative things coming from these businesses. Whether it’s a beautiful expansion to the winery itself or the release of a delicious new wine, there is always another expression of local winemakers’ passion to discover in Missouri wine country.

Quality – The 2017 Missouri Wine Competition was a truly impressive display of the time and devotion that go into every bottle. With more than 300 entries and so many medals awarded, there is no shortage of high-quality wines just waiting to be sipped and enjoyed across the state.

Support – We continue to see Missouri wine and wineries featured in blogs and articles over and over again. Not to mention the amazing photos and thoughts about Missouri wine shared on social media. We can’t say enough thank you’s for all the support this industry receives from local and visiting consumers.

We have so much to be thankful for and are thrilled to have the opportunity to share our appreciation. What are you thankful for? 

The menu for Thanksgiving dinner looks a little different from house to house, but the basics tend to remain… turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, etc. So, if everyone’s Thanksgiving dinner tastes a little different, how do you know which wines to pair? We have some tips that may help.

Seasonal Superstars: Chambourcin and Chardonel

These two varietals are incredibly food-friendly and are a good match for most fall favorites. They go great with mushrooms, garlic, butter and other staple flavors of Thanksgiving dishes. If you’re not sure what to get and want to go with one red and one white, these wines won’t let you down.

Delicious Details: Norton and Vignoles

Norton, the official state grape, makes big and bold red wines which can sometimes overpower mild flavors. However, Norton is also known for having the baking-spice flavors that are so prevalent in recipes for Thanksgiving, that it can make a really nice complement to your feast. While Chardonel is a great go-to dry white wine, all the flavors of fruit, sugar and salt (think candied yams) might be better matched with a sweeter, fruit forward wine such as Vignoles.

Don’t Underestimate a Great Rosé

Rosé wines are becoming more and more prevalent around Missouri wine country and they can be a great pairing for the varied dishes you’ll find on the Thanksgiving table. Rosé wines can be sweet, dry, and everything in between which means you can find the perfect one to please the palates in attendance at your festive feast.

Sweet Treats Want Sweet Wines

A Late Harvest dessert wine or sweet white wine are a great addition to your menu as they pair so well with Thanksgiving favorites such as pumpkin and pecan pie. Treat yourself and fellow feasters to a truly delicious pairing to round out your meal.

This Thanksgiving invite Missouri wines to the table with some or all of these delicious pairings.

Chambourcin wines are often described as earthy. Well, it doesn’t get much earthier than mushrooms, so it’s no surprise they are great together! This recipe requires very little hands-on time, but does take a while which makes it perfect for a slow-cooker. The mushrooms absorb tons of flavor from the wine and the resulting dish is luscious and decadent. It’s great as a main dish served with a side salad and fresh, crusty bread. Or you can serve it as a side dish with steak, pork chops or even a turkey dinner.

Chambourcin Mushrooms Recipe

Active time: 30 minutes, Passive time: 9 hours

Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

2 lb. – Button mushrooms

2 cups – Missouri Chambourcin (earthy red wine)

1 cup – Boiling water

3-4 cubes – Bouillon (You can use any combination of chicken, beef or vegetarian) 

1/2 cup – Butter, sliced

3 cloves – Garlic, peeled

1 tsp – Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp – Pepper

Salt, to taste

Directions:

Turn your slow-cooker on high. Pour the boiling water over the bouillon cubes in the base of your slow-cooker and stir until dissolved. Add the butter to the broth and stir until melted. Add Chambourcin, Worcestershire, garlic and pepper to the liquid and stir to combine. Add the mushrooms and stir to coat.

Cook for six hours covered on high heat, stirring occasionally if possible. Uncover and continue cooking on high for three additional hours. Add salt to taste, stir and serve.

These mushrooms keep well for about a week in the refrigerator, but are best served warm. Enjoy!

There are a number of factors that impact a vintage of grapes. Everything from the amount of rain, to the number of days above a certain temperature, to the soil health. The list goes on and on. Many of the factors cannot be controlled, but Missouri vintners work tirelessly to do everything they can from specific trellising, to drip irrigation, and much more to ensure the highest quality grapes possible come harvest time. So, how did we do this year? Here are some thoughts on the 2017 harvest from wineries across the state.

St. James Winery in the Ozark Highlands

“The [2017] harvest was one of the best we have had in recent years for quality and quantity (both gallons per ton juicing and the gross weight of the grapes).  While the rain at the first of harvest affected the early varietals, the quality and berry size were judged as good to great.  We think the Vignoles and Seyval are some of the best that we have grown in recent years.  The reds ripened slowly during the cold spells of early September but picked up the heat degree days they needed later in the month with numerous hot days in the upper 80’s and lower 90’s during the day and high 50’s and low 60’s at night.  The temperatures combined with the dry weather resulted in a nice long ripening curve and good to great quality of our reds. The ability to control the amount of water that the vines received was a key for this year’s harvest.  Overall, the fall weather has been drier than normal which allowed a nice ripening period, and hang time for late harvest grapes.  We are producing late harvest wines this year for the first time in several years.   The harvest was finished approximately two weeks earlier than normal this year.” – Peter Hofherr, CEO

Tyler Ridge Vineyard Winery in Springfield

“We saw a fifteen percent decrease in our harvest yields this year. We grow Cayuga White, Chambourcin, Norton, and Vignoles. Harvest was also about two weeks earlier than average this year. We think the cause was a great deal of rain early in the season and then extremely dry conditions later in the season.” – Kathy Dennis, Owner

Stone Hill Winery in Hermann

“2017 overall was a really good year. We had lots of rain very early in Spring but the weather stayed mild and the grapes had plenty of good growing degree days to ripen optimally. We had very little problems with rot in the early ripening varieties and no excessive heat either, so the vine could actually ripen the fruit perfectly. Vignoles comes to mind here.

I look at 2017 as an awesome year for the reds, especially for our Chambourcin. In my 12 years here, this was the best looking and tasting Chambourcin crop. The Norton is also very good. It has loads of structure this year and the chemistry looks great. 

The crop was way bigger than expected. Big berries and clusters and they were healthy. I am very pleased with the cultivar character this year on pretty much all the varieties. It was a really good year for the aromatic varieties.

All and all a very memorable year with regards to grape quality. The wines made themselves this year. We just have to guide them along the way.” – Shaun Turnbull, Winemaker

Augusta and Montelle Wineries in Augusta

“Harvest’s yield this year was slightly higher than normal. Quality in white grapes was very good and excellent for the reds with some reds reaching 14% alcohol. Best quality in reds that I can remember due to moderate temperatures and dry sunny weather. Vintage of the century? We’ll see.” – Tony Kooyumjian, Owner

Les Bourgeois Vineyards in Rocheport

“This year’s harvest went relatively smoothly, but there were lower yields across all the vineyards we own and others we normally source from. This makes things easier on the harvest crew, but harder to meet the tonnage needed for this year’s production. Overall, we processed 520 tons, which is a rather average year for us.

Harvesting grapes from alternative vineyards gave us the opportunity to ferment in smaller, site specific lots. When it comes time to start blending or choosing varietals for specialty wines (such as our Collector’s Series) this will allow us more flexibility to make decisions based on the characteristics imparted on each wine simply because of the location it came from.” – Sarah Cooper-Nelson, Assistant Winemaker

While conditions can vary greatly from one part of the state to the next, many Missouri wineries saw great yields and excellent quality during this year’s harvest. It sounds like the 2017 vintage wines are something to look forward to! 

Missouri’s flagship wine is Norton, a big and bold red wine. So, it’s no surprise that the Show Me state’s second most popular red wine gets a little overshadowed from time to time, but if you haven’t yet discovered Chambourcin, let’s talk about all the reasons to fall in love with this delicious varietal… there are many.

Chambourcin, pronounced sham-bor-san, is a French-American hybrid grape that was developed in the 1950’s. It’s a disease resistant and hardy varietal, making it a good fit for Missouri’s demanding weather conditions. Chambourcin vines are also known for being very productive, producing above average yields per acre. No wonder Missouri winemakers are such fans! There are approximately 180 acres of Chambourcin across the state, accounting for 11 percent of Missouri’s 1700 acres of vineyards.

It’s high yield and hardiness aren’t the ony reasons local winemakers enjoy cultivating Chambourcin. It has lovely earthy and berry notes with nice acidity, spice and low tannins. This red grape is a truly versatile variety, and you’ll find many delicious styles made from it on your vino adventures around Missouri. It’s most often found as a juicy and earthy, dry red wine with soft tannins, making it very approachable. It’s a great gateway or transition red wine, whether you are new to reds or looking to switch with the change of the seasons. Other styles of Chambourcin you’ll discover are semi-dry reds, dry and semi-sweet rosés, and many different blends utilizing it.

Chambourcin not only tastes great, but it also pairs very well with your fall favorites. It’s great with pork loin, burgers, red sauce pasta, mushrooms, brie, camembert and so much more. Invite Chambourcin to you holiday meals this season. It’s a great choice for sipping on at all your favorite fall activities like bonfires, tailgates and cool nights in.

We think Chambourcin is underrated. Take some time to discover this varietal this November and, most likely, you will too!   

There's usually a mountain of Halloween candy before, during and after Halloween. Try pairing all those sweet treats with award-winning Missouri wines. Here are some pairing suggestions to get you started! 

The scariest thing this Halloween would be running out of your favorite Missouri wine, right? Celebrate this fun time of year in a wine themed costume and wear your wine-lover, cork-dork, and oenophile identity proudly! Here are some ideas that take very little time and minimal supplies.

A Bunch of Grapes: You can decide which variety. We’re thinking Norton.

This costume is pretty easy as long as your lungs hold out. Blow up several purple balloons, how many depends on the person wearing the costume. Attach the balloons by the tail with safety pins to a long purple shirt or piece of fabric, being careful not to pop the balloons in the process. Cut out some felt leaves and a stem and attach them to a purple wig or headband, and voila! You’ll look like you’ve been picked fresh from the vine.

A Bottle of MO Wine: Customize the label to pay homage to your favorite wine.

Decked out in red wine colored clothing, make a wine label on a piece of poster board to hang around your neck or attach to your shirt. Make a cork “hat” with the rest of the posterboard and cork scrapbooking paper. Attach ribbon to either side and you’re instantly transformed into a bottle of wine!

A Bottle Opener: It is one of the most useful tools we know of… that’s for sure!

This is the most labor intensive costume, but all it takes is some creativity and a big cardboard box. Draw the pieces of a corkscrew on the cardboard. Cut them out (carefully!) and paint them silver. Attach them with black ribbon over black clothing for a fun and creative costume in a flash.

Missouri Wine’s Biggest Fan: This is by far the simplest and quickest costume to throw together in a jiffy. Fill an oversized wine glass (here are some options on Amazon) with crumpled, wine-colored paper and you’re set. You can also fill the glass with water and food coloring if you’re feeling brave, but remember… the larger the glass, the bigger the slosh.

Cheers to a fun Halloween with MO wine! 

Pasta has been forever changed now that we know we can infuse it with wine for a delicious and easy meal or side dish! Try this simple and quick recipe today and transform your idea of pasta.

Red Wine Pasta

Time: 20-25 minutes | Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

4 cups              Water

1 bottle           Missouri Norton, dry red wine

16 oz               Spaghetti

3 tbsp              Olive oil, divided

1 medium       Shallot, thinly sliced

4 cloves           Garlic, thinly sliced

1 tsp                Red pepper flakes

2 tbsp              Butter, unsalted

1 cup               Parmesan, freshly grated (+ more for garnish)

1/2 cup            Flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped (+ more for garnish)

                        Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Prep all of the ingredients for the sauce: Remove the skins and thinly slice the shallot and garlic cloves. Grate the parmesan. Remove the stems and chop the leaves of the parsley.
• Open your bottle of Missouri Norton, setting aside 1/4 cup.
• Combine the water and the rest of the bottle of Norton (approximately 3 cups) in a large pot and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, add spaghetti and cook (stirring frequently) until al dente, about 7-9 minutes.
• Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid from the pasta, drain the spaghetti and set it aside. Be cautious where you place the drained pasta as red wine can stain things.
• In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining tbsp of olive oil, the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the reserved cooking liquid and 1/4 cup of reserved wine to the skillet and bring to a simmer.
• Add the cooked pasta to the saucepan and toss to coat with the sauce.
• Add the butter to the saucepan and stir until it melts into the sauced pasta.
• Add salt and pepper to taste, and the parmesan and parsley. Stir to combine.

Top with more parmesan and parsley and open up another bottle of Norton to enjoy with it. This dish is great as an entrée alongside a nice, green salad, or as a side dish with beef.  Bon appétit!