Pronounced sham-bor-san, this French-American hybrid grape is an excellent gateway to dry red wines. As the fall season kicks in, many wine-lovers turn to a glass of delicious red wine. Despite the fact that red wine may be enjoyed year round, there’s something comforting about a glass of red wine as temperatures begin to drop. That’s why the Missouri Wine and Grape Board has designated November as Chambourcin Month. Fruity, with notes of cherry, and earthy with soft tannins, this medium to full bodied wine is incredibly food friendly.  It compliments spices fall is known for such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove.

The 2016 harvest of Chambourcin is complete and winemakers are currently making this year’s vintage. Missouri wineries throughout the state will be celebrating this varietal by showcasing their Chambouricn wines and hosting special events. How will you celebrate?

November is the perfect time to visit a Missouri winery and give Chamborucin a taste. Share your experiences with us on social media by using the hashtags #Chambourcin and #MOwine.

Popular among Missouri winemakers, this versatile grape was developed by French biochemist Joannes Seyve to specifically withstand colder weather and be more resistant to disease. Seyve often used Seibel hybrids produced in the 1860s, but Chambourcin’s exact parentage is unknown.  It is thought to be a crossing of native North American vines with a Siebel hybrid. The medium-sized grapes are blue-black in color and generally produce large, loose clusters.

Missouri wines made with Chambourcin are collecting awards from competitions all over the nation. Check out our trophy case to find an award winning Chambourcin wine to try!    

Trick or treat!  Did you know some of your favorite Missouri wines pair well with Halloween candy?  Whether you’re planning a Halloween bash or simply want to enjoy a glass, we’ve got you covered.  Here’s our wine and Halloween candy pairing suggestions.

Candy Corn + Chardonel 

Dark Chocolate + Norton 

Mounds (or Almond Joy) + Vignoles 

Pumkin Kisses + Traminette 

Gummy Worms + Pink Catawba 

Peanut Butter Cups + Concord 

Pasta is a favorite on most dinner tables because it’s easy to make, inexpensive and there are limitless options and combinations. What could be better than a delicious bowl of pasta for supper? Pairing it perfectly with an award-winning Missouri wine, that’s what! Bonus… October 25^th is World Pasta Day and the ideal time to find out which pasta and Missouri wine combo is a match for you. 

Fall is finally here! The leaves are changing, the weather is getting cooler, and there are plenty of events to attend. Bring a friend, bring a family member, or come by yourself and experience all that these Fall events have to offer. Below is a list of events you should check out this Fall season. 

October Events

• Feast Taste & See: Go Fish – Oct. 21^st – Come taste and see the beauty and the flavor of local, Midwest-raised fish!  Paired with excellent wines, guests will enjoy fresh seafood and experience live demos from local chefs.

•  Annual Clinton Wine Stroll – Oct. 22^nd - Grab a glass and enjoy 4 hours of strolling, wine tasting, snacks, shopping and fun at the historic downtown Clinton Square.

November Events

• Citizen Jane Film Festival – Nov. 4^th – One of the only film festivals in the nation that highlights the work of female filmmakers returns to downtown Columbia for its ninth year.  Missouri Wines will be providing wine tastings at the opening night ceremony.

• Sip & Shop the Best of Missouri – Nov. 4^th & 5^th – At this upscale, holiday shopping experience guests will discover gifts of exceptional quality and distinctive style, all while sampling great Missouri wines!

• Guess The Grape – Nov. 5^th – Guests will test their taste buds in the tasting room by trying different varieties of wine and will be given raffle tickets for correctly guessing the subtle characteristics, varietal, and price level of each glass.  The event supports the Kansas City Free Eye Clinic, which provides eye care to the low-income and homeless.

• Taste of the Holidays – Nov. 5^th & 6^th – Celebrate the season along the Mississippi River Hills Wine Trail and enjoy holiday foods paired perfectly with featured wines.

• Sip N Soup – Nov. 5^th & 6^th – Savor the flavor of some delicious soup pairings with wine from your favorite Mid-Missouri wineries along the Missouri River Wine Trail.

• Holiday Fare Wine Trail – Nov. 19^th & 20^th – The Holiday Fare Wine Trail will open the holiday season with a celebration of food and wine pairings at Hermann-area wineries, featuring favorite holiday foods.

• Wine Diva Weekend – Nov. 19^th & 20^th – Journey down Ste. Genevieve’s Route du Vin wine trail and be treated to fine wine perfectly paired with a delicious “Diva Treat” at each of the six distinctive wineries within the scenic region.

In addition to these events, wineries throughout Missouri will be celebrating Harvest Season by hosting their own special events featuring live music, wine pairings, and more!  Visit Missouri Wines’ Go-Do page to view more upcoming events.

Halloween is a really fun time of the year; why not celebrate with a wine and craft night? Whether you’re prepping for a Halloween soiree or want to add some seasonal festiveness to your house, check out these fun and (not so) frightening DIY décor ideas.

Wine Bottle Craft Ideas:

Jack-O-Lantern Bottles- You won’t have to worry about finding the perfect pumpkins or getting pumpkin guts all over the dining table with these Jack-O-Lanterns.

Spider Web Wine- This is a craft you can do on full bottles you plan to serve, if you’d prefer. It’s easy, quick, and makes a spooky statement. Glue on some spiders for good measure!

Wine Glass DIY Inspiration:

Hand-painted Wine Glass Ghouls- Simpler than it looks and so much fun, these wine glass ghouls make a great center or mantle piece.

Candy Corn Candle Holders- You’d be hard-pressed to find an easier, speedier Halloween decoration than this!

Must-try Cork Crafts:

Cork Pumpkins- Fast and fun, these cork pumpkins would be an ideal craft to do with friends or family.

Skeleton- Who needs bones when you have wine corks? Build a skeleton out of wine corks; we won’t look too close for anatomical correctness.

Mini-Monsters- Sparkling wine corks transform into the cutest little spooksters! These mini-monsters are perfect for a door prize or goodie bags.

Get in the spooky spirit with Missouri wines!

A Missouri Chardonel is an excellent dry white wine to cook with, especially when making sauces.  We made sage pork tenderloin medallions with a Chardonel jus and the results were delicious!  A glass of Chardonel also pairs very well with this meal or while you’re cooking it.  This recipe comes from our friends at the Missouri Pork Association.  It takes about 10 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to cook.  This elegant dish is easy to make and tastes great!  These pork tenderloin medallions are the perfect meal to present to guests or cook for your family at home.       

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Whole-Wheat Flour

• ½ Teaspoon Dried Sage

• ¼ Teaspoon Salt

• ¼ Teaspoon Pepper

• ¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder

• 4 Teaspoons Olive Oil, Divided

• 1 Pork Tenderloin (About 1 ¼ Pounds, Trimmed If Needed)

• ½ Cup Chicken Broth, Reduced Sodium or Organic

• ½ Cup Dry White Wine, Missouri Chardonel

• 2 Teaspoons Spreadable Butter with Canola Oil, or Substitute Butter

Directions

Stir together flour, sage, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a shallow dish or plate, and preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Slice pork crosswise into 3/4-inch thick medallions and arrange flat on a cutting board. Pound with a mallet to 1/2-inch thickness and coat pork in flour on all sides.

Add 2 teaspoons oil to the pan.  Once the oil heats up, place the pork in a single layer. You might need to divide the pork into two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.  Brown on one side for 2 to 3 minutes and turn to brown the other side.  Remove pork onto a plate and scrape the brown bits up from the bottom of pan with a wooden spoon, putting them into the measured broth or wine.  Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan and repeat the cooking procedure.  Add the pork to the plate.

Remove pan from heat, add wine, place back on heat, and simmer for 4 minutes or until wine reduces down to a couple of tablespoons.  Add broth and simmer 3 minutes or until reduced by half.

Remove from heat, swirl in butter, and add pork back to the pan to coat.  Arrange pork on plates and spoon sauce on top.

Enjoy!

(Southeast)

• Belmont Vineyards
• Heinrichhaus Vineyard and Winery
• Meramec Vineyards
• St. James Winery
• Three Squirrels Winery

(Southwest)

• OOVVDA Winery
• Tyler Ridge Vineyard Winery
• White Rose Winery

The Citizen Jane Film Festival, one of the only film festivals in the nation that highlights the work of female filmmakers, returns to downtown, Columbia for its ninth year.  What started as a lecture series at Stephens College, the second oldest women’s college in the country, has grown into a three-day festival that celebrates and supports women filmmakers.  The festival will be held November 3^rd - 6^th, 2016.  View the festival’s schedule to see what films will be screened this year.  Missouri Wines is proud to be a sponsor and we want to share the love by giving away a pair of Insane Jane passes!

What you could win:

2 Insane Jane passes to the Citizen Jane Film Festival - VALUE $210

Tickets include - all access passes to the vibrant world of Citizen Jane.

• Early ticket reservations
• Access to the opening night reception
• Access to all screenings
• Access to all events
• Access to the Citizen Jane Summit, film school, special screenings, music events, live performances, and art installations
• Access to Filmmaker Brunch
• Access to Citizen Jane Dance Party
• Access to Filmmaker hike
• Access to the Citizen Jane late night dance party
• Ticketless Access

How to enter:

1. Follow @MissouriWine on Instagram

2. Post a Missouri wine related photo on Instagram with the hashtags #MOwine and #CJFF by 10pm (CST) on Sunday, October 16^th, 2016.

Things to note:

• One entry per Instagram account.

• If your account is set to private, we won’t be able to see that you posted an entry. So, you’ll need to make your account public for the duration of the contest to be entered.

The winner will be chosen at random from all qualified entries and contacted on Monday, October 17^th by noon (CST) through Instagram.  If the selected winner does not respond or meet the requirements within 24 hours of being contacted, a new winner will be selected.

If you have any questions, please email missouri.wine@mda.mo.gov.

October 4^th is Taco (Tues)Day! There seems to be a day for everything, but who wouldn’t want to celebrate the delicousness that is… the taco?! And to top it off, Taco Day falls on a Tuesday this year. Most of the time when you order tacos, you may think of accompanying them width a beer or tequila cocktail, but don’t count wine out. Vino has a long history in Mexico (The oldest winery in North/Central America is in Coahuila, Mexico [Est. 1597].) and pairs incredibly well with Mexican dishes like tacos. Let’s talk pairings!

There are three primary components to consider when pairing wine and tacos:

1. Sweet cuts heat! The spicier the dish, the sweeter and colder the wine should be to help put out the fire. Wines with high alcohol content and tannins will intensify the burn, so avoid those if you like your tacos spicy.
2. Color coding: The stand-by rule of white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat, works fairly well with most dishes, including tacos. That being said… rosé wines can often toe the line and work with both red and white meats.
3. Is it herb-y? Fresh, green herbs tend to work well with acidic wines that have herbaceous flavors. So, if you’re one of the people that piles on the cilantro, reach for a Missouri Vidal Blanc to go with your tacos.

Mouthwatering Match-ups:

• Chicken Tacos + Vidal Blanc
• Tacos de Carne Asada + Chambourcin
• Carnitas Tacos + Dry Rosé (or Catawba if they’re super spicy)
• Chorizo Tacos + Vignoles
• Veggie Tacos (Mushroom, Onion, Peppers) + Chardonel
• Fish Tacos + Seyval Blanc

Try these pairings and enjoy #TacoDay with #MOwine!

It’s hard to imagine a more exciting time in Show Me wine country than harvest. Tons (literally, so many tons) of beautiful grapes are picked from the vine and start their journey to your glass. Harvest looks a little different at each winery. Some wineries kick it old school with traditional equipment, while others employ all the latest technology. If you’re interested in seeing how the delicious wine in your glass comes to be, now is the time to get out to local wineries.

Here’s a glimpse into the amazing sites you’ll discover in wine country this harvest season.

Breathtaking grapes ready for harvest at West Winery

Beautiful bunch of Ellen Scott grapes at Vox Vineyard

Harvester at St. James Winery

Bins of grapes headed for crush at Stone Hill Winery

Grapes get the royal treatment at Claverach Farms & Vineyard

Old school press at VanTill Family Farm Winery

Bin upon bin of gorgeous grapes headed for crush at Pirtle Winery

Juice flows during crush at Blumenhof Vineyards & Winery