There are so many ways to cook with Missouri wine. From appetizers to desserts, wine can be incorporated into every course.

Some good rules to follow when cooking with wine are:

1. Use wine you like.

When someone doesn’t particularly like a wine they’ve opened, they might think “That’s okay, I’ll just cook with it.” Unfortunately, that may not be a great solution. When you cook or bake with wine, the flavors are often intensified. So when selecting a wine for cooking or baking, pick one you also enjoy sipping.

2. Play the flavor matching game.

Pick out the primary flavors of your dish or recipe and pair those to a wine that will complement them. For example, Norton has notes of cherries and baking spices, making it ideal to pair with a cherry cake or pie. Vignoles is known for its tropical fruit flavors and is delicious in fruity desserts. Use this guide to help you find the perfect match.  

3. Drizzle, don’t drown.

There can be a bit of a learning curve when it comes to adding wine to your recipes. Too little and you won’t be able to taste it; too much and you’ll throw the dish off balance, masking the other flavors. The best way to know if you’ve added enough is to taste it. Sometimes in the case of baked goods, this isn’t possible ahead of time. Start with a more reserved amount. If you’re not getting enough flavor coming through on the final dish, amp it up by adding wine to the sauce or frosting.

4. Reimagine old favorites.

Maybe you have an award-winning brownie recipe or world-famous cake, consider substituting one of the liquid ingredients for a delicious Missouri wine. You might find that your old favorite reaches a whole new level of awesome!
 

Here are some of our favorite wine recipes.

Appetizer:

Perfectly Shareable Chardonel Fondue

There is something undeniably fun and communal about Fondue that makes it the perfect dish for sharing with a group. Traditional Fondue recipes include cheese, wine, herbs and garlic. Try this version featuring Missouri’s classic white wine, Chardonel.

Time: 15-20 minutes    |    Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

Fresh garlic clove
1/2 lb  Gouda cheese
1/2 lb  Swiss cheese 
1 cup  Missouri Chardonel (dry, white wine)
1/4 cup  Cornstarch
Salt
White Pepper

Directions:

Grate the cheese and coat with cornstarch. This recipe uses a double boiler method. You’ll need a heatproof bowl and a pan it will fit in without touching the bottom of the pan. Cut the garlic clove and rub it on the inside of the bowl to coat the bottom and sides. Place the bowl over the pan of water, bringing the water to a simmer. Add wine to the bowl and heat until warm but not too hot. (You’re looking for small bubbles, not a rolling boil.) Add the cheese a handful at a time stirring until melted. Once all of the cheese is melted, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with dippable delights such as bread, veggies, meat, or even apple slices.

The Fondue will thicken quickly if you don’t have a Fondue pot or small slow cooker, so eat up! Pair this delicious shareable dish with a glass of Chardonel. Cheers! 

Main Dish

Seyval Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic crushed
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup Seyval (semi-dry white wine)
3 green onions sliced

Directions:

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a sprayed nonstick frying pan. Brown on both sides slightly. Add garlic and pepper flakes. Pour wine into pan, cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Wine will reduce. Top with onions and plate.

Sauce

Missouri Red Wine Steak Sauce Recipe

What grows together goes together and Missouri beef and Norton wine are a prime example. Big, bold and complex, Missouri Norton wine is an amazing complement to a delicious steak. This sauce is a great way to take your steak dinner to the next level. 

Time: 25-30 minutes    |    Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 tbsp Canola oil
4 (6-8 oz) Steaks, sirloin  
3 tbsp Shallots, minced
2 tsp Fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 cup Missouri Norton (full-bodied red wine)
1/2 cup Beef stock, unsalted
1 1/2 tsp Butter, unsalted
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Sprinkle steaks evenly with salt and pepper. Add steaks to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steaks from pan. Let stand 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add shallots and rosemary to pan; sauté 1 minute or until lightly browned. Add wine and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add beef stock; cook 4-6 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half and mixture is slightly thickened. Remove pan from heat. Add butter and mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste; stir with a whisk. Top steaks with sauce and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
 

Dessert

White Wine Lemon Bundt Cake

Prep Time- 25 minutes    |    Cook Time- 45-55 minutes

Ingredients: 

Pan prep 

2 tbsp Melted butter
2 tbsp Flour 

Cake 

1 box Lemon cake mix 
1/4 cup Brown sugar
1/4 cup White sugar 
1 box Instant lemon pudding mix (3.4oz)
Zest of 1 lemon
4 Eggs 
3/4 cup Water
3/4 cup Vegetable oil 
1/2 cup Missouri Vidal Blanc Wine 

Glaze 

1 cup Confectioners’ Sugar
2 tbsp Missouri Vidal Blanc Wine  
Zest of 1 lemon 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Melt two tablespoons of butter. Add two tablespoons of flour and whisk together until smooth. Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of a bundt pan generously with the butter/flour mixture. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine all the cake ingredients (cake mix, sugars, pudding mix, lemon zest, eggs, water, oil, and wine). Beat with an electric mixer until fully incorporated, approximately 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan. Bake cake 45-55 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean. While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze. 

Glaze instructions:

Stir wine into confectioners’ sugar one tablespoon at a time until smooth. Stir in the lemon zest and let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Remove cake from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, drizzle with glaze. 

 

A great idea takes inspiration, but where does that inspiration come from? Some of Missouri’s extraordinary winemakers share why they do what they do.

Katy Dale, Co-Owner of Dale Hollow Winery

We are inspired by Missouri grape growers and winemakers and their European ancestors who have been making wine for generations. We’ve been fortunate to visit Europe a few times and were able to see firsthand how generations of winemakers have brought quality wine to their areas and pair them with the local foods, share it with the community and build a cultural identity around it. 

They have centuries of tradition to draw from but you can see a similar thing happening in Missouri localities where wine has been made for decades and it’s absolutely invigorating to believe we can build that sense of cultural identity and celebrate the wine regions of Missouri and their traditions through the local residents and the wine and foods they produce.

Jean-Louis Horvilleur, Winemaker & Vineyard Manager at Vox Vineyards

Well there’s a lot that inspires me. I suppose the story of how I even got into the wine industry is what propels me. 

Early in my college days, I was studying industrial engineering. I didn’t have much interest in it, as my grades showed. After seeing my grades, my dad strongly suggested I make a change. He gave me a choice to change majors or leave Texas State University. We got into an argument and I decided to go out with friends. However, I wasn’t in the mood to socialize so I went home and went to bed.

That night I had a peculiar dream. In this dream I was 4-5 years old and I was at my grandparents’ house. My grandpa and I were sitting in the backyard and he suddenly got up to pick a grape from the vine that was growing upwards on the pillar. He said “One of these days, you’re going to be a winemaker. Maybe someday you’ll own your own vineyard.” I smiled and grabbed the grape with my little toddler hands and ran inside to tell my mom what my grandpa had told me.

The next morning, I woke up and met my parents in the dining room to have breakfast. My mom asked how I slept and I told her about my dream. She paused and said “that actually happened.” Rolling my eyes, I asked my dad and he recollected the memory. At that point I realized that I may have been visited by my deceased grandpa in a dream, and he may have pushed me in the direction I was meant to journey.

I decided to do research, watch documentaries about winemaking, wine, vineyards, anything to learn about what skills and education go into it. I told my dad that I wanted to major in agriculture with a focus in Horticulture and soil sciences. He said “Great! Texas is a great place to find a job in Agriculture. Do you know what you want to do with it?” I told him we have French blood, we love wine and I’ve always had a pallet for wine so I want to become a winemaker and a vineyard manager.

My dad wasn’t thrilled that I, a college student, wanted to pursue wine as a degree but I told him to give it a chance. My grades shot through the roof that following semester. I began getting internships, met my girlfriend, got a dog and college was being utilized in the right way. The dream seemed to be a sign. Anything seemed possible and it triggered something in my brain. I like to think that my grandpa would be proud, as both my parents are now my biggest fans. This is what keeps me working from sunrise to often nighttime. I love what I would do and I’m passionate about the hard work that goes into grape growing and winemaking. 

Carol Warnebold, Owner of OakGlenn Winery

My husband Glenn and I were looking for a farm to purchase in 1995 to 1997 to retire on. We were both raised on farms and being a part of the land stayed in our blood. In April of 1997 we came to Hermann to look at a piece of property that was on the market.

Glenn and I did not have any intention of building a winery at that time but it soon became obvious we needed to share this special spot. Our first year we cleaned up the property and the more we did, the more beautiful it became.  What better way to share time together than by planting grapes and making wine?

George Husmann, the “Father of the Missouri Grape Industry,” was the original land-granted owner of the property.  We named this spot OakGlenn, for saving the oak tree that marked the driveway entrance and for my husband Glenn. Later we found that George Husmann had named his California winery "Oakglen Husmann Winery.”  Coincidence or meant to be?

Discover the picturesque views and small town charms of Augusta. Located an hour’s drive from St. Louis, Augusta is a great place to escape from it all while enjoying delicious wines surrounded by the beautiful canopy of the Missouri River Valley and Osage Ridge.

Read more about this beautiful community by checking out this helpful trip planner.

 

When the lights go out at Defiance Ridge Vineyards, there’s an old soul that likes to stick around and keep an eye on things. Rain or shine, Heath has been tending to the 42-acre property for the past 17 years. You won’t see him behind the tasting bar or caring for vines in the vineyard. You’re more likely to find this regular fixture in his natural environment – the winery’s lake. Heath is a swan. The beautiful bird has endeared himself to many over the years, so when it came time to select a name for the winery’s Vignoles, the decision was easy.

The wine label for Heath's Off Dry Vignoles features the creative talent of two artists. The Vignoles grapevine predominantly displayed on the front is by plein air artist Allison Laupp. The lower-left design, the winery’s secondary logo, is by Justin Gillentine. The letters "D," "R" and "V" represent the name of the winery, while the “X” symbolizes the Katy Trail railroad tracks. The arrowhead above the letter "D" stands for the Femme Osage Indian area where the winery is located. A grape cluster completes the label’s front design, while a photo of Heath, the winery’s mascot, is featured on the back.

Defiance Ridge Vineyards is easily accessible off Highway 94. The winery is located in a historic farmhouse and features a beautiful view of the Missouri River Valley. Step inside the tasting room and experience delicious wines including Heath’s Off Dry Vignoles, a gold medal winner at the 2019 Missouri Wine Competition. Whether you’re inside or outside on the winery’s terrace or veranda, save room for the winery’s mouth-watering vineyard to table cuisine. And, if you get the chance, take a stroll by the lake and meet the infamous bird that inspired the name of an award-winning wine.