Véraison is a fancy French word that simply means the grapes are beginning to change color. A more complete definition is that Véraison is the beginning of berry ripening when the berries on a grape vine become soft and take on the colors characteristic of their specific varieties. What makes Véraison exciting? It means harvest is just around the corner, and the grapes are beginning to take on all of the wonderful characteristics that present themselves in the finished wine we enjoy so much.

There is nothing better than a bowl of ice cream on a hot day. Nothing except maybe 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.

Concord Wine Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup               Missouri Concord Wine

¼ cup               Super-fine Sugar (find it in the baking aisle or make it)

2 cups              Heavy Cream

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the super fine 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:

¾ 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 it has reduced by about half, approximate 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and add the milk chocolate, stirring until thoroughly melted and smooth. Let cool slightly and serve.

The 2017 Missouri Wine Competition will take place later this month. The Missouri Wine Competition has been around for more than 30 years, and we’re very excited for this year's event. Have you ever wondered what goes into putting on our wine competition? Take a behind the scenes look with us.

The Wines:

The number of wines entered in the competition varies from year to year, but this year there are 306 entries vying for awards. Wineries submit their wines in different categories based on varietal, style and sweetness level. Once the wines are entered, they’re assigned a number so the process can be blind and unbiased.

The Set-up:

The competition is not quite as glamorous as you might expect, but it certainly is impressive. Rows upon rows of wines, all labeled with their flight numbers, waiting to be poured into glasses with corresponding numbers, loaded on carts, served to the judges, tasted, spit out, and cleared. A lot of time is spent washing, polishing and labeling glassware. The wines are poured as precisely as possible, handled carefully and the entire process is treated with a great deal of respect.

The Volunteers:

The Missouri wine competition wouldn’t be possible without our volunteers. Folks from all walks of life, sharing the common trait of loving Missouri wine, make it all run smoothly. They devote three days of their time to the competition and we are extremely grateful for all their hard work. Most of the volunteers this year are returning for their second, third and even eighth years.

The Judges:

We are grateful to have some truly wonderful and well qualified judges who participate in our competition year after year. This year we are honored to have:

• Doug Frost: One of only four people in the world to hold both Master Sommelier and Master of Wine titles
• Bob Foster: Wine Writer from San Diego, CA.
• Glenn Bardgett: Sommelier and Wine Director at Annie Gunn’s Restaurant
• Andrey Ivanov: Advanced Sommelier and Beverage Director at Reed’s American Table
• Michele Meyer: Winemaker at Holy-Field Vineyard and Winery
• Catherine Neville: Publisher of Feast Magazine
• Patricia Wamhoff: Advanced Sommelier and Certified Wine Educator

The Awards:

These esteemed judges will do a blind tasting and vote on whether they think each wine is worthy of a bronze, silver or gold medal. They’re looking at each wine for how well it represents its class. Is it a good representation of a semi-dry white wine, a Chambourcin, or a port-style dessert wine, etc. The wines awarded gold medals will move on for a chance to take home coveted Best of Class distinctions. Those that make the cut as Best of Class are then considered for the top honor of Governor’s Cup.

Missouri wineries make a wide variety of wines from big and bold dry reds like Norton, to light and fruity semi-dry Vignoles. In July, we celebrate the sweeter side of local wine with Concord Month. Concord is a fan favorite in Missouri. It’s a sweet red wine that pairs perfectly with hot summer days in Missouri!

The Concord grape has an interesting origin story. It was cultivated by Ephraim Wales Bull in 1849. Bell desired to create a hardy grape that could withstand the harsh northeastern climate of the United States. He planted seeds from the native species growing on his farm and evaluated 22,000 seedlings before he settled on what he considered the perfect grape. Bell named the variety after the town where he planted the grape, the village of Concord, Massachusetts.

What made it ideal for withstanding the demanding weather of the northeast, also lets it thrive in the Midwest. Concord vines tolerate our cold winters and hot summers well. There are 120 acres of the grape variety grown in Missouri, accounting for seven percent of the grapes grown in the state.

Concord wines are deep, dark plum in appearance and have a soft, yet robust mouthfeel. They embody the quintessential grape flavor and aroma… think Concord grape jam or Welch’s grape juice. The sweet, fruity wine pairs well with grilled pork chops and barbecue, aged cheeses, peanut butter, ice cream and truffles.

Most wineries in the Show Me state have at least one Concord based wine. Head out to wine country to discover the sweeter side of Missouri wines this July! 

Salads are a summer staple at lunch and dinner time. They’re nice and light on a warm day and a great way to use fresh, seasonal vegetables. They can present a little bit of a challenge when it comes to pairing them with your favorite wines though. Let’s break down the best way to find the perfect local wine to go with your summer salad favorites.

The first and most important thing to do is identify what is the most prominent flavor of the salad. Is it the dressing, or maybe it’s the protein or a flavorful cheese? Picking out the overarching flavor is a great way to start your pairing selection. For example, if the dressing is a tart, citrusy vinaigrette, look for a wine with bright acidity and citrus notes such as a delicious Missouri Vidal Blanc. Once you’ve identified the primary flavor profile, use this interactive guide to match the ideal wine.

Pairing suggestions:

• Citrus Salad with Grilled Chicken + Vidal Blanc
• Southwest Salad with Seasoned Beef and Grilled Corn + Rosé
• Goat Cheese and Berry Salad + Seyval Blanc
• Spinach Salad with Bacon and Bleu Cheese + Chambourcin
• Chef Salad + Chardonel
• Spicy Asian Chicken Salad + Vignoles

Cheers to salad season! Share your favorite summer salad and Missouri wine pairing with us on social media by using the hashtag #MOwine. 

Missouri vineyards and their caretakers have been hard at work for months now. Bud Break brought the excitement of spring and new life to the vineyards, while Flowering reminded us how beautiful and “perfect” nature can be, but now it’s time to really get moving. It’s Fruit Set!

Fruit Set is the stage in the grape growing cycle where the pollinated flowers have dropped their delicate petals and small, green berries begin to form at the end of the stems. What was hundreds of petite flowers will now develop into spheres with all the potential of delicious, quality grapes. As the berries grow, they’ll start to take on the familiar cluster shape.

Watching the different stages of the growing cycle on the vines is a wonderful reminder that wine is agriculture and agriculture isn’t easy or fast. Lucky for us, Missouri winemakers know that some things are worth the work! 

The warmer temperatures of summer make heavy, rich foods less appealing. Light, bright dishes with fresh ingredients sound much more appetizing. This recipe is ideal for a simple, delicious main course. The crisp Vidal Blanc adds a wonderful flavor to the sauce and pairs nicely alongside the finished meal. A side of steamed vegetables or a fresh salad is perfect.

White Fish with Herbed Vidal Blanc and Lemon Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

1 medium Shallot

1 cup         Missouri Vidal Blanc wine (dry, crisp white wine)

2                Lemons

6 tbsp        Unsalted butter

¼ cup         Capers

1 tsp          Salt

½ tsp         Black pepper

½ cup         Mixed fresh herbs (Examples: parsley, thyme, dill, tarragon, chervil)

4                White fish fillets, approximately 6 oz. each (Examples: cod, tilapia, catfish)         

Directions:

Finely chop the shallot and set aside. Juice one of the lemons and slice the other into rounds. Roughly chop the capers and herbs, separately and set aside. Cut butter into small pieced. Once all of your ingredients are prepared, you’re ready to begin.

In a small skillet, combine the shallot, lemon juice and wine over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer until the liquid is reduced to about ¼ cup, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, capers, a pinch of the salt and pepper and most of the herbs. Once mixed, set aside on low heat to keep warm.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add three tablespoons of the sauce you just made. Season both sides of each fish fillet with the remaining salt and pepper. Arrange the fish and lemon slices in the skillet and sprinkle with half of the remaining herbs. Cook the fish until fillets are golden on one side, approximately four minutes. Turn the fish, sprinkle with the last of the fresh herbs, and cook until done all the way through, approximately three more minutes. Serve the fish with lemon slices and top with the rest of the sauce.

This is a light but satisfying meal with paired with steamed vegetables or a side salad and of course a glass of Missouri Vidal Blanc wine. Enjoy! 

Old Woolam Custom Bottling is a fully automated bottling plant that drives right to a winery’s door. Missouri is home to 130+ wineries, ranging from very small operations to large-scale production, and everything in between. Purchasing and running a bottling line is pricey and Old Woolam gives wineries another option.

“I want to make the industry better, wineries better. When you open a good bottle of wine, everyone wins,” said Brent Baker, owner and operator of Old Woolam Custom Bottling. “I want to help improve the local wine industry by giving the smaller wineries the tools to properly and cost effectively bottle their wines.”

When wine goes into the bottle, it’s the culmination of months and sometimes years’ worth of work, and everything has to be just right. According to Brent, “From the bottler’s standpoint it’s all about the sanitation side of things. From the winery’s aspect, it’s about getting the wine into the bottle properly, which in most cases consists of having the wine properly filtered and completely stable, or what we would call ‘bottle ready’.  There is a lot of planning that goes into getting wines ready to bottle.”

Brent steams all parts of the filler that the wine will touch at 212 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minuets to ensure a sterile environment for the wine, reaching sterility levels that are very difficult to reach with hand fillers. The automated process the mobile bottling line offers to wineries adds a great deal of care for the wine during the final bottling process. Automated bottle rinsing, sparging (adding nitrogen, an inert gas, to the bottle to limit oxygen) before and after filling, and vacuum corking all work together to reduce oxygen in the wine. Too much oxygen can ruin wine very quickly and irreversibly. Automation also gives the bottles a very consistent finish as it relates to fill level, as well as capsule and label application.

The mobile bottling line travels all over the state and region, providing a valuable service to local wineries and supporting the continued growth and quality of the area’s wine industry. An average day for Old Woolam Custom Bottling results in 600-1,000 cases of wine, but Brent has bottled as many as 1,600 cases in a day. “That makes for a very long day,” he says.

When asked what is the best part of operating a unique business like this, Brent exclaims, “The people I get to bottle for!” One of the best things about the Missouri wine industry is the people. You’ll find passion for the art of winemaking everywhere you go. Brent Baker, along with the rest of Missouri’s wine industry, know that some things are worth the work!

June has been designated as Vidal Blanc Month in Missouri wine country, and there’s plenty to celebrate! Take a sip of sunshine with Missouri Vidal Blanc. This white wine is crisp and refreshing, making it the perfect way to usher in the summer season.

Vidal Blanc is a French-American Hybrid grape and is a favorite with local winemakers because of its hardiness. As any Missourian can attest, the weather in the Show Me State can be a bit demanding with cold winters and hot, humid summers. Vidal Blanc grapes do well in our climate, accounting for 139.4 acres and 8.2% of all the grapes grown in the state.

Vidal Blanc’s versatility is another reason it’s so popular with winemakers and consumers. You’ll find award-winning wines made from Vidal Blanc in many styles ranging from crisp and refreshing dry white wines, to effervescent sparkling wines, to decadent and luscious late harvest dessert wines. We encourage you to take Vidal Blanc Month as an opportunity to seek out this delicious varietal and discover your favorite style.

Vidal Blanc smells like a fresh summer garden and has refreshing flavors of apple and citrus. It’s delicious on its own, but also pairs well with seasonal favorites like seafood, salad and the fresh flavors of basil and citrus.

Wineries around the state (There are more than 130 now!) will be celebrating Vidal Blanc Month throughout June with wine releases, featured tastings, special events and much more. Head out to Missouri wine country and enjoy some sunshine in a glass!