Wine Float Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients-

1 pint ice cream

1 bottle (750mL) Missouri wine

16 oz of club soda

1 cup fruit

Directions-

You can use any glassware you’d like as long as it is can accommodate 16 ounces or so; mason jars work for a fun presentation. To assemble the wine floats, scoop approximately ½ cup of ice cream (this is usually about 2 scoops) into each of the glasses. Pour 4-6 oz. of wine and 3-4 oz of club soda into each of the glasses, alternating a couple of times. This helps mix the float without melting the ice cream too fast. Top your dessert cocktail with fruit and serve with a straw and a spoon. Enjoy!

Wine Milkshakes are almost as easy as wine floats, the biggest difference being the blender. You’ll need ice cream and wine. Fruit, whip cream and other mix-ins are an optional addition.

Wine Milkshake Recipe

Serves 2-4 (depending on how thick you like your milkshakes)

Ingredients

1 pint ice cream

1-2 cups Missouri Wine (Chilled!)

1 cup fruit or other mix-ins (Optional)

Directions:

Scoop ice cream into the blender and add wine 1/2 cup at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Pour into glassware of your choice. Top with whip cream and a cherry (optional), and serve with a straw. Enjoy!

*Pro-Tip: Put your glasses or mason jars in the freezer ahead of time. This will keep your frozen treat cold longer.

Flavor Combinations we recommend:

• Chocolate Ice Cream + Chambourcin Wine + Strawberries
• Mango Sorbet + Vignoles Wine + Pineapple
• Vanilla Ice Cream + Concord Wine + Raspberries or Black Grapes
• Vanilla Ice Cream + Vidal Blanc Wine + Melon
• Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Wine + Norton + Cherries
• Vanilla Ice Cream + Sweet Sparkling Wine + Raspberries (If you use this combo for a float, you can skip the club soda and replace it with additional sparkling wine.)

Missouri wine pairs well with ice cream floats and milkshakes!

How can you make ice cream even better? Add wine. Yes, we’re serious. Wine floats and wine-spiked milkshakes are the dessert/beverage of the future. They are completely customizable to your favorite flavor combinations, decadent and delicious, and will be a hit with pretty much everyone you know. Try these recipes for wine floats and milkshakes next time you’re looking for a unique dessert/cocktail.

So, how do you go about making a wine float? It is surprisingly simple. All you need is ice cream (or sorbet), wine, club soda, and fruit. However, the fun really comes in with the combinations.

Wine Float Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients-

1 pint ice cream

1 bottle (750mL) Missouri wine

16 oz of club soda

1 cup fruit

Directions-

You can use any glassware you’d like as long as it is can accommodate 16 ounces or so; mason jars work for a fun presentation. To assemble the wine floats, scoop approximately ½ cup of ice cream (this is usually about 2 scoops) into each of the glasses. Pour 4-6 oz. of wine and 3-4 oz of club soda into each of the glasses, alternating a couple of times. This helps mix the float without melting the ice cream too fast. Top your dessert cocktail with fruit and serve with a straw and a spoon. Enjoy!

Wine Milkshakes are almost as easy as wine floats, the biggest difference being the blender. You’ll need ice cream and wine. Fruit, whip cream and other mix-ins are an optional addition.

Wine Milkshake Recipe

Serves 2-4 (depending on how thick you like your milkshakes)

Ingredients

1 pint ice cream

1-2 cups Missouri Wine (Chilled!)

1 cup fruit or other mix-ins (Optional)

Directions:

Scoop ice cream into the blender and add wine 1/2 cup at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Pour into glassware of your choice. Top with whip cream and a cherry (optional), and serve with a straw. Enjoy!

*Pro-Tip: Put your glasses or mason jars in the freezer ahead of time. This will keep your frozen treat cold longer.

Flavor Combinations we recommend:

• Chocolate Ice Cream + Chambourcin Wine + Strawberries
• Mango Sorbet + Vignoles Wine + Pineapple
• Vanilla Ice Cream + Concord Wine + Raspberries or Black Grapes
• Vanilla Ice Cream + Vidal Blanc Wine + Melon
• Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Wine + Norton + Cherries
• Vanilla Ice Cream + Sweet Sparkling Wine + Raspberries (If you use this combo for a float, you can skip the club soda and replace it with additional sparkling wine.)

Missouri wine pairs well with ice cream floats and milkshakes!

The Fourth of July is such a lively holiday full of festivity. What could be more festive than fireworks, after all? No matter how you plan to spend your Independence Day, Missouri wines want to help you celebrate!

Traditional Fourth of July foods and the wines that go with them:

• Hamburgers and Chambourcin
• Hot dogs and Traminette or Rosé
• Barbecue chicken and Catawba
• Salads and Vidal Blanc
• Fresh Fruit and Vignoles

Pair all your favorite summer foods with delicious, locally made Missouri wine!

Create your own festive cocktail with this red, white and blue sangria, the flavors of the berries and pineapple perfectly matched with Missouri Vignoles. Or, build your own sangria perfectly customized to your preferences.

If you want to kick back and let someone else do all the preparation, Missouri wine country has you covered. There are tons of special events and celebrations going on at most of the 120+ wineries in the state. Grab some friends and head out to a winery nearby for a stress-free holiday celebration.

Missouri wine pairs well with the Fourth of July!

If you're like many people, the label of a wine affects which wine you buy to some extent. Wine labels can tell you a lot about the wine inside and where it comes from if you know what to look for.

Vidal Blanc is a French-American Hybrid white wine grape that we grow quite a bit of here in Missouri. Why does it get its own month? Because it’s just so versatile! It’s made into wines of every style from sparkling, to dry white, to dessert wines. And on top of all that versatility in the wine-making arena, it holds its own in the realm of food and wine pairings as well. There are so many delicious ways to pair this versatile varietal with your favorite foods.

Sparkling wines made from Vidal Blanc are dry and refreshing. They pair perfectly with:

• Brunch- on its own in a flute or made into a delicious sparkling wine cocktail
• Fried Chicken- No kidding! The bubbles are perfection with this greasy, juicy comfort food.
• Oysters- talk about true decadence
• Fresh Berries- for a light and lovely starter or dessert

Vidal Blanc table wines range from dry to semi-sweet and their crisp flavors of apple and citrus are ideally matched with:

• Herbed goat cheese- spread on a cracker or crumbled on a fresh salad
• Pesto- the fresh herbs, the olive oil, the pine nuts… they all work very well with Vidal Blanc
• Green veggies- from broccoli, to asparagus, to romaine
• Seafood- everything from sushi, to ceviche, to crab cakes
• Chicken- light chicken and poultry dishes are a great match

Decadently sweet dessert wines made from Vidal Blanc, whether Late Harvest or Ice Wines, are superb when served alongside:

• Roquefort cheese
• Spicy nuts
• Crème brûlée
• Apple tarts
• Panna cotta

Whichever style of Vidal Blanc is your favorite, grab a glass, pair it with some delicious food, and enjoy!

Vidal Blanc pairs well with… too many things to count!

June 18^th is National Picnic Day and that inspired us to put together tips and ideas for planning the perfect picnic. The truth is a picnic can be just about anything you’d like it to be, but these tips and tricks may make your next outdoor dining adventure a little easier.

Location, location, location!

It is vitally important to keep in mind the location when you are planning for a picnic. Where you will be often dictates what you need to pack. For example, if there are tables and seating available, you won’t need to pack a blanket or chairs. If you’re planning to picnic at a Missouri winery, be sure to call ahead and confirm they allow outside food. Many do, but not all.

 Packing tips:

• It’s usually best to plan for two primary containers… a basket/bag/backpack to hold your tableware (plates, utensils, napkins, glasses/cups, etc.) and nonperishable items, and a cooler to hold your cold foods and beverages.
• Pack in reverse. Setting up your picnic will be a breeze if you pack in order of what you’ll need first. (i.e. Your blanket should be the last thing you pack since it is the first thing you’ll need to set up.)
  • While we’re on the topic of blankets, keep in mind there are lots of options in addition to blankets for seating. Lightweight jute rugs, vinyl tablecloths, and large beach towels all work just as well as the traditional blanket or quilt.
• Picnics usually take place a substantial distance from home, making it particularly inconvenient if you forget something. When making your packing list, check every item off the list as it is packed to ensure you have everything you need for a lovely time.
• Don’t forget the corkscrew, bottle opener, and a sharp knife. These are tools that simply cannot be replaced by plastic cutlery. While you are at it, it’s not a bad idea to include a small cutting board.
• Pack a few plastic bags. These come in handy for dirty dishes and more when you are cleaning up after your picnic.
• A tip for saving space while packing your cooler is to freeze bottles of water or lemonade. They will thaw and can be enjoyed during your picnic, but will help keep your food cold in the meantime.

Choosing the food and beverages:

• Mayonnaise can spoil rather quickly and become unsafe to eat. If you’re packing sandwiches consider some alternatives. Maybe ditch the mayo for mustard, pesto or hummus. This sandwich and wine pairing guide will help you select the best wines to accompany your meal.
• An assortment of cheeses, fruits, spreads, and crackers or breads are great for a picnic. Be sure to keep the cheeses cold in your cooler and try to closely estimate how much food you’ll need. Leftovers aren’t likely to be a good idea due to their perishable nature. This cheese and wine guide will help you pick the perfect wines.
• Salads and fresh fruits and vegetables are ideal to accompany most picnic foods. This food and wine guide is a great place to start matching up your menu with wine. Keep in mind, what grows together, goes together!
• Pack some frozen grapes to add to your glass of chilled wine to keep it cool throughout your picnic without watering down your vino.

We hope these tips for planning the perfect picnic come in handy soon.

Missouri wine pairs well with picnics!

The Official State Grape of Missouri might be red, but there are several truly exceptional white grape varietals being grown in the Show-Me state. White wine grapes account for nearly forty percent of the grapes grown in the state, and they are being used to make some delicious, award-winning wines in a large variety of styles perfect for the warmer weather of Spring and Summer.

The most popular white grapes in Missouri are Vignoles, Vidal Blanc, Chardonel, Traminette, Seyval Blanc and Cayuga. How many of these varietals have you tried?

Vignoles (pronounced veen-yole) is the most popular white grape in the state and is used to make everything from Late Harvest dessert wines, to refreshing, fruity dry whites. Most frequently, you’ll find semi-sweet to semi-dry Vignoles wines with wonderfully fruity aromas and flavors. No wonder it’s so popular! Vignoles is exceptional when paired with spicy foods like Mexican cuisine or spicy Asian dishes.

Vidal Blanc is an incredibly versatile grape and you’ll find wines made from it in the dessert, sparkling, semi-dry, and crisp, refreshing dry wine categories. It’s delicious and award-winning in many of its styles. Search them out and find your favorite!

Chardonel is a hybrid grape and wines made from it are often aged on oak, producing wines similar in style and flavor to one of its parent grapes, Chardonnay. You can also find unoaked Chardonel wines at some Missouri wineries, letting more of the apple and citrus notes of the grape shine through.

Traminette is also a hybrid grape and it gets fantastic floral aromas from its parent, Gewürztraminer. This grape is made into white wines ranging from semi-sweet to dry and is delicious on its own or paired with Thai and Indian food.

We could go on and on about how delicious and fantastic Missouri white wines are, but it’s way more fun for you to get out to Missouri wine country and try them for yourself.

Missouri white wines pair well with warm weather!

Hamburgers are a truly classic comfort food, and it’s no surprise. They are the perfect option for pleasing everyone. No, really. Let’s break it down. They are easy to cook, limitlessly customizable, and great for feeding practically any size group. Now, what could be better than grilling a burger with friends on a warm day? Enjoying a delicious glass of Missouri wine with that burger, that’s what!

Missouri Chambourcin with its earthy flavors and soft tannins is a great pairing for hamburgers. You can’t go wrong with a glass of Chambourcin and a burger, but if you like to ramp up you burger with barbecue sauce or blue cheese, a Missouri Norton is also a good choice. Or you can break out of the norm and try a dry rosé at your next cook-out. Rosés are  fruity and light, making them incredibly versatile when paired with food. Make it simple and grab a bottle of each to have alongside burgers at your next gathering.

The components of a great burger bar:

(Pro-tip: If you set your burger bar up in this order, building your best hamburger couldn’t be easier!)

• Bread: Start with a great selection of buns and rolls. A classic white and wheat are great, but consider spicing things up a little with sesame, onion or ciabatta rolls.
• Patties: Offering a couple of patty options is sure to keep everyone happy. Beef is the classic choice and is quite delicious, but consider having a few turkey or chicken burger patties and even a veggie burger option if you’re feeding a variety of people.
• Cheese: A hamburger is great, but a cheeseburger is superb. There are so many delicious cheese options out there, but some frequent favorites include cheddar, swiss, bleu cheese, muenster and pepper jack. (If you think the cheese is the best part of a cheeseburger, you’ll like this wine and cheese pairing guide.)
• Extras: The “extras” are where you get to have the real fun. Some classic options: lettuce, tomato, pickles, bacon, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized or fried onions… Out of the box options: coleslaw, avocado or guacamole, jalapenos, bacon jam, or anything else that happens to sounds good to you at the time.
• Condiments: You can’t forget the condiments! They are the finishing touch to any good burger. Mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup are the regulars, but barbecue sauce, sriracha, horseradish, and rhubarb-wine ketchup are also great ideas to spice up your burger bar. This handy infographic can tell you which Missouri wines pair with your favorite condiment.

Assemble your best burger bar just in time for Memorial Day! Plus, May happens to be National Beef Month. How convenient is that?

Missouri wine pairs well with your favorite burger!

Red wine is traditionally paired with red meat and white wine with white meat and fish, right? Yes, generally that’s true. However, in the culinarily and culturally expansive world in which we now live, there are no hard and fast rules. There are many beef dishes that are better suited to a glass of white wine than the traditional red. Here are some great pairings to give a try this month. After all, May is National Beef Month!

Appetizers: 

• A classic and elegant steak tartare is perfectly complemented by a dry, sparkling wine. Find several award-winning Missouri Bruts here. 
• Asian beef lettuce wraps are great with a glass of semi-sweet Vignoles. The fruitiness will pair well with the flavors and the slight sweetness will help squelch the fire left from the spiciness of the dish.
• Beef sliders with feta cheese and crispy fried onions are rich and decadent, but pair them with a glass of refreshing sparkling wine for a truly pleasant surprise. 
• These steamed then fried beef spring rolls are sure to be a hit and are well matched to a slightly sweet sparkling wine. 

Main Dishes:

• The bright citrus flavors and lightness of Thai beef salad is perfectly paired with a glass of semi-dry Vignoles. 
• Cooking a baron of beef is a true classic, but allowing the dish to shine by pairing it with a simple, yet delicious glass of Vidal Blanc will be a nice change of pace. 
• Curry beef with aromatic rice is a wonderfully flavorful main course and couldn’t ask for a better match than a glass of Traminette. 
• Citrus marinated beef and fruit kabobs are a great option for grilling and go decidedly well with a glass of Vignoles. 

The next time you head into the kitchen, try out one of these fun and delicious pairings. 

Missouri wine (even white wine) pairs well with beef!