Looking for a delicious, fruity treat that isn’t too indulgent? Granita is similar to a sorbet, but the texture is different. It is a sort of mixture between shaved ice and sorbet. Traditional Sicilian granita has three ingredients: Fruit, water or juice and sugar. We have tweaked the traditional recipe to add ginger and honey for a complex and delicious flavor as well as replacing most of the fruit juice with Missouri wine. This change not only makes for a great tasting granita, but also helps achieve an icy texture without allowing the granita to become frozen too solidly.

Peach Vignoles Granita Recipe

Ingredients:

3 lbs    Fresh peaches (approx. 9)

2 Tbsp Fresh ginger, grated

1 Tbsp Lemon juice

2 Tbsp Honey

¾ cup  Dry Vignoles wine*

Optional: Fresh mint leaves for garnish

*If you use a sweet or semi-sweet Vignoles, adjust the amount of honey to your desired sweetness level.

Instructions:

1. Freeze a 9 x 13 pan for 30 minutes.
2. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the base of each peach with a X. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Using a slotted spoon, carefully drop in peaches and simmer gently for 2 minutes. Transfer the peaches to an ice bath.
3. When cool enough to handle, use a small sharp knife to remove skins. Cut peaches off the stones and into chunks.
4. Place peaches, lemon juice, ginger, honey and Vignoles in a blender and blend until smooth.
5. Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Cover and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour or until the edges and the top are frozen.
6. Using a fork, scrape the mixture into ice flakes. Return it to the freezer and repeat this every 30 minutes until you reach your desired consistency and it is fully frozen.
7. Divide the granita between chilled serving glasses or bowls.
8. Optional: Top with extra peach slices and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

This recipe for Peach Vignoles Granita is ideal for hot summer days, and the Missouri Vignoles makes it a truly unique and delightful dish!

Rewards! Rewards! Read all about it!

Missouri wine month is less than two weeks away. In preparation for our biggest month of the year, we decided to introduce a limited-time incentive to the Rewards Uncorked program.

Between September 1 and September 30, check in at any 10 participating wineries and receive a limited-edition Missouri Wines blanket. You do not want to miss out on this incentive, as it will only be offered during the month of September. Once you visit 10 wineries, redeem your reward.

Start saving points by exploring Missouri wine country and stay on the lookout for new rewards later this fall.

All 10 visits must occur between 9/1/2023 and 9/30/2023. Limit one blanket per person. All incentive stadium blankets will ship in October to validated point redeemers. Points will be refunded to those redeeming points for visits outside of the designated timeframe.

Tips for Floating and Boating with Wine!

There is no doubt that spending time on Missouri lakes, rivers, and streams leads to some of the best summertime memories. Enjoying Missouri wines on the water adds to the Show Me state experience all while providing that refreshing sip of delightful flavor. It’s important to always follow park rules and be respectful of other patrons and native creatures on Missouri waterfronts. Here is a list of tips that can help you safely enjoy wine on the water this summer.

1. Choose appropriate stemware.

There are countless options for silicone, plastic, or stainless-insulated wine vessels on the market. Choose the right one for you that will allow you to fully experience wine on the go. Toss it in the cooler and be ready for a glass of wine when the time is right. Never pack along a real glass as this can be dangerous to you and others should an accidental mishap occur.

2. Ditch the original bottle.

Since it’s not a wise idea to pack along a real wine glass, you should also leave behind the glass bottle of wine. Instead, pour the wine into a travel-safe bottle that you can place in a cooler and keep at an appropriate temperature. They make insulated bottles specifically for wine, but any sturdy water bottle will do the trick and allow you to pack your wine on the water.

3. Search for alternative packaged wine.

There are several Missouri wineries that offer canned wine or pouches that are ready to chill and pack along wherever the water might lead this summer.

4. Stay hydrated with water.

The hot Missouri sun on a long day of floating, boating, or swimming can put you at risk of dehydration. Always pack along plenty of H₂0. A good rule to follow is to drink two glasses of water to one glass of wine, especially on the hottest days.

5. Enjoy wine responsibly on the water.

We encourage you to enjoy your favorite Missouri wine responsibly while you soak up the beauty that can be found throughout the state. Be safe and soak up the sweet Missouri sunshine!

Knowing all the right moves to make when it comes to serving your favorite Missouri wines can sometimes be intimidating. Everything from how much you should buy for your guests, to the order in which you should taste your way through a lineup of wines, we have some quick tips for you. Whether you are looking to impress your friends at the next gathering, or simply seeking to elevate your wine game, here is the ultimate Missouri Wine Survival Guide.

Whether you are looking for a sweet or dry style, Vignoles is your go-to white wine! This fruity favorite is the featured varietal for August.

This hybrid grape accounts for 15.4% of all grapes grown in Missouri, covering 262.2 grape bearing acres. This wine is sought after due to it being less susceptible to late frost damage with a later bud opening period. Best enjoyed chilled, this fruity and light wine has citrus, floral and tropical notes. Making it a staple wine that smells as pleasant as it tastes.

Vignoles pairs well with a variety of foods, especially hot and spicy dishes. It is great paired with bold flavors like spicy pork, chicken and cheeses, peppers, Mexican, curries and hot sauce. On the other side, this varietal can complement strawberries, apricots and cheesecake.

This varietal received numerous top honors at the 2023 Missouri Wine Competition. It claimed three Best of Class Awards – Best Dry White, Best Semi-Dry White, Best Sweet White. This varietal is clearly quite versatile, making it a winemaker’s common choice as a desired sweetness wine.

With its fruity flavors and luscious floral aroma, this varietal can easily be enjoyed on a warm Missouri summer day.

 Peanut Butter and Concord Cheesecake

The nostalgic flavors of peanut butter and grape jelly are achieved with a fun flare in this delicious cheesecake recipe. Impress your guests and savor each bite when you mix up a perfect crumbly peanut butter crust filled with a classic cheesecake and topped with Concord glaze.

Makes 10-inch springform pan

Time: 1.5 hours and 3 hours of cooling

For the crust

1 3/4 C graham cracker crumbs

1/2 C creamy peanut butter

1/4 C sugar, divided

1 large egg

For the filling

3 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened

1 C sugar

1 C sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

For the Concord glaze

1 C Concord wine

1 C sugar

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 325°F.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, sugar and egg with an electric mixer until smooth. In a 10-inch springform pan, evenly press the mix into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides.
3. In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Continue beating until mixture is fluffy and then pour into crust.
4. Bake cheesecake for 1 hour or until the center is almost set. Cool for 1 hour on a wire rack and then refrigerate for at minimum 3 hours or overnight.
5. In a small saucepan, mix together wine and sugar until it begins to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the glaze begins to thicken. Remove from heat and allow glaze to cool completely before serving.
6. Drizzle glaze over the entire cheesecake or each slice before serving. Top with crushed peanuts for texture, if desired. Serve with a glass of Concord for an enhanced experience and enjoy!

Summer means it’s barbecue time! Start planning some savory recipes by incorporating Missouri based BBQ sauce, while pairing it with some delicious Missouri wine. From sweet to spicy, experience the best wine for every type of sauce style.

Check out our pairing guide and start grilling now!

And the winners are…

We would like to congratulate our winners from this year’s Missouri Wine Competition and acknowledge the 265 wines that represented all regions of Missouri wine country. Thirty wineries participated in this competition, all contributing to producing the highest quality wines Missouri has to offer.

Each wine that was entered was blindly tasted and evaluated by a panel of seven judges from across the U.S. and one industry judge. Through this process, wines were awarded bronze, silver, and gold rankings. Wines that received a gold medal distinction competed for the honor of a Best of Class award. The top wines from each category then competed for the ultimate recognition, the prestigious Governor’s Cup Award. This award is presented to the best wine in the state.

The winner of the 2023 Governor’s Cup is Stone Hill Winery’s 2020 Old Vine Reserve Norton. The C.V. Riley Award for best Norton went to Stone Hill Winery’s 2020 Old Vine Reserve Norton. The C.V. Riley award recognizes the official state grape and is named after the first state entomologist, who also helped save the French wine industry.

“It’s a great honor to be awarded the 2023 Governor’s Cup, C. V. Riley award and Best of Class Dry Red for our 2020 vintage Old Vine Reserve Norton” says Jon Held, Stone Hill Winery President. “This wine is extremely unique since it’s produced entirely from a pre-prohibition vineyard of Norton vines planted during the 1860’s. This tiny ¼ acre vineyard only yields two to three barrels of wine per year. This precious vineyard was the source of cutting wood for renewed plantings of Norton as the Missouri wine industry was restarting in the 1960’s. It is a special tribute to win with a wine from these old vines since we celebrated the 175^th anniversary of Stone Hill Winery last year. As always, our success is due to all the members of our dedicated team whose efforts continue to produce stellar wines year after year.”  

The Husmann-Jaeger award for best white varietal wine went to St. James Winery’s 2022 Vignoles. This is the first year this award is being presented and it is named after George Husmann and Hermann Jaeger. Both of these influential men were integral in the early development of the Missouri wine industry.

“We are honored to be recognized for the best white varietal wine in Missouri,” says Andrew Meggitt, St. James Winery Executive Winemaker. “Given the changes in our climate, our teams in the cellar and vineyard have been working hard to make adjustments to how we grow grapes and make wine. This award confirms that the changes we are making are increasing quality.”

A big round of applause for this year’s Best of Class winners:

Sparkling: Stone Hill Winery – Blanc de Blancs

Dry White: St. James Winery – 2022 Vignoles

Semi-Dry White: Jowler Creek Winery – 2022 Vignoles

Sweet White: Stone Hill Winery – 2022 Vignoles

Dry Red: Stone Hill Winery – 2020 Old Vine Reserve Norton

Semi-Dry Red: Augusta Winery – 2019 Barrel Select Chambourcin Estate Bottled

Sweet Red: Montelle Winery – Stone House Red

Dry Rosé: Röbller Vineyard – St. Vincent Rosé

Semi-Dry Rosé: St. James Winery – Friendship School Rosé

Sweet Rosé: St. James Winery – Velvet Rosé

Dessert: Adam Puchta Winery – 1855

Late Harvest/Ice Wine – Stone Hill Winery – 2021 Late Harvest Vignoles

Fruit: St. James – Sparkling Blackberry

This was the third year of the label competition, which was judged by an expert panel of judges. This competition helps recognize wineries that have stand-out labels, design elements and overall bottle appearance. The winners of each category are below:

Traditional Label: Noboleis Vineyards – 2022 Amber Vidal Blanc

Contemporary Label: Les Bourgeois Vineyards – Collector’s Series: 2022 Noiret

Alternative Packaging: Noboleis Vineyards – Swirl Raspberry & Papaya Sangria

Best Wine Series: St. James Winery – Explorer Collection: Project 1970, 38 Degrees North, Estate Norton, Vignoles

People’s Choice Award: Dale Hollow Winery – Catawba

Find the complete list of the 2023 award-winning wines here Make sure to taste these wonderful winning wines next time you’re exploring Missouri wine country.