Thursday, April 23, 2015

New Reception and Banquet Center at Seven Springs Winery

The new reception and banquet hall at our Lake of the Ozarks winery is nearing completion. The new building will accommodate up to 350 guests. A full service kitchen and bar complete this new event center. We will be able to provide for every guests' wants, desires and expectations to make their dream event come true!


Events at Seven Springs Winery


Seven Springs Winery is a full service facility, and we can supply all of the extras you need for your event to be a success! From weddings to receptions, rehearsal dinners to corporate events and parties, our winery offers the perfect Lake of the Ozarks event venue. We schedule events every day of the week and offer flexible setup times on the day of your event.

  • Event coordinator to help you plan your special day; including referrals for everything from florist to local hotels and transportation.
  • You and up to six people can taste your menu choices and view your presentation to ensure the best meal for your event.
  • Banquet chairs and tables complete with china, glassware, and silverware. (Classic white or black linens are available for rental.)
  • Sound system for speeches, background music, and also a flat screen television for showing pictures on DVDs during your cocktail reception.
  • Complete setup and cleanup of tables and chairs by our event staff.
  • Our event coordinator will be present on your day to ensure everything runs according to your wishes!

A spacious back patio with waterfall, fountain and gazebo will be finished soon! Our winery is conveniently located between Osage Beach and Camdenton, less than a 10 minute drive from either location. Give Seven Springs Winery a call at 573-317-0100. Don't delay...book your event today!

Come for the wine...Stay for the atmosphere...Remember the view! 

Seven Springs is the finest Winery at the Lake of the Ozarks with a full service facility perfect for outdoor weddings, receptions, rehearsal dinners, corporate events and parties.  Call us today to make reservations for your special event!

Seven Springs Winery
573.317.0100
846 Winery Hills Estates
Linn Creek, MO 65052

Friday, April 17, 2015

4 Wine Cork Myths

One of the greatest things about wines is that satisfying sound when you pop the cork on a brand new bottle of wine. However, many wineries have been switching to screw caps and plastic closures. There are a lot of myths out there in regards to why this is happening and Seven Springs Winery is here to set the record straight! Here is the truth behind these 4 common wine cork myths:

Myth #1: There is a cork shortage, which has lead to using more screw caps. 


There is no such thing as a cork shortage. In fact, there is enough cork to close all the bottles of wine produced for the next 100 years. Consumers are accepting the change under the misconception that cork trees are dying out, but the real threat is the decline in demand. The cork industry is under serious threat since 70% of cork production goes towards wine producing.

Myth #2: Wine cannot be "tainted if closed with a screw cap or plastic. 


Wineries are choosing screw caps and plastic closure for financial reasons, not wine quality. About 2% of all screw cap wines are affected by some sort of "taint." Plastic is also not "safe" as many may think. Wine is a solvent due to its alcohol content. When plastic and solvents come in contact, there is leaching (much the same as with the screw cap). Also, recent studies have shown higher than normal levels of endocrine disruptors in wines closed with screw caps because of the plastic seal inside the cap.

Myth #3: Trees have to be cut down to make corks for wine bottles. 


The trees are not cut down, they are harvested, by hand, every 9 years. A cork tree that is harvested of its bark will, over its lifetime, absorb 10 tons more CO2 than one not harvested. Cork forests support one of  our planet's highest levels of forest biodiversity and keep 6.6 million acres of the Mediterranean basin from becoming a desert.

Myth #4: Screw caps and plastic are more environmentally friendly than cork. 


Screw caps and plastic closures are not sustainably sourced or biodegradable. Mining for bauxite remains one of the most environmentally devastating practices on our planet. The aluminum industry alone uses 1% of all the electricity generated in the world. Contrary to popular belief, screw caps are not recycled here in the U.S. They are too small to be picked up in the sorting facilities and end up in landfills. While plastic closures are recyclable, less than 1% of them ever are. They end up in landfills, being incinerated or floating around in our oceans. Plastic never goes away; it may break down into small particles, but it is here forever.

Our Lake of the Ozarks winery sits atop 160 acres of rolling Missouri foothills between Camdenton and Osage Beach. The winery is less than a 10 minute drive from either location. The covered porch and patio area are ideal for enjoying a glass of wine and admiring the beautiful views. Stop by and see us today!

Come for the wine...Stay for the atmosphere...Remember the view! 

Seven Springs is the finest Winery at the Lake of the Ozarks with a full service facility perfect for outdoor weddings, receptions, rehearsal dinners, corporate events and parties.  Call us today to make reservations for your special event!

Seven Springs Winery
573.317.0100
846 Winery Hills Estates
Linn Creek, MO 65052

Friday, April 10, 2015

How to Properly Taste Wine

Drinking wine is a lot different than tasting wine. You could drink wine the same way you drink a beer or a mixed drink, but you wouldn't be getting the whole experience. To experience the true flavor of a Seven Springs Wine, you must slow down and pay attention to your senses. There are 3 basic steps for tasting wine: Look, Smell and Taste.


1. Look. 

The first step is to just examine the wine in your glass. You want to fill the glass about 1/3 of the way up. Start by looking straight down into the glass. By looking down, you get a sense of the depth of color, which gives a clue to the density and saturation of the wine. Next hold the glass up to the light and tilt it so the wine rolls toward the edge of the glass. (Never hold the glass by its bowl, only by the stem as your hand will quickly warm the liquid.) This will allow you to see the complete color range of the wine and not just the dark center. 
If the color is consistent from the core all the way out to the rim, you can guess that the wine has some age to it. Whereas if the rim has more of a watery color, the wine is probably pretty young.While murky wine could be a sign of chemical or fermentation problems, it might just be that the wine was unfiltered or has some sediment due to being shaken up before being poured. A wine that looks clear and brilliant, with some sparkle is always a good sign. Finally it is important to give the glass a good swirl to really open up in the glass and aerate. Notice how the wine runs down the sides of the glass. Wines that form good legs are wines with more alcohol and glycerin content, which generally means they are bigger, riper, more mouth-filling and dense than those that do not.   
 

2. Smell. 

After you've swirled the wine, it's time to take a sniff. Don't bury your nose in the glass, but simply hover over the top and take a series of quick, short sniffs. Now step away and let the smell sink in. Try to look for any of the following aromas to help you better understand the wine's characteristics:
Aromas 
  • Fruit Aromas
    • Wine is made from grapes, so it should smell like fresh fruit, unless it is very old, very sweet or very cold. Fruit scents can help you identify the growing conditions. 
  • Flowers, Leaves, Herbs, Spices & Vegetables
    • Floral aromas are common in cool climate white wines. 
    • Another common aroma might be characterized as earthy, meaning scents of mushrooms, damp earth, leather and rock.
    • Scents of earth, mineral and rock sometimes exist in the very finest white and red wines.
  • Wine Barrel Aromas
    • If you smell toast, smoke, vanilla, chocolate, espresso, roasted nuts, or even caramel in a wine, you are most likely picking up scents from aging in new oak barrels.
  • Secondary Aromas
    • Young white wines and young sparkling wines may have a scent very reminiscent of beer due to the yeast. 
    • Some dessert wines smell strongly of honey, which is evidence of botrytis, often called noble rot. 
    • A smell of buttered popcorn or caramel means that wine has most likely been put through a secondary malolactic fermentation, which softens the wine and opens up the aromas. 
    • Older wines have more complex, less fruity aromas.

Wine Flaws
  • Look for off-aromas that indicate a wine is spoiled. 
  • If you smell burnt matches, the wine may have been bottled with a strong dose of SO2. This will blow off with some vigorous swirling. 
  • If you smell vinager, that indicates volatile acidity. 
  • If you smell nail polish remover, it is ethyl acetate. 
  • An undesirable yeast smell indicates Brettanomyces. A little bit of "brett" gives red wines an earthy, leathery component, while too much obliterates all the flavors of fruit. 

3. Taste. 

Once you have looked at and smelled the wine, it's finally time to taste it! Take a sip rather than a large gulp. Try sucking on it as if you were pulling it through a straw; this simply aerates the wine and circulates it throughout your mouth. If you've done your sniffing thoroughly, the taste should follow right along where the aromas left off. Aside from the flavors, you are also using your taste buds to determine if the wine is:
  • Balanced - A balanced wine should have its basic flavor components in good proportion. Our taste buds detect sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. If a wine is too sour, too sugary, too astringent, too hot (alcoholic), too bitter, or too flabby (lack of acid) then it is not a well-balanced wine.
  • Harmonious - A harmonious wine has all of its flavors seamlessly integrated. It's possible for the components to be proportioned well, but not blended together. 
  • Complex - Complex wines seem to dance in your mouth. They change, even as you’re tasting them. Simply note how long the flavors linger after you swallow.
  • Complete - A complete wine is balanced, harmonious, complex and evolved, with a lingering, satisfying finish.
Now that you understand the basics of wine tasting, it's time to give it a try! Come on in to our Lake of the Ozarks winery for a taste. Sample any 3 of our wines for FREE or sample all 12 for just $8 and receive a wine glass as a souvenir! See you soon! 
Source: http://www.winemag.com/how-to-taste-wine/

Come for the wine...Stay for the atmosphere...Remember the view! 

Seven Springs is the finest Winery at the Lake of the Ozarks with a full service facility perfect for outdoor weddings, receptions, rehearsal dinners, corporate events and parties.  Call us today to make reservations for your special event!

Seven Springs Winery
573.317.0100
846 Winery Hills Estates
Linn Creek, MO 65052

Friday, April 3, 2015

Try These Easter Recipes (with Suggested Wine Pairings)

Easter is a time to gather with family and friends to enjoy a special meal together. Just like the traditional turkey at Thanksgiving, there are certain dishes you will find at many Easter dinners. You will typically find either Ham or Lamb for the main dish. So what wine pairs best with these traditional Easter menu items? Keep reading for some new recipes to try and which of our Lake of the Ozarks wines to pair with each!

Photo From: The Pioneer Woman
Glazed Easter Ham

Recipe From: www.thepioneerwoman.com

Wine Pairing: Seven Springs Chardonel

Ingredients: 
  • 1 whole Fully Cooked Bone-in Ham (15-18 pounds) 
  • Whole Cloves 
  • 3 cups Brown Sugar 
  • 1/2 cup Spicy Brown Mustard 
  • 1 can Dr. Pepper or Coke
  • 3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

Instructions: 
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F. 
  2. Score the surface of the ham in a diamond pattern about 1/8-inch deep. Place cloves in the middle of each diamond. Place the ham in a large roasting pan with a rack, tent it with foil, and bake for 2 to 2/12 hours---or longer, depending on the package directions. (Some hams may require 3 to 3 1/2 hours at a lower temp; just check the package.)
  3. Heat the brown sugar, mustard, vinegar and soda in a small saucepan until bubbly. Cook until reduced and a bit thicker, about 15 minutes.
  4. After about 2 hours of baking time, remove the foil and brush the glaze on the ham in 20 minutes intervals (put the ham back in the oven, uncovered, in between) until it's nice and glossy. Remove from the oven and allow to rest 15-20 minutes before carving.

Photo From: All Recipes
Garlic and Herb Lamb

Recipe From: www.allrecipes.com

Wine Pairing: Seven Springs Syrah

Ingredients: 
  • 1 (5 lb) Leg of Lamb 
  • 3 cloves Garlic, cut into slivers
  • 3 tsp Dried Dill Weed 
  • 1 1/2 tsp Salt 
  • 1 tsp Dried Rosemary, crushed
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

Instructions: 
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  2. Puncture the leg of lamb with the tip of a knife just far enough to insert slivers of garlic into the holes. Mix together the dill, salt and rosemary, and rub over the leg of lamb. Place the lamb, fatty side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
  3. Roast uncovered for 2 to 2 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, to an internal temperature of 155 degrees F (68 degrees C) for medium. Tent with aluminum foil and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes before carving. The lamb will continue to cook a little bit, and the juices will set up better for carving.

Photo From: Heidikins Cooks
Bacon Avocado Deviled Eggs 

Recipe From: www.heidikinscooks.com

Wine Pairing: Seven Springs Muscato Sparkling

Ingredients:
  • 12 Eggs
  • 1/2 cup Mayo
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard 
  • 4 Green Onions, minced
  • White Pepper, to taste
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 Avocado, sliced thin and chopped into very teeny pieces
  • 6 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Instructions: 
  1. Place eggs in large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and boil for 30 minutes. Give eggs a cold water bath and let them sit and cool. 
  2. Carefully crack each egg all over on the counter and without removing the shell, replace in cold water bath (this allows a little water to get under the shell and will make peeling them a million times easier). By the time you’ve got all of them cracked, you can start peeling the first ones. Carefully remove the shell and any of the slimy skin stuff. Rinse any leftover shell pieces off with cold water.
  3. Slice each egg in half lengthwise with a non-serrated knife. Carefully shake or scoop out the yolk and place the shell on a plate (or in one of those fancy Deviled Egg plates if you have one). 
  4. Add mayo, mustard, and minced onions to egg yolks and mash with a fork, stirring until relatively smooth. Add salt and white pepper. Give it a good taste test and adjust any quantities as necessary.
  5. Spoon the egg mixture into a ziploc bag, snip off the corner and smoosh the eggs yolks back into their shells.
  6.  Carefully push a couple bits of avocado and a pinch of bacon bits on the top of each egg.  Voila!  
Seven Springs Winery hopes you have a wonderful Easter dinner! Be sure to stop by our Lake of the Ozarks winery and pick up a bottle of wine to go with your meal this weekend. Your family and friends will not be disappointed. See you soon!

Come for the wine...Stay for the atmosphere...Remember the view! 

Seven Springs is the finest Winery at the Lake of the Ozarks with a full service facility perfect for outdoor weddings, receptions, rehearsal dinners, corporate events and parties.  Call us today to make reservations for your special event!

Seven Springs Winery
573.317.0100
846 Winery Hills Estates
Linn Creek, MO 65052