Wine Country
Missouri’s wineries beckon with relaxation, scenic beauty

Tucked amid scenic river valleys, small towns and verdant farmland across the state, Missouri wineries are an inviting way to spend several days exploring or just a peaceful afternoon tasting the region’s bounty.

Missouri’s wine-making heritage dates to the mid-1800s, and more than 40 wineries operate around the state today. However, the largest cluster of wineries is in the state’s east-central section. From the rolling vistas of the Ozark Highlands around St. James to the old-world German heritage of Hermann to the arching valleys of the Missouri River Valley in Augusta, each area offers inspiring beauty, great attractions and award-winning wines.

Each of the wineries offers free tastes of the wines they produce to help visitors select one, and most offer tours of their wine-making facilities. To help visitors wile away the hours, many also sell cheese, crackers and sausage. However, when touring the wineries, it’s a good idea to select a designated driver or stay in a local hotel or bed-and-breakfast inn.

Autumn is the perfect time to visit the wineries because most hold celebrations featuring entertainment, dancing and food. To receive a brochure listing each winery, call the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Grape and Wine Program at 1-800-392-9463, or visit www.missouriwine.org.

Ozark Highlands

Start a wine country tour in Steelville, located about eight miles south of Interstate 44 on Highway 19. Steelville has several souvenir shops, and canoe rentals are available for the nearby Meramec, Courtois and Huzzah rivers.

Roughly four miles west of Steelville off Highway 8 is the Peaceful Bend Vineyard, located on a scenic section of the Meramec River called Peaceful Bend. Apart from a wine garden and pavilion, the winery offers a trail to the Meramec River where visitors can sip wines on a small deck. For details, call (573) 775-3000, or visit www.peacefulbendvineyard.com.

Further west on Highway 8 is Maramec Spring Park, a 1,860-acre park where anglers can fish for trout and history buffs can tour two museums. The Maramec Museum focuses on the park’s natural aspects and the Maramec Iron Works, which supplied iron for Civil War gunboats and cannonballs. The Agriculture Museum displays farm equipment from bygone eras. Plus, there’s a cafe, store, camping and more. Park admission is $4 per vehicle. Call (573) 265-7387, or visit www.maramecspringpark.com.

Several miles further west on Highway 8 is St. James, which offers antique shops, specialty stores and cafes. Stop at the Tourism Information Center at I-44 and the St. James exit for information, or call (573) 265-3899.

Four wineries in St. James and the Peaceful Bend Vineyard are nestled in the Ozark Highlands Viticultural Area, which offers vistas of gently rolling hills. The area has been called “Little Italy of the Ozarks” because Italian immigrants settled there in the late 1800s and planted vineyards.

The St. James Winery, not far from the tourism center at 540 Sidney St., features a selection of wines in the tasting room, gourmet foods and gift items, as well as several tables underneath a vine-covered trellis outside. Call (573) 265-7912 or 1-800-280-9463, or visit www.stjameswinery.com.

In a more secluded area tucked among farmland and woods is the Heinrichshaus Vineyard and Winery, which was founded by Heinrich Grohe who immigrated to America from Germany in the 1950s. Located east of St. James on Route U, the winery features a picturesque shaded outdoor terrace and picnic tables. Call (573) 265-5000, or visit www.heinrichshaus.com.

Nearly five miles north from St. James on Route B is the Ferrigno Vineyards and Winery, which features a two-level shaded wine garden overlooking the vineyards that is perfect for picnicking. The winery also has a walking trail that passes through the vineyard. Call (573) 265-7742.

Meramec Vineyards began with a vineyard first planted by one of the original Italian immigrant families to the Ozark Plateau. The winery offers a gift shop, art gallery, a garden, courtyard and a bistro that serves lunch. Call (573) 265-7847 or 1-877-216-9463, or visit www.meramecvineyards.com.

German influences

To experience the old-world charm of a town called “Little Germany,” visit Hermann about 50 miles north of I-44 on Highway 19. Nestled in the Ozark foothills, the hamlet was founded in 1836 by German immigrants because the area reminded them of the Rhine Valley in Germany.

Those Germanic influences are still evident downtown, which features many historic buildings that have been converted into antique shops, bed-and-breakfast inns and restaurants that serve authentic German fare. Stop first at the Visitor Information Center at 312 Market St. to pick up tourist information. For details, call 1-800-932-8687, or visit www.hermannmo.info.

Glimpse early German life in the 1871 German School Building, also known as the Historic Hermann Museum. The museum contains exhibits on the area’s German heritage, Missouri River history, toys and late 19th-century furniture. For hours, admission and details, call (573) 486-2017.

Perhaps the best example of German peasant life can be experienced at the Deutschheim State Historic Site where visitors can tour two homes that reveal the folk art, culture and traditions of settlers from 1830–1880. Most of the furnishings are original to the homes. Tours begin at the historic site office at 109 W. Second St. For tour times, admission and information, call (573) 486-2200, or visit the Web site www.mostateparks.com.

The largest winery in Hermann is Stone Hill Winery, located southwest of downtown off Highway 100 west. Established in 1847 with a labyrinth of underground cellars, the winery is on the National Register of Historic Places. Perched on a hill overlooking the town, it provides a great view for sipping wine and picnicking. The winery’s Vintage Restaurant serves German specialties. Call 1-800-909-9463, or visit www.stonehillwinery.com.

Another historic Hermann winery–the oldest continuously owned family farm winery in Missouri–is the Adam Puchta Winery, which was originally established in 1855. Located two miles west of Hermann on Highway 100, the winery features a scenic patio and picnic tables scattered under pecan and walnut trees. Call (573) 486-5596, or visit www.adampuchtawine.com.

On the eastern edge of town on Highway 100, stop at the Hermannhof Winery, which dates to 1852. A shady arbor outside is a great place to sip wine, and the striking winery and stone cellars are on the National Register of Historic Places. Call 1-800-393-0100, or visit www.hermannhof.com.

Farther east and situated on bluffs overlooking the Missouri River, OakGlenn Vineyards and Winery was originally established in 1859 by renowned horticulturalist George Husmann, a pioneer in the American wine industry. Acres of vineyards slope gently toward the river from the property’s original home. Call 1-877-486-5057, or visit www.oakglenn.com.

Heading east on Highway 100 leads to several small towns and more delightful wineries. Seven miles east of Hermann, turn left on Route B and go nearly 2 miles through Berger to the small family owned Bias Vineyards and Winery. With a vine-covered wood lattice over the patio, the winery provides a lovely spot to relax. Also on the grounds is Gruhlke’s Micro-brewery. For details, call 1-800-905-2427, or visit www.biaswinery.com.

About nine miles farther east on Highway 100 is New Haven and the Röbller Vineyard Winery, which sits atop a hill overlooking the community’s farmland and vineyards. Picnic tables are scattered around the top of the hill and on a deck. Call (573) 237-3986, or visit www.robllerwines.com.

Also in New Haven is the Bommarito Estate Almond Tree Winery, which opened in 2000. The estate offers picturesque views from the patio, and the tasting room has a fireplace for cool autumn days. For more information, call (573) 237-5158, or visit www.bommaritoestatewinery.com.

Farther east on Highway 100 is the town of Washington, which was settled in 1839 by English immigrants, followed by German settlers. Many of the original buildings along the riverfront have been restored and house cafes, specialty shops and bed-and-breakfasts. For more information, call 1-888-7-WASHMO (1-888-792-7466) or visit the Web site www.washmo.org.

Washington is called the “Corn Cob Pipe Capital of the World” because its Missouri Meerschaum Co. is the world’s oldest corn cob pipe manufacturer. Located at the intersection of Front and Cedar streets, it has a museum that displays the history of corn cob pipes, and visitors can buy some of their wares. For hours, call 1-800-888-2109, or visit www.corncobpipe.com.

Also in downtown Washington, visit La Dolce Vita Winery, which has a tasting room in the 1846 Zachariah Foss House overlooking the Missouri River. There’s also a restaurant on site, and a bed-and-breakfast occupies the third floor. Call (636) 390-8180, or visit www.ladolcevitawinery.com.

Missouri Weinstrasse

From Washington, cross the Missouri River on Highway 47 and take Highway 94 east, known as the Missouri Weinstrasse (wine road). Stop in Dutzow at the Blumenhof Vineyards and Winery set in a rustic wood lodge that looks as if it were transplanted from Germany. A spacious deck and large grounds are inviting. Call 1-800-419-2245 for information, or visit www.blumenhof.com.

Farther east on Highway 94 before you reach Augusta is the Louis P. Balducci Vineyards. Wood tables dot the property around the winery with views of the lush hillsides filled with grape vines. The winery serves meals on weekends. Call (636) 482-8466, or visit www.balduccivineyards.com.

Founded in the mid-1800s by German immigrants, Augusta is set amid the green and gold pastures of the Missouri River Valley. The town is easily explored on foot and features antique shops, bed and breakfasts and cafes.

The largest of the area’s five wineries is Mount Pleasant Winery, which dates to 1859. Outside the winery, a deck and a vast expanse of tables and chairs cover a sloping hillside overlooking the Missouri River Valley. For details, call 1-800-467-9463, or visit www.mountpleasant.com.

Also, stop at the Augusta Winery at the intersection of High and Jackson streets. An outdoor terrace shaded by a trellis offers a nice spot to enjoy a chilled glass of wine. Call 1-888-667-9463, or visit www.augustawinery.com.

Another winery with a magnificent view is the Montelle Winery, located off Highway 94 one mile east of Augusta. Situated 400 feet above the Missouri River, the winery offers glorious views from the deck and picnic tables around the grounds. Call 1-888-595-9463, or visit www.montelle.com.

Roughly one mile farther east on Highway 94 is Sugar Creek Winery and Vineyards on property originally owned by frontiersman Daniel Boone. The winery, a terrace, hillside picnic tables and a gazebo all provide nice views of the valley. Call (636) 987-2400, or visit www.sugarcreekwines.com.

Also nearby is the Yellow Farmhouse Vineyard and Winery, located on a site in Defiance that was originally a blacksmith shop and an old general store. Visitors can sip wine from a deck or on a hillside above the winery. For details, call (314) 409-6139, or visit www.yellowfarmhousewines.com.

While in Defiance, don’t miss Chandler Hill Vineyards, which features a 5,000-square-foot tasting room, winery, marketplace and restaurant on property once owned by a freed slave. There’s also a 4,500-square-foot deck. For details, call (636) 798-2675, or visit www.chandlerhillvineyards.com.

For a look into Boone’s life, turn left on Highway F off Highway 94 to get to the Daniel Boone Home. Tours are offered of the home, which dates to the early 1800s, and historic buildings in the adjoining Boonesfield Village. For details, call (636) 798-2005, or visit www.lindenwood.edu/boone.

From St. Louis, take I-44 west 83 miles to Cuba and follow Highway 19 about nine miles south to Steelville. Then follow the directions contained in the article. The approximate round-trip mileage is 260 miles.

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