There’s No Place Like Home – Missouri Wine

When I found out the subject for this issue’s Libations section was local wineries, I was thrilled! Local means the world to me. It means locally owned, and that means the money stays in our community and in Missouri. I love our state, our local community, and especially those who choose to call it home. Oh yeah, and discovering more about wine, maybe even getting to try some of that new wine, too. So let’s talk Missouri and let’s talk Missouri Wine.

From the website www.missouriwine.org:
1837: German settlers established the town of Hermann on the banks of the Missouri River. Although too rocky for many crops, the ground was well suited for growing wine grapes. A decade later, Hermann’s wineries were producing more than 10,000 gallons of wine a year. Eventually, more than 60 wineries populated the small town, and by the 1880s, wine lovers in America and Europe were enjoying 2 million gallons of Missouri wine each year.

Late 1800s: Italian immigrants establish vineyards in the St. James area of Missouri. Missouri’s wine industry thrived at the turn of the century with about 100 wineries throughout the state.

1919: Prohibition dealt a near fatal blow to the Missouri wine industry. When the 18th Amendment was repealed 13 years later, little remained of the once-strong industry.

1960s and 1970s: The rebirth of the commercial wine industry in Missouri began with the restoration of several original wineries. The early pioneers worked hard to regain the former stature of the wine industry amid a slowly changing cultural and regulatory environment.

1980s: A new tax on wine enabled the establishment of the Missouri Wine and Grape program. Augusta became the first federally recognized American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1980. The wine regions around Hermann, the southwest Missouri Ozark mountains and highlands and the south central region around St. James have also been designated as AVAs.

2000: The Missouri wine industry is thriving. The number of wineries has increased and Missouri wineries are producing diverse, complex and sophisticated wines that easily earn top awards in national and international competitions.

2003: The Norton/Cynthiana varietal is passed in legislation as Missouri’s official state grape.

2006: The Institute for Continental Climate Viticulture and Enology is established. ICCVE, funded by the Missouri Wine & Grape Board, conducts research on grape varieties and vineyard management techniques that contribute to the growth of the wine industry in Missouri and the Midwest. Now we’re talking wines local to Lake of the Ozarks, so let’s keep it within approximately a 70-mile radius. Is that truly local? Well I think it is, so these wineries include, in alphabetical order: (descriptions courtesy of missouriwines.org)

Casa de Loco Winery, Camdenton, has a unique history. Just the story of how it got its name will give you reason to come check them out. Casa de Loco has been nominated to the National Register of Historic Sites, and after you’ve read all about how the property went from an exclusive fishing resort to the “house of crazy,” you’ll see why.

Cooper’s Oak Winery, Boonville, is located in the old J.C.Penney building in the historic downtown area. Along with a selection of fine wines, Cooper’s Oak offers a variety of sandwiches and entertainment, including live music. Private events can be scheduled, including tastings and wedding receptions.

Eichenberg Winery, Cole Camp, is one of Missouri’s newest wineries. The historic German town is about 30 minutes north of Warsaw (Truman Lake), four miles east of Highway 65 on 52. The winery is in the original blacksmith shop, which was built in the early 1900s and recently nominated for the historic register. The winery is open on weekends in spring, summer and fall.

Heinrichshaus Vineyard & Winery, St. James, where owner Heinrich Grohe has been inviting customers to come and discover the hidden serenity. Born and raised in Germany’s Rhine Valley, Heinrich specializes in producing dry wines. Nearly all are made from French hybrid and Native American grape varieties. Heinrichshaus wines have won many gold, silver and bronze awards in several competitions.

Les Bourgeois Winery & Vineyards, Rocheport, produces native cultivars such as Norton and Catawba, along with various French hybrid grapes and the exciting new award-winner, Chardonel. Les Bourgeois produces the full range of dry to sweet white, red and blush wines, and features an annual limited release of “Collector’s Series” wines.

Meramec Vineyards, St. James, produces American varietal wines based on vitis lambrusca grapes, as well as the American varietal, Norton, and Euro traditional blends produced from French-American hybrid grapes. To provide some education to their visitors, they have planted a demonstration vineyard with vines of each of the varieties they use in their wine and juices.

Native Stone Winery and Bull Rock Brewery, Jefferson City, is a 300-acre estate located on the Lewis and Clark Trail, nine miles northwest of Jefferson City on Highway 179. More than 6,000 vines of Catawba, Chambourcin, Chardonel, Frontenac, Norton and Traminette grapes grow here, and are used to produce all of Native Stone’s wines on-site, in their state-of-the-art production facility.

St. James Winery, St. James, makes more than 200,000 cases of wine each year. Their wines are distributed throughout the Midwest and South. The winery tends vineyards planted with Catawba, Chardonel, Norton, Concord, Seyval, Vignoles, Chambourcin and Rougeon grapes.

Seven Springs Winery, Linn Creek, sits atop 160 acres of rolling Missouri foothills between Camdenton and Osage Beach. The winery serves Missouri wines, sangrias and a few microbrews for those with an alternative palate, offering wine tastings, a light menu and a full-service facility for receptions, meetings, etc.

Stone Hill Winery, Hermann, is the Midwest’s most-awarded winery, with more than 3,400 medals since 1993. Since its establishment in 1847, Stone Hill Winery has undergone significant and inevitable changes. From early success as the nation’s second-largest winery to the catastrophic times of Prohibition, Stone Hill Winery has evolved into a world-class winery. Guests are invited to take a guided tour of the winery’s cavernous arched underground cellars before settling in for a wine tasting in one of three historic tasting rooms.

Summit Lake Winery, Holts Summit, was opened in February 2002, high on the bluff overlooking Highway 54, the Missouri River and Jefferson City. They offer distinctive Midwest wines and a creative bistro menu. Relax on their garden terrace or around their snug fireplace, and sample their Native American and French hybrid wines.

Westphalia Vineyards, Westphalia, uses traditional winemaking techniques to release natural grape expression. They do not add sulfites to their products, and they age their wines using only Missouri oak barrels, creating fresh and vigorous wines. Westphalia Vineyards wines are currently available only online and at select stores and restaurants.

If you haven’t had a chance to visit one of these local wineries, take the time this fall. Whether you are a seasoned wine connoisseur or just discovering wine, you will find one to suit your palate. And best of all, you’ll be supporting local wineries making local wines with local business owners, all the while supporting and growing the Missouri Wine Industry each day they grow grapes.

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