Edition: St. Louis Breweries & Wineries

Missouri Wineries

Author: Amy S. Debrecht

Stone Hill Winery (800-909-WINE, 1110 Stone Hill Hwy., Hermann) was the second largest winery in the country prior to Prohibition. The Held family began restoring the property to its previous glory when they re-opened it in 1965.  Visitors are invited to tour the underground cellars at a nominal fee ($1.50 for adults; $0.50 for children aged 6-12; children under 6 are free) and enjoy German and American cuisine at the Vintage Restaurant. Additional locations are located in New Florence and Branson, where thousands of visitors are entertained and educated about winemaking daily. Stone Hill’s wines have earned over 3,000 medals since 1993.

Don’t let the relaxed atmosphere deceive you—they’re making awardwinning and strictly Missouri-grown wines on this property! Blumenhof Vineyards and Winery (800-419-2245, Hwy. 94) is tucked a short distance from the highway in Dutzow, the oldest existing German settlement in the state. Enjoy complimentary samples in the tasting room, and, if it’s the weekend, listen to live music on the patio. Blumenhof wines have earned gold medals in nine competitions. Their most popular wine is Missouri Weinland in the “sexy Bavarian blue bottle.”

The family name de la Chaumette means “little roofs” and traces its roots back seven centuries. Chaumette Vineyards & Winery (573-747- 1000, 24235 State Route WW) in Sainte Genevieve, the first permanent European settlement west of the Mississippi, has much to offer. There are a number of award-winning wines on their list—a semisweet white, Bouvet Blanc, being the most decorated. Sample their wines in the tasting room, enjoy lunch or dinner at the Grapevine Grill, and/or pamper yourself at the newly-opened spa, Belle Haven. Separate tours of the vineyards and winery are available for $5/person.

Crown Valley Winery (866-207-9463, 23589 State Route WW) offers a variety of tastings and tours that range in price from $5-$8 per person. The wine list offers forty different regularly-produced wines and eight limited edition wines. Crown Valley Bistro offers meals and snacks to complement the wines. Their wines are also available for purchase at retail outlets in St. Louis and Farmington, where the Crown Valley Champagne House is located (the first and only in the Midwest).  Clarksville, Missouri is home to the Crown Valley Port House.  The winery can accommodate private parties of 30-300 people.

Augusta, the first U.S. Wine District, is home to Mount Pleasant Winery (636-482- WINE, 5634 High St.). It was founded in 1859, but Prohibition shut it down in 1920. Reopened in 1966, it has become a premier winery, with public tours offered on weekends, and private tours by appointment on weekdays. Mount Pleasant wines fit the “estate-bottled” criteria, and are well-decorated with awards. The patio offers a splendid view of rolling farmland below (there is an admission of $5/person).

Blumenhof Vineyard and Winery
7860 S. State Highway 94, Marthasville, MO 63357