Missouri Wine Experience

Missouri Wine Experience 

Last week, we took an extended getaway weekend to travel to neighboring Missouri to explore Missouri Wine. From Illinois, we traveled across the northern tier of the state from Hannibal to Kansas City, then back across the middle of the state with the focal point being the Missouri River. Our intent was to experience Missouri wine, learn the terroir that is distinctive to the Missouri wine producing areas, learn what grapes make up Missouri wine, and other factors about our neighbor and their industry.

Rather than an immersion in one appellation (AVA), which is our approach to visiting Napa or Bordeaux, after dozens of trips there, as an initial learning and discovery, we did a broad brush tour to get a high level understanding of the Missouri wine trade and its products. 

Our visits during our getaway weekend to Missouri were:

• Stone Hill Winery, Hermann, Missouri
• Hermannhof Wines, Hermann MO - Dierberg Vineyards,...
• Le Bourgeois Winery and Vineyards Rochport, Missouri
• Farmhouse Restaurant KC 
• Baltimore Bend Vineyard
• Becketts Winery Glasgow Missouri
• Cooper's Oak Winery 
• Silver Oak OAK Cooperage in Higbee, Missouri

We learned the following about Missouri and wine:

Missouri producers craft all types of wines, red, white, blush, rose, sparkling, dessert, and fortified. 

We discovered and tasted wines from Missouri producers' vineyards sourced from the Missouri state grape Norton, and the Missouri St. Vincent grape. Other than those, they are not known for any specific varietal or suited to producing one specific variety of grapes such as Burgundy with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and Bordeaux with its select varietals. Furthermore, there are no appellation specified or directed grapes that need to be included in the bottle or the blend as in France, and sometimes in Italy. 

Le Bourgeois Richeport
Reserve offered
at $98 per bottle

Indeed, we tasted wines produced from a wide range of varietals: Chardonel, Cayuga, Chambourcin, Concord, Catawba, Muscat, Norton, Seyval, Syrah, Traminette, Valvin, Vidal, Vignoles, St. Vincent, Vivant, and traditional French varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. One producer Le Bourgeois produces an Aromella grape wine, from a hybrid white varietal, developed at Cornell University.

Lastly, we tasted wines that are 'estate', sourced from grapes grown on the property, 'Missouri' designated, crafted from others', or multiple growers across the state, and 'American', sourced from grapes outside the state of Missouri. 

We also tasted wines produced by Missouri producers, sourced from California grapes while at Le Bourgeois Winery. They produce an American Red Blend from traditionally Spanish varieties – Alvarelhão, Tinto Cao, and Souzao – all grown in Lodi, California, and a Syrah that they produce, also from fruit imported from Lodi.

We had Missouri wine aged twenty years, and wine with fruit from old aged vines as old as forty years, and Stone Hill Winery produces a limited release label with fruit from vines dating back to the Civil War. 

Missouri takes its wine and wine industry very seriously. They have formed the Missouri Vintners Association made up of winery owners throughout the state. MVA works with professional lobbyists in the state capital, Jefferson City to stay abreast of and address legislative issues facing commercial Missouri wineries. MVA communicates the needs of commercial Missouri wineries to the Missouri Wine and Grape Board, and is a state association member of Wine America. MVA keeps close ties with the Missouri Grape Growers Association and the Missouri Wine Technical Group to continually improve Missouri produced wines.

Missouri has more than 130 wineries spread across the state in eleven different regions, and is recognized by the government with four official AVAs - American Viticultural Areas. 

Many of the Missouri producers have grouped together in their areas to form 11 unique wine trails. 

Missouri has a long history of viticulture and winemaking dating back almost two centuries with some of the oldest wineries in the US, and some of the historic largest wineries and highest producing wine areas in the US. As early as 1850, there were nearly sixty wineries in the Hermann area producing more than 10,000 gallons of wine per year.

By 1904, there were more than 100 Missouri wineries, the Hermann area alone produced 3 million gallons of wine, mostly by small wine grower/producers.When France’s vineyards were plagued by the phylloxera louse that threatened their entire wine industry, it was Missouri that came to the rescue. When nearly all France's grape vines were destroyed, Missouri’s state entomologist, C.V. Riley, was among the first to discover that Native American grapes were resistant to the pest. Missouri winemakers shipped millions of phylloxera-resistant rootstocks across the Atlantic, ultimately saving the French wine industry.

Missouri is home to the first designated AVA, American Viticulture Area in the US. An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).

The Augusta AVA was the first AVA in the United States, accorded to Augusta, Missouri in 1980. While seven California districts and one in Oregon had filed applications with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; the honor went to the 15 square mile area surrounding Augusta. The bureau cited the unique soil, climate and wines, as well as Augusta’s long history as one of America’s oldest and foremost grape and wine districts. In the mid-1800s German immigrants found the Missouri River area just west of St. Louis to be well suited for growing grapes. Napa Valley was granted the second AVA designation named after Augusta in February, 1981.

The other Missouri AVAs are 

• The Ozark Mountain AVA, established in 1986, covering a vast 3,500,000 acres in southern Missouri, extending into northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma. The Ozark Mountain AVA is so large, several smaller AVA’s lay within its borders, including Augusta, Hermann and Ozark Highlands. It is the sixth largest AVA in the United States.
• The Hermann AVA, recognized in1987 and consists of 51,200 acres in the Hermann area between St. Louis and Jefferson City, Missouri. German immigrants settled the Missouri River Valley area in the 1830s and began planting vineyards in what is today one of the most historic wine regions.
• The Ozark Highlands AVA, designated in 1987; although the grape growing tradition goes back to the 1870s. The fourth accorded AVA in Missouri encompasses 1,280,000 acres in south-central Missouri, covering portions of eleven Missouri counties including the town of St. James, Missouri.
• The Loess Hills District AVA, established in 2016, encompassing 12,897 square miles of loess-based hills comprising a long, narrow region along the western banks of the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers in western Iowa and northwestern Missouri. The topography is characterized by rolling to steep hills. The deep loess enables grape vine roots to reach deeply into the soil and allows water to drain quickly.
  

The eleven Missouri wine regions that have established wine trails for marketing promotion and travel assistance (with compliments and sourced from MissouriWines.org):

1) The Augusta Winegrowers Association

2) The Hermann Wine Trail

3) The Kansas City Wine Trail

4) The Lake of the Ozarks Wine Trail

5) Meramec River Wine Trail

6) The Mississippi River Hills Wine Trail

7) The Missouri River Wine Trail

8) The Northwest Missouri Wine Trail

9) The Ozark Mountain Wine Trail

10) The Route du Vin

11) WineStein Trail

Any visit to and tour of a fine wine producer, whether it be California, Bordeaux or elsewhere, will entail a discussion about them aging their wines in oak barrels. Invariably, they will mention French Oak of which there are several varieties from several forests, and American Oak. American Oak will come primarily from Missouri Oak, with some coming from Minnesota.

Missouri is the leading producer of American oak barrels for the global fine wine industry, sourced from sustainably managed forests across Central and Northern Missouri. It takes 80 years to grow an American white oak tree to maturity and another two years to properly age stave wood. From there, stave wood is then air-dried for 24 months before fire bending, a technique that makes the wood more pliable for a Master Cooper. There are only fifty coopers in the US, several of whom are in the small town of Higbee, Missouri, where they work at the Oak Cooperage.

 

We had the privilege of visiting and touring the Silver Oak OAK Cooperage in Higbee, Missouri during our Missouri Wine Experience.

One of the finest and most popular leading American wine producers, whose name is synonymous with oak, Silver Oak winery in Napa, sources their barrels from Oak in Higbee and age their wine exclusively in American oak. They acquired partial interest in the Oak cooperage, to ensure their supply of finest quality barrels into the future, then acquired the remainder, so they now own and operate the business. Beyond consuming about half the production, they source barrels to leading wine producers around the globe.  

We learned from our visit to Hermannhof Wines, and Dierberg Vineyards in Hermann MO, that Missourians have ventured beyond their home state to influence wine production in California and beyond. Jim and Mary Dierberg of St Louis purchased the historic winery in Herman, then in 1996, after a long search throughout France and California, purchased a 4,000-acre property in Santa Barbara County, CA. There, they now own and operate two thousand acres of vineyards in Santa Ynez, Santa Maria and Saint Rita Hills wine region AVA's where they produce 15000 cases of premium wine annually under three different brands. 

In conclusion, while we did not find any Missouri sourced 'fine premium or ultra-premium' wines for collecting and aging for special occasions or once a month or beyond, Missouri produces many respectable wines for every day drinking, many at great QPR - Quality Price Ratio, value. We did not find any one area that is concentrated with distinctive terroir - soil, micro-climate, proximity, overall 'sense of place' to produce extraordinary wine. There are many regions worth exploring and many venues worthy of visiting as destinations for scenery, history, fine dining and other entertainment, and fun with wine.  

Stone Hill Winery, Hermann, Missouri

Historic Stone Hill Winery, Hermann, Missouri 

During our visit to the Missouri Wine region around Hermann, Missouri, along the Missouri River, we stopped at Stone Hill Winery, another historic long time producer in the region dating back to 1847, like the Hermannhof Winery that we visited earlier in the day that dates back to 1852.

In its early days, Stone Hill had much early success as the second largest winery in the United States. Stone Hill wines were world renowned, winning gold medals in eight world’s fairs, including Vienna in 1873 and Philadelphia in 1876. By the 1870’s, the winery was shipping 1,250,000 gallons of wine per year, before the catastrophic downturn forced by Prohibition. It evolved as a mushroom-growing facility to the resurgence of Missouri’s wine industry, where it has returned to its historic eminence as a world-class winery.

The property was taken over in 1965 by local farmers Jim and Betty Held with their four young children. They bought and moved into the remnants of the original winery and spent the next several decades restoring the dis-repaired old-world buildings and vaulted underground cellars. 

Today the business is run by the next generation, managed by son Jon Held and his wife, Karen. Jon graduated from California State, Fresno with a degree in Enology – the science of winemaking. In 1994 Jon’s expertise at vineyard management was recognized at the Wineries Unlimited Symposium where he was named Winegrower of the Year.

Jon has served multiple terms on the Missouri Grape and Wine Advisory Board as well as the Midwestern representative on the Eastern Viticulture Consortium Regional Guidance Committee, which administers USDA funding for viticultural research.

Stone Hill is Missouri’s oldest and most awarded winery with yearly production of nearly 300,000 gallons of wine, using state-of-the-art equipment and the latest technology.  Stone Hill’s winemaking team produces wines that are again receiving international recognition, winning more than 4,000 awards since 1988, Stone Hill Winery has continuously ranked among the nation’s top award winners.

Stone Hill Winery owns seven vineyards totaling 190 acres, six of which are located within the Hermann Viticultural Appellation. The vineyards are grow the following varieties: Norton, Vignoles, Vidal, Chardonel, Cayuga, Vincent, Chambourcin, Vivant, Concord, Catawba, Valvin Muscat and Traminette. Stone Hill also purchases Catawba, Concord, Norton, Traminette, Chardonel, Vidal, Seyval and St. Vincent grapes from several independent grape growers located throughout the state of Missouri. 

For forty years, the master winemaker at Stone Hill was Dave Johnson who graduated from Michigan State University in 1970 with a degree in Biology, and a master’s in the Grape and Wine Program in 75. After several years in viticulture research, he became winemaker for Stone Hill Winery. During his tenure, he was the most awarded American winemaker outside of California, named Winemaker of the Year in 1994. Stone Hill Winery was routinely ranked among the top awarded wineries in the nation and has earned several Missouri Governor’s Cup awards.

Today, Stone Hill's head winemaker is Shaun Turnbull who hails from Cape Town, South Africa. He studied winemaking and earned a degree in Cellar Technology, then taught winemaking at South African Elsenburg College, known for being the best practical school of winemaking in the country. Before joining Stone Hill, Shaun worked at WineCorp in Stellenbosch, South Africa, Jefferson Cellars in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Heitz Cellars in Napa, California.

Stone Hill produce a broad portfolio of Missouri wines, a dozen reds, whites, roses, sparkling whites, and a limited distribution old vine aged 'port' dessert wine. 

Stone Hill Winery 2015 Port

Stone Hill Winery
Old Vine Norton
Reserve 2015

The Stone Hill flagship wine is based on the Norton grape, Missouri’s official state grape – a big, full-bodied red.  The 2011 Norton and 2012 Cross J Norton both won a trifecta of awards including the coveted Missouri Governor’s Cup adding to 8 other Stone Hill Winery Governor Cup awards. They were offering in the wineshop numerous vintages of the Stone Hill Norton including several aged vintage library wines dating back to 2002, 2004 and 2006.

Stone Hill Winery Norton
Library Vintages

Stone Hill Winery Estate Norton 2017

Stone Hill also uses French-American hybrid grapes such as Vidal, Chardonel and Vignoles.

The Stone Hill site is sits dramatically on a hill with scenic views overlooking the quaint historic German town of Hermann and a hillside vineyard. The winery is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Missouri Wine Country welcoming thousands of visitors each year. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places,

They offer guided tours of the winery’s historic arched underground cellars and wine tastings in three historic tasting rooms.

Adjacent the Stone Hill visitor and hospitality center is the Vintage 1847 Restaurant, where they serve German specialties along with steaks and other American dishes. Once the winery’s original stable and carriage house, the building has been restored into a dining room for lunch or dinner, and a private dining room for groups and special occasions.

Throughout the year, they host several well-known events including Wurstfest, Maifest, Oktoberfest and numerous Hermann Wine Trail activities.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4108175

https://missouriwine.org/wineries/stone-hill-winery

https://stonehillwinery.com/

@StoneHillWinery

Becketts Winery Glasgow Missouri

Missouri Wine Experience - Becketts Winery and Restaurant - Glasgow, Missouri

We did an extended weekend getaway to traverse Missouri and get a taste of Missouri wines. Our intent was to experience Missouri wine, visit several Missouri wine producers, tour the estates and vineyards, and see the wine regions to learn and understand their terroir, all things that exemplify Missouri wines. 

What we did not plan or anticipate, but what was one of the highlights of our entire trip, was a visit to, and tour of The Oak Cooperage in Higbee, Missouri. In retrospect, when one thinks of fine wines and the state of Missouri, what comes to mind, or should, is Missouri Oak, and its use in producing some of finest wine barrels for crafting and aging some of the finest wine labels from the world's best wine regions. 

From Higbee, we traveled to Glasgow, Missouri, on the banks of the Muddy MO, the mighty Missouri River, for lunch and tasting of Beckett's Winery wines. 

Beckett's Winery is a unique, local venue situated on the bank of the Missouri River. They offer wine tastings at the Winery establishment, at a wine bar, indoor tables, or on an outside multi-level deck overlooking the river. 

They offer food that is provided from neighboring restaurants next door, and their own Beckett's Restaurant across the street. They also offer a selection of cheeses and charcuterie hand-picked to accompany the wines, along with their tasting flight selections.

Beckett's selection of wines include Reds, Whites and a Blush. Their wines are private label productions from a couple of Missouri producers. The owner Nikki Gouge owns and operates the Winery as well as Beckett's Restaurant across the street. 

Opened in 1994 by Lonnie Beckett, Beckett’s Restaurant was originally established as a sports bar with a selection of signature items that remain as popular favorites to this day.

Lonnie’s daughter-in-law, Nikki, purchased the restaurant in the spring of 2007 after working for Lonnie for four years. After an extensive renovation both inside and out, including much of the menu, the sports bar was transformed into an elegant dinner house! The menu includes appetizers, sandwiches or entree selections of Steaks, chicken dishes, catfish, BBQ Pork, Tenderloin, or Smoked Pork Chop and daily lunch and dinner specials.

 

The interior is decorated with artwork by Jack Vettriano and Edward Hopper that adorn the walls, a salvaged mantel from a local farm house accents the bar, and there are full tin ceilings throughout. 

Beckett's Winery took over the facility of the closed Bushwhacker Bend Winery.

The wines are branded with local history, geography, and artwork by local artisans, produced by another Missouri Winery and Le Bourgeois Vineyards, which we visited later in our trip . 

The flagship wine is Beckett's Winery All Steel Red Dry Red Missouri Wine, named for the world's first all steel bridge that spans the Missouri River at Glasgow, Missouri that was built in 1878-79, with a label depicting the bridge which can be viewed from the rear deck overlooking the river. 

The bridge and Glasgow are situated at mile marker 226 of the Missouri River, which is the name of another signature wine, Beckett's Winery Mile Marker 226 with a geographic map adorning the label.

Other labels feature the artwork of local artist Rachel Brown.

For our visit, we lunched on the deck, overlooking the river and had the charcuterie cheese board with our flight selection of wines. 

The Winery is tastefully decorated inside and out, with a wine bar and tables inside, and a multi-level deck outside in the rear that overlooks the river, with views of the Steel Bridge in the near distance. 

 
Decorative murals are painted on the walls adjacent to the deck on the rear of the building. 

Beckett's offers a portfolio of seven wines available by the bottle, by the glass, or a wine flight selection of five wines. 

Our wine flight consisted of:

Beckett's Winery All Steel Red Dry Missouri Wine

Beckett's Winery 226 Crisp Dry White Missouri Wine 

Beckett's Winery Flamingo Blush Sweet Rose Missouri Wine 

Beckett's Winery White Signature Semi-sweet Missouri Wine 

Beckett's Winery White Signature Semi-sweet Missouri Wine

We had the cheese and charcuterie board with our wine flight that also included fresh berries, olives and local produced fresh pimento cheese.

Beckett's offers a winning combination of a range of local wines, food, hospitality, and a quaint picturesque scenic setting, a delightful stop for lunch and wine.

We bought to take home the Becketts Red and the All Steel Red, both of which we considered great value wines for every day drinking. 

The historic steel bridge spanning the Missouri River at Mile Marker 226 at Glasgow, Missouri with a view back towards town.

https://www.beckettsrestaurant.com/