Oenophiles may not equate St. Louis with Napa, but Missouri’s wine heritage dates back to the 1800s. At the turn of the 20th century, the state ranked second in the nation in wine production.
Today, the areas around St. Louis and Greater St. Charles are home to over a dozen wineries. Groups can visit individual wineries or tour with a DMC.
“We love sharing the history of Missouri’s wine region with our visiting groups,” says Julie Krull, director of marketing for Destination St. Louis, a DMC Network Company. “Many do not know the role Missouri played in the wine-making industry.”
Destination St. Louis (314.727.2400; www.destinationstlouis.com) offers excursions to many of the region’s wineries.
“Day trips can be arranged and include tours of the cellars and surrounding vineyards with private group wine tastings,” Krull says. “We also work with the wine sommelier to arrange special tastings to accompany your meals and can do wine flights to educate the guests on the different varieties offered.”
Each of the wineries also offers private spaces for groups and many can host dinner in the vineyards, also arranged by Destination St. Louis.
One of the options, Stone Hill Winery & Restaurant (573.486.2221; www.stonehillwinery.com) in Hermann is Missouri’s oldest winery, dating to 1847.
Many of the wineries are located in St. Charles County.
“Most of them offer wine tasting and some have banquet meeting space,” says Martha Little, director of sales for the Greater St. Charles CVB. “They all have really nice outdoor areas, and many offer music and usually sell food.
Popular wineries include Mount Pleasant Estates (636.482.9463; www.mountpleasant.com) in Augusta. Visitors can experience Mount Pleasant’s historic cellar tours and sip wine on the terrace with views of the Missouri River Valley.
Chandler Hill (636.798.2675; www.chandlerhillvineyards.com) offers a selection of Missouri wines as well as those from California. The winery features a tasting room and a 4,500-square-foot deck overlooking the vineyards.
In the Village of Dutzow, Blumenhof Winery (636.433.2245; www.blumenhof.com) has won numerous awards for its wines and offers live weekend entertainment in the Winegarden.
Others include Augusta Winery (636.228.4301; www.augustawinery.com), which has a wine and beer garden and offers free entertainment as well as rental space; and Montelle (636.228.4464; www.montelle.com), which overlooks the Missouri River and offers wine tastings, sunset dinners and live musicians.
