In 1837, German settlers established the town of Hermann on the
banks of the Missouri River, west of St. Louis. The soil around
Hermann, although too rocky for many crops, was well suited to
growing grapes ....
.... and the rest, as they say, is history.
With a long
tradition of wine growing, Missouri has had its successes and
failures experimenting with hardy, cold-resistant varieties of
grapes that have, ultimately, won out to make the state home to one of the largest wine growing areas in the US.
Today, the
wine growing regions around Hermann,
the southwest Missouri Ozark Mountains, and the south central
region around St.
James are all designated official viticultural areas that are home to wineries and vineyards easily accessible throughout the state.
For urban wine lovers, there are dozens of wineries near St. Louis.
And, for bikers, the Katy Trail follows suit for wine lovers who want to experience home grown under their own steam -- along some 100 miles parallel to Highway 94 popularly dubbed the "Missouri wine road" ...
More information about Missouri wineries around the Web:
The Wonderful Wines & Wineries of Missouri
- Check out a colorful overview from the Missouri Department of Agriculture
with a complete winery directory, the history and traditions of
winemaking in Missouri, a listing of wine merchants, contact info
and related resources.
Missouri Wine Trail - Take the virtual trip statewide with guides and information to the Ste. Genevieve wine region, Hermann, Augusta, and more with related listings for nearby B&Bs, hotels, and weekend itineraries.