Established in 1847 – well before there was a Napa Valley grape growing and wine making industry – Stone Hill grew at one point to be the second largest winery in the United States. Today, it remans a cornerstone of Hermann, Missouri’s thriving wine industry.
Stone Hill features the largest series of arched underground cellars in North America, which are a testament to the passion of the original German winemakers who settled the area west of St. Louis. The tours are a must see for all visiting the winery - providing a wealth of intriguing information about winemaking and the Hermann area. More than 250,000 gallons of highly rated wine are produced annually at Stone Hill.
Their most famous products tend to feature the Norton grape. Norton is Missouri’s official state grape; it makes for a robust, deeply colored, dry red wine with distinctive character flowing from a complex mix of fruit, spice and oak. I enjoy it most as an accompanyment to meals with red meat. It is often argued that Norton is possibly North America’s oldest cultivated grape. It certainly has impacted the production of a significant number of celebrated Missouri wines.
The Stone Hill website boasts. “Our vineyards span seven sites surrounding the Hermann area. As Missouri’s largest grape grower, we are dedicated to growing our own grapes for our wines. In 1983, Hermann was honored as one of the nation’s first federally designated AVAs, or American Viticultural Areas. AVAs denote unique characteristics of an area that make it a special and distinct location to grow grapes and make wine.”
A quick internet search will quickly produce a long list of grand wine industry awards for Stone Hill. It is rather impressive, but I don’t put a lot of stock in encouraging others to read about wine and grape growing awards. I recommend you go and savor the vino, experience the area’s rich history, and enjoy such a lush, green destination. It is worth the trip.
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AI
