If you are a lover of wine, chances are that you have visited wineries for a tasting. You may not associate Missouri with wine but there are many vineyards and wineries in the state.
If you are visiting, why not take a journey to discover the best wineries on offer? We have chosen 13 of the best wineries in Missouri to tell you about, and hope that you will try one or two.
1 – LaChance Vineyards
LaChance Vineyards is in De Soto, just 45 minutes south of St. Louis, situated in the hills just south of the Ozark Mountains.
LaChance doesn’t just offer award-winning wines but they have a restaurant as well serving farm-to-table dishes. When it comes to their wines, they specialize in producing European-influenced wines from rare grape varieties.
They have large comfortable tents where you can enjoy your wine and food. You can have a wine flight with four pours, or you can enjoy wine by the glass or the bottle. They offer a full menu with appetizers, entrees, barbecue, and simpler food such as salads and wraps.
Now and again, they have live music.
Join their wine club for one battle monthly, free tastings, discounts, and invitations to select winery events.
2 – Pirtle Winery
Pirtle Winery in Weston was opened in 1978 and is family-run. They offer tours of the winery and tastings. They produce a wide range of wines including, red, rose, white, mead, fruit wines, and, in addition, cider.
You will find that the staff are pleasant and helpful.
Try their Alhambra, a rich, full-bodied, deep red wine that pairs well with beef filet or pasta. It is aged for one year in French oak barrels. Their Traminette is a spicy white wine close in taste to Gewurztraminer.
It has floral aromas with tastes of tropical fruits.
3 – The Peaceful Bend Winery
The Peaceful Bend Winery in Steelville is a small farm winery that produces 14 unusual varieties of wine, all available for tasting. The wines are hand-crafted and produced in small batches.
The tasting room is cozy, with views towards the hilltops by the Meramec River. The great thing is that the tastings are free. You can buy your favorites to take home but there are limited numbers on offer so take your chance while you can.
They also offer brewed beers so there is another option if there is someone in your party that doesn’t like wine. The staff members are helpful and will tell you about the wines on offer and the winemaking process.
The Peaceful Bend Winery offers appetizers to accompany your wine such as an antipasto board and hummus & tapenade.
Try their Courtois, a dry white wine that is medium-bodied and has light acidity. It has floral aromas and flavors of apple and melon. It pairs well with trout, soft cheese such as Brie and Camembert, and pickled vegetables.
4 – St. James Winery
St James Winery is in the town of St. James. It was founded by the Hoffer family in 1970 and is the largest winery in Missouri. They produce both wine and fruit juice from their own vineyards and many of their wines have received awards.
They create eco-friendly wines and promote environmental responsibility.
Visit them for a tasting of six wines. They have comfortable tasting areas, both inside and out.
They produce some different and unusual wines which are worth trying. Try their Pink Catawba which is a beautiful rose color. It has the perfect balance of sweet and tart and pairs well with fresh fruit and cheese.
Their sparkling Moscato has floral aromas and fruity flavors with honeysuckle on the nose and tastes of peach and apricot.
Join their wine club for regular deliveries, special prices on the wines both online and in the tasting room, and discounts on gourmet food and gifts.
5 – Villa Antonio Winery
Villa Antonio Winery is nestled in the Hillsboro Hills. Their wines are hand-crafted in the Northern Italian tradition, and the winery serves Italian food to accompany their wines, such as pizza and pasta.
The tastings are reasonably priced, and you can either keep your glass as a souvenir or return it and get a portion of your tasting fee back. They often have live music on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Try their Norton, a smooth and rich red wine that is full-bodied with spicy overtones and flavors of dark berries. They also have a selection of sweet wines such as Valentini Bianco, a sweet dessert wine that is excellent with sweet courses or as an aperitif.
Valentino Antonio Winery also produces beers in small batches, many with little twists on traditional styles.
6 – Stone Hill Winery
The Stone Hill Winery is one of the oldest wineries in Missouri. It was established in 1847 and is in Hermann. It produces a massive 300,000 gallons of wine a year.
The winery offers tours and tastings every day. The tour is free and will help you to understand the winemaking process at Stone Hill Winery. There is also a museum to visit, displaying winery artifacts.
The Vintage Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and serves traditional German fare as well as American contemporary cuisine.
Join their wine club for six bottles delivered four times a year with your choice of either sweet or dry wines, discounts, complimentary wine tastings, first access to special events and products, and more.
7 – Chandler Hill Vineyards
Chandler Hill Vineyards is situated in Defiance and was established in 2008. It offers a large tasting room indoors, and outside, there is an expansive deck with views of the vineyards. On Saturdays, you can go there for a tasting experience of six wines accompanied by small bites.
Chandler Hill Vineyards grow Chambourcin, Vignoles, and Norton grapes to produce their wines. Many of their wines have won awards.
They have a full-service kitchen that serves lunches so you can enjoy your wine with some delicious food.
Chandler Hill Vineyards also hold special events such as a Greek Wine Dinner, and they are available for hire for special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.
Join their wine club for complimentary tastings, discounts, and more.
8 – Wenwood Farm Winery
Wenwood Farm Winery in Bland is elegant and sophisticated and offers many award-winning wines for you to choose from. They are open from Thursday to Sunday, and they also hold special events.
Try their Landsitzwein, a white blend that has aromas of citrus and flavors of luscious tropical fruits. Their Creek Bed Red is a sweet and fruity red wine. It is perfect on a warm summer afternoon, accompanied by ice cream or fresh fruits.
9 – Augusta Winery
Augusta Winery is in the town of Augusta and is family owned. It is in a lovely setting, and you can sit outside to sip your wine. There is a top-of-the-hill patio where you will have fantastic views. On a colder day, you can stay in their tasting room indoors.
Augusta Winery produces dry, semi-sweet, and sweet wines which are produced in small batches, ensuring that the wine receives individual attention.
They serve food to accompany the wines such as cheese and crackers, and pizza.
Join their wine club for deliveries, complimentary tastings, and invitations to wine club events.
10 – Adam Puchta Winery
The Adam Puchta Winery is in Hermann and is family owned. It was founded in 1855 and is the oldest continuously owned family winery in the U.S.
They have produced many award-winning wines over the years and hold tastings every day which includes a flight of six pours. In addition, you can tour the winery to learn about their wine-making procedures.
They also hold special events during the year and often have live music. They offer food to accompany the wine and wine slushies during the summer months.
Join their wine club for discounts and a commitment to buy four wine releases.
11 – Jowler Creek Vineyard & Winery
Jowler Creek Vineyard & Winery is in Platte City. It is Missouri’s first green vineyard and winery and is run by Jason and Kit Lacey who have more than 3,500 grapevines from which they produce a range of wines from dry to sweet.
They are open for tastings from Thursday to Sunday. You can sit inside, in the tasting room, or you can sip your wine in the beautiful wine garden next to the vineyard. As well as tastings, you can have wine by the glass or the bottle.
Jowler Creek Vineyard & Winery hosts live music and other special events such as grape stomping.
Join their wine club for deliveries, complimentary tastings, free access to events, and more.
12 – Blumenhof Winery
Blumenhof Winery is located in Dutzow and offers free tastings every day and live music on the weekends. When it’s warm, you can enjoy your wine on the patio. On colder days, sit on the enclosed heated deck or in the tasting room by the fireplace.
On the weekends, you can order food at The Brathaus Grill which serves authentic German food.
The winery is family-run, and they craft their wines solely from locally-sourced grapes. Try the Cabernet Franc, made from grapes from their own vineyard. It has firm tannins and flavors of tobacco, roasted peppers, and dried fruit.
Join their wine club for three bottles of wine four times a year. 20% discount on wines, and early notification of special events.
13 – Defiance Ridge Vineyards
Defiance Ridge Vineyards is in Defiance and is on a 42-acre property with a four-acre vineyard. You will have spectacular views of the Missouri River from the terrace and verandas where you can enjoy a wine tasting.
They offer tastings of non-reserve wines, reserve wines, and Mimosa flights. They also serve beer and liquor and have a full lunch and dinner menu.
Defiance Ridge Vineyards is available to hire for weddings and other such occasions.
Join their wine club for discounts on both food and drinks, complimentary drinks when visiting, and more.
Final Thoughts
We hope that we have whetted your appetite and now want to visit some wineries in Missouri. We think that all the ones we have talked about are worth going to, so enjoy.