The Wine Road - Missiouri part 2
In a striking contrast to the amusement park like Crown Valley, Stone Hill Winery is a 150 year old property that is working hard to raise the bar for quality wine in Missouri.
The history of Stone Hill is a familiar one. In the 19th century Missouri was a thriving wine producing region, rivaling any in the country. In the early 20th Century that pesky ole Prohibition put an end to the appellation and the winery.
For decades the hallowed halls were used to grow mushrooms. Hardly a fitting use for the cellars that were hand carved out of the hill side, so long ago.
In the 1960s the mushroom farmer had a twinge of guilt and sought out Jim and Betty Held and asked them to return the winery to its original purpose and glory. Overcoming their resistance with an offer too attractive to pass up, the Helds re-opened Stone Hill Winery in 1965.
The Helds were serious about their commitment to creating quality wine, and when their children were old enough they sent them to off to learn the craft. First at University, and later at some of the top wineries in the world. The next generation of Helds returned to Stone Hill, armed with knowledge and brimming with enthusiasm.
Their passion shows through in their wines. By far and away these were the best made wines we found in the Midwest, much less in Missouri. Nor are they resting on their laurels. While chatting with the Held's daughter, the ever personable Patty Held-Uthlaut I noticed she dutifully noted every comment, pro or con, I made about the winery and the operations.
The willingness to explore ideas, even when they come from a verbose wine writer like myself, is a rare and wonderful trait in any industry, and all too rare in the wine business. This is the dedication to improvement that will launch Stone Hill into national distribution long before their neighbors.
Located in Hermann, an hour and a half or so west of St. Louis, the Stone Hill Winery is an impressive old property with sprawling stone structures. This is the original winery, and their success has spawned two more. One for sparkling wine, and the other to produce a very respectable Cream Sherry.
This main winery has the ubiquitous tours and restaurant that support the thriving tourist trade, but here there is a difference. The tasting room is not in the middle of the gift shop, it is a clean, clutter free environment where you, as the Held's have, may concentrate on the wines themselves.
When you visit Stone Hill Winery, spend a little more time on the wines, it is worth it. And if you see Patty running around in her guise as Director of Public Relations say hello for me, and see if she has time to share the history and wonder of her family's heritage.
The history of Stone Hill is a familiar one. In the 19th century Missouri was a thriving wine producing region, rivaling any in the country. In the early 20th Century that pesky ole Prohibition put an end to the appellation and the winery.
For decades the hallowed halls were used to grow mushrooms. Hardly a fitting use for the cellars that were hand carved out of the hill side, so long ago.
In the 1960s the mushroom farmer had a twinge of guilt and sought out Jim and Betty Held and asked them to return the winery to its original purpose and glory. Overcoming their resistance with an offer too attractive to pass up, the Helds re-opened Stone Hill Winery in 1965.
The Helds were serious about their commitment to creating quality wine, and when their children were old enough they sent them to off to learn the craft. First at University, and later at some of the top wineries in the world. The next generation of Helds returned to Stone Hill, armed with knowledge and brimming with enthusiasm.
Their passion shows through in their wines. By far and away these were the best made wines we found in the Midwest, much less in Missouri. Nor are they resting on their laurels. While chatting with the Held's daughter, the ever personable Patty Held-Uthlaut I noticed she dutifully noted every comment, pro or con, I made about the winery and the operations.
The willingness to explore ideas, even when they come from a verbose wine writer like myself, is a rare and wonderful trait in any industry, and all too rare in the wine business. This is the dedication to improvement that will launch Stone Hill into national distribution long before their neighbors.
Located in Hermann, an hour and a half or so west of St. Louis, the Stone Hill Winery is an impressive old property with sprawling stone structures. This is the original winery, and their success has spawned two more. One for sparkling wine, and the other to produce a very respectable Cream Sherry.
This main winery has the ubiquitous tours and restaurant that support the thriving tourist trade, but here there is a difference. The tasting room is not in the middle of the gift shop, it is a clean, clutter free environment where you, as the Held's have, may concentrate on the wines themselves.
When you visit Stone Hill Winery, spend a little more time on the wines, it is worth it. And if you see Patty running around in her guise as Director of Public Relations say hello for me, and see if she has time to share the history and wonder of her family's heritage.
posted by Wineguy at 7:29 AM
2 Comments:
Preferring dry European wines and often looking with disdain at domestic wines, we entered Stone Hill Winery with trepedation. My, oh my, weren't we in for a surprise. The Norton grape makes a wonderful dry red wine with a complex set of flavors that get deeper and more interesting as drink. We're hooked and we apologize to Stone Hill and Missouri for assuming that their wines would be boring, sweet and fruity.
My family wanted to visit the Stone Hill Winery in Branson, MO. I declared that I was not a wine person, did not care for it but would ride along. I found the winery unintimidating, interesting and educational. I decided I would experience the wine tasting but still with a mind set that I would not care for any of it. Needles to say, at the end of the tasting I was trying to decide between several wines, which ones to purchase. Thank you to Stone Hill Winery for the education and opening the cellar doors of my mind to the world of fine wines.
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