Winery Tour One!
Hermann and the Missouri Rhineland

From the hotel, turn right on US-54 and right again on MO-42. Follow the scenic drive through rural MO towns of Iberia, Vienna, Belle, Bland and Owensville. At Owensville head north on MO-19 to Hermann and the Hermann area.

A.  Hermannhof Winery - 330 East First
B. Stone Hill Winery - 1110 Stone Hill Highway
C. Adam Puchta Winery - 1947 Frene Creek Rd (CR-209)
D. Oakglenn Winery - 1104 OakGlenn Place

Hermann is a German American community that will take you back to the Rhineland with their food, buildings, customs and music. It is a trip to the old country first settled by German immigrants in the 1830s.

Closest to town is the Hermannof Winery just east of MO-19 on East First St. This winery has international destinction in twice winning the Brown-Foreman Trophy for Best New World White Wine!  The award winner is a specialty made from the French-American hybrid "Vignoles" grape. This may not seem so significant until you consider that it is the only winery in the new world to win the award twice!  Take that, Napa Valley!!  The winery features tours of the historic wine cellars, a German style smokehaus where you can sample their selection of fine wines, cheese, breads and German style sausages. The winery's weinstube is open for lunch with shaded outdoor seating under the grape pergola or gazebo.

Missouri wines have been some of the best in the world for many years. The fertile Missouri River valley was atttractive to German immigrants who came to ploy the winery business as early as the 1830s. In fact Daniel Boone's son showed immigrants the area! By 1869 Missouri was producing 42 percent of American wine and the Stone Hill Winery in Hermann, MO was the third largest winery in the world. It also is the third most awarded winery in the United States! It is located just west of Hermann on MO-100 south of the Missouri River and offers a tasting room, tours of the wine cellars and a first rate German restaurant specializing in Schnitzels and Sauerbraten and a German sampler platter.

The Adam Puchta Winery was founded in 1855 by Adam Puchta (POOK-tah) and remains in the hands of the Puchta family today. Like many other wineries and breweries across the country they shut down operations around 1919 when prohibition went into effect. Some (like Stone Hill) survived by growing mushrooms in their cellars and others like the Adam Puchta winery remained closed until 1990 when Adam's descendant Tim Puchta reopened the winery. The winery boasts a tasting room and a typical "country store".

Featured in "Southern Living" magazine, OakGlenn Winery has a long history as it was originally founded by George Husmann, one of the deans of the wine world. Husmann is known as the "Father of the Missouri Grape Industry". In addition to helping to establish the grape and wine industry in California in the 1880s, Husmann worked with others in the Hermann area shipping millions of grape cuttings to France, Germany and other European countries devastated by the deadly phylloxera infestation. This act by Missouri grape growers saved the grape and wine industry across Europe. Today there are monuments in several European locations in thanks to Husmann and other Missouri wine pioneers. OakGlenn fell into neglect during prohibition and was only recently reopened pouring its first glass of wine in 2000.  OakGlenn is one of the most beautiful of the Missouri wineries situated atop the bluff overlooking the Missouri Rhineland and it boasts more than 15 selections of wine in its tasting room, a history of George Husmann, and occasional live music in the George Husmann Wine Pavilion.  From Hermann head back west on MO-100 about 2.5 miles and follow the signs.

 

 
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