Wine country in the heartland

Move over Sonoma County — the latest destination spot for oenophiles is right here in Missouri. Budget Travel recently profiled four up-and-coming wine country locales and the area between Hermann and New Haven, Missouri, was on the list of getaways:

What the Hermann Wine Trail lacks in size — there are only six wineries along the 20-mile stretch — it makes up for in experience. The region has been producing vintages since the 1840s, before Napa had produced a single bottle.

There are even more wineries on along the Missouri River, as a writer for The Wichita Eagle discovered on a recent two-day tasting jaunt. The journey begins at Stone Hill Winery — perhaps the most well-known of the 89 wineries in Missouri. Stone Hill’s owner Jim Weld welcomes the new entrants to the market, on one condition:

“Anybody who makes good wine, I’m all for them. Good wine helps the industry, regardless of how many wineries there are.”

Last week, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch put eight Missouri wines to the test, to determine if there was life beyond sweet wine. Two of the reviewed wines sound promising: a medium-bodied white — the 2007 Hermannhof Vidal Blanc from Hermann ($13.29) — and a dry red made from Norton grapes, the 2006 Montelle Cynthiana from August ($20.36).

And in 2010 it looks like you can add another entry to the market. The Kansas City Star talked to Boulevard managing partner John McDonald about the potential of his vineyard in the Truman Lake area. McDonald has plans for the first large-scale release — 350 cases of Henry County, with the potential to double that number to 700 in 2011. 

A vibrant Missouri wine scene is cause for everyone to raise a glass.

[Image via Flickr: Batega]