Norton Dinner & 10-Year Vertical Tasting
Every April, ten vintages of Stone Hill Norton are opened side by side for one evening in Hermann. The Norton Dinner and 10-Year Vertical Tasting is one of the longest-running traditions at Stone Hill, and 2027 marks the 37th annual dinner. It remains the best way we know to show what Missouri’s state grape becomes with time.
The next dinner
- When: Saturday, April 10, 2027
- Where: Reception and tasting in the Sherry House Pavilion, dinner at Vintage 1847 Restaurant
- Time: Sparkling reception begins at 5:30 PM
- Dress: Business casual (jackets optional)
- Seats: Limited. The evening sells out every year, so book early.
Tickets: Not on sale yet. Join the list and we will let you know when they are.
How the evening unfolds
- Sparkling reception. The night opens with Stone Hill sparkling wine and appetizers.
- The vertical. In the Sherry House, you taste the ten most recent vintages of our Norton side by side, from the newest release back a full decade. Our winemakers and the Held family walk through each one.
- Dinner. A three-course dinner at Vintage 1847 Restaurant, each course paired with Stone Hill wines.
- The library. Guests get the first chance to buy older Norton vintages from our library.
Why taste Norton across ten years
A vertical tasting pours several vintages of the same wine from the same winery, so the only thing that changes is time. Young Norton is deep purple, with dark fruit, spice and bright acidity. Over the years it softens, the fruit turns toward dried cherry and plum, and notes of leather, tobacco and earth come forward. Tasting ten years at once shows how each growing season left its mark, and how well Norton ages.
That aging is something we take seriously. Starting in the late 1970s, winemaker Dave Johnson began making Norton like a great red: riper fruit, careful fermentation and time in oak. His 1979 vintage helped prove that Norton could stand with the world’s fine red wines. We hold bottles back in our cellars each year so guests can taste that history for themselves.
New to Norton? Read the story of the Norton grape, from Dr. Daniel Norton’s discovery to the Civil War era vines still growing at our Rauch Vineyard.
What guests and critics have said
“The best overall Norton vertical of my experience.”
Joe Pollack, St. Louis Magazine, 2011
That year, guests tasted the 2001 through 2010 vintages and voted the 2002 their favorite of the decade. St. Louis Magazine returned in 2014 to write about the annual vertical Norton tasting again.
Past dinners
- 2026: Saturday, April 11
- 2025: Saturday, April 12
- 2024: Saturday, April 13
- 2023: Saturday, April 15
- 2022: Saturday, April 9
Questions
What is a vertical tasting?
A tasting of the same wine from several different years. At this dinner, it is ten consecutive vintages of Stone Hill Norton.
When are tickets released?
Tickets for the 2027 dinner are sold through our online store. The dinner sells out every year, so book early or ask to join the wait list.
Is the menu set in advance?
Our chefs build a new three-course menu each year around the wines being poured. It is shared closer to the date.
Can I buy the older vintages?
Yes. Guests get the first chance to purchase library Norton vintages during the evening.
Where should I stay?
Many guests make a weekend of it. See our guide to things to do in Hermann for places to stay and eat.