Missouri Winemakers

Born on May 30, 1809 in Altenburg, Saxony, Germany, Michael Poeschel fled his home country to find opportunity in the New World. In 1839, he immigrated to the United States and quickly settled in Hermann. The same year as arriving in Hermann and joined by his brother, the Poeschels were among the first Hermannites to grow grapevines. In 1847, Michael made his first commercial wine and started what would become Stone Hill Winery. The winery quickly grew throughout the 1850s and 60s, gaining prestige throughout the nation for its American wines, winning gold for its Norton wine in 1873 at the Vienna World’s Fair. Marrying Catherine Wagner in 1855, he would continue as an owner of the winery until retiring in 1883. Mr. Poeschel passed away in 1893 at the age of 85.

Born on July 4, 1822 in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, John Scherer was a well-educated German trained as a bank clerk. Immigrating to the US in 1853, he would move to Detroit to join his brother. In 1861, he moved to Hermann after being persuaded by Michael Poeschel to enter into business together, becoming partners in the winery. At the time, the winery was eponymously named the M. Poeschel, Scherer, & Co. John kept busy, serving as the president for the Gast Wine Company of St. Louis for a few years and establishing the Hermann Savings Bank, becoming its president in 1883, the same year he retired from Stone Hill. Mr. Scherer would continue to serve his community as president of the Agricultural Association and through service to the public school until his death in 1891.

Born on August 31, 1847, in Frankfort-on-Main, Germany, William was well-educated in his home country and served in the German Army during the Franco-Prussian War. Immigrating to Hermann in 1871, he became a travelling salesman for Stone Hill. In 1874, William achieved two milestones: getting married to Aureila Cramer and becoming a partner in the winery. Mr. Herzog and Mr. Stark became sole owners in 1883, until the death of Aurelia and two of his five children led to William selling his shares to George. Moving to St. Louis and becoming Vice President of the International Bank of St. Louis, he would be a social leader for the rest of his life, a patron of the arts, music, and culture until his death on September 13, 1917.

Born on October 1, 1845 in Rhine Hessen, Germany, he immigrated to New York in 1866. Moving to Hermann six months later, George became a travelling salesman for Stone Hill. He married Laura Feldmann in 1872, having four kids with her, with sons Louis and Ottmar eventually becoming part owners in the winery. In 1878, George and Mr. Herzog became majority partners in the winery. In 1894, Mr. Stark became sole proprietor, leading the winery in its highest growth years, producing 1,250,000 gallons of wine annually. Passing away in 1917, his sons would lead the winery until Prohibition.

Jim & Betty Held

Pioneering Farmers

Jim was born on October 7, 1933, Betty on February 5, 1937, both in Pershing, Missouri. Their families were small farmers, producing what they could to survive. Attending a one-room schoolhouse and growing up without electricity and plumbing, Jim and Betty did not have an easy start to life. However, these early years were formative, producing resilient and entrepreneurial individuals willing to forge ahead on their own paths.

In 1955, the pair wed. Soon after, Jim enlisted with the Navy as an engineer on the USS Johnston, and Betty worked as a secretary at the Bank of St. Louis while he was away. After Jim returned to the States, they moved back to their farm in Pershing where their first son Jon was born in 1958. In 1961 while farming for a small income, Jim and his brother decided to plant a few acres of Catawba grapes. Quickly realizing that they preferred the bouquet of grapes over pigs, Jim and Betty were interested in making a change.

Luck would be on their side. Bill and Mary Harrison, the owners of the mushroom farming business within the old Stone Hill Wine Co., had the lifelong dream of living to see wine once again made in Stone Hill’s cellars. Bill heard of a farmer with a small vineyard and reached out. Jim was reluctant at first, but Bill was persistent and gave them a no-risk offer to come and try the business out for a year.

In 1965, the family, now including four children, moved into the remnants of the Old Stone Hill Wine Co. Starting off with just their hard work and some grapes, the first year ultimately became a major success. With their wine quickly selling and the community eager to support their cause, they pushed ahead, working to improve wine quality and restore the property. Laws limiting the quantity of wine one could produce were still on the books, so Jim went to the legislature and successfully argued for the laws to be amended.

Though Betty was always the quieter of the two, Jim would always quip that they were equal partners, saying that none of this could have happened without the other. Betty managed the books, the employees, and her growing children. She was instrumental in making Hermann a destination once more, helping to grow its Oktoberfest and Maifest and create the Wurstfest. The philosophy of the pair was simple: It will be hard to beat the big name wines on store shelves. Instead, if you can get people to the cellars, pour them a taste of wine, and show them gracious hospitality, they won’t forget you or your wine.

Their strategy worked, and the winery became one of the nation’s most awarded wineries and one of Missouri’s top tourist attractions. Tirelessly working, they continued at the winery well past the age most people would retire.

As pioneers and leaders of their industry, Jim and Betty have been honored throughout the years. In 1982, President Reagan presented them with the Missouri Small Business of the Year Award. In 1988, they were the first recipients of the Hall of Fame Award from the Missouri Division of Tourism. In 1995, the Held family was awarded the Wine Growing Family of the Year at the Wineries Unlimited 20th anniversary and the Blue Chip Enterprise Initiative Award for entrepreneurship in America. In 2014, the University of Missouri bestowed an Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree to Jim for his contributions to the industry and his community.

More important than the accolades they received was their commitment to their community and the creation of a better world. Each was heavily involved in many organizations they held dear, such as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Hermann Area District Hospital, the Lion’s Club, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, and St. Paul’s United Church of Christ to name a few.

Slowly stepping back from the winery, their son Jon became General Manager of the winery in 1995 and owner with his wife Karen in 2017. Jim passed away on November 8th, 2019. Betty still lives in her home surrounded by the Cross J Vineyards.