Grape Growers
The vineyard is where it all starts.
High upon the bluffs overlooking Hermann is where you can find our vines.
We are not just winemakers—we are grape growers. Sustainably farming our own grapes is key to our commitment to quality. We take what Mother Nature provides and craft something distinct each season.
Why Missouri Wine?
Our American heritage and hybrid grapes are naturally suited to our climate. What’s more, they are uniquely American and have the ability to be crafted into excellent wines. Each year, we aim to highlight and champion the character of each varietal. Innovation and creative expression of our grapes allows us to discover the perfect style for every varietal and blend.
Our Vineyards
Unique Vineyards Produce Unique Varietals
High upon the hills, our vineyards weather the seasons to ultimately produce great grapes. Our goal is to set the benchmark in quality for each of our varietals.
Since our family started growing grapes, the challenges of Missouri grape growing have required us to constantly adapt and experiment. Combining Pre-Prohibition scientific discoveries from past expert Missouri vintners with new knowledge from experimentation and the modern industry, we have honed techniques for our climate and grapes. We have been a leader of American heritage and hybrid vineyard management, discovering best practices for each of our varieties. Our winery continues in our legacy of crafting world-class American heritage and hybrid wines.
Our Vineyards
Meet the Stone Hill Vineyards
Our 192 acres of vineyards span seven sites surrounding the Hermann area. As Missouri’s largest grape grower, we are dedicated to growing our own grapes for our wines. In 1983, Hermann was honored as one of the nation’s first federally designated AVAs, or American Viticultural Areas. AVAs denote unique characteristics of an area that make it a special and distinct location to grow grapes and make wine.
Stone Hill Vineyards
Rauch Vineyard
Hermann AVA
Overlooking the junction of the Missouri and Gasconade rivers just four miles west of Hermann is our Rauch Vineyard. At 900-920’, the bluff provides excellent protection against spring frost. The deep loess soil on this site is Menfro silt loam. At Rauch, we have a combination of Vignoles, Vidal Blanc, Chardonel, and our prized ½ acre of Civil War era Norton (which becomes our Old Vine Reserve). Rauch, “smoke” in German, is the name of the original owners of this farm.
Kemperberg Vineyard
Hermann AVA
Our Kemperberg Vineyard is two miles southwest of Hermann, sitting at 900-930’. The Marion silt loam soil on this site is considerably shallower than the Rauch Vineyard, which mandates the need for supplemental irrigation. At Kemperberg, we have planted a combination of Norton and Vidal Blanc. This vineyard is adjacent to the farm where Ed Kemper operated Hermann Grape Nurseries, which supplied most of the pre-Prohibition Hermann area vineyards with grapevines.
Weingarten Vineyard
Hermann AVA
At 900-920’ and 7 ½ miles south of Hermann, our Weingarten Vineyard. The relatively shallow soil is a Weingarten silt loam. The early soil scientist who named this soil series obviously felt it was ideally suited for the production of grapes, and we agree. The Weingarten vineyard has the varieties Chambourcin and Vincent planted. From German, Weingarten translates to “wine garden,” but I bet you already knew that!
Morre Vineyard
Ozark Mountain AVA
Morre Vineyard is fourteen miles south of Hermann, sitting atop a high plateau at 950’. Its Union Silt Loam soils provide the many acres of grapes excellent nutrient composition and drainage. As our newest and largest vineyard, the vineyard is designed for the most modern mechanization management systems and contains Vignoles, Concord, Traminette, Catawba, and Valvin Muscat. The Morre name pays homage to the original farming family.
Rocky Top Vineyard
Hermann AVA
Rocky Top Vineyard is six miles south of Hermann at 900’. Located close to our Weingarten Vineyard, it shares the same shallow Weingarten Silt Loam soil, perfect for grapegrowing. As our second smallest vineyard, it grows a little over 4 acres of Chambourcin. Rocky Top is named for its numerous rock outcroppings that are on the site.
Cross J Vineyard
Hermann AVA
Our Cross J Vineyard surrounds the home of one of Hermann’s earliest and most esteemed grapegrowers, William and Theodora Poeschel, and became the home of our founders Jim and Betty. The breathtaking vineyard is located less than one mile west of Hermann on the steep river bluffs overlooking the Missouri River. From the vineyard elevation of 880-900’, the terrain drops rapidly to the river below providing incredible air drainage. The deep loess soil, like the Rauch Vineyard, is a Menfro silt loam. The vineyard is exclusively Norton grapes. The Cross J name comes from our founder Jim. To hear the story behind the name, check out our post on Cross J.
George’s Vineyard
Hermann AVA
Located directly in front of our winery is our smallest vineyard by far. Before Prohibition, much of the town of Hermann was covered in hundreds of acres of vineyards. Now, only a few small vineyards grow within town. Our winery vineyard grows Norton grapes. The vineyard allows visitors to see firsthand how Norton grapes are grown. This vineyard is named after George Stark, the owner who led the winery at its Pre-Prohibition heights (which is also the name we call the ghost in the cellars!).
Our Cellars
The Cellars at Stone Hill
Since 1847, our cellars have been a crucial component in our winemaking.
Naturally a cool 50° F year round, the cellars are the perfect place to sustainably craft and age our wines. As the largest series of arched underground cellars in North America, they are a testament to the passion of the original German winemakers. The historic cellars are paired with modern winemaking approaches to produce the highest quality wines.