Local Midwest Winery
The Stone Hill
Wine Process
World Class Wines
Focused on Quality
Since beginning in 1847, our winery has been producing world-class wines that can stand up to the most well known wine-growing regions.
We are consistently dedicated to our legacy of excellence.
Growing exceptional grapes is our specialty
Great grapes are the basis for great wine.
That is why we continue to grow and experiment with local grapes that are uniquely adapted to our climate and region. Growing American heritage and hybrid varietals—grapes that are derived from American grape species—allows us to sustainably farm grapes which are more resistant to disease and hardier than traditional European grapes. Though the grapes may not have the names you are familiar with, they can produce wines that express the same styles and flavors or be completely unique and distinctive.
Taking great care to produce wine worth loving
01.
Find the Perfect Vineyard Site
In Missouri, you need elevation and topography to protect from spring frosts.
02.
Choosing the Grapes
Once you have selected a good vineyard site, you need to choose the proper grape for the site and source high quality plants. This may take two years.
03.
Planting the Vines
After careful site preparation, the trellis is installed and the vines are planted, mulched, and a growth tube is placed over them to act as a mini green house.
04.
Nurture the Vines
It takes four years to harvest a full crop from a vine. During this period, the vines are trained to fill the trellis and build a vine structure that will support a full crop.
05.
The Vineyard Cycle
There is work that must be done all year long in the vineyard. Pruning in winter, training and thinning in spring, tending vines in the summer, and harvesting in the fall. Every step is important to grow high quality grapes.
06.
Harvest
For most of our vineyards, they are harvested mechanically at night which allows for cooler fruit at the peak of ripeness.
07.
Crush
After arriving at the winery, the grapes are de-stemmed and crushed to remove the individual berries from the stems and gently crack the grape skins to free the juice.
08.
Whites
For white grapes, they go straight to the press to extract juice before fermentation.
09.
Reds
Red grapes are fermented on their skins to extract color and character before being pressed.
10.
Crafting
The winemaker utilizes their skill and artistry to apply multiple techniques such as racking, blending, barrel or tank aging, fining, and filtering to express the desired characteristics in each wine. All along the way, the winemaker is tasting, analyzing, and pondering how best to apply these techniques.
11.
Bottling
Once the winemaker is satisfied, the wine is bottled.
12.
Enjoyment
The finished bottle of wine is ready to be enjoyed by you!
Our Vineyards
Distinction in every bottle
We are creating something very unique. Using American heritage and hybrid grapes, we produce distinctive wines. By using these rebellious grapes, we are not beholden to the wine industry’s strict and exclusionary rules. Instead, we can craft with uncommon grapes and find the wine styles that make their special characteristics shine brightest.