Our story · Since 1847
A Legacy of Winemaking Excellence
Missouri’s oldest winery, and a National Historic District.
Rooted in family history
Before there was a Napa, there was Stone Hill
German winemaking traditions were thriving on this hill long before California’s wine country. By 1900 we were the second-largest winery in the nation, shipping around the world, and our Norton was a favorite at the White House. After Prohibition shut it all down, Jim and Betty Held brought the winery back to life and helped revive the American wine industry outside of California.
1847 · The founding
A hillside above Hermann
In 1847, German immigrant Michael Poeschel sold his first barrels of commercial wine, founding what would become Stone Hill.
Our arched cellars, the largest underground cellars in North America, were mostly finished by 1869. A year later Missouri was the largest wine-producing state in the country.
Michael Poeschel is the pioneer and father of grape and wine culture in Hermann.
George Husmann, Missouri horticulturist and wine pioneer, 1869
1873 to 1915 · Early success
Best red wine of all nations
Stone Hill won top honors at eight World’s Fairs. At Vienna in 1873, our Norton was declared the “Best Red Wine of All Nations,” proof that American grapes could make great wine.
Salesmen turned partners William Herzog and George Stark grew the winery into the second-largest in the country and third-largest in the world.
Hermann promises to become not merely the most prolific vineyards of the United States, but also those yielding the best wines.
Henry Vizetelly, wine writer, 1873
1920 · Prohibition
The cellars go quiet
Anti-German sentiment during World War I hit Missouri’s German winemakers hard, and Prohibition finished the job in 1920. George Stark’s sons were forced to close the winery and destroy the vineyards.
From 1923 the cellars were used to grow mushrooms. In 1936 they were bought by Bill and Mary Harrison, preservationists who dreamed of seeing wine made here again.
It was as if the Great Depression hit Hermann ten years before the rest of the country…
Bill Harrison, Stone Hill Farms owner and mushroom grower
1965 · A new start
Jim and Betty bring it back
Bill Harrison spent two years persuading Jim and Betty Held, grape farmers from Pershing, Missouri, to give the old winery a try. In 1965 they moved into the remnants of the winery with their four young children.
That fall they made their first 1,200 gallons, including the first Norton since Prohibition, from a Civil War era half acre at the Rauch Vineyard. They bought the whole property in 1968, and in 1969 it was designated a National Historic District.
Never, never, never give up!
Jim Held, co-founder of the modern Stone Hill
1978 to today · A family of winegrowers
Committed to quality
Winemaker Dave Johnson joined in 1978 and stayed forty years, becoming one of America’s most awarded winemakers. Jon Held came home in 1983 as vineyard manager after studying in California and working in Switzerland and Canada.
In 2017 Jon and his wife Karen became owners of the winery, and today the third generation of the Held family has joined them in the business. Sons Nathan and Eric earned Masters in Viticulture from Cornell University and Wine Business from Bordeaux Sciences Agro respectively.
Everything we did, we did for Missouri.
Betty Held, co-founder of the modern Stone Hill
Our founders
The people who built Stone Hill
1809 to 1893
Michael Poeschel
Born in Altenburg, Saxony, Michael settled in Hermann in 1839 and was among the town’s first grape growers. He made his first wines in 1845 and remained an owner until 1883.
1822 to 1891
John Scherer
A bank clerk by training, John became Poeschel’s partner in 1861, when the business was M. Poeschel, Scherer & Co. He later founded the Hermann Savings Bank.
1847 to 1917
William Herzog
William came to Hermann from Frankfurt in 1871 as a traveling salesman and became a partner in 1874. In St. Louis he was a bank officer and a patron of the arts.
1845 to 1917
George Stark (Starck)
George arrived from Rhine Hessen in 1866 and started as a salesman. Sole owner from 1894, he led the winery through its biggest years. His sons ran it until Prohibition.
Owners from 1965
Jim and Betty Held
Farmers from Pershing, Missouri, they restored the winery from 1965 on. Betty ran the books and helped build Hermann’s Oktoberfest, Maifest, and Wurstfest. Jim went to the legislature to change the laws limiting how much wine could be made.
Recognition
Eastern USA’s most awarded winery
5,000+
Medals and awards
15
Governor’s Cups
8
C.V. Riley Awards for Norton
1969
Designated a National Historic District
Today Stone Hill is Missouri’s oldest and most awarded winery. We remain committed to making the best American heritage and hybrid wines, grown here in Missouri.
Honors for the family and the winery
- Outstanding Achievement Award for Jon Held, American Society for Enology and Viticulture, Eastern Section, 2026
- Best Winery in the Midwest, Midwest Living, 2022
- Honorary Doctor of Laws for Jim Held, University of Missouri, 2014
- Missouri Small Business of the Year, presented by President Reagan at the White House, 1982
- First Recipients of the Hall of Fame Award, Missouri Division of Tourism, 1988
- Winemaker of the Year (Dave Johnson) and Winegrower of the Year (Jon Held), Vineyard & Winery Management, 1994
- Wine Growing Family of the Year, Wineries Unlimited, 1995
- Blue Chip Enterprise Initiative Award for entrepreneurship, 1995
- Pioneer Award, Missouri Grape and Wine Program
- Legacy Award and Leadership Award, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Timeline
Moments on the hill
1837
German immigrants establish the town of Hermann.
1847
Michael Poeschel sells his first commercial wine, founding Stone Hill.
1869
The underground cellars are completed, apart from an expansion in the 1890s.
1870
Missouri, in large part due to Stone Hill, becomes the #1 wine-producing state.
1873
Our Norton is declared “Best Red Wine of All Nations” at the Vienna World’s Fair.
1900
Stone Hill is the nation’s second-largest winery, producing over 1,250,000 gallons a year.
1901
The battleship USS Missouri is christened with Stone Hill “Pearl of Missouri” champagne.
1920
Prohibition closes the winery. From 1923 the cellars are used to grow mushrooms.
1936
Bill and Mary Harrison buy the shuttered winery and keep growing mushrooms in the cellars.
1965
Jim and Betty Held move in the winery with their four small children and make the first Norton since Prohibition.
1966
The first vintage goes on sale on Maifest Saturday.
1968
Our first international intern helps with harvest, starting a tradition that continues today.
1969
Stone Hill is designated a National Historic District. Norton is planted at Kemperberg Vineyard.
1978
Dave Johnson joins as winemaker and convinces Jim to focus on wine excellence.
1979
Vintage 1847 Restaurant opens in the old carriage house and stables.
1982
President Reagan presents Jim and Betty with the Missouri Small Business of the Year Award.
1983
Hermann becomes one of the nation’s first American Viticultural Areas. Jon Held returns as vineyard manager.
1988
Jon sends Norton vines to Virginia, returning the grape to its birthplace.
1992
Our press house is built.
1995
Cross J Vineyard is planted, followed by Weingarten in 1999 and Rocky Top in 2000.
2003
Norton becomes the official state grape of Missouri.
2009
The submarine USS Missouri is christened with Stone Hill Blanc de Blancs.
2013
Our Norton wins the trifecta of Governor’s Cup, C.V. Riley Award and Best of Class, repeating in 2014 and 2017.
2017
Jon and Karen Held become owners of the winery.
2023
The third generation of the Held family rejoins the business.
2026
Jon Held receives the Outstanding Achievement Award from the American Society for Enology and Viticulture, Eastern Section.
Experience the history
See the cellars for yourself
Tour our historic cellars and taste our award-winning wines in Hermann, every day of the year.