Harvest is the culmination of a year’s worth of hard work and dedication to cultivating grapes in demanding and often unpredictable conditions. It’s also a time full of excitement and expectation for the wines to come. Harvest is in a way a beginning and an end. It’s relief and excitement all in one. It’s exhausting and exhilarating for those that work in the many vineyards of Missouri wine country.

For many wineries, the excitement is too much not to be shared, and they do this with festivals, celebrations and ceremonies surrounding this bountiful season. It’s an opportunity to bring friends and family together and make memories as another year passes. Take a look inside what Harvest means to several winemakers from around the state.