May 23, 2019
If walls could talk, many of those within Missouri wineries would have interesting tales to tell. Several winery buildings have witnessed decades of change, while a couple date back to a century ago. These buildings have served a number of past purposes, including use as cattle barns, headquarters for fraternal organizations and automobile showrooms. Today, these wineries showcase delicious Missouri wines. We invite you to discover their fascinating history and stop by for a visit during your next excursion in Missouri wine country.
1505 Genessee
Kansas City, MO 64102
Amigoni Urban Winery is located in the Stockyards District of Kansas City’s historic West Bottoms. At the peak of the stockyard industry’s success, the area served as a place to hold cattle before they were loaded onto railroad cars. The winery is located in the former home of the livestock industry’s trade publication, the Daily Drover Telegram. When you stop by for a visit, look closely at the ceiling towards the back of the building and you may just spy an ink spot, a lasting remnant of an old printing press.
27150 Hwy 24
Waverly, MO 64096
Baltimore Bend Vineyard’s tasting room has undergone a couple of transformations through the years. Originally built for an antique business, the building later became an apple cider production facility. The Schmidt family remodeled the building for their winery in 2003.
1325 Odd Fellows Rd
Liberty, MO 64068
The property surrounding Belvoir Winery is known as the Odd Fellows Home District. This area was established by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F), a secret society and one of the largest fraternal and benevolent orders in the United States. The society provided care and education for its elderly members and the orphans of Missouri Odd Fellows. A hospital, old folks home and school were located on-site. The winery is located in the former administration building which housed classrooms for the orphans.
Cave Hollow West Winery is located in the Mark Twain Cave Complex and formerly housed a dinner theatre.
601 State Hwy 165
Branson, MO 65616
Curling Vine Winery’s location in Branson is just a couple of blocks off the strip. The building once housed a car dealership and has been remodeled and added onto multiple times since the late 1980s.
485 Booneslick Road
New Florence, MO 63363
Curling Vine Winery’s location in New Florence is located near I-70. The building was the former site of a restaurant and dance hall.
10035 Edg-Clif Dr
Potosi, MO 63664
Edg-Clif Farms and Vineyard is located in a former dairy milking barn. The barn has served a few different purposes in the past. The building sheltered livestock including Hereford show cattle and pigs, then stored used tires. After undergoing extensive renovations, the barn became the winery’s tasting and barrel room featuring a wine shop, catering kitchen and restrooms.
9364 Mitchell Trail
Lexington, MO 64067
In 2008, the Fahrmeiers expanded their family business to include vineyards and a winery. The family’s old cattle barn was converted into a rustic space where you can sip delicious wines while gathering with friends.
595 Clinton St
Osborn, MO 64474
Grindstone Valley Winery is located inside the former meeting spot for local members of the American Legion. The winery owners purchased and renovated the building in 2014. The structure dates to 1950. Prior to that, the Bank of Osborn was located at the site. Built in 1909, that building was demolished after the devastating effects of the Great Depression.
1829 McGee Street
Kansas City, MO 64108
KC Wineworks is located in a building within the Crossroads Arts District in Kansas City. The location once served as a showroom for the Kelly-Springfield Motor Truck Company. In 1912, Belfast Investment Company hired C.S. Smith, a well-known architect in the city, to construct the building in the area known as the McGee Street Automotive Historic District. The streetcar route originally ran down McGee Street so it passed right in front of the showroom’s windows.
12847 W Hwy BB
Rocheport, MO 65279
Les Bourgeois Vineyards’ tasting room, located right off of I-70, is the site of a former restaurant named Pete’s Café. The restaurant was well-known for its huge dining room wall painting that replicated Leonardo Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”
The winery’s A-Frame was a house located on the property when Curtis and Martha Bourgeois purchased the property. The couple lived in the building until they converted it into the A-Frame Winegarden and Patio.
57 N. Main St
Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670
Lewsi Winery moved to historic downtown Ste. Genevieve in 2016. The winery’s red brick building dates back to 1893 and has housed numerous businesses including a clothing store, beauty shop and an art gallery. The site is best known for housing Otte Cleaners, a dry cleaning business for 75 years.
5448 N Berry Lane
Springfield, MO 65803
OOVVDA Winery is located in a building that once served as a wood shop. The current owner purchased the property in 2003 and converted it into a winery.
502 Spring St
Weston, MO 64098
Pirtle Winery is located in an old German Lutheran Church. Originally built in 1867, the building also served as the bottling location for Royal Brewery from 1901 to 1919. The structure sat empty for years and was in danger of being torn down to make room for a parking lot. Fate intervened and the community fixture still stands.
22200 State Rt 45 N
Rushville, MO 64484
Students once learned their reading, writing and arithmetic inside Riverwood Winery’s doors. The winery is the site of a former 1950s school building. Located along the east bank of the Missouri River, the school was part of the Weston School District. The school was designed by Joseph Radotinsky, a noted architect in the Kansas City area. The structure is a great example of the architecture during that time period.
Stone Hill Winery
1110 Stone Hill Highway
Hermann, MO 65041
Stone Hill Winery was established in 1847. Completed in 1868, the main winery building was used primarily for office and administrative purposes along with a warehouse wing. Prohibiton collapsed the winery. From 1923 to 1965, the cellars and the main building were solely devoted to growing commercial mushrooms. In 1965, Jim and Betty Held began on a very small scale to use one of the cellars to make wine, coexisting with the mushroom business for two years. The Held family lived in the upstairs portion of the main winery building residing there for the next 27 years. In 1967, Jim and Betty took over full ownership of the winery property and solely operated it as a winery. In 1992, the Helds converted the main winery building to administrative offices upstairs with tasting and sales rooms on the first level.
Stone Hill Winery's original carriage house and horse barn once housed hardworking horses and mules. In 1979, the Helds converted it into the winery's Vintage Restaurant.
100 South Lynn
Dover, MO 64022
Terre Beau occupies a chapel that once ministered to westward bound pioneers and frontiersmen. Built in 1858, the building served as a place of worship for two religious denominations throughout its history. Situated in the center of Dover, the church came away mostly unscathed during the Civil War, although a cannon ball fired from a river boat struck its tall steeple. Confederate sympathizers from Dover and the surrounding area were held prisoner in the church until they were transported to the Federal County House in Lexington. Historians believe several unknown Confederate soldiers are buried behind the building. The beautiful winery is located along the historic Santa Fe Trail.
7325 N. Farm Rd 171
Springfield, MO 65803
Tyler Ridge Winery’s tasting room is located in an old farm house built in 1905. Several families have lived there through the years. The previous owners sold eggs and milked cows for a living. Cattle once grazed the area that now features the winery’s vineyard. The current owners bought the property in 1998 and planted their first grapes in 2004.
8385 W. US 60
Mountain View, MO 65548
Located in the Ozark Mountain woodlands, Viandel Vineyard is located inside the former Apple House. The property featured an apple orchard and the previous owners sold apples and other fruits and vegetables to the public. The old farmhouse was remodeled into the winery’s tasting room and features the original fireplace.
1132 Brick Church Road
Bland, MO 65014
Wenwood Farm Winery is located on the site of an old dairy farm. The farm buildings have all been repurposed: the calf barn is now their tasting room, the dairy barn houses their wine production and the bull barn serves as the winery’s open air event pavilion.
107 Vine Street
Macon, MO 63552
The building that now showcases West Winery’s wines has seen more than 100 years of history unfold from its storefront windows. Before the current owners gutted and renovated the century-old building, it served as a notions store and several menswear shops, including JP’s Mens Wear. JP Hartung, the previous owner of the building, works at the winery and likes to share Macon’s history with guests.
We hope you take the opportunity to visit these beautiful wineries in Missouri wine country. While history has helped shape them, these buildings will continue to be defined by the local families who craft delicious Missouri wines and call these communities home.