- 1970 - St. James Winery founded. Velvet Red and Velvet White offered. 8000 gallons produced the first vintage.
- 1974 - First vineyard purchased: 14 acres of Concord grapes
- 1975 - Begin direct sales to retailers in St. Louis
- 1978/1979 - Back to back freezes damage vineyard
- 1979 - Add broker to build wholesale sales
- 1980s - Cellar modernization begins
- 1984 - Wine & Grape Program established. Jim Hofherr serves on advisory board.
- 1986 - The Ozark Mountain AVA is created
- 1987 - Andrew Hofherr returns to winery to run vineyard operations
- 1987 - The Ozark Highlands AVA is created
- 1988 - John Hofherr returns to winery to be head winemaker
- 1994 - St. James Winery Norton wins Best of Show at the International Eastern wine competition
- 1994 - Jim Hofherr passes away.
- 1995 - Peter Hofherr returns to winery
- 1995 - St. James Winery produces 10,000 cases of wine. Bon Appétit Magazine names St. James Winery 1994 Seyval one of the top 50 wines in the world.
- 1997 - St. James Winery wins the Governor’s Cup for best wine in Missouri with the 1996 Vintner’s Reserve Vignoles
- 1998 - St. James Winery wins second Governor’s Cup for best wine in Missouri with the 1997 Vintner’s Reserve Vignoles
- Late 1990s - Vineyard improvements and expansion are underway: Tower and Stolz vineyards added. Cellar expansion: new stainless steel tanks added.
- 2000 - Winery passes 100,000 case sales level. Cellar expansion continues with the addition of a 60 ton grape press.
- 2001 - Peter Hofherr leaves the winery for the Department of Agriculture after appointment by Governor Bob Holden
- 2002 - Andrew Meggitt joins the winery as assistant winemaker
- 2004 - Dean Chalem joins the winery as vice president of sales
- 2005 - New bottling line added, production capacity reaches 500,000 gallons
- 2006 - Named one of the Top 10 Hottest Small Brands in the United States by Wine Business Monthly
- 2007 - Peter Hofherr returns to the winery as CEO
- 2009 - Named Winery of the Year-Eastern United States by Critics Challenge
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Last Updated on Monday, 04 January 2010 17:16 |
