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Join us on Thursday nights in The Gardens for drinks, pizza and a cult classic movie! We’ll be setting up our huge outdoor movie screen in The Gardens, located between the winery and brewery (551 State Route B, St. James, MO), so you can enjoy drinks with a wood-fired pizza and a warm fire pit, all while watching a movie outdoors.

Movie Schedule
Strange Brew | Thursday, Oct. 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Canada’s most famous hosers, Bob and Doug McKenzie, get jobs at the Elsinore Brewery, only to learn that something is rotten with the state of it.

Top Gun | Thursday, Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m.
As students at the United States Navy’s elite ­fighter weapons school compete to be best in the class, one daring young pilot learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom.

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy | Thursday, Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m.
Mere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, journeyman Arthur Dent is swept off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher penning a new edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Princess Bride | Thursday, Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m.
While home sick in bed, a young boy’s grandfather reads him a story called The Princess Bride.

Be sure to bring warm clothing and blankets as needed, because it will be cool weather. Limited seating is available, so feel free to bring your own seating.

Click here to see the flyer.

St. James Winery has been growing Norton for four decades. Every year we produce one of the most awarded Norton’s in the country, our Estate Norton. In 2015 we set aside our very best,
hand-selected Norton grapes to produce two additional unique, small batch wines.

norton_422015 Norton 42
Back for the fourth year, our Norton 42 has gained a cult following with our dry red wine lovers. The name for the wine came partially as a nod to the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
because we discovered the answer to the ultimate question of making wine was 42. When this wine recipe was first created, we were celebrating our 42nd anniversary, and our Executive
Winemaker Andrew Meggitt had turned 42 years old. It seemed that all the stars had aligned to help make this wine from the oldest block of vines – Block 14, which is 41 years old this year
– in the vineyard.

We crop at a low rate of 1-2.5 tons of per acre to create intense fruit flavors and give this wine an old world feel and complexity. We also harvest it much later than our other vineyards, due to the slower ripening of the old vines. The wine is made as naturally as is possible, destemmed and 60% whole berry fermentation. The berries are cold soaked to extract flavor and tannin for up to five days, then fermentation is started with the naturally occurring yeasts. We incorporate the stems as a source of tannin and structure in the wine during the fermentation process, too.

Tasting Notes: This wine has an old world charm that presents it self as having plum, black current and red cherry aromas. These fruit aromas can also be found in the flavor of this wine, along with a great tannin structure that creates an extremely elegant and well-balanced palate. There is subtle oak and integrated tannin that gives the wine a silky mouthfeel.

$24.99 / bottle
Take advantage of our 10% case discount when you buy 12 bottles

norton_label_20162015 Norton Cellar Selection
What do you get when you give each cellar hand 2,000 lbs. of fruit to ferment? A distinctive, intense wine called Norton Cellar Selection. This unique blend shows the hard work of 10 different cellar staff members who had the opportunity to try their hand at winemaking. Each one created their own recipe and list of ingredients, with direction from Executive Winemaker Andrew Meggitt and Assistant Winemaker Aaron Spohr. The wines were fermented, pressed and barreled in the individual lots, aged for nine months and then blended together.

This wine had its genesis in a conversation about creating, understanding and making better wine. This collaboration helped the cellar workers engage in and better understand the process of making wine. Its exceptional quality, structured tannins and flavor intensity captures the vibrant personality of our cellar team.

Tasting Notes: Aromas of black cherry and red plum, with cinnamon and cloves as a supporting cast. The palate has blackberry and cherry flavors, structured tannins and
a unique, great intensity.

$24.99 / bottle
Take advantage of our 10% case discount when you buy 12 bottles

St. James Winery Podium Series is a collection of innovative wines that reflect our winemaking creativity. Handcrafted in small lots, created in celebration of wine, our Podium wines are available only in the St. James Winery Tasting Room in St. James, Missouri.

St. James Winery and Public House Brewing Company are excited to announce our First Annual Harvest Festival.  This family-friendly Italian heritage event celebrates the bountiful harvest of the Meramec Highlands. Join us on Saturday, October 8, 2016 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. in The Gardens at St. James (540 & 551 State Route B, St James, MO).

Harvest festival activities include:

Farmer’s Market
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Honey, heritage foods, mums, crafts, meats, homemade pies and bread

Family Activities & Games
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Face Painting and Pumpkin Painting
1 p.m. | Hula Hoop Contest (prizes will be awarded)
2 p.m. | Pumpkin Ring Toss (prizes will be awarded)
4 p.m. – 6 p.m. | Learn & Play Bocce Ball

Live Music & Dance
12 p.m. – 2 p.m. | Clayton Caspari
3 p.m. | Italian Dance Performance
4 p.m. – 6 p.m. | Red Velvet Crush
7 p.m. – 10 p.m. | Rosewood Band

Winery & Brewery Tours
1 p.m. | St. James Winery Vineyard Tour & Tasting
($5 each; includes one winery wine glass and tastings of two wines or juices; all ages welcome; purchase tickets day of event; meet at The Vineyard Cottage – 19506 County Road 1000, St. James, Mo.)

  • Hear from Wayne Bledsoe, historian and host of KMST’s Bluegrass for a Saturday Night and Sunday Morning Sounds, about the Italian history of the area. After Bledsoe’s history lesson, Peter Hofherr, the winery’s CEO, will guide you through the vineyards explaining how the grapes are grown. During the tour, you will taste two different wines (or juices).

3 p.m. | St. James Winery Tour and Wine Blending Experience
($25 each; includes your choice of one bottle of wine [excluding Podium or Library wines] or six-pack of cider to take home; limited to 20 participants; purchase tickets day of event; must be 21 years old to participate)

  • Peter Hofherr, the winery’s CEO, will take you on a journey through the cellar and warehouse, all while explaining the winemaking process and history of the winery. After the tour, you’ll get to blend your own glass of wine with the help of Andrew Meggitt, executive winemaker.

4 p.m. | Public House Brewing Company Tour and Beer Styles Sensory Experience
($25 each; includes your choice of one six-pack of beer or cider to take home; limited to 20 participants; purchase tickets day of event; must be 21 years old to participate)

  • Matt Burkhardt, the brewery’s head brewer, will explain how beer is made and show you the 20-barrel brew house. You’ll even get to try fermenting beer, pulled straight from the fermenter. After the tour, you’ll get to sample nine different styles of beer and Burkhardt will explain what flavors and aromas you can expect from each style.

Food & Drink
All Day | Italian-Style Food Specials
6 p.m. – 7 p.m. | Mixology demonstrations

If you are a local farmer, and would like to participate in the farmer’s market, contact:
Gina Maben, Event Coordinator
573-261-3338 | gina.maben@stjameswinery.com

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St. James Winery and the Missouri Wine and Grape Board are excited to announce the launch of the Missouri winery Visitors’ Program (MVP). MVP will reward visitors to Missouri wineries through points redeemable for unique rewards. The program will officially launch on Thursday, September 1, just in time for the first weekend of Missouri Wine Month!

Participating wineries, including St. James Winery, will hand out MVP tickets, each with a unique code, which program participants can collect every time they visit. These codes are then entered into a free account the participant creates on MissouriWineMVP.com for points. The first visit to a winery will earn participants 500 points, with visits 2-10 to that same winery being worth 100 points each, and 11+ visits to the same winery accruing 10 points each. Points are redeemable for rewards on the MVP website. The best strategy to earn points for rewards is to explore Missouri wine country – visit new wineries throughout the state and you’ll not only earn more points, but you will also discover great wineries and award-winning wines along the way!

wine_food_people_MWGB

Wine enthusiasts to those new to the wine scene will have the opportunity to get acquainted with St. James Winery and Missouri wines… and earn points for each winery visit! With more than 125 wineries and 10 wine trails in Missouri wine country, what are you waiting for?

Although wineries will not be handing out tickets until September 1, those interested in becoming an MVP can register ahead of time on the program’s website MissouriWineMVP.com. For more information about MVP, please review the program Terms and Conditions and FAQ on the MVP website.

2016_governors_cup_banner
2015 Vignoles Beat Out 308 wines for Missouri Wine Competition’s Top Award

St. James Winery won the prestigious Missouri Governor’s Cup for the second year in a row. Out of seven best-of-class winners, the 2015 Vignoles, a semi-dry white vignoles, took the top award at the Missouri Wine Competition. A total of 308 wines were submitted from vineyards across the state to compete in the premiere competition designed to recognize and promote quality wines made in Missouri.

The winery’s 2015 Dry Vignoles and Friendship School White also won Gold Medals. Additionally, St. James Winery won four Silver Medals and five Bronze Medals for wines entered in other categories.

“We are extremely proud of Andrew Meggitt and his team on this outstanding achievement,” said Peter Hofherr, St. James Winery chairman and CEO. “Over the last three years, the team has won five international wine competitions, two Governor’s Cups and scored a top 14 ranking in the world. These are truly extraordinary accomplishments given the challenging weather patterns we’ve experienced. Without the day-to-day hard work and attention to detail in the vineyards and cellar, these incredible results would not have been achieved.”

2016_governors_cupThe Missouri Wine Competition took place in Columbia, Mo. on July 19 and 20. The competition is judged by the top wine and beverage experts from around the nation. Only Missouri wines are judged in this competition – those that received best-in-class honors were considered for Governor’s Cup.

Missouri’s premier white varietal, the Vignoles, is a French-American hybrid grape. Out of 150 acres of grapes that St. James Winery farms in the Ozark Highlands American Viticultural Area (AVA) of Missouri, 10 percent are Vignoles.

Founded by the Hofherr family in the Meramec Highlands region of Missouri in 1970, St. James Winery, located in St. James, Mo., is celebrating 46 years as a family owned and operated winery. It is Missouri’s largest and most awarded winery. St. James Winery produces 500,000 gallons (225,000 cases) of wine per year and is sold in 18 states and Washington D.C. For more information, visit StJamesWinery.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

St. James Winery is pleased to introduce McIntyre Cider, its new line of premium hard apple ciders. Starting July 8th, 2016, McIntyre Cider hard apple ciders will be available at select retailers and the St. James Winery Tasting Room.

St. James Winery’s Executive Winemaker, Andrew Meggitt, was inspired to create the new McIntyre Cider line in France. While honing his skills with master French winemakers, Meggitt and his wife took time to tour cideries throughout the countryside. He found these cideries creating flavorful and intriguing ciders using a unique European style.

Meggitt brought this European hard cider style back to the States and, in time, crafted the four benchmark flavors of McIntyre Cider hard apple ciders. Each is crafted using 100% natural fruit juices that create crisp, premium flavors distinctly different than the sweeter cider varieties on the market today.

The four flavors of McIntyre Cider are: Hard Apple Cider, Blackberry Hard Apple Cider, Peach Hard Apple Cider, and Strawberry Hard Apple Cider.

  • McIntyre Cider’s Hard Apple Cider offers the bold, crisp taste of juicy apples. Thanks to its European style, Hard Apple offers a distinct light and off-dry flavor.
  • McIntyre Cider’s Blackberry Hard Apple Cider offers the unique flavor of blackberry jam mixed with the clean, crisp taste of apples. This cider reminds you of picking blackberries during summer with its tart berry notes.
  • McIntyre Cider’s Peach Hard Apple Cider offers subtlety not often found in peach-flavored beverages: Peach Hard Apple has mouthwatering ripe peach notes blended perfectly with crisp apple without unnatural or cloying sweetness.
  • McIntyre Cider’s Strawberry Hard Apple Cider is summer itself, ripe strawberry melding effortlessly with bright apple.

McIntyre Cider offers you the highest quality cider in Missouri. Each premium hard apple cider is made with 100% pure and natural fruit juices—meaning no artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners. McIntyre Cider is naturally gluten free.

With more than 40 years creating the most awarded wines in Missouri, St. James Winery is pleased to add McIntyre Cider to its premium beverage family. St. James Winery dedicates its efforts to creating the finest wine and fruit juices available, and McIntyre Cider is another excellent example of the winery’s devotion to offering its customers only the highest quality products.

To learn more about McIntyre Cider, please visit www.McIntyreCider.com

About St. James Winery
Founded in 1970 by Pat & Jim Hofherr, St. James Winery has grown to become the largest, most awarded winery in Missouri. Located along I-44 in the beautiful Ozark Highlands of Missouri in the town of St. James, the winery is a fun place to visit for a day trip. www.stjameswinery.com

McIntyre Cider Family Bottle Shot: https://www.stjameswinery.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mcintyre_cider_family_bottles.jpg
McIntyre Cider 6-Packs: https://www.stjameswinery.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mcintyre_cider_6_packs.jpg
McIntyre Cider Logo: https://www.stjameswinery.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mcintyre_cider_logo.jpg

A Benedictine monk named Dom Perignon is credited with discovering the artful blends of wine and the process that creates the famous bubbles of Champagne. Before it was fine-tuned by the monk, champagne was originally found the same way many great breakthroughs are… by accident.

In homage, our champagne-making process had some disasters that led to greatness.

It had been 17 years since the last time St. James Winery winemakers put their hand to making our exceptional Brut Champagne American. For last several years, Executive Winemaker Andrew Meggitt and Winemaker Aaron Spohr carefully considered undertaking this laborious (but rewarding) endeavor. The two spent time at several Californian champagne houses, studying various methods. In 2015, the time for procrastination reached an end and they agreed it was time to start the meticulous process again.

During the harvest, juice from two different grape varieties, Valvin Muscat and Aromella, was selected and set aside. Each was fermented separately into a completely dry wine. No sulfites were added to ensure a second fermentation cycle, a critical step in making sparkling wine. The two wines were blended to create a mélange, which became the base for the champagne.

In mid-December it was time for tirage bottling, the all-important start of the second fermentation that produces the smooth bubbles for which Champagne is known. This step happens in the same bottle purchased by the consumer.

The steps immediately prior to tirage bottling have significant impact on the final result. First, a culture is built up by adding wine, sugar, and yeast suited for champagne together in carefully monitored amounts for a few days until the yeast multiplies from a bucket-sized to barrel-sized volume.

Next, sugar is added to the base wine to give the yeast plenty of food for the second fermentation. At this stage, fate stepped in and threw our winemakers a curve ball: because of an error in a set of complex calculations, too much sugar was added to the wine, “overfeeding” the yeast and jeopardizing the fermentation process. Typically at that point, the base wine would have been unacceptable for champagne.

For many winemakers, an error of this magnitude means scrapping the project and chalking it up as an expensive failure.

St. James Winery winemakers, however, are experts—Andrew, Aaron, and their team have the spirit and wisdom to overcome the bleakest of challenges thrown their way.

Using 60 gallons of unsweetened base wine, the winemakers made lemonade from lemons. Hedging their bets, the winemakers created three separate batches, or bins, of champagne, used three slightly different blending methods.

Each bins’ bottles were filled with their appropriate blend along with yeast, and capped with crowns that resist pressure in the bottle as second fermentation proceeds. As with many sparkling wine batches, not every bottle survived the second fermentation, bursting from the pressure.

Next, the remaining wine was aged on the yeast lees and moved to riddling racks that help move the remaining sediment from the yeast into the neck of the bottle. To clear the champagne, an ice plug is frozen in the neck of the bottle. When the plug is removed, the sediment goes with it. This process is called disgorging.

After the ice plug is removed, the bottle is topped off with dosage, a champagne liqueur that fills the remaining space in the bottle. It is then corked and a metal cage is placed on top, holding the cork in place despite the pressure inside the bottle. The bottle is scrubbed clean and a foil cap added over the metal cage. Finally, the bottles are labelled and ready to be enjoyed.

After the earlier miscalculation, the winemakers created the three different bins, hoping that one, if not all, would produce the desired wine. The team was pleasantly surprised to find that all three bins were of excellent quality, each with its own delicate nuances.

From potential disaster to greatness, these three unique Brut Champagne American sparkling wines from St. James Winery surprise your senses. Only available in our tasting room in St. James, Missouri, we encourage buying all three as they are released throughout the year to see if you can detect the subtle character of each. Each bin can be identified by a small sticker on the back of the bottle in the lower right corner.

Cheers!

St. James Winery is once again bringing back Movie Night in the Vineyard for another season. This year our lineup of movies includes:

May 21 – Jurassic World
June 25 – Dirty Dancing
July 16 – Inside Out
August 13 – A League of Their Own
September 10 – Forrest Gump

Movies take place outdoors at the St. James Winery Vineyard Cottage. St. James Winery wines and Public House Brewing Company beers are available for purchase. Bring your own seating. No outside alcohol allowed. Must be 21 to purchase, ID required. O’Doggy’s will have food available for purchase each night.

St. James Winery and Public House Brewing Company open the doors to The Gardens to kick off summer.

St. James, MO – April 4, 2016 – St. James Winery and Public House Brewing Company in St. James, Missouri are officially kicking off summer with the grand opening of The Gardens on Saturday, April 23, 2016 from 11AM until close. The Gardens is a beautifully landscaped outdoor wine and beer garden, located directly between the winery and brewery. It’s the perfect place to gather, relax, and enjoy St. James Winery wines and Public House Brewing Company beers.

For the grand opening event, The Gardens will offer four wood-fired specialty pizzas highlighting locally-sourced ingredients from Missouri farmers, all designed by Public House Brewing Company’s Chef and Food Director, Alex Giger.

The brewery will feature their summer seasonal, Thorn & Heat Strawberry Wheat Ale, and the winery will pre-release their popular summer seasonal, Peachy Sangria.

There will be live band performances – at 12PM Brian Muench, at 3PM Shakey Deal, and at 7PM The Meanwells. Attendees can enjoy on-site Bocce Ball, life-size Chess, and Bean Bag Toss. Families and pets are welcome at the event.

The Gardens is easily accessible to I-44 (540 State Route B St. James, MO 65559), and abundant parking is available.

For More Information Call 800-280-9463, visit www.stjameswinery.com/the-gardens, or view the Facebook event.

Beginning this spring, St. James Winery’s Blackberry Blueberry Wine will now be available all year round! This fan favorite wine has joined our regular fruit wine lineup so you can enjoy luscious blackberry blueberry flavors any time!

Like all St. James Winery’s fruit wines, Blackberry Blueberry Wine is made from 100% fruit with no added colors or flavorings. It’s a perfect blend of blackberries and blueberries that’s sweet and delicious with a fresh-picked berry taste and a rich, juicy finish.

Featured Wine: Friendship School White

friendship_white_smallFlavor Profile: Delicate. Fresh. Fun.

Friendship School White might just be the perfect white wine!

Recommended Pairings: Enjoy Friendship School white with spicy peanuts, hummus or soft cheeses on crunchy pita crackers, and some smooth jazz on in the background.

Tasting Notes
Recipes