St. James Winery has been on the road this summer and fall at events all over the Midwest. Thanks to everyone who has stopped by our booth! We love getting to know you better and sharing our wines with you.
Visit our Events Section online to see what’s been going on. We have updated photos from:
If you see yourself in the photos go ahead and give us a comment. We also love it when you tweet, pin, and share!
It’s back to school time — Friendship School wine time!
For years people have loved St. James Winery’s Friendship School White and Friendship School Red wines for their high quality and great value.
But they’re also a perennial favorite because of their versatility. Here are some of our favorite ways to indulge in these two delicious wines.
And here’s a Cook’s Tip: our wine pouches are also great for at-home use keeping because wine stays fresh for up to a month after opening!
Cheers!!
Your Friends at St. James Winery
Andrew Meggitt, executive winemaker at St. James Winery, was recently named to IntoWine.com’s list of “Top 100 Most Influential U.S. Winemakers.” A native of New Zealand, Meggitt joined the winemaking team at St. James Winery in 2002 and moved to the position of executive winemaker in 2006.
IntoWine.com recognized Meggitt for his work as executive winemaker, work which has consistently placed St. James Winery among the top gold medal awarded wineries in the U.S. The article also noted Meggitt’s stretching the boundaries of traditional winemaking by integrating both old and new-world techniques.
When asked about the recognition, Meggitt said,“I’m very happy to be named to the list, because being on it is better than not being on it. But in truth making wine is such a team effort, seeing just my name up there…, well, it isn’t accurate. Winemaking, at least here at St. James Winery, is more like an orchestra, one in which we all participate equally to create a vast array of music. No one person can play all the instruments at the same time, but together, we can create something very special.”
“Obviously Andrew’s recognition is great for St. James Winery,” said Peter Hofherr, CEO of St. James Winery, “but it also boosts awareness of Missouri winemaking as a whole. His inclusion on this list of 100 Influential US Winemakers really draws attention to Missouri as an emerging wine region and the high quality wines we are producing here.”
About St. James Winery
St. James Winery is the largest and most awarded winery in Missouri. Founded by the Hofherr family in 1970, St. James Winery celebrates more than 40 years as a family owned and operated winery. St. James Winery’s award-winning wines are sold in stores throughout the Midwest and the South. St. James Winery is online at www.stjameswinery.com.
IntoWine.com
IntoWine.com has made it their goal to aggregate the collective knowledge and experience of the wine community on one site, a site geared purely for those people who are into wine. They have contributors from nearly all walks of “wine life” including sommeliers, chefs, bartenders, waiters, wine industry professionals, wine producers, as well as a gaggle of super enthusiasts. Visit them online at www.intowine.com
When we say everything’s peachy at St. James Winery, we’re not kidding because our fruit wines are the most awarded fruit wines in the nation!
What’s really interesting is that each year it seems a different one of the fruit wines is the standout at wine competitions. Some years it’s our Strawberry Wine, some years it’s Raspberry or Blackberry or…. Well, you get the picture.
This year — 2013 — is the year of the Peach! Check out all the major awards this little $8.99 bottle of wine has brought home:
So right now while it’s peach season at the farmer’s markets, pick up some St. James Winery Peach Wine to enjoy during these mellow days as summer draws to a close.
And be sure to check out all our delicious Peach Wine Recipes, too!
St. James Winery is helping clean up the Missouri River by funding Missouri River Relief, a non-profit organization dedicated to river clean up. For each bottle of St. James Winery wines purchased at participating Missouri retail stores during August and September, St. James Winery will contribute to Missouri River Relief’s work.
“By the time the Missouri River joins the Mississippi in St. Louis, some of the water has traveled more than 2,300 miles and, unfortunately, it picked up garbage along the way,” said Peter Hofherr, CEO of St. James Winery. “St. James Winery supports clean-up efforts that make the river a better place for wildlife, outdoor enthusiasts, and farmers.”
“It’s incredible that last year Missouri River Relief organized 1,365 volunteers to remove 42 tons of trash, including 364 tires, from 79 miles of the Missouri River. When you’re pulling that much trash out of the river, you need a lot of boats, gloves, and trash bags,” said Hofherr. “Last year we funded Missouri River Relief for the first time, and in doing so we raised awareness along with a significant amount of money. St. James Winery is also a co-sponsor of the Race to the Dome, the canoe and kayak race on the Missouri River from Hartsburg to Jefferson City which benefits Missouri River Relief.”
“There’s no substitute for getting people out on the river in boats, getting their hands dirty and pulling a massive pile of trash out of the river,” said MRR Program Manager Steve Schnarr. “Since our organization began in 2001, we’ve done 104 clean-ups, with 17,906 volunteers, over 863 miles of river, and removed 718 tons of trash. Plus we sort through the trash and recycle what we can, so there’s no doubt the Missouri River region benefits from our clean-up efforts.”
Becoming part of St. James Winery’s efforts to support Missouri River clean-up efforts is as simple as purchasing a bottle of St. James Winery wines at any participating retail store in Missouri during the months of August and September. St. James Winery will donate a portion of the proceeds to Missouri River Relief. Funding will help remove an estimated 10 tons of trash, including 100 tires, from the Missouri River, and money raised in the Springfield area will go toward the James River Basin Partnership which works to keep waterways in the southwestern part of the state clean.
About St. James Winery
St. James Winery is the largest and most awarded winery in Missouri. Founded by the Hofherr family in 1970, St. James Winery celebrates more than 40 years as a family owned and operated winery. St. James Winery’s award-winning wines are sold in stores throughout the Midwest and the South. St. James Winery is online at www.stjameswinery.com.
About Missouri River Relief
Missouri River Relief is a grassroots volunteer and equipment-based non-profit dedicated to connecting communities to the Missouri River through hands-on, on-the-river clean-ups and river education. Since their first Missouri River clean-up in 2001, 104 clean-ups, with 17,906 volunteers, over 863 miles of river, and removed 718 tons of trash (over one million pounds!) from the river and its banks in 22 communities. Find Missouri River Relief online at www.riverrelief.org.
About the James River Basin Partnership
The James River Basin Partnership (JRBP) is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization working to improve and protect the water quality of the springs, streams, rivers, and lakes in the James River Watershed which consists of almost a million acres of land in portions of 7 counties in southwest Missouri. Find JRBP online at www.jamesriverbasin.com.
Grape harvest is getting closer, and the St. James Winery winemaking staff is checking on the grapes regularly to see how they are doing. It’s always a guessing game as to when the grapes will be ready, so each year the winery has a Harvest Pool to predict the start of harvest.
Please join our Harvest Pool with your best guess! Here’s what you need to know: 1) at St. James Winery, we mark the official start time of harvest at the moment the first grapes hit the crush pit, and 2) think late in the day when those sugars get all nice and happy.
The person who picks the date and time closest to the actual harvest start time is the winner! The lucky person will receive:
Go to our Harvest Pool Entry Form and enter your best guess. Harvest Pool closes at midnight August 4th, so visit us online and enter today!
It’s summertime, and the St. James Winery calendar is filling up with lots of great festivals and events around the heartland and right here at home in St. James, Missouri.
If you’d like to know where St. James Winery will be exhibiting and what special events will take place here at the winery, subscribe to our events newsletter at stjameswinery.com/events.
You’ll be notified of upcoming events like these:
Hope to see you at an event sometime soon!
These are two great ways to herald the arrival of warmer temperatures. It’s time for outdoor living and entertaining!
Get inspired for the arrival of the summer season when you try these tasty recipes featuring our award-winning St. James Winery Strawberry Wine!
When your livelihood comes from the earth, which is the case with viticulture, then every day is Earth Day! Face it, if it weren’t for the good earth, there wouldn’t be any wine…and wouldn’t that be dreadful!!!
Here at St. James Winery we’re especially excited about Earth Day this year because it’s only been in the last few days that springtime has (finally!) arrived in the vineyard. The vines are sprouting shoots and we’ll have little baby grapes there in just a little while.
Get outside, stoke up the fire pit, and pour a glass of your favorite wine.
Looking for some super-grapey goodness?
- Velvet Red (with Concord grapes)
- Velvet White (with Niagara grapes)
Feel the need for fresh berry deliciousness?
Have a hankerin’ for orchard-ripened fruitiness?
Here’s to you, Mother Earth!
Now head on over to our online store — stock up on a few bottles, and do some good while you’re at it — our End Early Childhood Hunger is still going on!
TASTING ROOM HOURS
MON-SAT 8AM TO 6PM
SUN 9AM TO 5PM