St. James Winery’s 2014 Vignoles won the coveted “Governor’s Cup” trophy at the 2015 Missouri Wine Competition, an event held exclusively for Missouri wineries. This year’s competition received 270 entries, all of which were judged during the two-day event held July 14 and 15 in Columbia, Missouri.
During the competition St. James Winery 2014 Vignoles first won Best Vignoles, topping 30 other Vignoles before moving on to be chosen Best Semi-dry White, then Best of Class, and finally Best of Show.
“We are ecstatic for our vineyard and winery team,” said Andrew Meggitt, St. James Winery Executive Winemaker. “They work hard to ensure the grapes and wine are the best they can be. This honor is the result of great teamwork.”
St. James Winery farms 15 acres of Estate grown Vignoles grapes in the Ozark Highlands AVA of Missouri. Vignoles, a French-American hybrid grape, is Missouri’s premier white varietal.
“This award is very humbling,” said Peter Hofherr, CEO of St. James Winery. “When my mom and dad founded the winery in 1970, their goal was to make wines that reflect our region. The Governor’s Cup recognizes the hard work, research, and development we have invested since the 70s to show the quality of the grape varieties that grow here.”
In addition to the Missouri Wine Competition, the St. James Winery 2014 Vignoles earned top honors in other 2015 wine competitions: Best White Wine at the Riverside International and Best of Class/Gold at the Pacific Rim International. These top awards make it the first Missouri Governor’s Cup winning wine to win not only the top prize in-state but in out-of-state competitions open to international entries.
St. James Winery has won the Governor’s Cup twice previously, in 1997 and 1998, each time winning for their Vignoles.
St. James Winery, the largest and most awarded winery in the state of Missouri, recently placed in the top 15 of the World Association of Wine and Spirits Writers and Journalists annual list of the 100 Top Wineries in the World.
Founded by the Hofherr family in the Meramec Highlands region of Missouri in1970, St. James Winery is celebrating 45 years as a family owned and operated winery. St. James Winery wines are sold in through the Midwest and South. Find the winery online at www.stjameswinery.com.