Stone Hill Winery: The Most Historic and Award-Winning Winery in the State with German-Immigration Roots

Located in Hermann, Missouri, in Gasconade County, is a 13-acre winery producing wine that was popular even at the White House. Brought back by its founders, Jim and Betty Held, the Stone Hill Winery is known for reviving the wine industry in Missouri, leading to close to 130 wineries in Missouri today.

On the property of Stone Hill Winery, before it was founded and known as such, is a deep history of Weinbau, a German word that translates to “winegrowing,” meaning both growing grapes and making wine. Hermann’s founding fathers never saw the land as somewhere where they wanted to thrive in agriculture but rather somewhere where they could foster German social and intellectual culture throughout America. Mark Husmann saw the opportunity for grape growing, leading to a Hermann Town Trustees resolution that passed in May 1844.

These are “Catawba Grapes” the grapes that Mark Husmann discovered grew well Hermann and produced grapes that had “great promise for the future of winegrowing in the Hermann settlement,” as the editor of the St. Louis Anzeiger Des Westens described it.

There were trials of grape culture, and forty-acre plots of town land were offered on a five-year credit basis. They sold for $50 each (about six lots each), and local citizens took over six hundred lots solely to grow grapes.

German settlers pushed westward with carefully-wrapped clippings from their past vineyards. In the footsteps of Gottfried Duden, a German emigration writer of the early 19th century, The German roots of Stone Hill Winery began when German immigrants Michael Poeschel, John Scherer, William Herzog, and George Stark established the small private winery in 1847. Michael Poeschel originally founded the winery who was a wool spinner originally. He held the first Weinfest in Hermann in 1848. At this time, a St. Louis Horticulture report states that it was producing 10,000 gallons of wine at $1.50 per gallon.

This was Michael Poeschel’s vineyard which consisted of one acre but had great production success with the Catawba vine. “Have you love for your wine, let it lay undisturbed till April, then bottle it,” said Poeschel while teaching local Hermann winemakers his wine handling skills.

When John Scherer, born in the Grand Duchy of Hesse Darmstadt, Germany who immigrated to America, was a partner at the winery from 1861–1878, the name changed to M. Poeschel and Scherer. Building the original building began in 1861 and the business was sold in 1878. Most of the company was sold to Wiliam Herzog and George Stark, the managers of the winery. In 1883, the managers took full ownership and changed the name to Stone Hill Wine Company. Stark moved from New York City, where he lived for about six months after moving from Germany, to Hermann, MO. The land in Hermann looked similar to the German wine lands, so many German immigrants established vineyards and wineries on both sides of the Missouri River in Hermann. George Stark then became sole proprietor in 1893. Stark emigrated to the United States from Germany in 1867 and Stone Hill Winery became one of the largest in the country under his ownership with his added bottling plant in St. Louis and a whiskey distillery in Bardstown, K.Y.

The company distilled brandy and operated the bottling plant in St. Louis. Due to Stark’s efforts, Missouri became the state that was producing more volumes of wine than any other state in the mid-1880’s.

Stone Hill Winery was the largest winery west of the Mississippi River. It was also the second largest in the United States and third largest in the world. In 1900, it produced 1,250,000 gallons of wine. The wine was heavily appreciated and represented at many international fairs. The wine won awards in Vienna in 1873, Philadelphia in 1876, and St. Louis in 1904. Its signature wines are the Black Pearl, Hermannsberger, and Starkenberger, which won eight gold medals between 1873 and 1904.

This is the vineyard in 1903 from a mounted black and white photo that was originally captured on a glass plate. Pictured are the vines, as well as the cellars and winery building.

Prohibition took a large toll on the wine industry. In 1920, Stone Hill Winery was forced to stop its production. Especially in Hermann, winemaking was a major source of income and employment for many Germans. Bill and Mary Harrison took over the establishment. The vineyards were uprooted and the owners used the wine cellars at Stone Hill to grow mushrooms in the underground arched cellars throughout this time. Federal agents came to Hermann and destroyed breweries, wineries, vineyards and dumped any wine in sight. This included Stone Hill, which was required to dispose of any wine in its possession. Though Prohibition definitely affected German heritage and economic success, it didn’t break it. In 1965, new founders Jim and Betty Held began their journey in the wine industry and began the creation of ground-breaking wine once again. In fact, one of the pre-Prohibition wine barrels can be seen today in a tour of the winery. The barrel was sent back to a St. Louis monastery during Prohibition and used for communion wine.

Stone Hill winery today, where founder Betty Held still resides in her home next to the vineyards. Jim Held passed away on November 8, 2019.

Stone Hill Winery is the second-largest winery in the country. The winery produces about 300,000 gallons of wine with tours through its historic limestone-carved cellars, which are listed under the National Register of Historic Places. They are also the largest set of underground arched cellars in North America.

Pictured are the arched cellars that are available for viewing during the tour. The cellars date back to the mid-1800s and you can inhale the aroma of oak and wine mixed with the natural dampness, which is an experience that is highly recommended.

There are 11 buildings that contribute to the historic district that is registered. These buildings include: The residence and office of former owners Jim and Betty Held, the processing plant, warehouse, barn, and cellars. Today, they can all be viewed on the tours of the property along with taste testing and dining. A dining area in the former carriage house and horse barn specializes in German cuisine and the perfect pairings with Stone Hill’s award-winning wine.