15 Wineries Along HWY 94 Near Washington County, MO
Nearly 40 wineries are located within an hour of Washington County, MO, in the United States, giving us plenty of opportunities to explore.
This article will primarily travel along a portion of the rustic river road, Highway 94.
The famous Missouri wine country is less than an hour from St. Louis, MO. Offering panoramic views, specialty shops, and of course, great wines, if you favor yourself as a wine lover, this area is a must-visit.
As you drive, enjoy the spectacular views of the countryside along and over the top of the river bluffs through the Missouri River Valley, leading you through the middle of Missouri wine country.
Explore the area along the way. Remember to bring your camera and capture the beauty of your surroundings.
Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.
Wineries Along Highway 94
Our tour begins in the heart of Missouri wine country along Highway 94, just east of Augusta and heads west to the quaint community of Herman, Missouri.
This drive only takes an hour. But, whether you explore one or two wineries each weekend or take them all in at once, known as the Napa Valley of the midwest, this selection of wineries is charming and worthy of more extended exploration.
Are you ready for some adventure? Let’s begin our wine tour at Defiance Ridge Vineyards.
#1 Defiance Ridge Vineyards
It is important to note: This Winery is independently owned and operated year-round hours, seven days a week. They also offer live music.
Rooted in the rolling hills of Historic Missouri Wine Country, the 42-acre property boasts a vineyard, tranquil lake and lush garden landscape. Breathtaking views of the sweeping Missouri River Valley are captured year-round from the terraces and veranda surrounding our historic farmhouse.
Defiance Ridge Vineyards can be your first and last stop in wine country, as we are easily accessible from Hwy 94 as you enter the Missouri Wine Country corridor.
#2 Chandler Hill Vineyards
It is important to note: This Winery is independently owned and operated year-round, with listed seasonal hours.
Early in the 21st century, the current owners of Chandler Hill set a goal to create a Midwest winery like no other. Construction began in 2007 with the creation of a winery that idyllically is situated on a hilltop at the entrance to Missouri Wine Country.
The essence of Chandler Hill is understated elegance. From the tasting room to our 5,000-square-foot deck overlooking our vineyards, spring-fed lake, rolling hills and the inspiring Osage Valley teeming with wildlife, Chandler Hill is an enchanting year-round destination unlike any other.
#3 Sugar Creek Winery
It is important to note: This Winery is independently owned and operated year-round, with listed seasonal hours.
Fostered by the love for wines and frequent trips to Missouri wine country, Ken and Becky Miller left Kirkwood, Missouri, in August of 1994 when they purchased the former Boone Country Winery.
#4 Montelle Winery
It is important to note: This Winery is owned by the Hoffman Family of Companies and operated year-round, with listed seasonal hours.
Our philosophy is to farm our vineyards with respect for the land and the environment. As a result, our wines are fresh, fragrant, focused, and well-balanced, but most of all, they express the uniqueness of our vineyards. It is this attention to detail that has enabled us to produce wines that are continuously recognized for their uniqueness and superior quality.
In addition to our wines, Montelle is also the first Winery in Missouri with a distillery. We produce four kinds of brandy: apple, peach, cherry and grape (grappa). Stepping into our tasting room will transform you into a complete state of relaxation. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will help you select the perfect wine for any occasion.
#5 Augusta Winery
It is important to note: This Winery is owned by the Hoffman Family of Companies and operated year-round, with listed seasonal hours.
The beauty of Augusta wine country starts here at the Augusta Winery; the managers and tasting staff are constantly trained on not only the wines we produce but the wines of the world. It is through this training that they are able to educate and excite our customers about the merits of our wines and how to enjoy them to their fullest.
We take pride in our wines, which are vinted in small quantities so that special care may be given to each lot. This attention to detail enables Augusta Winery to win multiple gold and silver medals in international wine competitions across the US, including Pacific Rim, Riverside, Missouri Wine Competition and others.
#6 Mount Pleasant Estates
It is important to note: This Winery is owned by the Hoffman Family of Companies and operated year-round, with listed seasonal hours.
With more than 150 years of winemaking excellence, Mount Pleasant Estates is what every Missouri winery aspires to be.
As the oldest Winery in the Augusta Appellation, Mount Pleasant’s rich history is a testament to Missouri’s long-standing contribution to the global wine industry.
Mount Pleasant is the oldest and the most well-established Winery in Augusta. The Winery grows nine grape varieties on 125 acres, winning numerous prestigious awards and achieving high point ratings.
#7 Noboleis Vineyards
It is important to note: This Winery is independently owned and operated year-round, with listed seasonal hours.
A love for wine and a passion for the area’s history helped turn the dream of owning a vineyard into a reality. In March 2005, Bob and Lou Ann Nolan purchased 84 acres of land in Augusta, Missouri and began transforming it into the Winery you see today. Four varieties of Missouri grapes, Chambourcin, Traminette, Norton and Vignoles, were planted and now grace the estate’s hills.
Since opening, Noboleis has expanded both the vineyards and the business. From growing to over 30 wines in their portfolio to pursuing the wholesale market and expanding to canning wine for sangria, Noboleis is absolutely blooming and looks forward to what the future holds.
#8 Balducci Vineyards
It is important to note: This Winery is owned by the Hoffman Family of Companies. Operated year-round Balducci has listed seasonal hours.
Louis P. Balducci Vineyards is a sprawling vineyard on 76 acres of rolling hills and vistas operating for over 20 years; Balducci has been voted the favorite Winery for the past 17 years by the local Washington, Missouri, readers poll. The Winery also boasts numerous award-winning wines featuring Missouri-grown grapes.
Enjoy live entertainment Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from May to November, life-sized games and bocce ball court and plenty of room to enjoy a day outside. Plan your special events and weddings and wow your guests in the classic barn. Don’t miss the craft beer options aplenty, along with amazing food like sandwiches, pizzas, salads and finger food like soft pretzels and famous toasted ravioli.
#9 Blumenhof Winery
It is important to note: This Blumenhof Vineyards is independently owned and operated year-round, with listed seasonal hours.
Blumenhof, which in German means “Court of Flowers,” takes its name from the Blumenberg family’s ancestral farm in northwestern Germany. German heritage is also expressed in the Missouri winery’s architecture and the warm, friendly ambiance that invites visitors to “stop… and smell the Blumen.”
Blumenhof Winery is a small, family-farm winery dedicated to crafting wines solely from locally-grown Missouri grapes. Three generations of the Blumenberg family have been involved in growing and making our Award-Winning wines since 1979.
#10 Lake Creek Winery
It is important to note: This Blumenhof Vineyards is independently owned and operated year-round, with listed seasonal hours. They also offer a unique virtual tasting experience here and offer a variety of full meals.
A few years ago, the Flesch brothers purchased a portion of the Eichmeyer family farm on the river bluffs near Marthasville, Missouri. The property had a circa 1870s farmhouse and several other structures that were uninhabited for quite some time.
The Winery borrows its name from the original region, settled by Germans, called Lake Creek. During these early years, the area was recognized for its grape-growing attributes offering a similar climate and soils to those found in wine-growing regions in Germany. Today Lake Creek Winery provides the very best in Missouri wines, with attention given to producing wines that stand the test of time and pay homage to the region and the brother’s German heritage.
#11 Holy Grail Wines
It is important to note: This Winery is independently owned and operated year-round, with listed seasonal hours. Holy Grail Wines also offers a unique chocolate and wine experience here.
Holy Grail Wines are made by hand with the same European traditions used by ancestors in the 1800s. The grapes for our wines are hand-picked and pressed using an old Italian basket press.
Our wine is bottled straight from a Missouri oak barrel. We are a small production boutique winery committed to crafting wines of superior quality with a strong emphasis on customer service and product education.
We find ourselves in Hermann, Missouri, a few miles south of Hwy 94 and turning south onto Hwy 19.
#12 Hermannhof Winery
It is important to note: This Winery is independently owned and operated year-round, with listed seasonal hours.
A visit to Hermannhof Winery is like a step into small-town German traditions. In addition to fine wine, Hermannhof is also proud to offer fine, locally-made German sausages.
Tour the stone wine cellars and building (both are on the National Register of Historic Places.) Our Winery is open daily. We are located on Highway 100 at the eastern edge of Hermann, near the Missouri River, with easy access to Amtrak and antique shops.
Hermannhof remains a small winery dedicated to quality rather than quantity. The quality is apparent as America’s only two-time winner of the Brown Forman Trophy. Our wines have also won medals and honors.
#13 Stone Hill Winery
It is important to note: This Winery is independently owned and operated year-round, with listed seasonal hours.
Founded in 1847 by German immigrants, Stone Hill Winery found international acclaim, with our Norton declared “Best Wine of All Nations.” Cut down in our prime with Prohibition; the Winery sat dormant for 45 years.
Fortunately, in 1965, Jim and Betty Held—two small farmers with less than $1200 in their bank account—decided to take a chance and restore the Winery and reestablish Missouri’s wine industry. Today, our family continues as pioneers in the industry, setting the bar for quality.
Leaving Hermann, consider turning this winery exploration into a loop trip by visiting the White Mule Winery and B&B and Triple 3 Winery before ending the journey in the city of Washington, Missouri.
#14 White Mule Winery and Bed & Breakfast
It is important to note: This Winery is independently owned and operated year-round, with listed seasonal hours. The White Mule Winery also offers a bed-and-breakfast experience. See more here.
The White Mule Winery and Bed & Breakfast is a turn-of-the-century farmstead house that is located in the heart of wine country in central Missouri. The Winery has utilized an existing barn and several 100 + year reconstructed barns to create a unique atmosphere that gives way to a better understanding of the traditions and values of a time worth reminiscing.
The Schlottach Family acquired the neighboring Roethemeyer Farm in 2004, planted their first vineyard, and restored the old house named The White Mule. The Roethemeyer family was one of the last of the old-time farm families in the area, still using a pair of white mules for farming their land into the 1980s. The mules had a favored pasture along a sharp curve on Highway 50, allowing local truckers to dub the curve “White Mule Curve.”
#15 Triple 3 Vineyard
It is important to note: This Winery is independently owned and operated year-round, with listed seasonal hours. They also have one of the best interactive websites.
Known as Washington County’s best-kept secret, get away from the usual and experience the extraordinary, All in a sophisticated country setting seemingly miles from anywhere else but conveniently located in Washington, Missouri.
Washington, Missouri
In the heart of Missouri Wine Country, Washington is a beautiful, historic river town with a distinct German heritage. It’s just minutes off I-44 between St. Louis and Branson. Lewis & Clark and Daniel Boone are among Washington’s famous residents.
If you choose to end this wine tour here, downtown Washington has many specialty shops along High Street. Take an afternoon or a weekend to explore everything offered here.
The Last Pour
Washington County, Missouri, is famous for wine, food and down-home hospitality. It’s a nice drive, but when you take time to experience all this area has to offer, you could spend a long weekend here too.
Whether you explore one or two wineries at a time or take them all in during a scenic drive, this selection is charming and worthy of exploration.
Undoubtedly, this Winery excursion can be driven in 2 hours and 30 minutes, but what fun is that? As someone who likes to wander, please take your time and see as much of this as possible.
Special note to my biking friends. You can access some of the wineries we explored in this article by biking or hiking the Katy Trail. Augusta Sugar Creek Defiance Ridge and Mount Pleasant Estates could be included along your way. Need a bike? Visit the Katy Bike Rental here