Wineries

RockChalkSTL · PostSep 21, 2022#1262022-09-21T01:01+00:00

Yeah, I really like the Ozark Hellbender blend. It's easy to find and it goes for a fair price.

I'd like to visit more wineries in Missouri, but Stone Hill -- which I haven't visited yet but really want to -- is easily my favorite so far.

I need to explore more, though. It'd be really fun to explore the Hermann, Augusta, and Ste. Genevieve wine regions and explore their strengths and differences.

I know Hermann has a strong German heritage; meanwhile, Ste. Genevieve has a strong French heritage. What that means for winery differences in 2022, I don't know -- but I'd like to find out.

JaneJacobsGhost · PostJun 08, 2023#1272023-06-08T21:07+00:00

Sounds like the Hoffmans are sticking their contractors.

https://www.kmov.com/2023/03/10/glass-h ... utType=amp

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/stc ... a6886.html

PostJun 09, 2023#1282023-06-09T13:39+00:00

And here’s the Hoffman’s paid advertisement in the BJ telling us all is well. Note that in the BJ article they brag about the completion of their new dock in the Missouri. Nevermind, the P-D and KSDK articles above pointing out that they stiffed Budrovich who wasn’t paid until they filed a mechanic’s lien on the property.

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... backs.html

dweebe · PostJun 09, 2023#1292023-06-09T14:31+00:00

I honestly think some people are turned off by the Hoffman takeover and that's reflected in business.

We went out there on a nice Saturday a few weeks ago when the places should be busy as heck. Montelle was fairly full, but not the craziness you used to see on a nice spring day And I think the clear cutting of the trees is a big downfall. We drove by Mount Pleasant and they weren't busy at all. Then Balducci was at maybe half capacity, which again is odd for a nice spring day. Then the same thing at the "biker bar" in Defiance.

That Good News microbrewery in Defiance was pretty busy, but they're not Hoffman owned.

addxb2 · PostJun 09, 2023#1302023-06-09T14:53+00:00

I’m still wishing them the best. I prefer grassroots growth as it is more authentic but feel the Missouri wine country had kind of plateaued at becoming a national destination as just about every state now has “wine country”.

This type of private investment is probably necessary to take it to the next level.

They need to stop with the plane/helicopter crap and start considering a vineyard train between Washington - Kirkwood - St. Louis. Trips every few hours Friday through Sunday. Union Station figured out how to get a tourist train off the ground.

RockChalkSTL · PostJun 09, 2023#1312023-06-09T15:20+00:00

I'd really love to see Hermann included in that. I doubt Hoffman would want to bring a rival Missouri wine territory in with his Augusta investments, though.

GoHarvOrGoHome · PostJun 09, 2023#1322023-06-09T15:38+00:00

Herman is a much more compact weekend destination. You definitely don't feel like you are losing anything arriving by train, everywhere is accessible by foot or shuttle. Plenty of places to stay, shop, and drink right in town and in walking distance to your BnB.

Augusta is just so spread out. Plus, the town itself is so small that you can't really spend a day walking around and shopping. There is limited capacity for tourists so most would have to stay in Washington and drive over. I will cede that the Katy Trail is a huge competitive advantage, they should be working to extend a branch South into downtown Washington.

shadrach · PostJun 09, 2023#1332023-06-09T16:03+00:00

addxb2 wrote: ↑
Jun 09, 2023
They need to stop with the plane/helicopter crap and start considering a vineyard train between Washington - Kirkwood - St. Louis. Trips every few hours Friday through Sunday. Union Station figured out how to get a tourist train off the ground.

Why have planes and helicopters when you can have dirigibles!

https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/rise-of-airships-2944817/

dweebe · PostJun 09, 2023#1342023-06-09T16:55+00:00

It's completely second hand from others, but they claim the Hillsboro, Farmington and Ste Genevieve area wineries seem busier.

sc4mayor · PostJun 09, 2023#1352023-06-09T17:01+00:00

addxb2 wrote: ↑
Jun 09, 2023
They need to stop with the plane/helicopter crap and start considering a vineyard train between Washington - Kirkwood - St. Louis. Trips every few hours Friday through Sunday. Union Station figured out how to get a tourist train off the ground.

I've always thought Bi-State should take the lead on that. A commuter line out to Hermann would probably be pretty successful, especially for day trips. Amtrak isn't really great for that right now with the limited service. I would even continue it out to Jeff City.

Hoffmann could run shuttles from the Washington station to his properties in Augusta.

I imagine something like this wouldn't be a massive lift. Amtrak already runs passenger trains on the alignment, stations are in place. Rolling stock would need to be acquired and then there would have to be a maintenance facility. Of course use agreements with railroads aren't exactly easy to come by. Still, I imagine it could be done and relatively cheaply considering the existing infrastructure.

_nomad_ · PostJun 09, 2023#1362023-06-09T18:44+00:00

sc4mayor wrote: ↑
Jun 09, 2023
addxb2 wrote: ↑
Jun 09, 2023
They need to stop with the plane/helicopter crap and start considering a vineyard train between Washington - Kirkwood - St. Louis. Trips every few hours Friday through Sunday. Union Station figured out how to get a tourist train off the ground.
I've always thought Bi-State should take the lead on that. A commuter line out to Hermann would probably be pretty successful, especially for day trips. Amtrak isn't really great for that right now with the limited service. I would even continue it out to Jeff City.

Hoffmann could run shuttles from the Washington station to his properties in Augusta.

I imagine something like this wouldn't be a massive lift. Amtrak already runs passenger trains on the alignment, stations are in place. Rolling stock would need to be acquired and then there would have to be a maintenance facility. Of course use agreements with railroads aren't exactly easy to come by. Still, I imagine it could be done and relatively cheaply considering the existing infrastructure.

Even just a Saturday service would be so nice if it were hourly or maybe even every 2 hours, and I think very successful. Brand it right and I bet the economic impact on Hermann and Washington could be huge. I feel like this is also the type of passenger rail that might actually be supported at the state level.

RockChalkSTL · PostJun 09, 2023#1372023-06-09T19:07+00:00

Like it was said earlier, I'd love to see this extended to Jefferson City.

You'd give the rest of the state a very easy central spot to access wine country and St. Louis. I think it'd be a big winner. If you could swing it up north to Columbia, it'd be even bigger. But I doubt that happens.

symphonicpoet · PostJun 10, 2023#1382023-06-10T06:40+00:00

^The trouble with that is that it requires a very expensive bridge. Part of Union Station's tourist train secret is that they stick to TRRA tracks, and TRRA is comparatively easy to get along with. When I was volunteering with St. Louis Steam Train *mumblemuble* some few years ago . . . rumor had it UP was more of a challenge. They have to let Amtrak operate on their rails because of the agreement that formed Amtrak in the first place. Interchange requires them to move your cars if you pay them. But so far as I know there's nothing that requires them to let someone operate a whole train. Money talks and all, but it might be a lot of money. In principal I like the idea, just not sure how to make it work.

GoHarvOrGoHome · PostJun 12, 2023#1392023-06-12T15:43+00:00

A wine specific train could be extremely cool if they really dive headfirst into branding and whatnot. Use a vintage locomotive (or just paint a modern one to look vintage) and offer local wine flights for the trip as an add on to your ticket. With the right marketing it could become a self-sustaining STL tradition within a couple years.

I would also run the train from STL - Kirkwood - Washington - Herman. I could certainly see the potential for traffic between Washington and Herman for the wine tourists. Run it seasonally, Thursday- Sunday. Perhaps a holiday themed route in December if the towns decide to go hard after the Christmas crowd.

JaneJacobsGhost · PostOct 12, 2023#1402023-10-12T11:12+00:00

Hoffman’s have put the Emmaus Home Complex on the market. Talk about over promising and underdelivering.

The Hoffman’s are a joke.

RockChalkSTL · PostOct 12, 2023#1412023-10-12T13:49+00:00

Is that the building that they said they were going to turn into a wedding and hotel destination?

Ever since reading that article that said they were shorting people left and right in the Augusta area, everybody kind of knew this was coming.

JaneJacobsGhost · PostDec 15, 2023#1422023-12-15T02:55+00:00

Hoffman……

dweebe · PostDec 15, 2023#1432023-12-15T22:33+00:00

Hoffmann to temporarily close some Augusta businesses, wineries
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/stc ... p-homepage

I'm not shocked. Even at the height of the nice fall weather, they weren't anywhere near as busy. The Hoffman's sucked the life out of the place.

EssTeeEll · PostDec 15, 2023#1442023-12-15T22:47+00:00

^ Apologies if it's somewhere in this thread, but can you tell me what it was like prior to them? My fiancée and I went for the first earlier this year, and thought it was "cute" but yes it was kind of dead. Just curious what complaints people have had/what's been turning people off.

JaneJacobsGhost · PostFeb 06, 2024#1452024-02-06T17:08+00:00

Hoffman’s are unloading everything now. What a catastrophe. It will take years for the wine trail to recover from this, if ever.

addxb2 · PostFeb 06, 2024#1462024-02-06T17:13+00:00

This and Paul McKee are proof that many rich white guys are just lucky and have no actual business savvy.

pattimagee · PostFeb 06, 2024#1472024-02-06T17:22+00:00

^No joke - make them put up their money first or hit the road. Needs to be a lesson learned.

TheWayoftheArch_V2.0 · PostFeb 06, 2024#1482024-02-06T18:24+00:00

Said they were going to transform it into Napa and instead set it back 20 years.

PeterXCV · PostFeb 06, 2024#1492024-02-06T19:04+00:00

Strong possibility that it was all a ruse, and that this was just a way for them to extract value from the area and then get out of town.

TheWayoftheArch_V2.0 · PostFeb 06, 2024#1502024-02-06T22:37+00:00

How? Nobody is buying those properties and businesses for what they paid for them.

Given that they are originally from that area, I'm skeptical of your assertion. I do think they burned a lot of goodwill by being the bully/big dog and now no one wants to play with them.

Wineries

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