Regional wineries have gone on to win several national and even international competitions in recent times. St. James Winery, located an hour’s distance away towards the south of Columbia, Missouri win three double gold medal and one gold for chardonel, concord dessert wine, strawberry wine and country red wine respectively at the 16th Annual Monterey Wine Competition.

Three Missouri wineries and a Kansas winery also took home accolades from California’s 2009 Jerry Mead New World International Wine Competition. There the Blumenhof Vineyard, located an hour away to the west of St. Louis, got the award fot the best of class for a 2008 vignoles and St. James Winery from Missouri got two best of class awards and two gold. The Les Bourgeois Winery near Boonville got two silvers. From Kansas, the Wyldewood Cellars that retail at Legends (1843 Village West Pkwy) won silver for a 2008 Blackberry.

Then again at the 2009 San Diego International Wine Competition the Stone Hill Winery got a double god and two golds for vignoles varietal. It also has retails in Hermann and Branson. The St. James Winery again walked away with a Best of Show in the fruit segment with its strawberry wine, besides three more gold medals in other categories.

Doug Frost had once said, Kansa and Missouri will never grow cabernets and chardonnays like California does but when it comes to dessert wines, Missouri can top the rest easily with its wonderful tasting wines. The awards that St. James got home in the three competition displaying total domination just proved him correct. If you want to taste a winner go for a summer trip to any one of these wineries. Most offer tours and tasting with little or no prior intimation.