St. James Winery
Encyclopedia
St. James Winery is located in St. James, Missouri
, near mile marker 195 of Interstate 44
. The winery
distributes 200,000 cases of wine per year in 14 states. The vineyard
s are composed of 300 acres (121.4 ha) of Catawba
, Vignoles
, Chardonel
, Concord, Norton
, Chambourcin
, Seyval and Rougeon grape
s. The winemaking
heritage of the area was both started and subsequently influenced by Italian Immigrants in the late 19th century. The company has over 50 employees working in the Cellar, Administration, Tasting Room, Shipping and Vineyard departments. The winery distributes in nine U.S. states, mostly in the Midwestern and Southern
portions of the country.
The Hofherr sons, Andrew and John, reclaimed their spots in the family business in the late 1980s. Andrew returned in 1987 to manage the family vineyard after studying viticulture
at the University of Arkansas. John spent his time of absence earning his winemaking degree from California State University
, Fresno, and spending 5 years working for Jekel Winery in Monterey California. In 1988, John returned as head winemaker. Both of the brothers brought new updated viticulture and winemaking techniques to the winery, increasing quality and production.
After Jim Hofherr's death in 1994, the second generation had taken over the reins of the winery. Another son, Peter, joined the team in 1995 as general manager, with a BS in microbiology
and a Master's in Business Administration.
In order to accommodate for the new growth of demand, the company underwent several major vineyard, cellar and warehouse expansions over the course of the late 1990s to early 2000s. Peter Hofherr left the winery yet again to join in the ranks of public service, eventually becoming Director of Agriculture for the state of Missouri. Andrew Meggit joined the winery team as assistant winemaker in 2002, but after John returned to California to pursue his own bottling line business, Andrew became the new head winemaker. Another newcomer, Dean Chalem, started in 2004 as the VP of sales and continues to manage the winery's wholesaler network. In 2007, son Peter Hofherr returned to the family business as CEO of St. James Winery.
St. James, Missouri
St. James is a city in Phelps County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,704 at the 2000 census.-Geography:St. James is located at...
, near mile marker 195 of Interstate 44
Interstate 44
Interstate 44 is a major highway in the central United States. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, Texas at a concurrency with US 277, US 281 and US 287; its eastern terminus is at the Illinois state line on the Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River in St...
. The winery
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
distributes 200,000 cases of wine per year in 14 states. The vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s are composed of 300 acres (121.4 ha) of Catawba
Catawba (grape)
Catawba is a red hybrid grape variety used for wine as well as juice, jams and jellies. The grape can have a pronounced musky or "foxy" flavor. Grown predominantly on the East Coast of the United States, this purplish-red grape is a likely cross of the native American Vitis labrusca and another...
, Vignoles
Vignoles (grape)
Vignoles is a complex hybrid wine grape variety produced from a cross made by J.F. Ravat of two grapes, Seibel 8665 and Pinot de corton....
, Chardonel
Chardonel
Chardonel is a late ripening white wine hybrid grape which can produce a high quality wine with varietal character. It is a result of a cross made by the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station of the popular French American hybrid Seyval and the classic vitis vinifera Chardonnay...
, Concord, Norton
Norton (grape)
Norton, a grape cultivar believed to be largely derived from Vitis aestivalis, is grown in the Midwestern United States, Mid-Atlantic States and northeastern Georgia. Norton was first cultivated in Richmond, Virginia and is the official grape of the State of Missouri and is considered the...
, Chambourcin
Chambourcin
Chambourcin is a French-American interspecific hybrid grape variety used for making wine. Its parentage is uncertain. The hybrid was produced by Joannes Seyve who often used Seibel hybrids produced in the 1860s. The grape has only been available since 1963. Chambourcin has a good resistance to...
, Seyval and Rougeon grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
s. The winemaking
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
heritage of the area was both started and subsequently influenced by Italian Immigrants in the late 19th century. The company has over 50 employees working in the Cellar, Administration, Tasting Room, Shipping and Vineyard departments. The winery distributes in nine U.S. states, mostly in the Midwestern and Southern
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
portions of the country.
History
The St. James Winery was opened in 1970 by Jim and Pat Hofherr. In its first year of business, the winery produced over 8000 gal of wine or roughly 3,400 cases. Included was two of their wine types, Velvet Red and Velvet White. All four of the Hofherr children worked alongside their mother and father, helping to establish and grow the business.The Hofherr sons, Andrew and John, reclaimed their spots in the family business in the late 1980s. Andrew returned in 1987 to manage the family vineyard after studying viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
at the University of Arkansas. John spent his time of absence earning his winemaking degree from California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
, Fresno, and spending 5 years working for Jekel Winery in Monterey California. In 1988, John returned as head winemaker. Both of the brothers brought new updated viticulture and winemaking techniques to the winery, increasing quality and production.
After Jim Hofherr's death in 1994, the second generation had taken over the reins of the winery. Another son, Peter, joined the team in 1995 as general manager, with a BS in microbiology
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
and a Master's in Business Administration.
In order to accommodate for the new growth of demand, the company underwent several major vineyard, cellar and warehouse expansions over the course of the late 1990s to early 2000s. Peter Hofherr left the winery yet again to join in the ranks of public service, eventually becoming Director of Agriculture for the state of Missouri. Andrew Meggit joined the winery team as assistant winemaker in 2002, but after John returned to California to pursue his own bottling line business, Andrew became the new head winemaker. Another newcomer, Dean Chalem, started in 2004 as the VP of sales and continues to manage the winery's wholesaler network. In 2007, son Peter Hofherr returned to the family business as CEO of St. James Winery.