YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
As college students studying law at the University of Missouri-Columbia, southwest Missouri natives Jonathan Eccher and Jeremy Hollingshead often visited wineries such as Les Bourgeois and Stone Hill. Later, they discovered the Hermann Wine Trail and began to appreciate the vastness of the Missouri wine industry.
Their growing passion for Missouri wine led to the creation of their new book, “A Tour of Missouri Wineries,” a high-quality coffee table volume featuring 70 wine destinations in the state. In order to effectively manage costs and maintain the integrity of their work, the two men started their own publishing company – St. Louis-based Estate Publishers Ltd. – just for the book.
“We realized there wasn’t a book of this nature,” says Eccher, who lives in Springfield. “It wasn’t just about getting surface information that’s publicly available. We went to each winery and got to know them.”
In almost every case, the photographs, which form the basis of the book, were provided by the wineries. Each winery also contributed text regarding its history and location, which was then incorporated with the photos into a two- to four-page segment.
“It was great getting (the wineries) on board and was one of the most important aspects of making this book as good as it is,” says Eccher.
The photos allow readers to see winemakers at work and provide behind-the-scenes looks that typical tourists can’t see.
The book’s content is divided into the state’s seven recognized wine regions, with a map, albeit sketchy, showing the approximate locations of the wineries.
After a short synopsis of each region, wineries are profiled in alphabetical order.
A nice feature is the introduction, dedicated to the history of Missouri’s wines, the winemaking process and Missouri’s grape varieties and wine regions. The publishers accomplish this in a concise and informative manner without the content becoming dry.
A lack of depth throughout is a bit of a double-edged sword. It keeps the book from being weighed down with uninteresting text, but it also fails to always include the types of wines each location offers.
There is also no real distinction made between actual wineries and retail locations. For example, Stone Hill appears three times in different regions although the winery is located in Hermann.
Overall, the book is very informative and will make a great addition to a wine drinker’s living room. It is full of facts, quotes and tidbits of information about Missouri wines.
“If you’re going to write a book, write about something fun,” Eccher says.
The book will be released Aug. 11 and is already back-ordered within the state.
These young publishers are having so much fun, they plan a volume for each of the 50 states. It would be the first such series of books ever published.
Book Release Party
What: “A Tour of Missouri Wineries” wine tasting and book signing
Who: Featuring local author Jonathan Eccher and a representation of Missouri wineries including Stone Hill and St. James
When: 5–8 p.m. Aug. 15
Where: Diamond Ridge Market, 3401 E. Ridgeview St., next to PFI Western Store
Cost: $5 a person, with proceeds benefiting Children’s Miracle Network; additionally, the $5 will be applied toward the purchase price of the book ($34.99).
“A Tour of Missouri Wineries,” by Springfield native Jonathan Eccher and Joplin native Jeremy Hollingshead, will be available at The Brown Derby International Wine Center and Diamond Ridge Market at PFI, as well as other wine and book outlets throughout the state.
5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Missouri Wine
1. In the 1880s, Missouri produced more wine than any state in the union.
2. At the 1873 Vienna World Exposition, a Missouri Norton was awarded “Best Red Wine of All Nations.”
3. Louse-resistant rootstock from Missouri grapevines was used as grafting material to save the vineyards of both France and California during phylloxera outbreaks.
4. The first American Viticultural Area, or recognized U.S. winegrowing region, was Missouri’s Augusta AVA, designated in 1980, eight months prior to California’s Napa Valley.
5. There are now seven such wine-producing areas and at least 70 wineries in Missouri.[[In-content Ad]]
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