Relax and enjoy the view at Wine Country Gardens in Defiance.
Travel the two-lane roads into the southwest corner of St. Charles County and you arrive at a place where history, nature, art, and award-winning wine all come together to create a treasured destination, known as Historic Missouri Wine Country.
Perhaps best known for its wineries, nine in all, Historic Missouri Wine Country is the perfect place to relax. Share a bottle of award-winning wine as you enjoy the picturesque surroundings from a hilltop terrace. Or cozy up indoors when the weather is less than ideal. All of the wineries are open daily, and most feature live music on weekends from April through October. Additionally, one of Missouri’s famous wine trails, the Missouri Weinstrasse, features regional stops.
But there’s more to Historic Missouri Wine Country than just wine. You also find quaint towns in which to linger and explore. Augusta, Defiance, New Melle, and Femme Osage have their own unique story as well as things to do and see. Galleries run by local artisans, boutiques, antique shops, and nurseries await you. Dine in one-of-a-kind restaurants serving everything from burgers to gourmet fare. Or immerse yourself in warm Wine Country hospitality by staying at one of the region’s nearly 20 bed and breakfast inns.
Once you’re done in town, head out Highway F to the region’s most popular historical attraction, the Daniel Boone Home and Historic Boonesfield Village. This living-history village not only features the nearly 200-year-old Boone home, but also more than a dozen other 19th-century structures, including a chapel and a one-room schoolhouse. The famed frontiersman was awed by the region’s natural beauty, writing, “I had gained the summit of a commanding ridge, and, looking round with astonishing delight, beheld the ample plains, the beauteous tracts below.”
For the outdoor enthusiast, Wine Country offers several outstanding county parks. Klondike, Broemmelsiek, and Matson Hill each offer unique opportunities to explore the Missouri countryside. Natural and paved trails wind through tree-lined hillsides to give cyclists a challenging ride and hikers tremendous views of wildlife, native plants, and rolling countryside. In addition, a portion of the popular Katy Trail State Park, a 225-mile hiking and bicycling trail, runs along the region’s southern edge.
Visiting with a group? Consider one of the new guided bus tours, which are offered Wednesday through Friday for groups of 10 or more. For as little as $25 per person, you can forget about the driving and simply enjoy the day. Choose from the Ladies Day Out shopping tour, the Into the Past historical tour, or the Taste of Missouri Wine winery tour. All tours include round-trip transportation from the central location of your choice. Custom tours are also available; for information, call 314-223-3423.
History, nature, art, and award-winning wine – you find these treasures and more in Historic Missouri Wine Country. And however you choose to spend your time there, it’s sure to be a memorable experience.
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Written by Dee Gerstenkorn, Web administrator for the Greater Saint Charles Convention & Visitors Bureau
The post Hidden Treasures Abound in Historic Missouri Wine Country appeared first on VisitMO Spotlight.