My adventures in the Missouri wine region enabled me to discover Chaumette Vineyards & Winery. This charming getaway has everything you could possibly desire when it comes to a relaxing experience and enjoying sumptuous meals. Chaumette is more than a winery it is a midwest winery destination stop.
Located about an hour south of St. Louis in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, an area settled by the French in the 1750s and also known as the first colonial settlement on the west side of the Mississippi River. Situated on rolling hills, Chaumette boasts 310 acres, of which 30 are planted with grapevines.
Hank and Jackie Johnson founded this Missouri winery in 1990. The winery began as a weekend getaway but later became their permanent home. In 1992 Hank planted their first grapes, and in 2000 they started producing their wines. Hank and Jackie’s passion and love of wine, food, and the property itself is quite apparent in every aspect of Chaumette.
Chaumette features the Tasting Room, the Village with 13 villas, the Spa, pool, art gallery, Gift Shop and Art Gallery, Saint Vincent’s Chapel-in-the-Vineyard, The Barn, and the Grapevine Grill.
As an added bonus, Chaumette is very dog friendly. Hank and Jackie have several dogs that roam the property and happily greet many a guest. My Saluki, Zoe, accompanied me on my visit to this midwest winery destination, and she was allowed pretty much everywhere on the property.
Lunch at Chaumette Vineyards & Winery
Zoe and I arrived just in time for a late lunch at the Grapevine Grill. We sat on the patio overlooking the magnificent views of the winery. I was thoroughly impressed with the cuisine options. All in all, my lunch was superb.
Being a Californian, my taste buds lean towards a dryer wine. I desired either a white or Rosé with my lunch. It was hard choosing between an Unoaked Chardonel, the Reserve Chardonel, and the Rosé. Chardonel is a hybrid of Chardonnay and Seyval, a grape that reminds one of Sauvignon Blanc. I chose the Rosé, made from the Chambourcin grape, as it exhibited a bolder, deep, and more refreshing flavor.
Chaumette Vineyards & Winery Tasting Room
The tasting room bar is adorned with a large mural that tells the story of Jean de la Chaumette tracing the family origins from France to the United States. Artwork from local Missouri artists fills the walls of both the tasting room and dining room.
St. Vincent’s In The Vineyard
After lunch, Hank took me on a tour of the property. Our first stop was St. Vincent’s-in-the-Vineyard, an all-faith chapel that sits on a knoll overlooking the property. The chapel was moved onto the property and reconstructed. Being a destination winery, the chapel has become a very popular place for weddings, especially for those choosing to make Chaumette a destination wedding.
Nearby on another mound, sits The Barn, which is the popular site for wedding receptions and other celebrations.
Chaumette Winery
Leaving the barn, we went over to the winery. Chaumette specializes in utilizing advanced viticultural techniques to handcraft its wines. Chaumette’s portfolio consists of about a dozen wines, including Norton, Chardonel, Traminette, Chambourcin, and Vignoles. Being a boutique winery, Chaumette concentrates on producing dry wines along with a small percentage of semi-dry and semi-sweet styles for a total output of three to five thousand cases annually.
The Pool and Fitness Center at Chaumette Vineyards & Winery
After the winery, we headed over to Chaumette’s pool and fitness center. I found a fitness center and an inviting outdoor swimming pool that overlooks the vineyards and spectacular countryside.
This is an excerpt from my article about this midwest winery destination on Wander with Wonder.