Stone Hill Winery
Stone Hill Winery is a historic Missouri winery in Hermann's Missouri Rhineland and one of the state's major wine-tourism properties.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Stone Hill Winery is a historic winery and wine-tourism property in Hermann, Missouri, situated along the Missouri River in the Hermann American Viticultural Area. Its history begins in 1847, when German immigrant Michael Poeschel established a small private winery on a hill at the southern edge of Hermann. The property developed during the nineteenth century as German-American settlement and commercial wine production expanded in the Missouri Rhineland. Construction of the present winery complex began in 1861. The early site included underground shipping cellars and, later, a combined residence and company-office building completed in 1869. From 1861 to 1878 the business operated under the partnership name M. Poeschel and Scherer, reflecting John Scherer's involvement. In 1878, Poeschel and Scherer sold most of the business to their managers, William Herzog and George Stark. Herzog and Stark acquired full ownership in 1883 and renamed the enterprise Stone Hill Wine Company. George Stark became sole proprietor in 1893. Under Stark's management, Stone Hill became a major American wine producer. At the beginning of the twentieth century it was described as the largest winery west of the Mississippi River, the second-largest winery in the United States, and the third-largest winery in the world. Production reached approximately 1,250,000 gallons in 1900. Stone Hill wines also received recognition at international and national expositions, including events in Vienna in 1873, Philadelphia in 1876, and St. Louis in 1904. Prohibition brought a decisive interruption. Stone Hill closed in 1920, as did virtually all American wineries. During the closure, the site's extensive cellars were repurposed for commercial mushroom cultivation, an activity that continued until 1965. The adaptive reuse allowed the underground facilities to remain economically useful even while wine production was suspended. In 1965, Missouri farmers Jim and Betty Held re-established Stone Hill Winery, making it the first winery in Missouri to be revived after the Prohibition-era decline. They moved into the surviving winery buildings and began a long restoration of the deteriorated nineteenth-century structures and vaulted underground cellars. Their work transformed the property from an abandoned industrial complex into a functioning winery and heritage attraction. The Old Stone Hill Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. The district includes eleven contributing buildings associated with the winery, including the former manager's residence and office, processing plant, warehouse, barn, and stone-lined aging cellars. Today, Stone Hill Winery's identity combines wine production with historic preservation and visitor-oriented interpretation. Its principal significance rests on its continuity with Missouri's German-American winemaking tradition, the scale of its nineteenth-century operation, and the preservation of its historic buildings and cellars.
History
Stone Hill Winery was established in Hermann, Missouri, in 1847 by German immigrant Michael Poeschel. The original operation was a small private winery located on a hill at Hermann's southern boundary. Development of the present complex began in 1861, when the winery's underground shipping cellars were constructed. A residence and company-office building followed in 1869, creating the foundation of the surviving historic property. From 1861 through 1878, the enterprise operated with John Scherer under the name M. Poeschel and Scherer. Poeschel and Scherer then sold most of the company to managers William Herzog and George Stark. The managers obtained complete ownership in 1883 and adopted the name Stone Hill Wine Company. Stark, a German immigrant who had arrived in the United States in 1867, became sole proprietor in 1893. Stone Hill expanded substantially in the late nineteenth century. By 1900, its production was reported at approximately 1,250,000 gallons, making it the largest winery west of the Mississippi River, the second-largest in the United States, and the third-largest in the world. Its wines received awards at expositions in Vienna, Philadelphia, and St. Louis during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The winery closed in 1920 after Prohibition made ordinary commercial wine production impossible. Its large underground cellars were subsequently used to cultivate mushrooms for sale. Mushroom production continued until 1965, preserving an economic use for the property during the decades when the winery itself was inactive. Jim and Betty Held, local farmers, revived Stone Hill Winery in 1965. Their restoration effort began with moving into the remaining buildings and repairing the neglected old-world structures and vaulted cellars. The revival made Stone Hill the first winery in Missouri to be re-established after the state's Prohibition-era collapse of the wine industry. The Old Stone Hill Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. Eleven contributing buildings are associated with the winery, including the manager's residence and office, processing plant, warehouse, barn, and stone-lined aging cellars. The modern Stone Hill identity consequently rests on two connected activities: operating as a winery and preserving a major surviving site of Missouri's nineteenth-century wine industry.
- 1969
Historic district listed
[1]The Old Stone Hill Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1965
Winery re-established
[1]Jim and Betty Held revived Stone Hill Winery and began restoring its historic buildings and cellars.
- 1920
Winery closes during Prohibition
[1]Stone Hill ceased ordinary winery operations following the onset of Prohibition.
- 1900
Production reaches historic peak
[1]Reported production reached approximately 1,250,000 gallons, placing Stone Hill among the world's largest wineries.
- 1893
George Stark becomes sole proprietor
[1]George Stark assumed sole ownership of the winery.
- 1883
Business renamed Stone Hill Wine Company
[1]Herzog and Stark obtained full ownership and changed the business name to Stone Hill Wine Company.
- 1878
Ownership passes to winery managers
[1]William Herzog and George Stark acquired most of the business from Poeschel and Scherer.
- 1869
Residence and company office completed
[1]A combined residence and company-office building was added to the winery complex.
- 1861
Construction of the present site begins
[1]Construction began on the current winery complex, including underground shipping cellars.
- 1847
Winery established
[1]Michael Poeschel established a small private winery in Hermann, Missouri.
Products and positioning
A heritage Missouri winery combining regional wine production, German-American winemaking history, restored nineteenth-century architecture, and wine tourism.
Wine · 1847
Stone Hill wines
The winery's core product category is wine produced under the Stone Hill name in Missouri. The available reference material emphasizes the brand's long production history, its nineteenth-century scale, and its connection to the Hermann wine region, but does not provide a reliable current varietal or bottle-by-bottle catalog.
Wine tourism
Winery tours and tastings
Stone Hill's restored winery buildings, historic district, and underground stone-lined cellars support visitor experiences centered on wine tasting, local history, and interpretation of the property. Specific current tour formats and schedules are not detailed in the supplied reference material.
Brand decisions
1965
Re-establishment and historic restorationStrategyBackground
After decades of closure and non-wine use, the Stone Hill property required extensive restoration.
Action taken
Jim and Betty Held revived the winery and undertook a long-term restoration of the old-world buildings and vaulted underground cellars.
Aftermath
Stone Hill became an operating winery and a prominent historic and tourism property in Hermann.
1920
Repurposing the cellars during ProhibitionStrategyBackground
Prohibition forced Stone Hill, like most American wineries, to stop ordinary wine production.
Action taken
The owners used the underground wine cellars for commercial mushroom cultivation, an activity that continued until 1965.
Aftermath
The adaptive use kept the historic cellars economically productive until the winery was re-established.
Sources2 sources
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