But, did you know that Missouri also has vineyards and they are only a short drive from Fort Leonard Wood?

St. James is located about 10 miles east of Rolla on I-44 and has six wineries to choose from, as well as a wine museum: St. James Winery, Meramec Vineyards, Three Squirrels Winery, Heinrichshaus Vineyard and Winery, Belmont Vineyards, Peaceful Bend Vineyard and the Rosati Winery Museum.

Heinrich Grohe, owner of Heinrichshaus Vineyard and Winery in St. James, has been making wine since 1959. A German immigrant, Grohe moved to the U.S. in 1953 as a young man looking for work.

“I left Germany in 1953, which was after the war. There was no opportunity. I had been in the States as an exchange student for a year, so I was already familiar with what things were like here,” Grohe said. “I started making wine on a home wine-maker basis in 1959, and I have been making wine ever since.”

Grohe eventually opened Heinrichshaus in 1979, when he strove to combine his European knowledge of winemaking and American grapes into something tangible. But even after all that time, he doesn’t know what makes his wine taste as good as it does.

“Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t work that well,” he said, laughing.

The wine industry in Missouri is still in its beginning stage, Grohe said.

“There is still a lot to learn and to accomplish,” Grohe said. “I wish I could turn back the clock and start over with the things I know now.”

For more information on Heinrichshaus Vineyards and Winery, visit www.heinrichshaus.com.

Someone who has turned back the clock and started anew is Andrew Mendez, owner and curator of the Rosati Winery Museum. Mendez bought the winery in 2009, finished renovations and opened the doors Memorial Day.

“My background is architecture, so when I saw the building I thought ‘Wow, this is cool,” Mendez said. “It was pretty rough when we started; it didn’t look anything like it does now, but it had a lot of potential.”

Mendez said the original owners came to the U.S. looking for a better life, founded the township of Rosati and planted grapes.

“This was an operating winery,” Mendez said. “The Italians that settled (in Rosati) actually got the wine industry started here.”

Rosati Winery Museum is the oldest winery in the Ozark Highlands wine region and one of the oldest in the state of Missouri.

For more information on the Rosati Winery Museum, visit www.rosatiwinerymuseum.com.

Other St. James amenities include:

-- St. James Park, located in the City of St. James. The 56-acre park is open and free to the public and includes tennis courts, playgrounds, baseball field, picnic areas, shelters, a basketball court, horseshoe pitching, sand volleyball, fishing and swimming at Tiger Shark Water Park. For more information, call 573.265.7124.

-- Meramec Spring Park contains one of the largest natural springs in Missouri, recreational areas, museums, hiking trails, a store and café, fishing and camping areas and features a Missouri Department of Conservation trout hatchery. For more information, call 573.265.7387.

-- St. James hiking and biking trail offers the charm of the city and beauty of the surrounding countryside with easy-to-navigate surfaces and pathways. For more information, call 573.265.3899.

-- St. James Golf Club is a semi-private 9-hole course with a view of the Ozarks countryside. For more information, call 573.265.8688.

-- The Vacuum Cleaner Museum features over 544 vacuum cleaners dating back to the turn of the century and is located on Historic Route 66 at No. 3 Industrial Drive in St. James. For more information, call 866.444.9004.