It’s October, which means it is time to plan that fall winery trip. Catch live music, get great vistas of the Missouri countryside and drink wine (obviously). There are lots of options for a winery outing.
Defiance and Augusta are a little closer to the west, while farther west is Hermann, and if you want to head south there are a few wineries in Ste. Genevieve to check out. (There’s also the Shawnee Hills wine trail in Illinois.
) Here are some dos and don’ts for planning the perfect fall winery getaway. Do: Check the weather The whole point of a winery trip is to be outside, so keep an eye on the weather to make sure that you won’t have a soggy experience. Don’t: Bring your pet Despite the outdoorsy nature of this adventure, most of the wineries only allow service dogs.
Do: Call ahead if you have a large party The wineries are first-come, first-served establishments. Despite the fact that they can get very busy on fall weekends, they usually don’t accept reservations. If you’re coming with a large party or with a bus or limo though, call ahead to make sure the wineries can accommodate you.
Don’t: Drive under the influence If no one in your party wants to be the designated driver, you can always rent a private car or party bus to get around. St. Louis Wine Tours (stlouiswinetours.
com, 636-674-9463), St. Louis Winery Tours (aperfecttouchlimo.com/winery-trips, 314-731-5466) and STL Party Bus (stlpartybus.
com/services/winery-tours, 314-780-5782) are just a few op.