From Vine to Wine

Barack the dog runs along the vineyard at River Ridge Winery in Commerce, MO. (Laura Simon)

Jerry Smith, owner of River Ridge Winery, describes the process of trimming the cabernet sauvignon grape vines on his vinyard in Commerce, MO. (Laura Simon)

A feshly trimmed cabernet sauvignon grape vine on the vineyard at River Ridge Winery in Commerce, MO. (Laura Simon)

Vineyards at River Ridge Winery in Commerce, MO. (Laura Simon)

A cabernet franc grape vine begins to bud on the vinyard at River Ridge Winery in Commerce, MO. (Laura Simon)

Black netting lays at the end of the each row of grape vines at River Ridge Winery in Commerce, MO. The netting will be used to cover the vines to keep the birds and animals from eating the ripe grapes. (Laura Simon)

A wine press is used in the first stages of the wine making process. (Laura Simon)

Wine holding tanks fill the wine making room at River Ridge Winery in Commerce, MO. (Laura Simon)

A semi-automatic wine bottler is used at RIver Ridge Winery in Commerce, MO. (Laura Simon)

A semi-automatic wine bottler is used at RIver Ridge Winery in Commerce, MO. (Laura Simon)

Part of the semi-automatic bottler at River Ridge Winery in Commerce, MO. (Laura Simon)

After filling the wine bottles, they are then placed in the wine corker for corking. (Laiura Simon)