New winery lives up to 'grape expectations'

Day-trip destination

French winemaker on staff

By Jim Obert

Business Today

STE GENEVIEVE COUNTY -- Six years in the making, Crown Valley Winery with its 39 stainless-steel tanks, 300 oak barrels, two wine-tasting bars, deli, reception rooms and gift shop, all enclosed in a multi-level, 40,000-square-foot structure on 300 acres of vineyard, lakes and forest, opened to the public April 26-27.

The new business is expected to be a big boost to area tourism. Guided tours of the winery and vineyard are available. There is parking for 320 vehicles on an asphalt lot dotted with decorative lampposts.

Crown Valley Winery is located on Route WW near Coffman, 13 miles west of Ste. Genevieve Exit #150 (Ozora Exit) on Interstate 55. Nestled in rolling hills, the winery is about 62 miles north of Cape Girardeau.

Sandra Cabot, Crown Valley marketing director, said the owners, Joe and Loretta Scott, wanted to create a unique and inspiring place for the art of winemaking and wine enjoyment.

"The spectacular views and the beauty of the facility are just the backdrop for the real stars here -- the wines of Crown Valley," said Cabot.

More than 120 acres are planted with seven varieties of grape -- Chardonel, Norton, Frontenac, Chambourcin, Concord, Vignole and Traminette.

The main structure, which took 2 1/2-years to build and equip, is built of native fieldstone, and the grounds are meticulously landscaped.

Through the double-doors at the rear of the gift shop, visitors can walk a stone bridge that overlooks the wine storage and fermentation area. The bridge is wrapped in wrought-iron railings crafted by local artisans. The railings are embedded with scenes of grapes, leaves and vines.

Beneath the bridge are rigid rows of 39 high-efficiency, stainless-steel tanks that reflect an abundance of natural light from high, wide windows. The tanks hold 110,000 gallons of wine in various stages of fermentation.

Also on the lower level are the wine-aging cellars and a high-tech bottling facility. There are 300 oak barrels. Each barrel holds 58 gallons of wine, enough to fill 300 bottles.

The stone bridge opens into the winery's main tasting area where deli sandwiches, cheeses, sausages and crackers are available to complement wines. A high-definition plasma TV -- 4 inches thick -- contrasts with the long, U-shaped, carved-wood bar.

An outdoor covered patio affords a view of the vineyard, which is peppered with several small lakes. Rows of vines radiate outward, disappearing behind the slopes of south-facing hills.

"One of the highlights of Crown Valley's facility is the Barrel Room, a reception room for private parties," said Cabot. "It's lined with oak barrels and oak paneling, with Spanish moss draped from the ceiling. The room creates an ambiance that is elegant and cozy."

Cabot said the Barrel Room is available for corporate receptions, VIP entertaining, company Christmas parties, weddings and more. The room opens into a private patio that can seat 150 people. The patio can accommodate more than 150 in a reception-style event.

"Full catering services are available, featuring menus ranging from prime rib to barbecue," said Cabot, who has been in marketing and special events management for 15 years.

Owner Joe Scott, who lives in St. Louis, spent much of his youth in the Coffman area. He bought land and started planting grapes six years ago. His intention was to sell the grapes to other wineries.

"He did some research and decided to start his own winery," said Cabot.

The winery has eight full-time and eight part-time employees. The professional winemaker, Philippe Daguisy (pronounced da-gee'see), a native of France, earned his master of enology (the study of winemaking) at the Universite' de Reims Champagne-Ardenne in France. He worked 10 years as a winemaker and oenologist in the Alsace and Bordeaux regions prior to joining the Crown Valley venture.

"He looks to develop wines that possess, in his own words, 'high complexity and elegance, with intensity and finesse,'" said Cabot, in the gift shop where an antique surrey, a buffalo head and a fireplace lend a sense of history to a modern enterprise.

Crown Valley Winery is open seven days a week, and deli-style lunch is served daily. Directions from Cape: north on I-55, take the Ozora exit, turn left and cross I-55, right on Route N, right on Route P, left on Route B, left on Route WW and the winery is 1/4-mile on the right.

BT/Jim Obert

PICS -- Visitors and employees of Crown Valley Winery stand on the stone bridge that overlooks the wine storage and fermentation area. Sandra Cabot, director of marketing for the winery, is second from right.

-- Guided tours of the winery and vineyard are available. There is parking for 320 vehicles on an asphalt lot dotted with decorative lampposts.

-- An outdoor covered patio affords a view of the vineyard, which is peppered with several small lakes. Rows of vines radiate outward, disappearing behind the slopes of south-facing hills.

-- During the winery's recent grand opening, visitors crowded the wine-tasting bars.