STRICTLY BUSINESS: `FINE WINES' ARE MADE IN MISSOURI

"It may seem incongruous to mention a $7 Missouri Seyval and a $47 Meursault in the same column, but good wines know no geographic boundaries."

This is the lead paragraph of an article which appeared recently in "Bon Appetit," a magazine.

A St. James Winery Seyval Blanc wine has been selected as one of the best 50 wines for 1994,

"This proves that Missouri wines can compete in quality with the great wines from all over the world," said John Hofherr, winemaker for the St. James Winery.

John and Pat Hofherr operate the winery which produces up to 40,000 gallons of wine a year.

"Our Seyval Blanc wine sells for $6.55 a bottle at the winery," said Pat Hofherr. "We were surprised and pleased that it was selected as one of the top wines in the world."

Bon Appetit is a popular gourmet magazine with international circulation. The publication's tasting panel evaluates thousands of wines each year.

"Our 1993 vintage Seyval Blanc was exceptional both in quality and quantity," said John Hofherr.

Bon Appetit described the St. James Seyval as "brisk and round, full of peachy fruit and lively acidity...an excellent choice with roast duck or winter fruit dessert."

Production, sales up in state

Missouri wine sales are soaring and are at the highest level since alcohol was outlawed during prohibition.

More than 254,000 gallons of Missouri wine was sold from July 1993 to June 1994, up more than 34,000 gallons from the previous year.

Both production and sales are up for the current year, and the industry predicts another sales record for the calendar year.

Winemaking, grape growing and marketing of wine are among topics to be discussed during the Midwest Regional Grape and Wine Conference, to be held at Tan-Tar-A-Resort at Osage Beach this month.

The annual conference, Jan. 22-24, which also offers an opportunity to sample Missouri wines, attracts wine amateurs and connoisseurs from throughout the nation.

The increase in wine production marks the sixth straight year that Missouri's share of the wine market has increased.

"Sales of Missouri wine continue to increase despite the fact consumers are drinking less wine," said John L. Saunders, director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, which oversees the state's grape and wine program. "Our state's wineries are continuing to capture an increased share of the market, which attests to the increasing quality of our wines."

Marvin Rippelmeyer, chairman of the Wine and Grape Advisory Board, attributes the increases to research and development, the addition of new and talented winemakers, and more sophisticated marketing efforts by the state's 34 registered wineries.

One of the newest wineries in the state is River Ridge Winery, in a 100-year-old farm house two miles north of Commerce, on County Road 321, near the Mississippi River. The winery, operated by Jerry and Joannie Smith.

River Ridge Winery is one of only two in the Southeast Missouri area.

The Sainte Genevieve Winery is on a 400-acre farm in Weingarten, about 20 miles from Ste. Genevieve. But, the tasting room and retail sales outlet in a turn-of-the-century mansion in downtown Ste. Geneveive.

The winery is operated by Hope and Linus Hoffmeister. "He makes the wine and I run the day-to-day operation," said Hope Hoffmeister.

The Hoffmeisters put the vineyards in about 1978 and received their commercial license in 1984.

Another nearby winemaking operation is in Southern Illinois. Alto Vineyards at Alto Pass, Ill., is operated by Paul Renzaglia, who opened the winery in 1988.

Renzaglia produced 10 different wines, using home-grown grapes, and has more than 100 medals in competitions across the U.S.

M&W acquires Saueressig U.S.

Mildenberger & Willing (M&W) Packaging U.S. Inc., which will observe its fifth anniversary in Cape Girardeau County this year, has acquired Saueressig U.S., the company which provides engraved cylinders for the M&W rotogravure presses.

M&W, headquartered in Gronau, Germany, opened its manufacturing facility north of Cape Girardeau in 1990. It now has more than 185 employees. Saueressig Engineering, headquartered in Vreden, Germany, opened a branch facility at the M&W site in 1990 to provide printing cylinders for the M&W operation, which produces colorful plastic packaging.

Procter & Gamble Paper Products Co. is the largest U.S. customer of M&W, which also provides packaging for Ralston-Purina Co., and Golden Cat Corp. here.

Saueressig, U.S. will become a wholly owned subsidiary of M&W Packaging U.S. Inc., said Elden L. Lingwood, senior vice president for M&W.

Saueressig's engraving equipment is inside the M&W production complex along Highway 77.

Lingwood added that the acquisition of Saueressig U.S. assures M&W customers they will continue to receive state-of-the-art printing of co-extruded polyolefin films and flexible packaging products.

M&W management plans no changes in the personnel, or in the management of Saueressig U.S.

M&W is a subsidiary of M&W Verpackungen, Gronau, Germany, and Nordenia International AG, Munster, Germany.

The company's U.S. plant consists of seven buildings totaling more than 147,000 square feet.

M&W was founded 20 years ago at Gronau, West Germany.

Saueressig, a manufacturer of printing cylinders throughout the world, was founded in Vreden, Germany in 1953.

Companies in new quarters

TCI Cablevison of Missouri Inc., will open Wednesday morning in new quarters.

"We'll be moving in today and Tuesday," said Todd Runkwitz, TCI marketing manager. "Our offices will be closed to walk-in traffic during the move, but we will be available for telephone calls."

The new 9,000-square-foot, TCI building is at 1620 N. Kingshighway. The company is moving from 334 Christine St.

"We're pleased to be moving into our new quarters," said Runkwitz.

TCI will celebrate its new location with a grand opening, to be held during the first quarter of 1995.

TCI has been providing cable television service in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson areas since the mid-1980s.

HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Center of Cape Girardeau has moved both of its previous locations to Lorimont Place, 240-250 S. Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau.

HEALTHSOUTH, headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., will occupy about 11,000 square feet at its new location.

The new quarters combine the company's former two facilities, which were located at Kingshighway & William and N. Mount Auburn Road.

The company will continue to offer specialized orthopedic and industrial rehabilitation outpatient care, fitness training, custom splinting and sports medicine services.

Greg Saxton serves as the company's area administrator for Cape Girardeau, Dexter and Carbondale, Ill.

Tom Kelsey, general manager for Lorimont, negotiated the lease transaction.

Walgreens held its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony last weekend.

The new Walgreens, at Independence and Kingshighway, opened recently. The store features more than 16,000 items, and is open seven days a week.

Store hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Pharmacy hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Elsewhere:

BLOOMFIELD -- Consolidate Plastics Products Corp. has been honored as the "Business of the Year" by the Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce.

The company, which was founded in 1988, employs 60 people and has annual sales exceeding $2 million.

FRUITLAND -- Noah's Ark Child Care Center here is under new ownership.

Steve Sue Bippen of Cape Girardeau recently purchased the business from Bonnie Noah, who operated it 18 years.

The center is licensed for 42 children, infant through 10 years of age. "We're accepting enrollments now," said Sue Bippen.

Bippen, a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, has a degree in business and minor in child care.

Hours for the center are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday hours are available by request.

STE. GENEVIEVE -- Chemical Lime Company of Missouri will construct a $50 million plant along the Mississippi River, north of Ste. Genevieve this year.

Chemical Lime Co., based in Fort Worth, Texas, hopes to be ready for production in its new plant late this year.

The new plant, which will employ about 40 people, will focus on producing a product for sulfur dioxide removal for coal-burning power plants.