Tower Rock Winery started out as a souvenir collection

Missouri's newest winery was inspired, appropriately enough, by wineglasses.

Bob and Cheryl Breuer of Tower Rock Winery used to collect souvenir wineglasses.

"We started going to Missouri and Illinois wineries to add to our collection," said Bob Breuer. "I became interested in growing grapes and making wines. We felt like we could do this."

Bob and Cheryl Breuer are owners of Tower Rock Winery, which is located near Tower Rock on the Mississippi River.

The winery, which debuted in April for the annual Southeast Missouri Scenic Drive, has attracted a number of people each weekend.

"We're open from noon to 6 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday," said Bob Breuer. "People can see the grapevines, learn about the winemaking process and go on hikes and have picnics."

"We get a lot of motorists who are traveling in the area to see Tower Rock," he said.

The winery has outside tables and a dock that overlooks a farm pond on its 23 acres.

Tower Rock produces five varieties -- Chambourcin, a red wine; Chardonnel, Seyval and Villard Blanc, white wines; and Vignoles, a semi-dry white wine.

The Breuers have tried a couple of fruit wines -- apple and peach -- but have sold out of them.

The vineyard was established in 1997.

"We have about two acres of grapes, which are grown and cultivated for the sole purpose of making wine," said Breuer. The acres of grapes will produce about 6,000 pounds of grapes.

The Breuers recently harvested their newest grape crop, pressing the grapes last weekend.

Breuer lived in Cape Girardeau more than 20 years, and still works for Schnucks Grocery, where he has been an employee more than 25 years.

Steeped in history

The area around Tower Rock and Wittenberg is rich in brewery history.

Tower Rock near Wittenberg in Perry County, is a 100-foot landmark that juts out of the Mississippi River some 25 miles north of Cape Girardeau. The site, where Father St. Cosme and others planted a cross in December 1699, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. People can walk to the island that contains the rock when the river gauge at Cape Girardeau is 7.6 or 7.7 feet. But the river has only been that low twice in recent history.

A brewer was established at the former town of Wittenberg -- not much remains of Wittenberg now, except for historical markers -- before the Civil War, in 1849, and beer was produced there through 1899. Much of the beer was transported to St. Louis.

In fact, it is said that Eberhardt Anheuser got his start in beermaking at Wittenberg.

"We've heard the story of Mr. Anheuser," said Breuer.

The Wittenberg brewery was founded in 1849 by a Frank Brener, a brewmaster from Germany, and was assisted by another German brewmaster, Eberhardt Anheuser.

Anheuser, it is said, left Wittenberg to open his own brewery in St. Louis in 1851. While in St. Louis, he married the daughter of Augustus Busch, and the Anheuser-Busch Beer Co. was born.

People say the Anheuser that was in Wittenberg is the same one that started the big brewery in St. Louis.

rowen@semissourian.com

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