NEW WINERY: A TOURIST AND ECONOMIC BOOST FOR SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

Jerry and Joannie Smith are giving the immediate Southeast Missouri an economic boost in two ways -- through a tourist attraction and a manufacturing and retailing operation.

The Smiths operate River Ridge Winery and Vineyards on an 80-acre farm with a quarter-mile frontage on the Mississippi River. The retail sales and actual winery are housed in a century-old farmhouse.

"We'll be bottling real soon," said Joannie Smith. "We're hoping to be open by June or July."

The Smiths, who also operate River Ridge Christmas Tree Farm, received their state and federal licenses designating them as a winery in August 1992.

"We had to have a harvest after receiving the licenses, then produce the wine and let it go through the proper aging process," Smith said. "Our first wine for retail sale will be this summer."

Jerry Smith said the winery will produce four varieties of wines, including white and red.

The Smiths welcome families to visit the winery. "They can see the grapes, learn about the winemaking process and go on hikes and have picnics," said Smith. "We have hiking trails up to the vineyard and to the bluffs overlooking the river."

The River Ridge vineyards were established in 1981.

The River Ridge name is derived from two geographical factors: the winery is situated on the north end of Crowley Ridge about a mile-and-a-half from Commerce and overlooks the Mississippi River.

"It takes eight to 10 years to get a vineyard to the quality that it will produce grapes for quality wine," said Smith. "We have two acres of French grapes, which are grown and cultivated for the sole purpose of making a fine dinner wine. We also have another eight to 10 acres of other grapes."

Smith said the two acres of French grapes will produce about 6,000 pounds of grapes, which will make about 500 gallons of wine.

The winery will also produce a Christmas Rose wine, which will be available at the River Ridge Christmas Tree Farm gift shop this winter," he said.

Smith is a native of central Arkansas. He was in the Navy for more than seven years and flew fighter planes in Vietnam. He bought a farm near Commerce in 1980.

"It was during my travels with the Navy that I developed a taste for fine dinner wines while in California and Athens, Greece," he said. "Our winery in Missouri will be a family operation. We are doing it in the same sense of our European forefathers, who blended various grapes to produce a wine. We pick the grapes ourselves, crush them, ferment the wine, bottle and label it right here on our little farm."

Smith said he would like to see more wineries in the area.

"If we had a half-dozen wineries, people would come form St. Louis or Memphis for tasting and comparing," he said. "But that's a long distance to travel for one winery."

Winemaking provides about $15 million to the Missouri economy each year.

"There area 30 wineries in the state," said Sally Oxenhandler of the Missouri Department of Agriculture's Grape Division. "More than 232,900 gallons of wine are sold annually."

The wineries are big attractions for tourists.

United Distributing Co. has expanded its operations at 101 rear N. Kingshighway

"United Distributing Co. includes Horton Sales Co., which previously operated on Independence, and United Oil Co., which had operated at the Kingshighway address for more than 40 years," said Fred R. "Rock" Wilferth, president of the firm.

"All products previously sold by these two companies now will be marketed under the one name, United Distributing Co."

A 4,000-square-foot addition has been added to the existing warehouse on North Kingshighway.

"We're in our new location now," said Gary Littleton, general manager of United Distributing. "We feel the additional space, ample parking and convenient location will help us serve our customer base."

The addition houses a walk-in small-engine and parts store along with offices, said Littleton. "This new location, directly behind the Crossroads Shopping Center, gives our customers the advantage of a centralized location."

Product lines that pertain to automotive trade include a full line of parts from AC Delco (General Motors), Motorcraft (Ford), Bendix, Camel, Champion, Gates, Exide, Lucas, McQuay-Norris and Pick A Nut, all major brands. Products also include all major brand and private brand motor oil, hydraulic and gear oil. Several chemical lines include Bar's Leak, WD 40, Goop, Silver Streak, STP, and others.

United Distributing will also continue to sell transport loads of gasoline and diesel fuel and small engine parts from Kohler, Briggs, Murray, Tecumseh, and MTD.

The Horton business evolved from previous owners LaRoy R. Roper and Frank Horton. In recent years Roper and Wilferth were co-owners until Wilferth purchased Roper's share of the business in August 1989.

Wilferth said he wants to expand the territory being serviced in Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas. The company is represented by eight outside sales people, with a total of 35 employees. The firm also maintains a fleet of delivery vehicles, including fuel transports.

At Your Service Commercial and Residential Service Inc., a professional cleaning company, has moved its headquarters to 40 N. Main.

"We've added some new services to our company," said Lori Wheeler-Bodenschatz. "We now offer after-construction cleanup and we offer Advance and Windsor cleaning equipment -- buffers, floor scrubbers, carpet cleaners -- for sale."

At Your Service also includes The LBW Tradespeople Referral Agency Inc. in its services.

"We screen and schedule tradespeople to do whatever work you need," she said. "That includes carpenters, painters, electricians, roofers and plumbers. No job is too big or too small."

Also available at the headquarters is "plantscaping."

"The Plant Lady, Debbie Naeter, operates her business out of here," said Wheeler-Bodenschatz. "Jan Halter will provide our display window designs."

UPDATE:

Red Lobster Restaurant opened in Cape Girardeau today.

The 6,000-square-foot, 200-seat seafood restaurant in front of Victorian Inn on Route K between Interstate 55 and Silver Springs Road employs more than 100 people.

Jim McGahey of Columbia is general manager of the restaurant, and Mike Brown of St. Louis is associate manager. Assistant managers are Melissa Gaynor, St. Louis; and Bruce Smith and Becky Farris, both of Cape Girardeau.

Restaurant hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Cape Girardeau is three-to-one in business gains during the past month.

Opening were:

-- The Bell Aire Bar and Grill.

-- Papa Bear's Daiquiris and Grill.

-- At Your Service office.

Closed is Bare Necessities.

The Bel Aire Bar and Grill, which offers inside and outside dining, is the latest to open downtown, at 24 S. Spanish.

The restaurant, which offers burgers, home-made chips, and Jamaican pulled chicken and barbecue, is open six days a week -- Mondays through Fridays from 3 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Owners are John and Jerrianne Wyman and Mike Graviett. The Wymans also operate Mollies Restaurant across the street, in the Alliance Building at 11 S. Spanish.

Papa Bear's Daiquiris and Grill opened near Main and Independence and specializes in Cajun cuisine and frozen drinks.

The restaurant, owned by Norman Swanner and Dean St. Pierre, opens daily at 11 a.m.

Bare Necessities by Carlene, which opened at 38 N. Spanish in August 1993, closed recently. The firm, which handles children's and women's dance~wear, dance shoes and lingerie, will maintain its Paducah, Ky., store.

Also new downtown is At Your Service Commercial and Residential Service Inc., a professional cleaning service that moved its headquarters to 40 N. Main.

Construction continues on the 17,200-square-foot, $1 million Salvation Army headquarters building at 701 Good Hope.

An update report in a recent Salvation Army bulletin said footings, foundations and floors are poured, structural steel has been erected, and masonry work is about 75 percent complete. The remaining walls and roof are about 50 percent complete, and some plumbing and electrical work has been completed.

The contract calls for completion of the building in September.

When the L-shaped building is completed, the old headquarters building -- former Farmers and Merchants Bank at 701 Good Hope, will be razed and a parking garage will be constructed.

Kiefner Brothers Construction Co., is the contractor.

"Interior decoration designs and color schemes have been selected," said Fred R. "Rock" Wilferth, chairman of the Salvation Army Building Committee. "Even though our completion date is set for September, everything could be completed ahead of scheduled."

The facility will include a gymnasium, larger kitchen and dining area, a community center, education and fellowship halls.

The Drury Suites Hotel at the southwest corner of Interstate 55 and Route K in Cape Girardeau is expected to open this month.

The hotel is only the second venture into "suite" lodging for Drury Inns Inc. The first was constructed in San Antonio, Texas. Each suite will have two rooms, with king or double beds, microwaves and refrigerators.