When I made my appointment to visit Crown Valley Winery in Ste. Genevieve, I was expecting that I would see the winery and go home...you can't imagine how wrong I was. Not only was this one of the most creatively planned out wineries that I've ever been through, all of the other places that Crown Country has to offer have taken this from winery trip to vacation destination!
You're sure to find beauty in the rolling hills and lush green countryside of Crown Country, located in Missouri's historic Ste. Genevieve County. And from a tasting at Crown Valley Winery to a V.I.P. tour of Crown Ridge Tiger Sanctuary, Crown Country truly has something for everyone. Meet our winemaker, relax at one of our lavish rooms, enjoy a round of golf at our 4 star course, or stop by luxurious Tiger Ridge Restaurant for a meal made with Crown Farms' homegrown ingredients. With many easy options you can make it a weekend trip or an all-inclusive package. Escape the ordinary and visit Crown Country - www.crowncountry.com
I thought one of the most outstanding things about the whole trip was that much of the material and craftsmanship on all of the different destinations in Crown Country is MISSOURI-MADE. Crown Country is very dedicated to utilizing what Missouri has to offer whenever possible. From the wood detail in the winery to the iron-work above the tasting bar, Crown Country showcases the talent that can be found in Missouri!
There was so much to see and so many things to do in Crown Country. I really hope that I can remember everything! The most amazing thing about much of Crown Country is that 5 years ago, not much of it was there. In addition to growing at an increasingly, rapid pace, Crown Country is almost completely a self-sustaining company. Meaning that they landscape with flowers that they grow in their greenhouses, cook with the vegetables that they produce, prepare the beef that they raise, and so much more!
I met Bryan Siddle, the go-to guy for Crown Country, at the Champagne House right off of Highway 67 in Farmington. I was immediatley impressed with how nicely landscaped that front of the Champagne House was. Inside the Champagne House I toured their state-of-the-art facility; a real treat considering that this is the only Champagne House in the Midwest. This is where all of the sparkling wines are produced. When you visit, don't leave out taking the tour. You won't see this equipment anywhere else in the Midwest! Don't forget to visit the tasting room after you take the tour. In the tasting room you can sample sparkling wines, champagnes, and limited-edition wines. Take advantage of tasting the limited-edition wines here because the Champagne House is the only place where you can taste them. You can purchase them at Crown Valley Winery, but you can't taste them there!
From the Champagne House, we went to Crown Ridge to check out the Tiger Ridge Restaurant, three bed and breakfast facilities and the TIGERS! The restaurant was absolutely beautiful and I'm told that it has great food! I'll check that out next time I'm down there (which will be VERY soon!). The three different bed and breakfast facilities are Tiger Pointe, Tiger View Lodge and Tiger Den. Surrounding these three facilities is a swimming pool, tennis courts, a nature trail, and a breath-taking view over miles of land. Oh, and they are just a few feet away from the tiger sanctuary!
[Crown Ridge] has been designed to surpass the most stringent standards for health and well-being of our big cats... Our female tigers Tor and Gracie, their parents Mohan and Raja, the African lioness Alexis and Izzy, the newest tiger, live in an environment custom-designed to fit their needs.
[Crown Ridge] has established this as a permanent home for these exotic cats as part of our commitment to conservation and wildlife preservation. Through presentations, tours, youth programs and our website, www.crown-ridge.com, we seek to educate people on the dangers these cats face in the wild as well as in captivity. - Crown Ridge Brochure
Needless to say this is one part of the destination that you don't want to miss! The tigers were beautiful and the rooms at the bed and breakfast facilities blew me away! Bryan's attention to detail and dedication to perfection shine through in these flawless rooms! The three bed and breakfast facilities on Crown Ridge aren't the only one's in Crown Country. There are also the Coffman house, Miss L's House, and the Vineyard House. One of my favorite amenities that is included in your stay at one of these bed and breakfast facilities is the shuttle provided to take you to any of the Crown Country destinations.
We stopped at the brewery to check out the progress that Bryan and his team are making. Even without all of the finishing touches, it was immaculate! It is very apparent in all of the different sites of Crown Country, that Bryan thinks every floor tile, ceiling tile and minute detail through before executing the plan. Thus creating ambience, comfort and appeal to all who visit!
There is also many antique malls and a 4 1/2 star golf course in Crown Country. There is enough to see here that will make everyone happy and keep them entertained!
Our final stop was the Crown Valley Winery.
Located in scenic and historic Ste. Genevieve County, Crown Valley Winery is an architectural masterpiece, overlooking lush vineyards and panoramic views of the countryside. Our impressive array of fine, hand-crafted wines will be sure to enchant your palate. While sipping on your favorite Crown Valley wine, enjoy your choice of indoor or outdoor seating. For chilly harvest evenings, warm up by our stone fire pit. The bistro offers boxed lunches, sausages, cheese and an assortment of gourmet snacks and premium cigars. - Crown Valley Winery Brochure
I got to ride through their vineyards featuring 13 different types of grapes. I saw the farmers' market that they have on-site, raspberries, blackberries, greenhouses, vegetable gardens and so much more. I also saw the covered wagon that offers 30 minute tours of the vineyards (weekends only, call to schedule in advance). The covered wagon tour also includes a glass of your favorite wine to sip as you enjoy your tour. And this was all before I even stepped foot inside of the winery.
When you enter Crown Valley Winery you walk through the retail store and into the coolest winery setup that I have ever seen. Joe H. Scott Sr. designed the winery so that the walkway was above where the wine was made, enabling whomever crosses the footbridge to be able to look down and get a birds-eye-view of the wine making. It is really a unique experience!
With over 50 wines in their selection, Crown Valley Winery offers many options for tasting. The $5 Crown Valley Wine Tasting Sampler includes a complimentary glass, and seven wine samples of your choice. The $8 Winery Tour and Wine Tasting Sampler includes a 30 minute tour of the Crown Valley Winery winemaking process and also includes the Crown Valley Wine Tasting Sampler.
Don't stop after the tasting! You have to go outside on the HUGE deck and check out the view of the vineyards. You can either sit outside and sip your favorite wine, (if it gets chilly just move next to the fire pit!) or you can go under the pavilion and enjoy the live entertainment that they provide every weekend! Click here for the calendar of events planned!
And don't forget... if you have a meeting, wedding or event dinner coming up, Crown Valley Winery has several great places to host your next get-together! They even have a banquet room that makes you feel like you're down in the cellar with all of the barrels! It would be a very impressive place to host a meeting!
Whew! I don't feel like I've even given you a glimpse of what Crown Country is like. I strongly encourage everyone to go down and check out this vacation destination. There is so much to see and so much to experience that it may take several trips to take it all in! I hope everyone takes a weekend to check this place out. I know I've already got a girls weekend planned for this fall that will be down at Crown Country!!
-Katie
Sarah Gehring is our blogger. She's the Member Service Coordinator for the 
Join 
