Why you should visit the Springfield, MO area for wine
Springfield is a medium-sized city that’s a hub for southwest Missouri. Wine bars and wine stores are a great place to grab a glass of wine in town. But to fully experience the wineries in Springfield MO you have to look outside the city limits.
That’s where the real action is for wine lovers!
We’ve created a list of seven wineries that are within driving distance of Springfield, Missouri. The first winery is located in Springfield, so that’s super easy to access. The other seven wineries near Springfield are located outside of the city.
We list the wineries in order of closest to furthest from the city center. That’ll make it easy for you to plan your trip to the Springfield area.
Nicknamed the “Queen City of the Ozarks,” Springfield offers plenty to do in addition to wine tasting. There are parks, museums, farmers markets, and restaurants with good food throughout the city.
An aquarium and a botanical garden round out the roster. And, thanks to Missouri State University, the town has a large number of young people which adds a youthful energy to this fun little city.
If you’re the outdoorsy type there are trails, loops, and greenways to explore in the city. Outside the city there’s Table Rock Lake, which is a one hour drive directly south of Springfield.
In our humble opinion there’s no better way to explore the rolling hills of the Ozarks than to drink your way through Missouri’s wine country glass by glass. Here’s our list of the best wineries in Springfield (and just outside of Springfield) for you to explore. You never know… Missouri wines might become your new favorite.
How to access the Springfield, Missouri area
Springfield is a small city located in Missouri in the Midwestern United States.
The Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF) serves the city, so you could fly into Springfield, rent a car, and drive into town.
If you’re coming from further afield, you’re in luck. Springfield is within easy driving distance of several larger cities.
Kansas City, Missouri is a 2 hour 45 minute drive from Springfield. Kansas City International Airport (MCI) serves that city.
St. Louis, Missouri is a 3 hour 20 minute drive from Springfield. The St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) has plenty of flights every day.
Whether you fly directly into Springfield or drive from another city, one thing is certain… you’ll need a car! The first winery on this list is located in Springfield, so you could take an Uber or taxi to the winery. However the remaining seven wineries on this list are outside of town and thus require you to drive.
The best wineries in Springfield MO
Tyler Ridge Vineyard Winery (Springfield, MO)
Tyler Ridge Vineyard Winery in Springfield, Missouri is a short 20 minute drive north of the city center.
Their tasting room is housed in a refurbished farmhouse built in 1905. Guests can enjoy a picnic on the patio, a walk through the vineyard, and a tasting in the farmhouse. Pets are welcome too.
The Tyler Ridge Vineyard Winery tasting room is open May through October on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-5 PM.
You should begin any tour of the wineries in Springfield MO at Tyler Ridge Vineyard. It’s super close to downtown, which makes it the ideal first stop on your wine tasting itinerary.
The best wineries a short drive outside of Springfield (in order of closest to furthest)
7C’s Winery (Walnut Grove, MO)
7C’s Winery is the perfect place to laze away the afternoon. It’s located in Walnut Grove, which is a 35 minute drive outside of Springfield. Perfect for a quick day trip.
This family-owned winery has a friendly, casual vibe. Guests are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy alongside a bottle of wine. You can even bring “something to throw on the grill.” Cheese, sausages, and crackers are sold alongside the wine and mead selection.
There’s a gift shop with wine-themed paraphernalia. Oh and there are juice boxes! That’s right – many of 7C’s wines and meads are sold in recyclable pouches. This “adult juice box” is the perfect thing to bring camping, biking, hiking, or boating. Basically anywhere glass can’t go the juice box can.
And who doesn’t want an alcoholic Capri Sun?! That’s what I thought.
From May through September there’s live music on Sundays from 2-6 PM. Check out their website for upcoming events.
7C’s Winery is a 30 minute drive from Tyler Ridge Vineyard, so it’s a good second stop on your tour of wineries in Springfield MO and nearby towns.
Bear Creek Wine Company and Brewery (Walnut Shade, MO)
Bear Creek is a winery, brewery, and inn all rolled into one. Their property is a reasonable 40 minute drive outside of Springfield, which makes it the perfect length for a day trip.
Bear Creek Wine Company and Brewery works with Missouri grape varietals like Norton (sometimes called Cynthiana). Norton is the Missouri State grape and it produces rich red wines.
Bear Creek Wine Co. also works with Chambourcin, St. Vincent, Concord, Catawba, Vidal Blanc, Traminette, Vignoles, and Chardonel. If you want to try Missouri wines made from Missouri grape varietals then look no further.
Bear Creek Wine Co. is open seven days a week beginning at 10 AM. Live entertainment is available on the weekends from Friday through Sunday.
And, if you’d like to explore the property more, Bear Creek offers a tour of their property on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The tour runs for two hours from 9:30 to 11:30 AM and begins with coffee and pastries. The tour ends with lunch in the tasting room featuring pizza, salad, dessert, and wine or craft beer.
Their property is located thirty minutes north of Table Rock Lake and less than twenty minutes north of Branson, MO, which means it’s centrally located for outdoor activities.
Luckily Bear Creek has five cabins and three suites if you’d like to stay overnight and turn your wine tasting into a wine weekend.
Cassell Vineyards (Mansfield, MO)
Cassell Vineyards is an Italian-style winery and wedding venue located in Mansfield – just under an hour’s drive from Springfield.
Tuscan wine estates inspired this lovely family-owned winery nestled in the heart of the Ozarks. There are beautiful views of the rolling Ozark mountains and plenty of Italy-meets-Missouri history (the owner has Italian genes).
Of course their restaurant serves Italian-American food. The Friday night pizza menu consists of wood-fired pizza topped with ingredients like Italian sausage, prosciutto, pepperoni, and mozzarella.
Fancier fare like a charcuterie board, a cheese tray, and entrées like lasagna make up the special Saturday and Sunday menu. Dry wines, sweet wines, and white, red, and rosé wines grace the wine menu.
And did I mention that Cassell Vineyards has clearly thought through all facets of every kind of wedding day including micro weddings and elopements? Their outdoor patio covered in string lights looks pretty darn romantic. You can even add a grape stomp to your list of activities. Who knew!
Lindwedel Winery (Branson, MO)
Lindwedel Winery grew out of Steve Lindwedel’s love for his family’s land and his chemistry background.
The Lindwedel family moved from St. Louis to the Ozarks in 1995. In 2007 they purchased a property outside of Branson, Missouri. They opened Lindwedel Winery that same year.
Since then Lindwedel Winery has handcrafted a variety of wines from grapes grown in Missouri and elsewhere in the United States.
They work with Norton, Chambourcin, Concord, Traminette, Catawba, and Vignoles. If you’d like to sample a Missouri wine go for the Vidal, which is made entirely from Vidal grapes grown in the Ozark Mountain AVA. They make three different dessert wines, which any sweet wine enthusiast can surely appreciate.
Lindwedel Winery offers two wine tasting options. You can choose five wines for $10 or ten wines for $18. Food items like soft pretzels, focaccia, and charcuterie trays complement their wine.
Ozark Hills Winery (Branson, MO)
Ozark Hills Winery offers a wide variety of wines from sweet to dry and fruity to full-bodied.
They work with Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Cabernet, Concord, Muscadine, and Niagara grapes. Try the “Campfire Crackle Chambourcin,” which is a dry red wine with vanilla and caramel notes.
Guides lead every wine tasting, which includes four wine pours. Complimentary Cutie Concord Grape Juice, chocolate, and crackers are offered alongside pours.
Ozark Hills Winery is located in Branson, Missouri, which is about an hour long drive from Springfield. The tasting room is open Tuesday through Saturday beginning at 11 AM. It’s closed Sunday and Monday.
Stone Hill Winery (Hermann, MO)
Stone Hill Winery is a beautiful vineyard in Hermann, Missouri, about an hour’s drive outside of Springfield.
They offer dry, semi dry, and sweet wines made from grapes including Chambourcin, Norton, Chardonel, Traminette, and Vignoles. Bubble lovers rejoice because they even make a Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine and a Brut Rosé.
Regular wine flights include 6 wine samples for $15 per person. The “Wine Experience” includes a seated tasting in a private room. It costs $30 per person for five wine samples accompanied by small bites.
Guided tours of their famous cellars run seven days a week. Reservations are not required and wine tastings are first-come first-served.
And if you’re hungry, you’re in luck. Stone Hill’s Vintage 1847 Restaurant serves delicious German and American fare alongside their award-winning wines.
Similar wine regions to explore
The wineries in Springfield MO and its neighboring towns make some of the best wine in Missouri. The Ozarks are beautiful and the wines are delicious. What’s not to like?
If you want to explore Missouri wine country further check out the small towns of Defiance and Weston.
Defiance, Missouri is nestled in the rolling hills of historic Missouri wine country just 40 minutes west of St. Louis, Missouri. Many Defiance wineries have beautiful views of the Missouri River Valley.
Weston, Missouri is only 45 minutes outside of Kansas City. Adorable shops, restaurants, and museums occupy this tiny town. Two Weston wineries are located in town and the other two wineries are just a short drive away.
Hermann, Missouri is full of history from its beautiful buildings built in the 1800s to its old stone cellars. Hermann wineries are some of the oldest (and best!) in Missouri.
Sainte Genevieve is another lovely historic town. This small town on the Mississippi River is the state’s oldest French settlement. It offers some of the best eighteenth-century architecture in the United States from its cute narrow streets to its tranquil fenced gardens. Sainte Genevieve wineries are just an hour south of St. Louis and well worth the trip.
