Tucked away in a circa 1800’s-country store in the village of Brazeau, MO, you’ll find Hemman Winery.  Doug Hemman’s homestyle, hand-crafted wine was so popular among friends and family that the Hemman family decided to make this hobby into a new adventure.  Doug and Bonnie Hemman along with Doug’s mother, Dorothy, own and run the winery, where the art of making wine has been passed down through generations.  

Bonnie Hemman was kind enough to walk me through their wine-making process.  “We plant the grapes, nurture them, harvest and process them and make them into wine.  We also buy several varieties of grapes grown in the region and grow the blackberries for our blackberry wine.  We do it all, from the soil to the bottle on the shelf.”  

Brazeau Blend is the winery’s most popular wine (and Doug Hemman’s pick), and Elderberry is another favorite.  76 is also popular and is named after an old Mississippi River port town that used to exist about 5 miles from the winery.  Bonnie’s favorite wine changes with the seasons, but right now she’s enjoying Apricot.  With over 15 different wines to choose from, many of those fruit wines, you’re sure to discover a new favorite of your own at Hemman Winery.  

Bonnie works with other wineries in the region as a part of the Mississippi River Hills Wine Trail, the start of which she headed up over a year ago.  “A wine trail consists of a co-op of wineries (5 in this case) working together to strengthen the tourism for Southeast Missouri.  The co-op is also a support group for each other.  We all have our own uniqueness with our wineries but all share some of the same trials and bumps in the road.  It has become a family of sorts, one that I never would have thought we would be a part of 11 years ago when we started on this adventure.”  

Bonnie also says that “for Doug and I, a lot of the payment is having people say that they really enjoyed our wine and the ‘step back in time’ place we have created for people to relax in.  We look forward to meeting new faces all the time.”  

Hemman Winery is located about 35 miles north of Cape Girardeau in Eastern Perry County, and it’s a pretty 45 minute drive on country highways and roads.  Plan your visit to Hemman Winery with help from their website. Hemman Winery is open on Saturdays and Sundays from noon-6 p.m. year round, and also on Fridays from 1-6 p.m. June-December.  

A weekend away is at your fingertips, complete with golfing, fun dining options, live entertainment, Isle Casino Cape Girardeau, spas, local wineries and more.  Come Play in Cape Girardeau!