Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Missouri Weston TerraVox Winery
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

TerraVox Winery

A vineyard devoted entirely to an unexplored flavor frontier.

Weston, Missouri

Added By
Alex Mayyasi
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  TerraVox
The winery’s tasting room at Green Dirt Farm Creamery,   TerraVox
Norton grapes in the vineyard.   TerraVox
  TerraVox
  TerraVox
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The vast majority of the world's vineyards grow vitis vinifera grapes, a species that hails from Europe. This includes the six "noble" grapes that dominate upscale winemaking: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and riesling. But at TerraVox, every wine is made with grapes native to the Americas, a trait so rare that founder Jerry Eisterhold describes his business as more of a museum than a winery.

It's fitting that this innovative, all-American winery is in Missouri, which is one of the cradles of American winemaking. Eisterhold grew up nearby, in an area where making wine is "kind of mandatory." His winemaking went from a hobby to a mission after he discovered a book by T.V. Munson (1843-1913), a viticulturist who, in addition to saving the European wine industry from the Great Wine Blight, bred and cultivated American grapes and European-American hybrids for winemaking. 

For centuries, winemakers have dismissed American grapes as having a "foxy" flavor when made into wine. Even Thomas Jefferson, who championed North America's fruits and veggies, dreamed of growing vitis vinifera grapes at Monticello. But Munson's book described countless American wine grapes and hybrids—Cloeta and Norton and Ellen Scott—that Americans grew and imbibed until Prohibition. It also noted that only a fraction of those came from the family of grapes known for that infamous foxy flavor.

Inspired by Munson’s work, Eisterhold spent more than a decade tracking down vine cuttings, then a decade more experimenting with the grapes and making wine. At TerraVox, those wines are now for sale, their flavors available literally nowhere else in the world. Meanwhile, Eisterhold continues to improve the cultivation of his heritage grapes while evangelizing the return of truly American wine.

Related Tags

Grapes Alcohol Wine

Know Before You Go

The winery has a tasting room and ships bottles across much of the United States, so if you're not able to visit, check the order form on the TerraVox website.

Community Contributors

Added By

Alex Mayyasi

Published

March 8, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/american-wines
TerraVox Winery
1099 Welt Street
Weston, Missouri, 64098
United States
39.418021, -94.892651
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

O'Malley's Pub

Weston, Missouri

miles away

National Silk Art Museum

Weston, Missouri

miles away

Frontier Army Museum

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Weston

Weston

Missouri

Places 3

Nearby Places

O'Malley's Pub

Weston, Missouri

miles away

National Silk Art Museum

Weston, Missouri

miles away

Frontier Army Museum

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Weston

Weston

Missouri

Places 3

Related Places

  • Rose Hill, North Carolina

    Mother Vine Scuppernong Wine

    This sweet Southern elixir comes from what may be the oldest grape vine in North America.

  • The Old Vine.

    Maribor, Slovenia

    The Old Vine

    The world's oldest grape-producing vine has survived four centuries of turmoil and even has its own anthem.

  • Visitors can try all manner of fortified wines here.

    Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal

    Poças

    Sample port and quinine-fortified wine at this fourth-generation winery near Porto.

  • The basement is full of barrels for aging.

    Parras de la Fuente, Mexico

    Casa Madero

    This grape-growing paradise is one of the oldest vineyards in North America.

  • The Cizhong Church was rebuilt in 1914 after the original one was burnt down by local Buddhists.

    Cizhong, China

    Cizhong Village

    This Tibetan and Naxi village's Honey Rose wine bears the mark of 19th-century French missionaries.

  • Sweetgrass Winery

    Union, Maine

    Sweetgrass Winery

    Grapes be damned, this distillery makes wine from apples, blueberries, cranberries, and more.

  • Beaucaire, France

    Mas des Tourelles

    A winery built on the site of a Gallo-Roman estate uses historical tools to recreate ancient vintages.

  • Omodos, Cyprus

    Linos tou Charilaou (Omodos Wine Press)

    This medieval wine press is one of the oldest in Cyprus.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.