Most wineries located in the rolling hills of Northwest Missouri have spectacular views and all have something unique to boast about: the wine-making techniques ranging from old-world to the latest in high tech.

A couple of Daviess County places, including Morrell Farms northwest of Gallatin and the Holy Archangel Michael Monastery and All Angels Skete near Weatherby, started planting grape vines in 2017. The monastery will grow grapes for communion wine.

A couple of place in Daviess County, MO, including Morrell Farms northwest of Gallatin and the Holy Archangel Michael Monastery and All Angels Skete (near Weatherby), started planting grape vines in 2017.

The nearest winery is in Trenton. Founded in 2010, Black Silo Winery is a family-owned and operated winery located at 4030 E. 10th Street. Their wines hark back to the old days, with names like Jesse James, Silver Dollar and Covered Bridges.

If you like old buildings, the tasting room of Belvoir Winery in Liberty is in a 1910 Odd Fellows Home, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Weston’s Pirtle Winery gift shop and tasting room is in an 1867 German Lutheran Church. And Terra Beau winery in Dover occupies a chapel built in 1858.

If you like a clear winter’s view, Bushwhacker Bend in Glasgow sits on the banks of the Missouri River; Fahrmeier Family in Lexington is in a 1930s barn on the Missouri River bluffs and overlooks the river; and Vox Vineyards sits above the Missouri River valley in the bluffs of Platte County.

Jowler Creek in Platte City is Missouri’s first green winery, using solar power to make the wine, sheep to control weeds, and chickens to eat the insects.

Though most of the wineries are welcoming in the winter, some are only open on weekends, and you should check the individual web pages.

Here are some other wineries located in northwest Missouri and listed on the Missouri Wine Trail website:  Fence Stile Vineyards & Winery in Excelsior Springs; Ladoga Ridge Winery LLC in Smithville; Riverwood Winery in Rushville; Van Till Family Farm Winery in Rayville; Weston Wine Company in Weston; Windy Wine Company in Osborn.

The Missouri Tourism webpage (wwwvisitmo.com) for the northwest area lists under Agritourism Adventure several others, including Arcadian Moon Vineyards and Winery in Higginsville; Baltimore Bend Vineyard in Waverly; Odessa Country Winery in Odessa; Stonehaus Farms Winery in Lee’s Summit; and Tipple Hill Winery in Easton.

Wineries listed only under Food and Drink on the Missouri Tourism webpage include Amigoni Urban Winery in Centerview, which specializes in small lots; and KC Wineworks in Kansas City, which is located in the Crossroads Arts District of Kansas City.

Norton is the official state grape, in case you didn’t already know that.

Picture: One of the latest farming projects at the Holy Archangel Michael Monastery is a two-acre vineyard. About 1,800 vines were planted. The monastery will grow communion wine and has already arranged with the diocese to provide their product to 40 churches, from Illinois to Texas.