Interview with John Held of Stone Hill in Missouri

This interview with John Held of Stone Hill Winery in Missouri is a most enjoyable read. There's plenty of talk about the Missourian climate, the demand for native wines and a bit about Missouri's very own state grape: the Norton.

Jon Held studied enology at California State University, Fresno, graduating in 1980. He worked in Switzerland and Ontario, Canada, before returning to Stone Hill as vineyard manager in 1983. Today, Held is vice president and general manager of the winery, overseeing all production and operations aspects of the company. But viticulture remains a big focus. Stone Hill maintains 157 acres of vineyard, where the family grows a variety of native American and hybrid grape varieties ranging from Seyval and Chardonel to Concord and Norton. Held currently serves as vice chair of the Missouri Wine & Grape Board.

It's good reading for those of us who love knowing about wines from the American heartland.