by Don Corrigan
Missouri Environmentalists and Nature Lovers are elated that Hermann’s Stone Hill Hellbender Red Is a Governor’s Cup Finalist in the annual state wine competition. The wine is among the top 11 Best of Class Honorees.
The final winner of the cup was another Stone Hill selection, the Dry Red 2022 Cross J Norton. However, the Semi-Dry Red Stone Hill 2022 Ozark Hellbender followed close on its heels in the competition held in July.
Other wines in the 11 Best of Class Honorees included a Riefenstahler from Adam Puchta Winery; a Traminette from Defiance Ridge Vineyards; a Semi-Dry Rosé from Montelle Winery; and, a Sparkling Brut from Les Bourgeois Vineyards.
Missourians have cheered the St. Louis Zoo’s work to save the endangered Ozark hellbender. The amphibians’ fans can make a toast to the zoo scientists’ efforts now with a glass of award-winning Hellbender from Stone Hill Winery.
“I fell in love with Ozark hellbenders a few years ago when I ran across them at the Saint Louis Zoo,” Stone Hill Winery’s Nathan Held told EE in 2023. “I’ve always loved animals and conservation, so making a new wine dedicated to hellbenders seemed to make sense.”
Held, director of strategy for Stone Hill, said the winery wanted a vino with a style that had personality to live up to the native animal’s name, while also being approachable and intriguing for wine lovers.
“We went for a dry red blend of three grapes which hold a unique importance to our region’s wine industry, and which are widely grown across the Ozark Mountain American Viticultural Area,” said Held. “The wine includes Norton and Chambourcin grapes as well as a third heritage grape variety.”
“To keep a little intrigue surrounding the wine – similar to the intrigue of the elusive hellbender – we’ve kept the last grape of the blend a secret,” said Held. “But we knew we needed to make a wine that had a similar connection to our region as the Ozark hellbender itself.”
Hellbenders are large, aquatic amphibians. The hellbender has a flat head, wrinkly body and paddle-shaped tail. Its body is dark gray or brown with irregular dark spots along its back.
Like so many animal species whose survival is under threat, hellbenders have problems because of habitat degradation. This includes declines in water quality, erosion issues, silt covering their rocky living places and difficulties producing young in a damaged environment.
Saint Louis Zoo experts and volunteers have intervened on behalf of hellbenders. They built a nurturing, artificial environment at the Zoo. These tank “streams” allowed them to thrive and reproduce.
The first successful breeding of hellbenders at the Zoo only took place after tender, loving care. The young hellbenders were destined to be introduced back to their native habitat in waterways like the Current, Jacks Fork and Eleven Point rivers.
The Hellbender wine bottle’s label notes: “Stone Hill Winery, established in 1847, has dedicated this blend of our most popular red grapes to raise awareness of the this declining, ancient species.”
St. Louis has many Ozark hellbender fans and they are, no doubt, pleased to learn the new Hellbender wine is a winner, especially since each wine sale furthers the survival of the their beloved native amphibian.
As a winner in the state wine competition, the Hellbender wine will be on display through August 18 at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia at the Fair’s Wine Tent.
Visitors can also do a bit of sipping by signing up for a Wine 101 Class to be held at the Fair. For more information consult the state wine website: https://www.mostatefair.com/attractions/missouri-wine-101-classes/
The Missouri Wine Tent will be located across from the State Fair Grandstand and presented by CFM Insurance. Information on upcoming winery events and wine trail excursions will be available.
Hellbender Success
Nathan Held has closely followed the progress of bringing back the Ozark hellbenders to Missouri streams. The successful wild-breeding of zoo-raised hellbenders has been a major step for population recovery efforts.
“I love our partnership with the Saint Louis Zoo, because they love to keep us informed on hellbender initiatives and let us participate as much as they can,” said Held. “The Saint Louis Zoo’s Ozark hellbender team has hit so many incredible milestones in the journey to a reestablishment of a wild breeding population.
“Their work with the Missouri Department of Conservation is directly impacting specific state riverways, which have suitable environments for the Ozark hellbender,” Held said.
Held said the Stone Hill Winery family has always had an appreciation for Missouri wildlife and conservation across the planet. He said his family supports sustainable farming and management practices.
“Many hours in my youth were spent exploring the natural beauty of Missouri,” said Held. “This paired with my parents’ and grandparents’ dedication to the natural world instilled a great sense of duty to conserve it and respect it.
“We as farmers directly work and benefit from the land,” declared Held. “So, I feel there is an inherent need and obligation to protect both the land and the species here in Missouri for future generations.”
Environmental Echo 