COFFMAN, MO. — Hank Johnson risked hurting a guy's feelings when he cited another publication as proof that wine lovers had discovered his Chaumette Winery in Ste. Genevieve County.

"We knocked Mount Pleasant out of first place in Sauce Magazine readers poll for favorite winery," Johnson said. "Mount Pleasant has been around since 1969. Stone Hill used to be No. 1, they've been here since '68. We've been here six years."

Sure enough, I got a copy of the July Sauce Magazine, the monthly that covers food and wine in the St. Louis area. There on page 18 were the results of the favorite local winery poll: Chaumette was first, Mount Pleasant was second and, in another surprise, Chandler Hill Vineyards was third. Montelle Winery earned honorable mention.

Mount Pleasant and Montelle are in Augusta, Stone Hill is in Hermann and Chandler Hill, the new kid on the block among the wineries located in the Missouri River Valley, is in Defiance. We'll tour those wineries, from Augusta to Hermann, for an article Aug. 23. The following week, we'll visit Southern Illinois and the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, which has grown to an even dozen wineries.

But we'll start off with the wine trail in Ste. Genevieve County, where Johnson has been the moving force toward creating the Route du Vin, which has six wineries tucked along the winding roads and rolling hills of Southeast Missouri. The wineries are an hour's drive from St. Louis south on Interstate 55. Take Exit 150 west and then a quick left on Route B, and follow the signs. Or go to rdvwinetrail.com for a printable map.

Johnson is a retired St. Louis insurance executive; he and his wife, Jackie, still own a home on Lafayette Square. In 1992, he sowed the seeds of his dream when he planted his first vines in a grassy field on 310 acres he bought near the tiny town of Coffman. His vision was a Napa-style tourist destination where wineries, fine restaurants, spas and upscale shops would draw weekend visitors.

He has taken a giant step toward that goal at Chaumette, where the Grapevine Grill offers gourmet dining, the wedding business is booming, and the Villages of Chaumette include lodging for nightly rental and a first-class spa with an outdoor pool. All of the buildings were designed to capture the charm of the historic section of the city of Ste. Genevieve, which has North America's largest collection of vertical-log French Colonial buildings.

"We're full on Saturdays up to November," Johnson said. Nine units are available; two of those have three bedrooms. The rates are $200 a night for a couple, $300 for two couples and $400 for three. "Sunday also has become very popular. You can get up at 6 Monday morning and be at your desk in St. Louis by 8."

As a past president of the Missouri Grape Growers Association, Johnson is a leading exponent of new growing techniques that lead to healthier grapes and finer wines. His vineyards have a manicured look as workers snip excess leafy growth to allow maximum sunlight and air circulation for the grape clusters.

"Seventy-five percent of what ends up in your glass happens in the vineyard, not in the winery," Johnson said. "The magic happens when the sun hits the fruit."

GRAPE VODKA FOR THE HOLIDAYS

The wineries on the Route du Vin are Chaumette, Charleville, Cave, Sainte Genevieve, Twin Oaks and Sand Creek. Crown Valley, one of the largest of the 89 wineries in Missouri, is right in the middle of the wine trail. It initially was a member but has struck out on its own, partly because its businesses have grown with lodging, a golf club, even a tiger sanctuary, all now part of "Crown Country."

"For us to properly market Crown Country, we wanted to focus on our business and all the entities that we have," said manager Bryan Siddle. "That's not to say we won't join hands again."

The latest addition to Crown Country is a brewery and distillery in what used to be the elementary school in Coffman. The brewery, which is on Route F, a short drive from the winery, opened in May. Siddle hopes to offer vodka from the distillery later this year.

"We currently have 10 different styles of beer on tap, all brewed on site at our 15-barrel brewhouse," he said. "We just got the license approved for our distillery. My intention is to have a vodka, blended whiskey, corn whiskey and, eventually, different flavored brandies. We'll be making vodka from our grapes this fall and could have Crown Valley Vodka ready for the holidays."

Siddle promised a unique design for the vodka bottle that would reflect the life of Crown Valley owner Joe Scott, a hometown boy turned wealthy developer. "All of our beer labels have something about Mr. Scott," Siddle said. "The two grain silos outside are actually named after his uncle and his uncle's best beer-drinking buddy."

SAMPLING THE ALES

Crown Valley isn't the only winery peddling beer. Jack Russell and his wife, Joal, have expanded their tasting room at Charleville Vineyard & Microbrewery. You now can now belly up to a 40-foot-long bar and buy a pint of beer for $4.

"This is our biggest selling beer — the Half-Wit Wheat," said Jack Russell, a former insurance client of Johnson who purchased land abutting Chaumette. "It's a Belgian-style white beer made with coriander and, right at the end of the brew cycle, fresh orange peels. It's light, spicy, very refreshing in the summer."

We also tried the Strawberry Blonde Ale, the Summer Saison old-style Belgian, the Tornado Alley amber ale, the Dunkelweizen dark wheat beer and the Barleywine ale, which has 11 percent alcohol, compared to the 5.4 percent of your normal six-pack.

"We're still selling mostly wine, but the beer is closing in," Russell said. He introduced me to brewmaster and winemaker Tony Saballa, who began to politely explain why a "higher specific gravity" was important in making the Barleywine. Somehow, after the tasting round, it all seemed Belgian to me. Saballa did talk me into my only purchase of the two-day trip, a 22-ounce bottle of Barleywine for $9.75.

Charleville is down Route WW from Chaumette, at the end of a twisting gravel drive that takes you to one of the prettiest views of the hills and valleys, just outside the tasting room. A three-quarter-mile walk in the woods joins the two wineries, and visitors at each are invited to "take a hike" to the other.

Bruckerhoff Cabin is an 1860s log cabin that the Russells moved from St. Mary's and reconstructed as a B&B next door to their tasting house. Flashlights are provided in case overnight guests want to stroll to Chaumette's Grapevine Grill for dinner. "We see their lights heading through the woods," said Johnson.

CLOSER TO HOME

Johnson likes to say that all the wineries on the Route du Vin have "a different personality, a different DNA." He's right, and here are capsule summaries of what makes each of the others special:

Sainte Genevieve Winery — When Chris Hoffmeister opened the county's first winery in 1984, his grapes were an oddity among the pastures and corn fields. Today, the youngest of his four children, Elaine Hoffmeister Mooney, is his winemaker. She got her degree in enology at Cal State-Fresno, a favorite of future vintners.

The winery's tasting room is at 245 Merchant Street in the historic district of Ste. Genevieve, which means you can visit the town's shops, museums and French Colonial homes, then sip a glass of wine in the vine-covered arbor.

Cave Winery — The winery has outside seating, where the hummingbirds rule the roost, but its namesake is a short stroll down a paved path. Marty Stussion and his wife, Mary Jo, invite guests to buy a bottle of wine and drink it in the cool of a large cave on their property. The cave is lighted and has picnic tables. A stream with a bridge over it runs through the center, collecting in a pool at the wide mouth of the cave. The cave is cool in summer. Propane heaters keep it warm in winter, when the entrance is edged in icicles.

Twin Oaks and Sand Creek — The two are the newest members of the Route du Vin and are located across from each other on Route F, about a 10-minute drive from where it intersects with Route B. The wineries are just across the line into St. Francois County.

The deck at Twin Oaks looks over a small lake amid the vineyards. Sand Creek is in a clearing in the woods with a patio with a firepit surrounded by forest, which will be a gorgeous spot for wine sipping in autumn. Sand Creek owner Lisa Ikemeier recommended Becky's Blush, a rosé priced at $12.95. "It's named for our third daughter," she said.

Joal Russell of Charleville Winery said if the summer was any indication, the fall should be busy on the Route du Vin.

"We had a good spring and an even better summer," she said. "We've talked to a lot of people who wanted to take longer trips but decided to stay closer to home. And they're coming here."

A footnote: Chaumette owner Hank Johnson called a few days after our visit with some more news. Guess whose winery was voted an A-List Award by St. Louis Magazine?