In 1996, Jerry Eisterhold was running Eisterhold Associates Inc., his design firm, when he became fascinated with the idea of growing native grapes in Missouri for winemaking. He soon got his hands on cuttings from 60 grape varieties native to North America, largely identified by Thomas Volney Munson, an early 20th century viticulturist, and launched a vineyard with those unique – and almost forgotten – varietals.
