Prairie Barn Winery and Christmas Tree Farm

When 2025 ended Michael, Lizzy, and I visit Belvoir winery as is tradition on New Year’s Eve. This year for the first day of the new year we were traveling to St James, Missouri area for Michael to do a Middle Earth Battle Strategy Game tournament. Now that’s not something I’m overly excited about however, I knew it was going to be around wineries and also AT a winery.

So, to begin the Meramec River Wine Trail, which is a total of 5 different wineries, we stopped at Prairie Barn Winery and Christmas Tree Farm. The tasting room is on the second floor of a rustic barn. It was decorated with a variety of Christmas decorations, whether year-round or not, it was a cozy atmosphere.

Prairie Barn Winery and Christmas Tree Barn located just miles away from St. James, Missouri and the historical route 66.

For our tasting, the two behind the bar were the owners, an older married couple, Shannon and Brian. The wife helped us out by pouring their wines in beautiful Christmas wine glasses. I found out this is a hobby of hers, finding Christmas wine glasses. There happened to be a set I recognized that my parents have. I pointed out that she must have gone to Arby’s in the mid-1990s since I remember that’s when my dad started collecting them.

Our tasting included eight of their wines, which we fully enjoyed. A few of them had interesting names which we asked about and learned they are cherished memories of this married couple. Griffon, a semi sweet white, is named after the college both of them met at. Now most of the time I don’t remember a college mascot but a griffon sounded familiar. Therefore, I had to ask if they went to Missouri Western in St. Joseph, Missouri. Shannon got excited I knew it though unfortunately I told them I went to a rival college not MO West.

Shannon and our wine tasting

Our favorite that we had to go home with was the Norton. It was everything a Norton should be which is why I couldn’t leave without it coming home. By the time we were checking out Lizzy was done with the free goldfish snacks the owners give to every child and ready to explore more. I told Shannon we were going to be in the area for the weekend but had free time on Saturday and she gave me a recommendation on where to take Lizzy for an adventure: Meramec Springs Park just 9 miles out of St. James.  I thanked her for the information and wished her Happy New Years.

Lizzy enjoying her ongoing tour of looking at Christmas trees (she became an expert during our Ireland trip....just wait for that post soon)

We left excited about the wineries in the area and with excitement we drove off awaiting our next stop for wine and dinner.