Cave Vineyard

Saltpeter Cave

Useful Information

Location:	21124 Cave Road, Ste. Genevieve
Open:	APR to OCT daily 10-18. MOV to MAR daily 10-17. [2011]
Fee:	Price of a bottle of wine. [2011]
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Cave Vineyard, 21124 Cave Road, Ste. Genevieve, Mo. 63670, Tel: +1-573-543-5284. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1995	property bought by the Strussione family.

Description

Cave Vineyard is a vineyard located in Ste. Genevieve County on the Route du Vin. But it is the only one of the six wineries along the route, which has its own cave. And we do not talk about the French cave, which actually means cellar. This is a natural karst cave inside the limestone below the winery. Its name is actually Saltpeter Cave because it was once mined for saltpeter. The huge entrance portal has a small lake inside.

The cave is set up with tables like a dining hall, and wooden barrels along the walls, which seem to be only for decoration. The cave is large enough to seat 100 people. It is open for visitors of the winery and the visit is actually free, but while it is allowed to bring your own picnic basket it is not allowed to bring your own wine. You could see the purchase of a bottle wine as the entrance fee. They also sell cheese and sausage and pack a basket for you. The cave is rented for private events like weddings and is used for public events like dances and concerts. Live music is regularly on Saturday afternoons.

Beneath the part of the cave which is used for dining, there is also a part used as a natural cellar for maturing wine. But it seems there are no tours into this part of the cave.