Nothing endures but change.

—Heraclitus (c. 540 – 480 b.c.)

Every family tree has some sap in it.

—Anonymous

As you may already know, there have been some

in Wine Country this year.  Over a period of a few months, some of the most venerable family-owned wineries in the area were, one by one, swallowed whole by a “Family of Companies” that has its headquarters in Naples, Florida and extensive holdings in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and Texas as well as in Florida and Missouri.  (Just to be clear, these transactions did not include Blumenhof in any way.)

What’s it all about?  Honestly, your guess is as good as ours, but it seems likely that these changes in ownership promise even more significant changes in the neighborhood.  Already, a great number of old trees have been cut or bulldozed, imposing new fences and gates have been erected, provocative statuary and antique pickups have been put on display, and motorized trolleys have begun to cruise the roadways.  Press releases tout visions of paddleboat excursions, championship twelve-hole golf, a luxury hotel and spa, and fine dining.  Apparently, the sky’s the limit for the Family of Companies, though when it reached for the sky with a proposed heliport, it was unfortunately shot down by local authorities.

Now, you may well ask:  How is Blumenhof planning to respond to these breathtaking developments?  Officially, all we can say is that we’re still monitoring the situation and that our CEO (Mark, who is also Winemaker, Chief Paperwork-Shuffler, and Janitor) has called on our GM (his son Eric, who is also Vineyard Manager, Tech Guy, and Vice-Janitor) to convene an

We’re kidding, of course.  There is no Board at Blumenhof.  No titles, either.  Blumenhof is just a farm winery run by son and father, who depend on invaluable support from several family members, from our own incredibly smart, friendly, and good-looking staff, and preeminently, from YOU.  It’s an arrangement that has served Blumenhof well over many years and we see no compelling reason to change it.  So while we wish all the success in the world for the Family of Companies as it’s busy making improvements, we want to take this opportunity to remind you just how little things have changed here at Blumenhof—and we won’t mind at all if you think we’re really, really boring:

• We’re still independently owned and operated by the same founding family of human beings—with the same winemaker—for 35 straight award-winning vintages.
• We’re still producing and bottling only Missouri wines.
• We still offer unlimited FREE WINE TASTING every day of the week.
• We still welcome picnic baskets—and even bottled water.
• We still schedule free live entertainment every weekend.
• We still have HAPPY HOUR every Friday, 4 – 6 p.m.
• We still offer ready-made Mulled Wine, a seductive potion (made with Devil’s Den Red) that’s practically guaranteed to put you in the mood (for the Holidays, if nothing else).
• And lastly, we are currently featuring our

THE SINGLE-BOTTLE PRICE TOTAL

ON ANY 12 BOTTLES—MIXED OR MATCHED!

Thank you for your support over the years—and Happy Holidays from our family to yours!