A little Italy in the Ozarks: couple starts vineyard in Mansfield

Leigh Ann and Bill Cassell hope to carve out a piece of Italy right here in the Ozarks.

The couple owns Cassell Vineyards in Mansfield, which has a grand opening this weekend. Events are planned today through Sunday and include live music, wine pairings, a six-course meal and more.

If you prefer, just pass by, soak up the serenity of their land and sip on a glass of Italian wine.

Cassell Vineyards is a vineyard, wedding venue and a place to gather for vino and food. They are still working on their license to operate as a winery and sell their own Missouri wine. In the meantime, they have Italian options, an antipasto menu and more.

The Cassells’ love of Italy is rooted in their 25^th anniversary when they visited the Tuscany and the Chianti regions. They fell in love with the wine, the landscapes and decided they wanted to create a similar experience one day.

They planted their first vines in 2007 and harvested 2011. Their first vintage was 2012.

“We were hobby winemakers. We have been making wine but didn’t have time to pursue that as a profession. We were busy with work and raising our four daughters,” Leigh Ann said.

But as their daughters grew up and Bill and Leigh Ann neared retirement, their dream began to take shape.

Why a Missouri winery?

The Cassells met in Florida. She’s from Colorado and he’s from Connecticut. Eighteen years ago, they moved from Colorado to Mansfield.

“I always say God made us move here,” she said.

About 20 years ago, Colorado was experiencing an economic boom, population was growing, and everything was getting more expensive. Bill’s best friend bought land south of Ava and moved to the Ozarks.

“We’d come visit with the kids and my husband came hunting with them. There was a big economic influx in Colorado, and it just continued. My husband was in construction and specialized in granite. The market became oversaturated and hard to make a living, so we decided to check (Missouri) out,” she said.

They bought nine acres and relocated. Leigh Ann homeschooled their four daughters for most of their education.

Bill wanted to plant grapes because they had the land. And it just so happened that their property

was two miles away from Whispering Oaks Winery in Seymour . They befriended the owner, Larry Green. Green also had a passion for Italian wines. He took the Cassells under his wing and taught them about wine making.

“When Larry turned 80, he was ready to retire. He gave us a lot of inspiration and answered a lot of questions. He gave us St. Vincent grapes off his vines. He was a big help. We learned a lot from him and other people,” Leigh Ann said.

They initially planted St. Vincent and Concord. They also buy grapes from producers in Rolla and Mountain Grove. Three years ago, they planted a second vineyard and added three more varieties including Catawba. Those vines are just now spreading over the trellises as it takes years for vines to produce a harvest.

Planting the seeds for something more

While they were already producing wine for their own consumption, it was that trip to Italy that inspired the idea for their current business.

Bill would visit Verona, Italy, every few years for business but finally took his wife on their 25^th anniversary.

“My roots are Italian. Naturally, I was thrilled to get to go and see the country of origin of part of my family heritage. We loved everything about it. We have been back a few times since,” she said.

Along with beautiful vistas, they tried to make the property look like an Italian villa.

It’s built on a hill, and they have an outdoor kitchen and plan to add wood-fired pizzas to their menu once they get their footing with the new business.

They also plan to host an annual grape stomp in the fall.

There’s an old homestead on their land that dates back 100 years, which they converted to a chapel for weddings.

“It had three walls standing and we added an arbor and electricity for lighting and sound,” she said. In fact, two of their daughters married at the vineyard.

Once they start producing their own wines, they will still serve Italian.

While there are special menus this weekend, the regular menu will include salad for two, charcuterie boards, bread with olive oil and herbs, cheesecake and “Nonna’s chocolate cake.” It’s Bill’s family recipe and he makes the cake.

The menu may change as the food and beverage industry is new to them and they plan to take customer feedback into consideration.

Leigh Ann wants people to come and explore the vineyard this weekend and looks forward to the day when they can sell their own wines. Until then, she hopes they enjoy an Italian-inspired experience in the Ozarks.

Going forward, the vineyard is open 2-8 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. They plan to add a nightly wood-fired oven pizza night. The menu features salads, charcuterie platters, bread with dipping oil and two homemade desserts. Facebook is the best way to keep up with activities at Cassell Vineyards, as they will sometimes close for weddings.