Northland Wine Trail: 4 Fall Winery Stops Within Easy Reach of Kearney |
Fence Stile leads a four-stop fall guide to nearby wineries in Excelsior Springs, Holt and Rayville, with tastings, food, live music and seasonal activities. |
Looking for a fall outing close to home? Kearney sits within easy reach of four winery destinations that offer much more than a tasting room.
Fence Stile Vineyards, Winery & Distillery and Shamrock Hills Vineyard & Winery are both in Excelsior Springs. Walnut Creek Winery is in Holt, and Van Till Family Farm Winery is in Rayville.
Together, they give Kearney-area readers several different ways to plan a fall winery day — from cave tours and firepit evenings to live music, vineyard views, pizza, charcuterie and seasonal events.
Because winery hours and event calendars change, readers should verify current details on each winery’s official website before making the drive. |
 Illustrative vineyard-at-sunset image; not one of the featured Missouri wineries. Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash. Source: https://unsplash.com/@timmossholder |
Fence Stile Vineyards, Winery & Distillery — Excelsior Springs
Fence Stile offers wine cave tours and a seasonal reason to linger outdoors.
For this issue’s weekend, its official calendar lists FirePit Friday on Oct. 23, 6–8 p.m., followed by free live music with Bob Morrison on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2–4 p.m.
The outdoor firepit depends on the weather; check tour availability and current visit details before leaving.
https://www.fencestile.com/events
Shamrock Hills Vineyard & Winery — Excelsior Springs
Shamrock Hills pairs vineyard views with wine, food and live music.
Its official calendar lists Caleb Blacksher on Friday, Oct. 23, 6–8 p.m., and Nicki White on Saturday, Oct. 24, 3:30–5:30 p.m.
The posted weekend hours are Friday 2–8 p.m., Saturday noon–7 p.m. and Sunday 1–6 p.m.
Shamrock Hills official events https://shamrockhillsvineyard.com/events/ |
 Illustrative winery-patio image; not one of the featured Missouri wineries. Photo by Fernanda De Freitas-Escande on Pexels. Source: https://www.pexels.com/@fernanda-de-freitas-escande-487826861 |
Walnut Creek Winery — Holt
Walnut Creek makes an easy food-focused stop, with brick-oven pizza, charcuterie and house-made desserts highlighted on its official website.
The winery also advertises brunch and recommends reserving a table ahead of a visit.
Its posted hours are Thursday 4–9 p.m., Friday 4–10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.–10 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Check the current menu and reservation options online rather than relying on an older event listing.
Walnut Creek Winery official website https://walnutcreekwine.com/
Van Till Family Farm Winery — Rayville
Van Till offers wine tastings, scenic grounds and a Wine Garden for a relaxed visit.
Its visit-planning page describes wood-fired pizza service on Fridays and Saturdays, with tasting-room visits Tuesday through Thursday.
For Oct. 23–24 pizza plans, confirm the current service hours and reservation availability directly with the winery; the website’s detailed hours table is labeled summer hours.
Van Till official visit information https://vantillfarms.com/plan-your-visit-today/ |
Sources checked for Oct. 20–26, 2026 Fence Stile — current weekly events https://www.fencestile.com/events Shamrock Hills — events and posted hours https://shamrockhillsvineyard.com/events/ Walnut Creek — food offerings, reservations and hours https://walnutcreekwine.com/ Van Till — visit planning and pizza-service days https://vantillfarms.com/plan-your-visit-today/ |
Northland Wine Trail at a glance
• Fence Stile — Excelsior Springs: cave tours, Oct. 23 FirePit Friday and Oct. 24 live music. • Shamrock Hills — Excelsior Springs: vineyard views and live music Oct. 23–24. • Walnut Creek — Holt: pizza, charcuterie, desserts and reservations. • Van Till — Rayville: wine tasting and Friday–Saturday wood-fired pizza service. • Planning tip: Check official schedules, service hours and reservation availability before leaving home.
If you make a local winery day of it this fall, choose the stops that fit your group, verify the latest schedules online, and share your favorite Northland food-and-wine experience with The Kearney Buzz & Beyond. |
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The cave tour sounds interesting. Is advance booking needed for a small group, or does it depend on the day?
Four stops would be too much for one day for me. I would pick one and take my time with lunch.
Pizza and a winery patio sound like a good fall afternoon. Nice to have a few options close to Kearney.