Saturday afternoon at The Tasting Room in Rocheport is worth building a plan around: the 2026 Collector’s Series Wine Release & Art Show, July 18 from 3 to 6 p.m. at 12847 W. Hwy BB. It’s a first pour of the year’s new Collector’s Series wines, paired with food from the house chef, live music from The Rise & The Fall, and — the part that makes this one different from a normal tasting — the actual artists behind the Collector’s Series label art will be there with their own work for sale.
The event listing puts it plainly: guests will “be among the first to sample and purchase” the new vintages, according to the event page. That’s the whole draw — you’re tasting wine that isn’t on shelves yet, from the people who made it, standing next to the paintings that ended up on the bottle. If you’ve ever wondered who picks that label art, this is the one afternoon a year you get to ask them.
The listing doesn’t publish a ticket price or an RSVP requirement beyond a booking link, and it doesn’t say anything about parking or whether it’s a good one to bring kids to — so we’re not going to guess. Call ahead if any of that matters to your plans.
Getting there
Hwy BB through Rocheport’s wine country gets genuinely busy on a nice summer Saturday, so give yourself extra time and expect to park a short walk from the door once the lot fills. If you’re coming from Columbia or Boonville, you’re on I-70 through the middle of an active reconstruction zone — the $104 million Improve I-70: Boonville to Rocheport project is adding a third lane each direction between Route 5 and the Rocheport bridge, running through late 2027. MoDOT’s latest weekly notice lists intermittent single- and double-lane closures in that stretch — nothing that should keep you home, but worth building a few extra minutes into the drive.
This is a preview — the event hasn’t happened yet. We’ll be there Saturday; check back for how the new vintages turned out.