If you’re not from Missouri, you may not know about the wealth of vineyards our state has to offer. In fact, before Prohibition, Missouri was the second-largest wine-producing state in the country. Though we may not lead the ranks now, we still have a good amount of vineyards around that produce top notch wine.
The Augusta Viticulture Area was the first AVA to be federally recognized (8 months before Napa Valley). So what better place to go on a wine trail than the Augusta Wine Trail? Located just 40 miles west of St. Louis, Augusta makes for a perfect weekend trip.
Augusta has an amazing wine & beer garden that features a spectacular 10-foot grape arbor above, a peaceful fountain, craft beers, and free live weekend entertainment from May to October.
Enjoy a beautiful view of the Missouri Valley as you sip some tantalizing wine from Montelle's. If you're wanting to change it up, they also have a distillery on site that produces apple, peach, cherry and grape brandy.
Not only will the wine taste good, but you'll feel good about drinking it. Mount Pleasant focuses on sustainable viticulture by using energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs and implementing a bottle return program.