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Quick! Where was the first officially recognized wine district in the Western Hemisphere? If you answered Napa Valley, guess again. The first appellation district was the tiny town of Augusta, Missouri.

In 1980, oenophiles (wine connoisseurs) around the world took note when Augusta was designated the first American Viticultural Area, similar to the appellation controllee districts in France. Seven California districts and one in Oregon had filed applications with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, but the honor went to the 15-square-mile area surrounding Augusta. In making the decision, the bureau cited the unique soil, climate and wines, as well as Augusta's long history as one of America's oldest and foremost grape and wine districts.

That's right. Missouri has long been a wine-producing state. In the early 1800s, Missouri was the nation's second state in wine production, behind No. 1 Ohio. During the Civil War, Missouri was briefly the nation's leading wine producer. At the turn of the century, Stone Hill Winery in Hermann was the nation's second-largest winery, producing more than a million gallons a year.

Then along came Prohibition. Wineries were shut down or converted to other uses, and grapevines were ripped out and replaced by other crops. After Prohibition, wineries began to reopen in Missouri, but the serious regrowth of the wine industry in the state began in the '60s and '70s. Leaders in that rebirth were winemakers in Augusta and nearby Hermann, which received its wine district appellation in 1983.

It is impossible to talk about Missouri's wine industry without mentioning Jim and Betty Held of Stone Hill Winery in Hermann, the leaders of the state's wine renaissance. With a dream and a loan of $1,500 to finance the first grape crush, the Helds and their four young children moved from their hog farm to the winery in 1965 and began the years of hard work and dedication that would restore Stone Hill to its place as the leading winery in the state.

"Betty and I knew when we bought the old winery that we'd have a difficult time proving the quality of our wines because of the head start of the California wine industry. But we also knew we had purchased what was once the nation's second largest winery, and if grapes from Missouri soils could make great wines back then, they could do it again," said Jim Held. The proof is in the hundreds of national and international awards won in recent years by Missouri wineries.

Hermann and Augusta are in the heart of Missouri River Wine Country, a narrow corridor along the Missouri River that is home to a series of small towns and wineries. This scenic countryside, which reminded the original German settlers of their native Rhineland, is a delight to both locals and tourists. Within an hour's drive west of St. Louis, you can be in picturesque towns and villages, sipping wine and sampling local sausages and breads, while enjoying the breathtaking views of the Missouri River valley. Most of the wineries offer tours of their cellars and have tasting rooms with scenic views. Several offer food and wine dinners and other special events.

Most of the town's along the Missouri Weinstrasse (wine road) have a decidedly Germanic flavor, thanks to their founding fathers, and many have several buildings or entire districts on the National Historic Register. Augusta, Dutzow, Defiance, Marthasville, Washington, New Haven, Berger and Hermann offer bed and breakfast inns, wineries, restaurants, antique shops, museums, state historic sites and other attractions.

There are festivals, craft fairs, art shows, antique shows, country auctions and other events throughout the year. Many events have a German flavor, such as the Maifest and Oktoberfest, where lederhosen, oompah bands, and wurst (sausage) abound.

The 200-mile-long Katy Trail State Park, one of the longest Rails-to-Trails projects in the country, runs alongside the river and the wine country.

The next time you're playing oenological trivia, toss out the wine district question and impress your friends with your knowledge about Missouri wine country's renaissance. Even better, come taste it for yourself.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Request a free copy of the colorful brochure, "Come Taste Missouri Wine Country," from the Missouri Grape and Wine Program, P.O. Box 630, Jefferson City, MO 65102; 800-392-WINE or 573-751-6807. Or visit their website.

Missouri Division of Tourism, P.O. Box 1055 Jefferson City, MO 65102; 573-751-4133.

Text © 2001 Barbara Gibbs Ostmann

Images courtesy Missouri Division of Tourism

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