TheAugusta AVA was established on June 20, 1980 as the first federally approvedAmerican Viticultural Area, eight months before theNapa Valley AVA inNorthern California. The petition was submitted by Clayton W. Byers andLucian W. Dressel, representing the local wine industry, to the Director of theBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms on October 16, 1978.[4] Located entirely within the state ofMissouri, the boundaries of thiswine region encompass 15 square miles (39 km2) around the city ofAugusta near the intersection ofSt. Charles County,Warren County andFranklin County.[2]
| Wine region | |
 View of the Augusta AVA from Montelle Winery located on the hill top region around the city of Augusta. | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 1980[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | Missouri,Ozark Mountain AVA |
| Climate region | humid continental/humid subtropical |
| Total area | 15 square miles (39 km2)[2] |
| Grapes produced | Cabernet Sauvignon,Chambourcin,Chardonel,Chardonnay,Couderc noir,Norton,Rayon d'Or,Seyval blanc,St. Vincent,Vidal blanc,Vignoles[3] |
| No. of wineries | 4[3] |
History
editThe area around the present day city of Augusta was founded in 1836 byLeonard Harold, a follower ofDaniel Boone, as ariverboat landing along the Missouri. The town was originally named Mount Pleasant with the riverboat landing known as Augusta Bend. In 1855, the town was incorporated as the city of Augusta. In 1859, Georg andFriedrich Muench founded one of the earliest wineries in the area,Mount Pleasant Winery.[5] Flooding in theMissouri River valley caused the river to change course in 1872, drying up the area's riverboat landing and leaving a distinct soil type in the area between the town and the river. The area's early vineyards were planted in the 1880s and the area began receiving recognition for the distinctive flavors and profile of the wine being produced there. In the later parts of the 19th and early 20th century, the production volume from the area helped theMissouri wine industry compete withOhio for market share east of theRocky Mountains.[6] The advent ofProhibition had a dramatic effect on the area causing the closure of local wineries and the uprooting of vineyards. A revival period occurred in the 1960s that led to the founding of many of the area's current wineries.[7]
At the turn of the 21st century, wines from the Augusta AVA were exported to Germany. In 2003,Augusta Winery's 2001Chardonel won "Best US wine" from the German wine magazineSelection at their yearly competition inMainz.[7]
Geography and soil
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Located 40 miles (64 km) west ofSt. Louis along theMissouri River, the area is known for itsriver bottoms andalluvial plains that follow the winding river. Thesoil in this area is a type ofloam known asHayne Silt-Loam which is heaviest inclay composition in the areas closest to the river but has moresilt concentration in the higher elevations where most of the vineyards are now located.[2]
Grapes
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The Augusta AVA is planted with someVitis vinifera includingCabernet Sauvignon,Pinot noir,Chardonnay, andMerlot as well theVitis aestivalis grapeNorton which is the official grape of the State of Missouri.[8] French-Americanhybrid grapes likeChambourcin, Chardonel,Couderc noir,Rayon d'Or,Seyval blanc,St. Vincent andVidal blanc are also popular plantings.
References
edit- ^"§9.22 Augusta"(Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas).Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR). RetrievedFebruary 5, 2008.
- ^abcPingelton, Tim (December 8, 2005)."The Soul of Augusta".Appellation American. Archived fromthe original on July 24, 2008.
- ^ab"Augusta (AVA): Appellation Profile".Appellation America. 2007.Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
- ^"Augusta AVA Petition"(PDF).Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Code of Federal Regulations.
- ^Durfur, Brett (2007).Exploring Missouri Wine Country (3rd ed.). Pebble Publishing. p. 43.ISBN 978-1-891708-30-5.
- ^Johnson, Hugh; Robinson, Jancis (October 8, 2013).The World Atlas of Wine (7th ed.). Mitchell Beazley Publishing (first published 1971). p. 269.ISBN 978-1845333010.
- ^abDurfur (2007), pp.35,37.
- ^Garfunkel, Arthur (June 1, 2004)."Norton: Missouri's State Grape Harbors Juicy Little Secrets".Sauce Magazine. Archived fromthe original on July 15, 2007.
External links
edit38°35′40″N90°51′42″W / 38.5944°N 90.8616°W /38.5944; -90.8616