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Mount Pleasant Winery | |
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Location | Augusta, Missouri, USA |
Appellation | Augusta (grape) |
Founded | 1859 |
Key people | George Muench (founder), Frederick Muench (founder), |
Varietals | Cabernet Sauvignon , Norton (grape) , Chardonnay , Merlot , Pinot noir , Vignoles (grape) |
Distribution | Regional, some national, some international |
Tasting | open to public |
Website | http://www.mountpleasant.com/ |
Mount Pleasant Estates is a winery in Augusta, Missouri, United States, on the north side of the Missouri River in what is called the Missouri Rhineland.
Mount Pleasant Winery was founded in 1859 by immigrant Georg Muench (1801–1879), a younger brother of Friedrich Münch. [1] [2] The Muench brothers chose this area because it reminded them of their former home in Nieder-Gemünden, Upper Hesse, Germany. The winery had to close in 1920 because of Prohibition.
It was reopened for production in 1968, the second winery in the state to open in the current era. [3] All wines are produced and bottled at the estate. In 1980, the Augusta AVA was the first American Viticultural Area designated by the United States government. The winery is situated on a south-facing bluff overlooking the Missouri River Valley. It has 85 acres (34 ha) of vines in cultivation, growing 16 varieties of grapes. The winery has constructed a public wine garden and terraces.
In 1991, the owners were fined by the State of Missouri for allegedly importing an excessive amount of grape juice for inclusion in their wines. [4] [5] The owners appealed the fine to the court, which agreed with the owners' contention that the importations were not in violation of the law, and rescinded the fine. [6]
The following year, the winery's owners, Lucian and Eva Dressel, were divorced, and as a result the winery was sold at auction. The winery stayed in the Dressel family, as the winning bid of $660,000 was made by Lucian Dressel's brother, Phillip, who announced that Lucian would continue to manage the winery. [7] [8] [9] [10] P. Charles Dressel became the majority owner of Mount Pleasant Winery in 2004.
Today, Mount Pleasant is the oldest winery in Augusta. The winery grows 12 grape varieties on 85 acres (34 ha). Over the past two decades, Mount Pleasant has won several awards and achieved high point-ratings for its wine.
The winery produces a variety of red and white table wines, with semi-dry, dry, and sweet styles. It also produces fortified wine (using the "port wine" designation) and sparkling wine. [11] Grape varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chambourcin, St. Vincent, Vidal Blanc, Rayon d'Or, Merlot, Vignoles, and Norton.
Mount Pleasant Estates has won international awards for its wines. Its highest rating in Wine Enthusiast magazine was 92 points for its 1994 Belle Yvonne Bordeaux Blend.
Mount Pleasant has also been recognized for its practice of sustainable viticulture, an integrated system of wine grape growing that is economically viable, socially supportive, and ecologically sound.
Mount Pleasant Winery opened a second winery in the city of Branson, Missouri on April 11, 2008. Mount Pleasant Winery's 9,200-square-foot (850 m2) location in Branson is located on 2 acres (0.81 ha) on Green Mountain Drive. Mount Pleasant built the Branson location with a focus on sustainable practices. The building runs on hydro-electric power and the structure is built partially into the ground to reduce energy consumption.
German wine is primarily produced in the west of Germany, along the river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Roman era. Approximately 60 percent of German wine is produced in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where 6 of the 13 regions (Anbaugebiete) for quality wine are situated. Germany has about 103,000 hectares of vineyard, which is around one tenth of the vineyard surface in Spain, France or Italy. The total wine production is usually around 10 million hectoliters annually, corresponding to 1.3 billion bottles, which places Germany as the eighth-largest wine-producing country in the world. White wine accounts for almost two thirds of the total production.
Missouri wine refers to wine made from grapes grown in Missouri. German immigrants in the early-to-mid-19th century founded the wine industry in Missouri, resulting in its wine corridor being called the Missouri "Rhineland". Later Italian immigrants also entered wine production. In the mid-1880s, more wine was produced by volume in Missouri than in any other state. Before prohibition, Missouri was the second-largest wine-producing state in the nation. Missouri had the first area recognized as a federally designated American Viticultural Area with the Augusta AVA acknowledged on June 20, 1980. There are now four AVAs in Missouri. In 2017 there were 125 wineries operating in the state of Missouri, up from 92 in 2009.
The Yadkin Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area that includes land in seven counties of northwestern North Carolina. The AVA encompasses an area of approximately 1,400,000 acres (5,666 km2) in the Yadkin River valley. The Yadkin Valley AVA includes all of Wilkes, Surry, and Yadkin counties, and parts of Davie, Davidson, Forsyth, and Stokes counties. Yadkin Valley is home to 44 wineries.
The Missouri Rhineland is a geographical area of Missouri that extends from west of St. Louis to slightly east of Jefferson City, located mostly in the Missouri River Valley on both sides of the river. Dutzow, the first permanent German settlement in Missouri, was founded in 1832 by Baron von Bock. The area is named after the Rhineland region in central Europe, a wine-growing area around the Rhine river, by German-Americans who noticed similarities in the two regions' soil and topography.
Heitz Wine Cellars is a California wine producer located within Napa Valley east of the town of St. Helena. An early modern era Napa Valley presence and pioneering exponent of French oak, the estate enjoys a historical renown with the success of its Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, and has also been described as a "master of Grignolino".
The Gießener Auswanderungsgesellschaft was founded in 1833 in Gießen with the aim of establishing a German-populated federal state within the United States. A majority of the five hundred politically motivated members, from the middle and upper class, settled in Missouri in 1834. The effort was considered a failure, but its leaders did much to contribute to the German influence of the state in the early 19th century.
Friedrich Münch was a German-American rationalist, winemaker, Missouri State Senator, and prolific author for German emigrants, beginning in the 1830s.
Washington wine is a wine produced from grape varieties grown in the U.S. state of Washington. Washington ranks second in the United States in the production of wine. By 2017, the state had over 55,000 acres (220 km2) of vineyards, a harvest of 229,000 short tons (208,000 t) of grapes, and exports going to over 40 countries around the world from the 940+ wineries located in the state. While there are some viticultural activities in the cooler, wetter western half of the state, the majority (99.9%) of wine grape production takes place in the shrub-steppe eastern half. The rain shadow of the Cascade Range leaves the Columbia River Basin with around 8 inches (200 mm) of annual rain fall, making irrigation and water rights of paramount interest to the Washington wine industry. Viticulture in the state is also influenced by long sunlight hours and consistent temperatures.
The state of Oregon in the United States has established an international reputation for its production of wine, ranking fourth in the country behind California, Washington, and New York. Oregon has several different growing regions within the state's borders that are well-suited to the cultivation of grapes; additional regions straddle the border between Oregon and the states of Washington and Idaho. Wine making dates back to pioneer times in the 1840s, with commercial production beginning in the 1960s.
Childress Vineyards is a winery in Lexington, North Carolina owned by NASCAR Cup Series championship team owner Richard Childress. The connection between NASCAR and fine wine is reflected in the labeling of some of the wines produced by Childress, featuring a checkered flag motif.
The Augusta AVA was established on June 20, 1980 as the first federally approved American Viticultural Area, eight months before the Napa Valley AVA in northern California. The petition was submitted by Clayton W. Byers and Lucian W. Dressel, representing the local wine industry, to the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms on October 16, 1978. Located entirely within the state of Missouri, the boundaries of this wine region encompass 15 square miles (39 km2) around the city of Augusta near the intersection of St. Charles County, Warren County and Franklin County.
Nebraska wine is wine made from grapes grown in the U.S. state of Nebraska. Nebraska's oldest winery was founded in 1994, and about thirty-five commercial wineries operate across the state. Wine quality varies across the state, however several wineries have won Best of Show titles during the States first 25 years of commercial wine production. Five of those titles were won with wines made of the states #1 wine produced from the Variety Edelweiss. Other wins were made with a dry Brianna, Vignole and a Marechel Foch Rose' wine. The vast majority of these wineries are small and sell most of their wine to tourists who visit the winery in person. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln has a program in viticulture. There are no designated American Viticultural Areas in Nebraska.
The Hermann AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Gasconade County, Missouri, and entirely contained within the larger Ozark Mountain AVA. The wine appellation is located on the southern side of the Missouri River near the town of Hermann, about halfway between St. Louis and Jefferson City. The AVA covers the northernmost hills of the Ozark Plateau with many of the 200 acres of vineyards planted along hillside locations. As of 2007, seven wineries were producing wine in appellation, including Missouri's largest winery, Stone Hill Winery.
The Finger Lakes AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Upstate New York, south of Lake Ontario. It was established in 1982 and encompasses the eleven Finger Lakes, but the area around Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, and Cayuga Lakes contain the vast majority of vineyard plantings in the AVA. Cayuga and Seneca Lakes each have their own American Viticultural Areas completely contained within the Finger Lakes AVA. The Finger Lakes AVA includes 11,000 acres (4,452 ha) of vineyards and is the largest wine-producing region in New York State.
The Seneca Lake AVA is an American Viticultural Area around Seneca Lake in Upstate New York. The wine appellation is entirely contained within the larger Finger Lakes AVA, and includes portions of Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, and Yates counties. Seneca Lake is a glacial lake about 35 miles (56 km) long and up to 600 feet (180 m) deep. The lake does not freeze in winter, and acts as a giant heat storage unit for the vineyards surrounding the lake, extending the growing season. The most commercially important grape variety in the region is Riesling, although a wide variety of Vitis vinifera and French hybrid grapes are grown.
Bethel Heights Vineyard is an Oregon winery in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA of the Willamette Valley. Founded in 1977 by twin brothers Ted and Terry Casteel, their wives Pat Dudley and Marilyn Webb, and Pat's sister Barbara Dudley, the vineyard was one of the earliest plantings in the Eola-Amity Hills region. A winery soon followed, with the first estate wines produced in 1984. Bethel Heights specializes in Pinot noir, offering several individual block and vineyard designated bottlings, but also produces wines made from Chardonnay, Pinot gris, Pinot blanc, Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, and Gewürztraminer.
Mastroberardino is an Italian winery located in Atripalda, in Provincia di Avellino, in the Campania region. Founded in 1878, the winery is known for its production of Taurasi DOCG as well as its ampelography work in identifying and preserving ancient grape varieties like Greco and Fiano. The work of the Mastroberardino family, particularly Antonio Mastroberardino, in this field is widely respected and Antonio is often called "The Grape Archaeologist".
St. Vincent is a red wine grape that originated in the United States from a chance seedling that first came to the attention of Scott G. Toedebusch, in 1973, while managing a vineyard owned by Lucian W. Dressel in Augusta, Missouri. Dressel originally called the vine “Stromboli” because the leaves turned a bright red in the fall, and the vines had volcanic production. Philip Wagner of Boordy Nursery in Maryland, one of the original propagators of the vine, suggested that a more melodious name would be St. Vincent,, and the name was changed.
Lucian W. Dressel is an American winemaker and viticulturist. Dressel wrote the application to have Augusta, Missouri, designated as America's first officially recognized wine district by the federal government.
Coordinates: 38°34′15.22″N90°53′09.33″W / 38.5708944°N 90.8859250°W