Mount Pleasant Winery
Encyclopedia
Mount Pleasant Winery is a winery
in Augusta, Missouri
, USA, on the north side of the Missouri River
in what is called the Missouri Rhineland
. It is the third-largest winery in the state.
. The winery had to close in 1920 because of Prohibition
.
It was reopened for production in 1966, the second winery in the state to open in the current era. It has the third-largest wine production in the state. 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 (34.4 ha) of vines in cultivation, growing 16 varieties of grapes. The winery has constructed a public winegarden and terraces that use the view to good advantage.
In 1991, the owners were fined a record $185,000 by the State of Missouri, the maximum possible, for illegally importing an excessive amount of California grape juice for inclusion in its wines.
The following year, the winery's owners, Lucian and Eva Dressel defaulted in the midst of divorce proceedings on loans in the original amount of $619,000 taken out in 1990 and 1991. They also defaulted on the $185,000 fine. 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 promptly announced that Lucian would continue to manage the winery. P. Charles Dressel became the majority owner of Mount Pleasant Winery in 2004.
Today, Mount Pleasant is the oldest and the most well-established winery in Augusta. The winery grows 12 grape varieties on 85 acres (34.4 ha). Over the past two decades, Mount Pleasant has won several prestigious awards and achieved high point-ratings for its wine.
(using the "port wine
" designation) and sparkling wine
. Grape varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon
, Chardonnay
, Chambourcin
, St. Vincent, Vidal Blanc
, Rayon d'Or, Merlot
, Vignoles
, Pinot Noir
and Norton
.
Mount Pleasant Winery has won numerous 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 was named a finalist for the St. Louis Business Journal's Heroes of the Planet Awards in the October 30, 2009 issue.
on April 11, 2008. Mount Pleasant Winery’s 9200 square feet (854.7 m²) location in Branson is located on 2 acre (0.809372 ha) on Green Mountain Drive. The ledgestone building offers patrons the chance to shop, sample Mount Pleasant’s numerous award-winning wines and bottle their own wine from a specially designed 600-gallon French oak barrel. Mount Pleasant built their Branson location with a focus on sustainable practices. The building runs entirely on hydro-electric power and the structure is built partially into the ground to reduce energy consumption.
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
in Augusta, Missouri
Augusta, Missouri
Augusta is a city in St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. The population was 218 at the 2000 census. The town boasts wineries, antique shops, retaurants, B&B's, a wood shop, a glass studio, massage therapy, and The Augusta Brewery....
, USA, on the north side of the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
in what is called the Missouri Rhineland
Missouri Rhineland
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...
. It is the third-largest winery in the state.
History
Mount Pleasant Winery was founded in 1859 by immigrant Georg Muench. The Muench brothers chose this area because it reminded them of their former home in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The winery had to close in 1920 because of Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
.
It was reopened for production in 1966, the second winery in the state to open in the current era. It has the third-largest wine production in the state. All wines are produced and bottled at the estate. In 1980, the Augusta AVA
Augusta AVA
The Augusta AVA was the first federally approved American Viticultural Area gaining the status on June 20, 1980, eight months before the Napa Valley AVA in northern California. Located entirely within the state of Missouri, the boundaries of this wine region encompass around the city of Augusta...
was the first American Viticultural Area
American Viticultural Area
An American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau , United States Department of the Treasury....
designated by the United States government. The winery is situated on a south-facing bluff overlooking the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
Valley. It has 85 acres (34.4 ha) of vines in cultivation, growing 16 varieties of grapes. The winery has constructed a public winegarden and terraces that use the view to good advantage.
In 1991, the owners were fined a record $185,000 by the State of Missouri, the maximum possible, for illegally importing an excessive amount of California grape juice for inclusion in its wines.
The following year, the winery's owners, Lucian and Eva Dressel defaulted in the midst of divorce proceedings on loans in the original amount of $619,000 taken out in 1990 and 1991. They also defaulted on the $185,000 fine. 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 promptly announced that Lucian would continue to manage the winery. P. Charles Dressel became the majority owner of Mount Pleasant Winery in 2004.
Today, Mount Pleasant is the oldest and the most well-established winery in Augusta. The winery grows 12 grape varieties on 85 acres (34.4 ha). Over the past two decades, Mount Pleasant has won several prestigious awards and achieved high point-ratings for its wine.
Products and Awards
The winery produces a variety of red and white table wines, with semi-dry, dry, and sweet styles. It also produces fortified wineFortified wine
Fortified wine is wine to which a distilled beverage has been added. Fortified wine is distinguished from spirits made from wine in that spirits are produced by means of distillation, while fortified wine is simply wine that has had a spirit added to it...
(using the "port wine
Port wine
Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties...
" designation) and sparkling wine
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
. Grape varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
, Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
, Chambourcin
Chambourcin
Chambourcin is a French-American interspecific hybrid grape variety used for making wine. Its parentage is uncertain. The hybrid was produced by Joannes Seyve who often used Seibel hybrids produced in the 1860s. The grape has only been available since 1963. Chambourcin has a good resistance to...
, St. Vincent, Vidal Blanc
Vidal Blanc
Vidal Blanc is an inter-specific hybrid variety of white wine grape, a cross of Ugni Blanc and Rayon d'Or . It manages to produce high sugar levels in cold climates while maintaining good acid levels....
, Rayon d'Or, Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
, Vignoles
Vignoles (grape)
Vignoles is a complex hybrid wine grape variety produced from a cross made by J.F. Ravat of two grapes, Seibel 8665 and Pinot de corton....
, Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
and Norton
Norton (grape)
Norton, a grape cultivar believed to be largely derived from Vitis aestivalis, is grown in the Midwestern United States, Mid-Atlantic States and northeastern Georgia. Norton was first cultivated in Richmond, Virginia and is the official grape of the State of Missouri and is considered the...
.
Mount Pleasant Winery has won numerous 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 was named a finalist for the St. Louis Business Journal's Heroes of the Planet Awards in the October 30, 2009 issue.
Mount Pleasant Winery of Branson
Mount Pleasant Winery opened a second winery in the city of Branson, MissouriBranson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
on April 11, 2008. Mount Pleasant Winery’s 9200 square feet (854.7 m²) location in Branson is located on 2 acre (0.809372 ha) on Green Mountain Drive. The ledgestone building offers patrons the chance to shop, sample Mount Pleasant’s numerous award-winning wines and bottle their own wine from a specially designed 600-gallon French oak barrel. Mount Pleasant built their Branson location with a focus on sustainable practices. The building runs entirely on hydro-electric power and the structure is built partially into the ground to reduce energy consumption.