Missouri has five American Viticultural Areas, led by Augusta, which the Missouri Wine and Grape Board says was the first in the United States in 1980, and the state grape is Norton/Cynthiana. The board counts 1,800 acres of grapes.
The board’s own pages disagree with each other on some counts, so we print both numbers or none. Hours are as printed on each winery’s page, read October 30, 2026; none of them printed tasting fees. Check before you drive.
The Industry in Numbers
- Wineries: the board home page says 116, while a 2023 article on the same site says 129, so we do not pick one.
- Acres of grapes: 1,800. Jobs: more than 28,000. Age: more than 180 years.
- Wine trails: the home page says 7 and the trails page lists 8.
Source: Missouri Wine and Grape Board and board article on AVAs.
Missouri’s state grape is Norton/Cynthiana, designated in 2003 (RSMo 10.160), per the Secretary of State.
Town visitor sites: Visit Hermann (visitor center at 301 Wharf Street in the Amtrak station, 573-789-0771) and Visit Augusta.
The Five AVAs
Dates and sizes are as printed in the board’s article.
| AVA | Established | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta | June 20, 1980 | 15 square miles | Printed as the first American Viticultural Area in the United States |
| Ozark Mountain | August 1, 1986 | About 3.5 million acres | Spans southern Missouri, northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma; contains the Augusta, Hermann and Ozark Highlands AVAs |
| Hermann | February 27, 1987 | 51,200 acres | Between St. Louis and Jefferson City; German settlers planted grapes from the 1830s |
| Ozark Highlands | September 30, 1987 | 1,280,000 acres in parts of eleven counties | Includes St. James; grape tradition from the 1870s |
| Loess Hills District | April 4, 2016 | 12,897 square miles | Western Iowa and northwest Missouri |
Wine Trails
| Trail | Where | Members the board page lists | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hermann Wine Trail | Between Hermann and New Haven | The board page lists 5 wineries; the trail’s own site lists 6 | Hermann Wine Trail |
| Kansas City Wine Trail | Kansas City area | 8 | KC Wineries |
| Lake of the Ozarks Wine Trail | Lake of the Ozarks | 5 | Missouri Wine Trails |
| Lewis & Clark Wine Trail | About 45 minutes west of downtown St. Louis | 10 | Missouri Wine Trails |
| Meramec River Wine Trail | Ozark Highlands to the Meramec River | 5 | Missouri Wine Trails |
| Northwest Missouri Wine Trail | Northwest Missouri | 9 | Missouri Wine Trails |
| Ozark Mountain Wine Trail | Southwest Missouri | 4 | Ozark Mountain Wine Trail |
| WineStein Trail | Northwest Missouri | 2 | Missouri Wine Trails |
Four Wineries and Their Hours
These four published hours and a description; the Augusta wineries Augusta Winery, Montelle, Balducci and Noboleis are linked at Visit Augusta.
| Winery | Town | Hours as printed | Notes | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Hill Winery | Hermann | Winery Mon-Thu 10 to 5, Fri-Sat 10 to 5:30, Sun 11 to 4. Restaurant hours differ. | Founded 1847 and reopened in 1965 per the winery; in a National Historic District | Stone Hill |
| Hermannhof Winery | Hermann | Mon-Thu 10 to 5, Fri-Sat 10 to 6, Sun 11 to 5 | Hermannhof | |
| Mount Pleasant Estates | Augusta | Open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the cafe closes 30 minutes earlier; check for early closings | Established 1859 per the winery | Mount Pleasant |
| St. James Winery | St. James | Mon-Thu 9 to 5, Fri-Sat 9 to 6, Sun 9 to 5 | St. James Winery hours |
What We Could Not Verify
- Winery count: 116 or 129, and the number of wine trails (7 or 8): the board’s pages differ.
- Official AVA rule text: the TTB and federal register pages did not load, so we cite no CFR section.
- Tasting fees at any winery: none were printed on the pages we read.
- Hours for Augusta Winery, Montelle, Balducci and Noboleis, and Mount Pleasant’s street address.
- The Hermann Wine Trail member count (5 on the board page, 6 on the trail’s own site).
More Missouri Guides
Questions People Ask
What is Missouri’s state grape?
Norton/Cynthiana, designated in 2003 under RSMo 10.160.
How many AVAs does Missouri have?
The Missouri Wine and Grape Board names five: Augusta, Ozark Mountain, Hermann, Ozark Highlands and the Loess Hills District.
Which was the first American Viticultural Area?
The board says Augusta, established June 20, 1980.
Where is Missouri wine country?
Hermann and Augusta, about 45 minutes from St. Louis, are the best-known; St. James is in the Ozark Highlands.
Sources
- Missouri Wine and Grape Board
- Board article on AVAs
- Missouri Wine Trails
- Secretary of State: state grape
- Visit Hermann
- Visit Augusta
- Visit Augusta: wineries
- Stone Hill Winery
- Hermannhof Winery
- Mount Pleasant Estates
- St. James Winery
- Hermann Wine Trail
Checked October 30, 2026 by It’s Missouri. Cite this page: It’s Missouri (https://itsmissouri.com/things-to-do/wine-country/), checked October 30, 2026. Free to quote with a link.