The Sonoma Valleys of the Midwest
By Owen Morris in Booze
Monday, Jun. 15 2009 @ 11:34AM
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The muddy water of the mighty Mississippi River doesn't immediately conjure up images of wine. But vineyards in four Midwestern states are trying to get their land designated as an official appellation area called the Upper Mississippi River Valley.
Appellation law works so that wineries from a certain geographic region can distinguish themselves from wines of another region. Napa, for example, has more than 300 wineries. Those wineries are technically the only ones allowed to use the words "Napa Valley" on bottles and to do so, 85 percent of the wine in that bottle must be from the region. (Loopholes allow wines such as Two-Buck Chuck to advertise that they're "made in Napa Valley" when in fact the wine comes from all over.)
Napa and fellow California regions such as Sonoma and the Russian River Valley are the most famous examples, but there are plenty of similar regions all over the country -- 180 to be precise. The smallest is Cole Ranch, California, which is less than one-quarter-square mile and contains no wineries, but because it does have grapes and is located in famous Mendochino County, it received a designation from the Treasury Department in 1983. (The Treasury is the only department allowed to officially declare a viticultural area.)
The oldest appellation isn't in California or Washington or Oregon but right here in Missouri.
In June 1980, the town of Augusta (population 300) was approved as
the fist official "American viticultural area." About 35 miles
west of St. Louis, Augusta is located in the Missouri River Valley and
has been known for its grapes since before it was incorporated as a
town in 1855. Augusta was chosen first mainly for its long history with
the grape. From AppellationAmerica.com:
Missouri also has three other appellations: Ozark Highlands, Ozark Mountains and Hermann, where Stone Hill was at one point the second-largest winery in America.
(Image via Flickr: Kimblahg)
Along the Missouri River lies a 15 square mile plot of land which came to be known as the first officially recognized appellation in all of North America. The town of Augusta was approved as an AVA based largely on its long historical relationship with wine. However, there is also an ecological basis for this viticultural area, which is sheltered by a series of hills that protect the vineyards from the extreme weather conditions which affect other parts of the state ... In Augusta, winemaking history and traditions outweigh global market trends, and intimate family owned wineries remain true to their heritage.Only four wineries are listed in the Augusta area -- Augusta Winery, Louis P. Balducci Vineyards, Montelle Winery and Mount Pleasant Winery. The grapes grown are typical Missouri varietals such as norton, chardonel and cabernet sauvignon.
Missouri also has three other appellations: Ozark Highlands, Ozark Mountains and Hermann, where Stone Hill was at one point the second-largest winery in America.
(Image via Flickr: Kimblahg)
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