Wineries

sc4mayor · PostJan 06, 2021#12021-01-06T16:48+00:00

Did some searching and didn’t see a thread for the various wineries just outside St. Louis so if there is one, feel free to move this there.

Anyway, the Hoffmann family of companies (based in Naples, Florida) has purchased a bunch of properties surrounding Augusta with the intention of building a $100 million winery/golf development to rival Napa that would include hotels and also some paddle boats on the Missouri River.

"It’s going to be a significant venue and the land lays as well as Napa Valley," Hoffmann said in an interview Wednesday morning. "It’s every bit as pretty and the vineyards out there (in Augusta) have done a wonderful job."

Missouri's wine industry has an estimated annual economic impact of about $3.2 billion and has created around 28,000 jobs, according to a 2017 industry report. Yet in terms of production and reputation it still falls short of the nation's more prestigious wine regions in California, the Pacific Northwest and Virginia.

Hoffmann believes his plan can help change that by creating not only a premiere wine destination, but using his connections in the industry — he's on the board of the Naples (Florida) Wine Festival, one of the largest in the nation — to expand distribution.

"We will rival those places (like Napa and Oregon) and to get to that quality of wine and distribution will take substantial investment," he said. "We're already in those discussions."

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... Cd4GqUWAco

RockChalkSTL · PostJan 06, 2021#22021-01-06T16:51+00:00

I was looking for a thread to put this news in.

I think this is fantastic news. I don't know if it's a wise investment, or if it will work out financially for the company, but I think it'd be pretty great to have a destination winery just outside of St. Louis.

Also, I don't know that Missouri wine is ever going to "rival" Napa. It's a bit sweet for me.

dredger · PostJan 06, 2021#32021-01-06T17:21+00:00

^ Does anyone think land and property values that have made multi unit residential construction/investment in the St Louis viable or at least keep things moving forward during pandemic might be bleeding into other real estate investments?

Like KansasCitan noted, I don't have a clue whether this is a good investment or not but can't help thinking that outside investment dollars is finding the area in part to land/property acquisition cost relatively more affordable then other metro areas. Could be way off base as an arm chair real estate novice.

framer · PostJan 06, 2021#42021-01-06T17:38+00:00

Not sure how I feel about this. I love Augusta pretty much the way it is, with it's quirky, small-town feel. This sounds like they want to take over everything, and become the 500 lb. gorilla, dominating the entire area.

Augusta is pretty sleepy, and it could probably use some kind of a boost, but I'm not sure this is the right way to do it.

RockChalkSTL · PostJan 06, 2021#52021-01-06T17:54+00:00

I've never been to Augusta, but it absolutely sounds like they want to be the biggest attraction in all of Missouri wine. According to the article, this would instantly be one of the biggest wineries in the Midwest.

Black02AltimaSE · PostJan 07, 2021#62021-01-07T14:06+00:00

I wonder if they'll stick to Missouri wine grapes or will end up bringing in grapes and juice from out of state and produce blends. Unfortunately I think it's an uphill climb to convince someone who isn't familiar with it that a Norton/Cynthiana is comparable in quality to a Cabernet Sauvignon or other California staple.

kipfilet · PostJan 07, 2021#72021-01-07T19:36+00:00

KansasCitian wrote: ↑
Jan 06, 2021
Also, I don't know that Missouri wine is ever going to "rival" Napa. It's a bit sweet for me.

Hopefully this is a step in a good direction. MO wine industry is stuck in a "poverty trap", in the sense that it really never went beyond a niche regional tourist attraction (at least since WWII, I am aware that MO was one of the largest wine producers before the war). This caters to a more casual market that tends to favor sweeter/more flavored wines. As the history of the region shows, the MO Rhineland has the potential to produce good quality wines once local producers shift away from tourism and more towards export, and reoptimize the grape castes. This investment can push us in the right direction.

jshank83 · PostJan 07, 2021#82021-01-07T22:04+00:00

The only winery I have found that isn't too sweet (even if labeled as non sweet) is Robller. Something about the rock that winery sits on or something. A few others aren't bad but I would think they would almost have to ship in some grapes from other regions to complement whatever sweet/semi sweet wines they end up making here. Grafton Winery does it, some others I am sure do also.

Hopefully this actually happens.

symphonicpoet · PostJan 08, 2021#92021-01-08T03:16+00:00

^In years past I liked Ferigno's outside of St. James. They were drier than any of the other local staples I've tried, but it's been years. I recall them having a Seyval that was fairly crisp and clean and perhaps slightly buttery. (Might be making that last part up it's been so long. There were a couple of nines on the label. More than have been possible in . . . oh . . . a tad north of twenty years. Wasn't much into reds at the time, but I have vague memories of a dry-ish one. Harder to do a good dry red locally, I suspect.)

gary kreie · PostJan 08, 2021#102021-01-08T13:24+00:00

I like cabs, but I find Chambourcin a very drinkable Missouri wine. And there are some wonderful blends at Stone Hill, Augusta Winery, and Chaumette. I talked with a rep several years ago at a Rams game club level tasting and he was lauding blends of his and his competitors. I think blending a very dry wine like Norton with sweeter Missouri wines creates wines close to the cab experience. Assemblage, Hermannsberger, & Alluvium are three nice blends. And most of the wineries here serve California wines anyway along with their own wines. And for fun it’s hard to beat wine with friends at Montelle, Mount Pleasant, or Chandler Hill and good music from say Ticket to the Beatles.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

RockChalkSTL · PostJan 08, 2021#112021-01-08T15:10+00:00

I've never been to Augusta, Missouri.

Is there anything else to do there besides wineries and bnbs?

Do they have that small town Main St. kind of downtown?

If they do, and $100 million is actually spent in creating a destination winery, I would think downtown Augusta would probably get some investment as well.

It'd be nice if we could steal some of that Branson tourism.

rbb · PostJan 08, 2021#122021-01-08T16:01+00:00

KansasCitian wrote: ↑
Jan 08, 2021
I've never been to Augusta, Missouri.

Is there anything else to do there besides wineries and bnbs?

Do they have that small town Main St. kind of downtown?

If they do, and $100 million is actually spent in creating a destination winery, I would think downtown Augusta would probably get some investment as well.

It'd be nice if we could steal some of that Branson tourism.

Nearby is Defiance MO, which has the Daniel Boone home - worth a visit if you haven't been. It's also directly on the Katy Trail and a lot of folks head there to start their hike/bike. And Klondike Park really is spectacular - that's worth the trip alone.

-RBB

PostJan 08, 2021#132021-01-08T16:07+00:00

Klondike park from 12/25/19:

But I've taken us too far off-topic. Apologies...
-RBB

RockChalkSTL · PostJan 08, 2021#142021-01-08T16:21+00:00

I don't consider this to be off topic.

I was asking what other kinds of attractions might be in the immediate area to see what kind of viability this project might have.

For $100 million, this investor might be creating his own small town Main St. of sorts.

I've heard quite a bit about Klondike Park, but haven't visited yet. It's definitely on my list of places to go for a hike.

framer · PostJan 08, 2021#152021-01-08T17:26+00:00

Downtown Augusta has a few restaurants and antique shops, but it's mostly a very quiet town where people go for a weekend getaway. Once you've walked through the town (takes about an hour), you'll need to drive to the other destinations. Also, it's a very seasonal area; outside of Summer and Fall, its nearly dead in the town itself.

In short, the downtown area could use a boost. Hopefully these guys will do that, without creating some kind of over-priced, phony-feeling resort, where everything is controlled by themselves.

https://augusta-chamber.org/

RockChalkSTL · PostJan 08, 2021#162021-01-08T17:37+00:00

It looks like a nice little town with some serious potential if money is poured in.

If this company is looking to make riverboat rides and golf courses and hotels with five-star restaurants, they may be going for a pretty Disney experience. It tells me that before it tells me they will be investing into the town, away from the winery.

But who knows? Creating more reasons for people to go to Augusta seems like a good idea. I hope Augusta gets a much more vibrant downtown out of this.

kipfilet · PostJan 08, 2021#172021-01-08T18:57+00:00

Also, having a tourist infrastructure where you have to drive between places is not great for a wine tourism region for obvious reasons.

sc4mayor · PostJan 08, 2021#182021-01-08T19:07+00:00

^ True, but I imagine shuttles running between attractions would take care of some of those problems.

A commuter rail line running between St. Louis and Washington (probably should be Hermann, that’d be super popular in season I’d guess) would get people to within 20min of Augusta from St. Louis without having to travel in their personal cars.

Then have a shuttle that runs between the two. And Washington is a pretty cool town (at least near the River) in its own right.

RockChalkSTL · PostJan 08, 2021#192021-01-08T19:07+00:00

If the winery was looking to make a strong connection between itself and an antique/bnb/small town Main Street type atmosphere, they could have little shuttles going back and forth.

Like I said earlier in this thread, though, with $100 million invested, they may be building their own faux Main Street or entertainment complex.

sc4mayor · PostJan 08, 2021#202021-01-08T19:08+00:00

^ Bright minds think alike lol

BellaVilla · PostJan 08, 2021#212021-01-08T19:20+00:00

Although Mo wine is generally sweeter, there are plenty of options for those who like a drier wine. Specifically, Augusta winery has a delicious Cabernet Franc right now made from Mo grapes.

GoHarvOrGoHome · PostJan 09, 2021#222021-01-09T00:11+00:00

California's wine industry has likely peaked because of climate change. It's not like it will be going away or anything but a slow general decline or stagnation is expected.

Missouri has the 10th most wineries in the nation and a strong historical narrative to build its industry upon. Obviously there are grapes that simply don't grow well in our climate but we have our niche and plenty of opportunity the be the regional wine hub.

symphonicpoet · PostJan 09, 2021#232021-01-09T09:52+00:00

^And there's a good biodiversity argument in trying more varietals. Without native north American grapes France would have no wine industry today. So there's some irony in the degree to which they've pushed French varietals to the exclusion of aught else. (An endeavor California has ably assisted.) I haven't tried a norton in forever. I suppose I ought to do that.

framer · PostJan 09, 2021#242021-01-09T17:42+00:00

Kind of funny listening to you guys talk about varietals and what-not; whenever I'm in Wine Country, I'm the shmuck sitting at the table happily drinking a Bud Light.

bwcrow1s · PostJan 09, 2021#252021-01-09T19:14+00:00

Chambourcin from the bootheel is my bread and butter. Norton's alright. But I see more publicity thrown toward Augusta/Hermann than Ste. Genevieve which I think has superior wines, and food. Chaumette's menu is, at least was, really good last time I went.

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