Mount Pleasant Wines
Our Vineyards
There are three valleys in the Augusta Appellation: Schluersburg, Augusta and Emke.
Estate-grown grapes are farmed on the surrounding hillsides. Each vineyard location is different in makeup and lends itself to different taste profiles. The experienced vineyard master makes the decisions as to where the different varieties are planted.
Mount Pleasant grows grapes on the hillsides rather than in the fields of the river bottomlands, because these areas are not susceptible to frosts and floods, and allow optimum sun exposure. Small-plot, hillside farming involves some of the most expensive, agricultural techniques in the world yet provides the highest quality fruit year in and year out. It takes three years for a vine to bear fruit and five years before it is at full production.
All of Mount Pleasant’s grapes are grown using sustainable viticulture; an integrated system of wine grape growing that is economically viable, socially supportive and ecologically sound.
The Winemaking Process
During late summer, the vineyard crew harvests ands transports the grapes to the “crushing area,” where the grapes are pressed into juice. Once the juice is extracted, it is moved through underground pipes to stainless steel tanks and oak barrels.
Fermentation is the natural process of yeast converting fruit sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process can vary from three to sixty days, depending on style, variety, temperature, and selected yeast strains.
The Lab & Bottling Line
The laboratory is used throughout the winemaking process to test the wine for proper blending, pH, acidity, tannins, alcohol content, and overall quality assurance. Once the wine meets is approved, the wines are bottled on the bottling line. Even after the wine is bottled, the winemaker utilizes the lab to insure quality and proper aging.
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OUR WINES
Mount Pleasant Estates grows its grapes locally in the Augusta Appellation, the first government-appointed wine-growing district in the United States.
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OUR AWARDS
As the oldest winery in the Augusta Appellation, Mount Pleasant’s rich history is a testament to Missouri’s long-standing contribution to the global wine industry.
