The Augusta Wine Country — America's First AVA on the Katy Trail

Fifty minutes west of the city, the rolling hills above the Missouri River hold a piece of history most travelers never learn: in 1980, Augusta, Missouri became the first federally designated American Viticultural Area in the United States — beating Napa to the honor by eight months. German immigrants planted these south-facing slopes in the mid-1800s, and the tradition survived Prohibition to flourish again today. This unhurried day loops through the twin villages of Defiance and Augusta, tasting at Montelle and Mount Pleasant with their sweeping valley views, walking a stretch of the flat, crushed-limestone Katy Trail as it runs through the vineyards, and wandering Augusta's tidy historic streets. It's a classic Missouri Weinstrasse day: wine, big views, and the slow rhythm of the river valley.