Drink local at Noboleis Vineyards in gorgeous Augusta wine country

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Spring is upon us, so it’s time to get out of town and head to wine country. First stop: Noboleis Vineyards in the heart of Augusta, just 40 minutes west of St. Louis.

What began as a small grape-growing farm has grown to a working vineyard and winery that produces 10,000 cases per year. Founded in 2005, Noboleis honors the long tradition of winemaking in a historic region – the first designated American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the country – with a robust, high-quality wine portfolio that appeals to diverse palates, from sweet whites to dry, full-bodied reds. They use only Missouri-grown grapes, including their estate-grown Norton, Vignoles, Chambourcin and Traminette varieties.

The winery offers about 15 handcrafted wines, as well as Swirl, a line of canned sangria, plus the new Tilted Hard Ciders (hopped and farmhouse-style are available) at the tasting room, which is open daily also selling a variety of pizzas and small plates. Stop by for a glass of wine or a flight board and a bite to eat. Customers can enjoy wine and food inside near the 20-foot viewing window overlooking the working winery, or head outside to the large pavilion on the hilltop with views of the rolling hills of the vineyards.

Noboleis Vineyards is female-owned and -operated, spanning three generations, including Lou Ann Nolan and her daughters Christine Newbold and Angie Geis, as well as Chris’ daughter Tricia as marketing director. The name of the vineyard reflects its roots, “Noboleis is a combination of our three last names – Nolan, Newbold and Geis,” said Angie. Chris and Angie are at the helm, guiding the company into the future through maintaining their mission to persuade wine lovers to drink local, as well as leading innovation with products like Swirl Sangria and Tilted Hard Cider.

Noboleis Vineyards has always put production of wine first with a huge emphasis on creativity and innovation. Head winemaker Gabe Miller works closely with Chris and Angie to not only make the highest quality wine possible, but also create new lines of products that present local wine in new and exciting ways. “Gabe constantly has something new up his sleeve and has an amazing talent for winemaking beyond just the bottle. We are lucky to have him and his production team always dreaming up new ideas. The next few years are going to be fun,” Angie said.

Noboleis products are available at the on-site tasting room, as well as a growing number of local retailers and boutique shops. A full list of retailers is available online. For more information, visit noboleisvineyards.com and drinkswirl.com.