Ozark Highlands AVA

A very large (1,280,000 acres) ava located in south-central Missouri, southwest of St. Louis, covering portions of eleven Missouri counties. It starts in the north in Osage, Gasconade, and Franklin Counties; runs south through Maries, Pulaski, Crawford, Phelps, and Dent Counties; and finally ends in the south in the counties of Texas, Reynolds, and Shannon. Although the designated area was approved in 1987, the grape-growing tradition here goes back to the 1870s. Vineyards are planted to hybrids and native american grape varieties.