The Augusta region was nationally known for its wine during the 19th century, but Prohibition halted the state's winemaking  for decades.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a few pioneering souls began to refurbish the old vineyards and winery buildings of Missouri's premier wine-growing regions.  One of these pioneers was Clayton Byers, who founded Montelle Vineyards in 1970.