AUGUSTA, Mo. — A Florida company seeking to turn Augusta, Missouri, into a national wine destination added another piece to its portfolio with the acquisition of a 162-year-old winery.
The Naples, Florida-based Hoffmann Family of Companies said Tuesday it has signed a letter of intent to acquire Mount Pleasant Estates. Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.
With its deal for Mount Pleasant, Hoffmann is acquiring a winery with a long history in Augusta. Founded in 1859, Mount Pleasant sits on 125 acres and grows nine grape varieties. The winery, located at 5634 High St., includes a 4,000-square-foot tasting room on its property.
The purchase of Mount Pleasant is one of several vineyard properties acquired by Hoffmann in the Augusta, Missouri, area, about 50 miles west of St. Louis, in the past two months. The firm plans to invest $100 million in the area as part of a strategy to create the largest vineyards and winery development in the Midwest.
“We are excited to be adding Mount Pleasant Estates to our company. The wines are world class and the location is very special. We see great potential for added growth and exposure of Augusta through all our acquisitions and Mount Pleasant fits perfectly in this plan,” David Hoffmann, founder of the Hoffmann Family of Companies, said in a news release.
Hoffmann, who along with his wife, Jerri, is a native of Washington, Missouri, told the Business Journal in January that his company plans to consolidate its wineries to create what he said will become a national destination, similar to the famed Napa Valley region in California or Blackberry Farm, a renowned wine destination in Walland, Tennessee. In addition to the wineries, the plans call for a hotel, new dining and shops and a 12-hole golf course.
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