The Augusta region was nationally known for its wine during the 19th century, but Prohibition halted the state’s winemaking for decades. Then, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a few pioneering souls began to refurbish the old vineyards and winery buildings.

One of these pioneers was Clayton Byers, who founded Montelle Vineyards in 1970. The winery was later purchased in 1998 by Tony Kooyumjian, owner and winemaker for Augusta Winery at that time. In 2021, both Montelle and Augusta wineries were acquired by Hoffmann Family of Companies as part of a reinvigoration project of the Augusta area. After working with Tony for a few years, the winemaking torch was then passed on to Colin Pennington.

The secret to our success in producing outstanding wines is our vineyards. The Augusta area was designated as the first viticultural area in the United States because of our unique soils, microclimate, and history. It is our mission to produce wines that exemplify the uniqueness of this 15 square mile area.

Our philosophy is to farm our vineyards with a respect for the land and the environment. As a result, our wines are fresh, fragrant, focused, and well balanced, but most of all, express the uniqueness of our vineyards. It is this attention to detail that has enabled us to produce wines that are continuously recognized for their uniqueness and superior quality.