The first of three wineries during our tour of the Missouri wine country, the Balducci Vineyards was a great place to first try out Missouri wine varieties. The four of us shared two wine flights (3 wines each), with Chairetto, Norton, and Time Signature being our choices. The history of Balducci Vineyards traces its roots to Louis Balducci, who after immigrating to the U.S. in 1906, worked in the vineyards of California to learn the art of winemaking. After WWII, he established the Balducci Wine Company in 1946. Later in 1987, his son bought land in Augusta, MO, and began formal wine production in 2001. In 2021, the vineyards was purchased by the Hoffman Family of Companies (who also owns many other vineyards in the Augusta, MO area). Wine making operations is now handled by the 3rd generation of Balducci's. read more

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Beautiful venue. 3 separate areas to wine and dine. We chose the restaurant. We got a wine flight of sweet wine with a wine slush included in the four choices, and a pretzel with cheese and garlic bread. Great menu of food options, snacks consisted of chips , candy, beer and sodas for options. Spacious building with plenty of seating available. Prices very reasonable and staff super friendly. Private parking. Plenty of seating outside with patio tables included as well. This venue was very picturesque and views were amazing. Check website for pricing, menu, events, days and hrs of operation as well. read more

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Balducci Vineyards is such a beautiful and relaxing winery with amazing views of the Missouri hills. The atmosphere is welcoming, the wine selection has something for everyone such as wine flight that I enjoyed for a very reasonable price, and the outdoor seating makes it a perfect spot to unwind. The the staff was friendly and attentive throughout the visit and recommended the garliccheese bread when I asked what was a fan favoriteon the menu and it did not disappoint. Whether you're there for a casual afternoon or celebrating with friends, Balducci delivers a great winery experience. read more

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In winery country and balducci is smack dab in the middle with live tunes, sweet wine, and party pizza! Come for a nice date, birthday, or just find an excuse to enjoy a few glasses with those closest to ya! Gorgeous views, a spacious venue and some solid deals make this the place to go when the wineries are calling! read more

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The kitchen closed at 4:28pm and they close at 5pm, so sad because it's basically summer time and there's still 4 hours of day light left. The hosts were closing out the til, they clearly wanted to go home so they were not welcoming at all. The place that used to be busy until 6pm is now completely empty by 4:30pm. I would recommend going elsewhere. There were empty tables everywhere. The vibe was off. Lost another formerly great winery. We were looking forward to some deep dish pizza and Brie but now we are on the way to spend money on food in defiance instead. I'm going to have to actively avoid Hoffman wineries to avoid further disappointment! read more

Very peaceful location. Loved the patio spot under the tree for a shady afternoon. Lunch special with a big Italian salad and a sausage pizza was a good deal at $13. Pizza was saucyyy (which is my favorite kind of pizza) so I really enjoyed it. I opted for a glass of the dry rosé which was good for a glass but I wouldn't necessarily want a whole bottle. Would definitely revisit in the future! read more

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Great winery with beautiful scenery! My fiancé and I came here on a random Saturday and it was perfect. They have two outdoor patios and one had an area that looked like a play area for kids. We started with a wine tasting. We got 4 wines and it was perfect. We got to sample a few of their wines to pick which one we wanted a bottle of. The staff doing the tasting was attentive to us and were knowledgeable about the various wines and grapes. There were two bands there in the time we were at the winery. I'm a sucker for live bands so I loved it! Very chill winery vibes read more

Balducci Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Augusta, Missouri

When we stay in Washington, Missouri, our winery hopping itinerary goes: (1) Montelle Winery, (2) Augusta Winery Tasting Room, (3) Noboleis Vineyards, (4) Balducci Vineyards and (5) Blumenhof Winery. With Balducci being our second to last stop of the day. What we love about Balducci is its spread out campus feel and dance floor! By this time in the day, you can imagine we are feeling good. And the vibes at Balducci do NOT disappoint. They usually have live music and by 3pm on a good weather day everyone is up and dancing. They have a more limited selection than some of the other wineries so it might make sense for your group to split a bottle or two (versus the tastings or glasses). read more

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I have been coming to Balducci Vineyards since they opened. This was my first visit since the Hoffman Group has taken over. We know the Balducci Family personally so I was a bit worried I would not like the changes. I have to say it is more corporate than before but still mostly feels the same. The Hoffman Properties do not allow any outside food or drinks on site. However, bottles of water are only $2.00 so that is helpful. There are now two areas for wine tastings which makes wine much more of a focus. There is a fee for wine tastings. The private party spaces have been upgraded and you can see groups gathered in many places across the grounds. The food is the same Balducci recipes, so we were happy to see that. We had a group of 14 and everyone had a wonderful time. Live music, good food, and a day outside made for happy memories. We will be back. read more

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Family Owned and Operated this little gem Provides an amazing experience and of course great wine! Being new to the winery scene they were very helpful in showing and sampling to find just what we wanted! The food was a pleasant surprise. The spinach artichoke dip was fantastic! The Pizzas were both fresh and yummy! For us the meatlovers was definitely the favorit read more

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Sounds like Balducci had a bit of a face-lift recently. I love it. I don't know if this is normal for them, but they did have a tasting area, then you had to walk to a completely different building to purchase. The poor tasting people probably have to say that 100 times a day, because it's a little odd. Aside from that, the bathrooms were a super fancy trailer, also much cleaner than expected. They had live music in one of the buildings and SO much seating! They had 2 different patios and 2 different buildings of places to sit. Everyone we encountered was phenomenal my favorites were the cashiers though. The wine is great. But the wine slushie is where it's at! You can't not try it! read more

Balducci Vineyards - View from below - Wineries Near Me - Augusta, Missouri

Guys you have 2-3 weeks to get over here and enjoy the fall colors at this winery. The staff is really laid back, willing to answer questions and tell you all about their local winery and the delicious product they create. They were out of a couple of their own wines at the moment but recommended a delicious blend from their sister winery. The vibe was very lively this Saturday we visited with music and a live band. If you feel like playing corn hole or dancing, they can keep you busy. Or you can sit inside out of the elements and enjoy your time. read more

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We were able to order inside and get a bottle of wine. Waited in our vehicle for the order to be ready. Due to the restrictions and the rain we opted to sit in the car and enjoy the view while having our pizza and wine. They had covered outdoor seating available, but not allowing any inside dining at the moment. I was happy to see the staff was gloved and masked throughout our visit. read more

Balducci Vineyards - Lunch view 5/17/20 - Wineries Near Me - Augusta, Missouri

The artichoke poppers make a good start. She liked the potato soup and the small Balducci salad. The regular salad is enough to share. I had the wings, thought it would like the honey garlic sauce. The waitress brought me a sample, nice honey on the tongue until it hits the throat and then the heat kicks in. I switched to the bbq. Don't tell anyone but it's Sweet Baby Rays original. Wings were moist and delicious. We paired our lunch with the Balducci Sonata wine, a really good wine. The Sunday we were here they had music up by barn. We sat on the porch but there's plenty of outdoor seating in a couple of places around the barn. Definitely a come back destination. 76 miles for good wine and some good food. read more

Go here if you want to drink wine outside on a nice weekend and have a picnic out of plastic containers. For that purpose, it's probably lovely. (The public toilets are outdoors and rather primitive, but I know a lot of people don't mind that.) Do NOT go here if you're hoping for a winery restaurant experience. Ordering food happens at a counter up front which is reminiscent of what you'd find at an airport "restaurant," and the food is at about that standard -- and every bit as eye-poppingly priced. My friend ordered a basic Cobb salad (a basic $18.00 Cobb salad, for goodness's sake) and had to send it back because it had been thoroughly frozen and the lettuce had started to thaw into slime before it arrived at the table. If you've been missing the little restaurant they used to have at Balducci's Winefest, please be aware that this ain't it. If you are in fact looking for a winery with a lovely restaurant that really is a restaurant, please allow me to suggest Chaumette Winery outside of Ste. Genevieve. read more

If you need a little weekend getaway or just a little day trip, this vineyard is a great place to stop by. Great deep dish pizza with homemade crust and tomato sauce. And the wine is delicious. Plus they have live music! read more

Balducci Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Augusta, Missouri

What a beautiful spot and great wines! This was my third and final stop wine tasting for the day in Augusta. While the first two were slightly above a middle of the road experience, Balducci surpassed my expectations. Like many of the wineries in the area, they have phenomenal outdoor views and large tasting areas. Tasting was quite cheap to at a whopping $5 for quite a few pours. I opted for more so of a balanced lineup with white/red and staying away from the sweet ones. Rose and Norton were my go to's, but the Dolce also was quite divine. Price point for the wines was quite fair with most being under $30. Best part about the experience though was their food service, so you can grab wines and then order from their menu and enjoy the outdoor scenery. We opted for the famous fried raviolis, chicken salad, vege wrap, and a fish cod sandwich. Not going to lie, I had heard about this local cuisine in terms of the fried raviolis, but they are the real deal, quite tasty! Anywho, love the spot and would happily spend my weekends here anytime! read more

One of my favorite wineries in the area! It's likely because the pizza is so good, and the wings (when they have them) are even better! Currently, they are not serving wings due to the cost, but as soon as they are back, I'm there again. The wine is good and my go to is the vignoles. read more

The food wasn't anything to right home about. The live band tried... it was just two old men that thought they could sing. The wine was good. They have a frozen wine that was really good. It was a rainy day. We will try it again this summer. read more

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This winery is beautiful and a great stop on the wine trail. I thought the woman doing our tasting were very knowledgeable about the wine and very welcoming. She joined in on our silly banter and was super attentive. The wine here was a little pricier than some of the other nearby ones. I'm a fan of sweet MO wine but there seemed to be more dry ones here so it wasn't my favorite. The decor of the winery was super beautiful, especially the cool painting on the wall above the bar. read more

Great little day trip. The winery was refreshing; close enough to feel like home yet far enough for picturesque green pastures & tranquility. Balducci Vineyards offered plenty of seating options: plastic round tables & chairs, picnic benches, industrial fan equipped tents, A/C flowing interior or your own blanket to toss over a shaded grassy area. There was free wine tasting (Port tasting $2). I actually bought a bottle of the Port it was so delicious. If you're hungry their food options are pretty delectable as well, specifically the pizza. Buffalo wings, buffalo ravioli & fried shrimp are also tasty. Live music was decent; nothing encore worthy but OK. The staff was nice, personable and welcoming. Balducci branded wine glasses are available for $3 inside along with cigars, snacks, and other souvenirs. There are 2 spacious and clean indoor restrooms located around the side of the building. I didn't peak inside but 3 Port-A-Potties were lined up for the impatient. This was a great winery experience and I'm sure to return. read more

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Such a picturesque setting in St. Charles wine country. This winery is my favorite and it's also awesome that their famous Balducci's pizza is also available. Wine, music and pizza....sounds like a perfect day to me! read more

Visited for my birthday brunch because I was craving some deep dish and let me tell you WOW! My expectations were wildly exceed. The $5 wine tasting hit the spot as the wait staff pushed together tables for our larger group. They have free board games and plenty of glasses on the table to try reds or whites or have some water in between :) Food was great and wine was great. Ambiance on the heated patio made it a great celebration. read more

Balducci Vineyards - Veggie deep dish - Wineries Near Me - Augusta, Missouri

Like what!? New ownership- but what the heck happened? We ordered food here. Literally got the food but jo utensils. We asked for utensils and he asked "Well what do you need?" Idk, fork! Spoon! Knife! We are eating a full meal here! Then they didn't give us the salads. Skipped right over them. Food was cold. Ordered a Spanish dip..... it was literally cold and hard. And we didn't even leave with it. Walked outside, sat down, and ate it.... Already cold. Not to mention prices went waaaaaaaay up. $15 for 4- 1 ounce pours of wine to taste? What!? It's generally $5-7 any where else to taste wines. This new owner is gonna lose Missouri business. This isn't Napa... bye. I won't be returning to any of the wineries in the area as they are all owned by the same guy. read more

Oh! Oh! Oh! I can't believe I've been going to Montelle over and over and completely ignoring Balducci. Never again will that happen! This winery is a really nice size and parking was very easy, but granted, we got there around 11:30am... any later and it might have been more difficult to get a great spot. The first thing I noticed was the scenery, and WOW is it breathtaking! Out of all of the wineries in Augusta, this one (in my opinion) has the best views, the trees this time of year are gorgeous. We're lucky to have places as relaxing & peaceful as Augusta so close to St. Louis. The guys behind the counter doing the wine tastings today were so fun and friendly, and took us through every single kind they had (from the awful, sweet, cavity-inducing varietals to the dry chards and pinot grigios.) I really like what they had to offer, but oddly enough I decided to spend the day drinking O'Fallon's Pumpkin Ale. Loved that they had it! The food we had was great and definitely was better than I've had at any winery around here. They had great salads, cheese and sausage platters perfect for a group, and the pizza we had was perfect! So many good things... My only complaint is the only bathrooms they have are porta-pottys, and NO thank you. If you really have to go that bad, drive down to the biker bars. Can't wait for another trip before Jack Frost graces us with his presence! read more

I grew up working at the Balducci restaurant in Saint Louis, so when it came time for my wedding, what better place than their winery! First of, let me start by saying that Karen, their event planner, was extremely helpful throughout the whole process. We had a very small wedding, only 25 people, and she was very accomodating and worked with us. For our wedding, we had the Italian Salad and Chicken Con Broccoli which were both delicious. I knew the food would be good though having grown up around similar recipes. As for the wines: The port wine they carry is a very strong port and it is wonderful. So much so that when we went for our tasting before the wedding, I had to drive home because my father in law had too much. Which was suprising to me since all he had was his tasting portion, as well as most of mine. The Dolce Bianco is one of the best sweet white wines I have ever tasted. We ended up buying multiple bottles to take home and I am planning on taking a trip out there very soon to get more. The only downfall to Balducci wines is they are not carried in local grocery stores like most of the other local wineries. I would like to see that change so I do not have to drive to Augusta. Some wines are carried at the Saint Louis restaurant, but only a limited few. read more

Balducci Vineyards - My wedding in the barn at Balducci Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Augusta, Missouri

There is a large gravel parking lot good enough for busses and lots of cars. Short walk to the barn where your bags will be searched for outside drinks (even water). You then have the option of paying $5 for 5 tastings (included branded wine glass). There is tasting in the open air barn right off the parking lot along with wine, soda, water for purchase. There is a large covered area with lots of tables and chairs, live music stage (after 3pm on Saturdays in the summer), and large industrial-size fans. There is another building at the bottom of a hill that is air-conditioned. This is the building you can order food in- you will be given a buzzer so that they can tell you when you pizza/sandwich is ready. This building is also where you can buy a bucket of ice for $3, do more tastings, and purchase more wine. Bathrooms are located in the rear of the building at the bottom of the hill. There are about 6 porta-potties with an outdoor porta-sink. BUT there are also 2 inside bathrooms that are air-conditioned. This is also where I filled my water bottle to get free water. Not really a good view of the vineyards or the river or anything of note. Just a beautiful place to spend a lazy afternoon. Having their own food on site really makes this place stand out from some other wineries in the area. read more

The pizza is awesome! Meatloaves is our favorite. Unfortunately the salad for $17, lettuce, a few black olives, some cheese and one pepperchini - not worth $17. The wine has doubled in price. The ambiance is beautiful the doubling of prices - not so much. read more

We drove out here on a Saturday around 4pm, and it was already pretty crowded. Located in basically a lot of cornfields, the place is open and has a lot of room. There was a large tend with tables and a band, then more tables scattered about. We made our way to the main building where we tried some wines. We ended up with the Sonoma (a bottle) and one pumpkin beer (it was in season) and a cheese and meat tray (summer sausage and some cheeses in one of those plastic carryout boxes) and went on our merry way to find a table. You get plastic cups to pour the wine into. It's not high class, but it's cute. It seems like a place where a lot of people go to get a bit crazy, evident by the large amount of young brides-to-be with their girls. It's an amazingly movie like bachelorette party thing - I felt like I was watching some chick flick - I heard a girl talk about how her husband didn't actually wanna marry her or something while downing a glass of wine and a lot of drunken dancing. It was better entertainment than the band I gotta say. The live music was nice. It's just good in the background, but we sat far enough away to not really have it be the center of the night. The music wasn't anything I was really wowed by, more of just a mention. The wine isn't truly worth the price, but it's good, and I think you're more paying for the experience (which...I guess...actually...isn't much) and crowd. Still partying in a cornfield is a weirddd thing to me. read more

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I'm not sure how I feel about Balducci. I've been there some three or four times and I haven't had a bad experience. I haven't had a particularly good one either, though. Balducci is another of the in-the-middle-of-nowhere-and-prettily-so wineries. It's a bit of a hike from the parking lot to the winery. Nothing extreme if you're athletic or just as unathletic as I am. Anyway, you have been warned. They have a checkpoint, at least on summer weekends, so your bags, etc. will be searched for beverages. I don't remember if that includes water. They don't have lots of sweet wines. I think that was limited to a port, which I liked at one tasting and disliked at a subsequent one. Unfortunately, I purchased a bottle of it at the first tasting, but fortunately, I have not yet opened it. I guess it's going to be some lucky friend or relative's wedding gift! The service is nice, but sometimes staff get a little too busy. At busy times, tastings take place outside at a little plastic table, like at Sugar Creek. I've never stayed long at Balducci. I probably won't, either, as I don't love the selection. The place is typically packed. read more

This place was crowded! But workers were still able to accommodate thirsty drinkers. The wine was great! View looking over the hills was sweet and the live band was great. Will return!!! read more

Great location. Open platform allowing for friends to gather at their own tables and support their own views. Beautiful scenery, good music, food and wine. read more

We took our 93 yr old sister for lunch. The staff was very accommodating. It was a beautiful Saturday but not too busy. We dined inside because of mobility issues with the 93 yr old. We ordered 3 different pasta meals. All were delicious and very generous portions. We sampled several of the wines All were very good. We especially enjoyed the Rosso sweet red and the Norton Reserve dry red. Good food, good wine and great service in a very pleasant setting - All together a totally enjoyable experience. I hope we will get to go back soon read more

Bring a picnic lunch, and all the food you want to this scenic vineyard. A fine winery, especially if you enjoy sweet table wines. The service here is polite and friendly. There are plenty of tables and a tent near the stage, where they play music on the weekends. This vineyard has one of the best views of any in Augusta, wine country in Missouri. Word on the street is that this winery is for sale (so that the owners can concentrate on their restaurant). read more

Balducci Vineyards - A hillside view at this Augusta winery, featuring myself (@matthurst) and Lauren (@laurenreid) - Wineries Near Me - Augusta, Missouri

Nice winery with plenty of shade on the hot days. The line to get inside was long at times but understandable due to Covid. They are letting only 5 people in at a time. Food was good as well. I wish they had more regular bathrooms and not the porta potty's. read more

The service is excellent and pizza is great! The ladies at the counter were very knowledgeable. The food came out very fast. I will definitely go back here. read more

Balducci Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Augusta, Missouri

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Enjoying and afternoon sitting out on the lawn listening to music and drinking wine. Restful. Fun.

We were on a benefit for a friend that is in need of a kidney donor. Our second stop was Balducci's Vineyard in Agusta, MO. What a pleasant surprise! Yes, it was hot, but a giant tent provided shade and the fans placed in it gave a nice breeze. The band was playing good music and people were dancing too! The wine was much better than we expected. The Norton, the Norton Reserve and the Chambourcin are all quality, dark reds! Delicious with any red meat or pasta! We had a bottle of Chambourcin with pizza last night! Great compliments! read more

What a wonderful find. Took the family there for an outing. The food was good especially the deep dish special pizza. We had the Dolce and Rossa wine which was a good match for the food we had. We left with a good sampling of the wine. The service was very good and at a good pace for our meal. Good place for kids. read more

I made my first trip to the Augusta wineries on with a small group of friends. It's only about an hour away from STL and I've never been before. THAT is crazy talk. Seriously, this was one of the 2 wineries I went to and it is beautiful! When you pull up you'll see a big ole' barn and a gravel/grass parking lot. The layout of the place is perfect. The building where you order food and wine has indoor seating but they also have outdoor and covered outdoor seating. The covered outdoor seating looked like it was set up for a wedding. I imagine in the summer this place is hopping with weddings. Anyways, we grabbed two bottles of white wine and ordered some foot. We claimed a table outside where we could enjoy the weather and our wonderful booze. My only concern with going outside again is the bugs. As I write this review I'm thinking about all the itchy spots on my legs. No bueno. But this isn't a Balducci problem, it's a Missouri problem.... The food is super reasonable priced. I went with the streak sandwich with fries and it was all only $11. Very reasonable, filling, and delicious. The food isn't super great but it's still good. You go here for the wine and environment, but the noms are a plus. If you haven't been to Augusta yet I highly recommend making the visit and going to Balducci's! read more