Dressel wrote the application to have Augusta, Missouri, designated as America's first officially recognized wine district by the federal government.
[1] After earning an MBA from Columbia, Dressel initially worked at the family Aro-Dressel Dairy in Granite City, Illinois.
[citation needed] When he obtained his federal wine license he was the youngest person in the country to own a permit to operate a winery.
During this time, the winery became the second largest in the state of Illinois and won many awards for quality, most notably being one of only six wines, out of the over 120 entered, to win a Gold Medal at the only National Norton Festival held in 2007.
[4] In 2008, Dressel collaborated with Dr. Diane Sol on the musical portions of her new translation of "ANTIGONE" performed at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville.