Hermann is a city designated in 1842 as the county seat of Gasconade County, Missouri, United States. It is near the center of the Missouri Rhineland and south of the Missouri River. The population was 2,674 at the 2000 census. This was an area of vineyards and wineries established by German immigrants during the mid-19th century. After Prohibition shut down the industry, it was not until the 1960s that it began to be revived. Officially designated in 1983, the Hermann AVA was one of the earliest recognized by the federal government. The seven wineries in the AVA produce one-third of the state's annual total of wine. Hermann holds a Maifest during the third weekend in May and an Oktoberfest the first four weekends in October. In addition to its wine industry, Hermann is called the sausage-making capital of Missouri.