Missouri wine
Encyclopedia
Missouri Wine refers to wine
made from grapes grown in the U.S. state
of Missouri
. German immigrants in the early-to-mid-19th century, founded the wine industry in Missouri, resulting in its wine corridor being called the Missouri "Rhineland
". Later Italian immigrants
also entered wine production. In the mid-1880s, more wine was produced by volume in Missouri than in any other state. Before Prohibition
, Missouri was the second-largest wine-producing state in the nation. Missouri had the first area recognized as a federally designated American Viticultural Area
with the Augusta AVA
acknowledged on June 20, 1980. There are now four AVAs in Missouri. In 2009 there were 92 wineries operating in the state of Missouri.
tribes cultivated local varieties of grapes. These species were developed further by later German Americans and Italian Americans.
German immigrants to the Missouri River valley established vineyards and wineries on both sides of the river. Hermann, Missouri
, settled by Germans in 1837, had ideal conditions to grow grapes for wine. By 1848 winemakers there produced 10000 gallons (37,854.1 l) per year, expanding to 100000 gallons (378,541.2 l) per year by 1856. Overall, the state produced 2000000 gallons (7,570,824 l) per year by the 1880s, the most of any state in the nation. Stone Hill Winery
in Hermann became the second largest in the nation (and the third largest in the world), shipping a million barrels of wine by the turn of the 20th century. Its wines won awards at world fairs in Vienna in 1873 and Philadelphia in 1876.
In the mid-19th century, the phylloxera
louse destroyed much of the Vitis vinifera grape crop in France
. Missouri’s state entomologist
, Charles Riley, found that American rootstock
s were resistant to the pest. He directed sending millions of rootstocks to France, to which their grape varieties could be grafted. This saved the French wine industry. The city of Montpellier erected a statue in Riley's honor, because of the significance of his work.
Before Prohibition
, Missouri was the second-largest wine-producing state in the nation. The new amendment forced the shutdown or abandonment of all wineries except that at St. Stanislaus Seminary, in Florissant
, which was permitted to make sacrament
al wines. The wine industry was destroyed for decades.
Revival of the state's wine industry started in 1965 with the reopening of Stone Hill Winery
in Hermann, followed soon by the opening of Mount Pleasant Winery
in Augusta on the north side of the river. Soon winemakers began to reestablish Missouri vineyards and wineries along the river and throughout the state.
The federal government has recognized the importance of winemaking to regional and national economies. It has certified distinct regions qualifying as American Viticultural Areas (AVA). This certification recognizes their qualities of soil, climate and other unique characteristics that help create identifiable wines. One distinct area was developed on the north side of the Missouri River in southwestern St. Charles County. The Augusta AVA
was recognized in 1980. The Hermann AVA
, on the south side of the river chiefly in Gasconade County, was designated by the federal government in 1983.
Italian
as well as German immigrants introduced wine production in the Rolla, Missouri
area. This is now within the Ozark Highlands AVA
, designated in 1987 and including parts of several counties, from southern Gasconade County to Texas
and Dent counties further south.
All three smaller AVAs are within the Ozark Mountain AVA
, a designation covering southern Missouri below the Missouri River, northwestern Arkansas and northeastern Oklahoma.
The most prominent Missouri-grown variety is Cynthiana/Norton
, believed to be a variety of Vitis aestivalis
. Other varieties grown include native American grapes, Concord
and Catawba
, as well as French-American hybrids
such as Vignoles, Seyval
, and Chambourcin
. Recently, there has been more interest in planting Vitis vinifera grapes varieties, especially the fine European grapes: Cabernet Franc
, Chardonnay
, Petit Verdot
and Mourvedre
.
The state had a total of 97 wineries and 393 vineyards in 2009, and growth in new wineries continued. The three largest wineries in Missouri are (in order): St. James Winery
, Stone Hill Winery
, and Les Bourgeois Winery
. A state tax
on wine imposed in 1984, now 12 cents per gallon, supports the state Missouri Wine and Grape Program, which provides scientific and marketing
support for Missouri wines. The state hired a viticulturalist
to assist in restoring the wine industry. Missouri State University
's fruit experiment station began working with winemakers to determine grape varieties suitable for Missouri's climate. The state government hopes to encourage the local wine industry by promoting Missouri regionalism: integrating grape agriculture with winemaking, the restaurant
business, and tourism
.
Missouri State University's Mountain Grove Cellars, part of the Missouri State University - Mountain Grove Campus Fruit Experimentation Station - is the only wholly university-owned and operated wine producing vineyard in the United States.
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
made from grapes grown in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. German immigrants in the early-to-mid-19th century, founded the wine industry in Missouri, resulting in its wine corridor being called the Missouri "Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
". Later Italian immigrants
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
also entered wine production. In the mid-1880s, more wine was produced by volume in Missouri than in any other state. Before Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, Missouri was the second-largest wine-producing state in the nation. Missouri had the first area recognized as a federally designated American Viticultural Area
American Viticultural Area
An American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau , United States Department of the Treasury....
with the Augusta AVA
Augusta AVA
The Augusta AVA was the first federally approved American Viticultural Area gaining the status on June 20, 1980, eight months before the Napa Valley AVA in northern California. Located entirely within the state of Missouri, the boundaries of this wine region encompass around the city of Augusta...
acknowledged on June 20, 1980. There are now four AVAs in Missouri. In 2009 there were 92 wineries operating in the state of Missouri.
History
Some Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes cultivated local varieties of grapes. These species were developed further by later German Americans and Italian Americans.
German immigrants to the Missouri River valley established vineyards and wineries on both sides of the river. Hermann, Missouri
Hermann, Missouri
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....
, settled by Germans in 1837, had ideal conditions to grow grapes for wine. By 1848 winemakers there produced 10000 gallons (37,854.1 l) per year, expanding to 100000 gallons (378,541.2 l) per year by 1856. Overall, the state produced 2000000 gallons (7,570,824 l) per year by the 1880s, the most of any state in the nation. Stone Hill Winery
Stone Hill Winery
Stone Hill Winery is a Missouri winery located in Hermann, Missouri, along the Missouri River, in what is called the Missouri Rhineland of the Hermann AVA. It has additional facilities in Branson and New Florence...
in Hermann became the second largest in the nation (and the third largest in the world), shipping a million barrels of wine by the turn of the 20th century. Its wines won awards at world fairs in Vienna in 1873 and Philadelphia in 1876.
In the mid-19th century, the phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
louse destroyed much of the Vitis vinifera grape crop in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Missouri’s state entomologist
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
, Charles Riley, found that American rootstock
Rootstock
A rootstock is a plant, and sometimes just the stump, which already has an established, healthy root system, used for grafting a cutting or budding from another plant. The tree part being grafted onto the rootstock is usually called the scion...
s were resistant to the pest. He directed sending millions of rootstocks to France, to which their grape varieties could be grafted. This saved the French wine industry. The city of Montpellier erected a statue in Riley's honor, because of the significance of his work.
Before Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, Missouri was the second-largest wine-producing state in the nation. The new amendment forced the shutdown or abandonment of all wineries except that at St. Stanislaus Seminary, in Florissant
Florissant, Missouri
Florissant is a second-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in northern St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The city has a total population of 52,158 in 2010 census.-History:...
, which was permitted to make sacrament
Sacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
al wines. The wine industry was destroyed for decades.
Revival of the state's wine industry started in 1965 with the reopening of Stone Hill Winery
Stone Hill Winery
Stone Hill Winery is a Missouri winery located in Hermann, Missouri, along the Missouri River, in what is called the Missouri Rhineland of the Hermann AVA. It has additional facilities in Branson and New Florence...
in Hermann, followed soon by the opening of Mount Pleasant Winery
Mount Pleasant Winery
Mount Pleasant Winery is a winery in Augusta, Missouri, USA, on the north side of the Missouri River in what is called the Missouri Rhineland. It is the third-largest winery in the state.-History:...
in Augusta on the north side of the river. Soon winemakers began to reestablish Missouri vineyards and wineries along the river and throughout the state.
The federal government has recognized the importance of winemaking to regional and national economies. It has certified distinct regions qualifying as American Viticultural Areas (AVA). This certification recognizes their qualities of soil, climate and other unique characteristics that help create identifiable wines. One distinct area was developed on the north side of the Missouri River in southwestern St. Charles County. The Augusta AVA
Augusta AVA
The Augusta AVA was the first federally approved American Viticultural Area gaining the status on June 20, 1980, eight months before the Napa Valley AVA in northern California. Located entirely within the state of Missouri, the boundaries of this wine region encompass around the city of Augusta...
was recognized in 1980. The Hermann AVA
Hermann AVA
The Hermann AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Gasconade County, Missouri, and entirely contained within the larger Ozark Mountain AVA. The wine appellation is located on the southern side of the Missouri River near the town of Hermann, about halfway between St. Louis and Jefferson City...
, on the south side of the river chiefly in Gasconade County, was designated by the federal government in 1983.
Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
as well as German immigrants introduced wine production in the Rolla, Missouri
Rolla, Missouri
Rolla is a city in Phelps County, Missouri, United States, midway between the larger cities of St. Louis and Springfield along I-44. The population in the 2010 United States Census was 19,559.It is the county seat of Phelps County...
area. This is now within the Ozark Highlands AVA
Ozark Highlands AVA
The Ozark Highlands AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in southern Missouri in the Ozark Mountains. The appellation includes land from just east of Jefferson City in the north to the Eleven Point River in the south, including parts of Phelps, Maries, Osage, Gasconade, Franklin, Crawford,...
, designated in 1987 and including parts of several counties, from southern Gasconade County to Texas
Texas County, Missouri
Texas County is a county located in South Central Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the county's population was 26,008. It's county seat is Houston. The county was organized in 1843 as Ashley County, changing its name in 1845 to Texas, after the Republic of Texas. The 2010 U.S...
and Dent counties further south.
All three smaller AVAs are within the Ozark Mountain AVA
Ozark Mountain AVA
The Ozark Mountain AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in northwest Arkansas, southern Missouri, and northeast Oklahoma. The sixth largest American Viticultural Area in total size, Ozark Mountain AVA covers...
, a designation covering southern Missouri below the Missouri River, northwestern Arkansas and northeastern Oklahoma.
Grapes grown
Missouri's climate, with its long, hot summers, good sun exposure, and thin rocky Ozarks soil, is excellent for growing grapes. The moderate average temperature allows natural cellaring of wine.The most prominent Missouri-grown variety is Cynthiana/Norton
Norton (grape)
Norton, a grape cultivar believed to be largely derived from Vitis aestivalis, is grown in the Midwestern United States, Mid-Atlantic States and northeastern Georgia. Norton was first cultivated in Richmond, Virginia and is the official grape of the State of Missouri and is considered the...
, believed to be a variety of Vitis aestivalis
Vitis aestivalis
Vitis aestivalis is a species of grape native to eastern North America from southern Ontario east to Vermont, west to Oklahoma, and south to Florida and Texas. It is a vigorous vine, growing to 10 m or more high in trees...
. Other varieties grown include native American grapes, Concord
Concord grape
Concord grapes are a cultivar derived from the grape species Vitis labrusca which are used as table grapes, wine grapes and juice grapes....
and Catawba
Catawba (grape)
Catawba is a red hybrid grape variety used for wine as well as juice, jams and jellies. The grape can have a pronounced musky or "foxy" flavor. Grown predominantly on the East Coast of the United States, this purplish-red grape is a likely cross of the native American Vitis labrusca and another...
, as well as French-American hybrids
Hybrid grapes
Hybrid grapes are grape varieties that are the product of a crossing of two or more Vitis species. This is in contrast to crossings between grape varieties of the same species, typically Vitis vinifera, the European grapevine. Hybrid grapes are also referred to as inter-specific crossings...
such as Vignoles, Seyval
Seyval Blanc
Seyval Blanc is a hybrid wine grape variety used to make white wines. Its vines ripen early, are productive and are suited to fairly cool climates.Seyval Blanc is grown mainly in England, and the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, as well as to a lesser extent in Canada...
, and Chambourcin
Chambourcin
Chambourcin is a French-American interspecific hybrid grape variety used for making wine. Its parentage is uncertain. The hybrid was produced by Joannes Seyve who often used Seibel hybrids produced in the 1860s. The grape has only been available since 1963. Chambourcin has a good resistance to...
. Recently, there has been more interest in planting Vitis vinifera grapes varieties, especially the fine European grapes: Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
, Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
, Petit Verdot
Petit verdot
Petit Verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region. When it does ripen, it is added in small amounts to add tannin, colour and flavour to the...
and Mourvedre
Mourvèdre
Mourvèdre , Mataró or Monastrell is wine grape variety used to make both strong, dark red wines and rosés. It is an international variety grown in many regions around the world....
.
Industry
The wine industry in Missouri is growing rapidly. Missouri has more than 1400 acres (5.7 km²) planted in grapes. In 2008 over 888,000 gallons of Missouri wine was sold. The market share of Missouri wine within the state was 7.95% in 2008. The wine industry in Missouri has consistently grown for over a decade and in 2009 more than 88 wineries were open for business.The state had a total of 97 wineries and 393 vineyards in 2009, and growth in new wineries continued. The three largest wineries in Missouri are (in order): St. James Winery
St. James Winery
St. James Winery is located in St. James, Missouri, near mile marker 195 of Interstate 44. The winery distributes 200,000 cases of wine per year in 14 states. The vineyards are composed of of Catawba, Vignoles, Chardonel, Concord, Norton, Chambourcin, Seyval and Rougeon grapes...
, Stone Hill Winery
Stone Hill Winery
Stone Hill Winery is a Missouri winery located in Hermann, Missouri, along the Missouri River, in what is called the Missouri Rhineland of the Hermann AVA. It has additional facilities in Branson and New Florence...
, and Les Bourgeois Winery
Les Bourgeois Winery
Les Bourgeois Winery and Vineyards, Missouri's third largest winery, is in Rocheport, Missouri in the Columbia Metropolitan Area. The winery produces over 120,000 gallons of wine a year, sold locally as well as distributed through the Midwest...
. A state tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
on wine imposed in 1984, now 12 cents per gallon, supports the state Missouri Wine and Grape Program, which provides scientific and marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
support for Missouri wines. The state hired a viticulturalist
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
to assist in restoring the wine industry. Missouri State University
Missouri State University
Missouri State University is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011...
's fruit experiment station began working with winemakers to determine grape varieties suitable for Missouri's climate. The state government hopes to encourage the local wine industry by promoting Missouri regionalism: integrating grape agriculture with winemaking, the restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
business, and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
.
Missouri State University's Mountain Grove Cellars, part of the Missouri State University - Mountain Grove Campus Fruit Experimentation Station - is the only wholly university-owned and operated wine producing vineyard in the United States.