Missouri Wine
You might find it surprising that the first AVA (American Viticultural Area) in the United States was founded in Missouri. (That’s it in the photo. Augusta Missouri)
We don’t often think of the Midwest as a hotbed for wine growing, but there is quite a bit of history here.
AVAs in Missouri
Augusta AVA is a 15-square-mile area around the city of Augusta, founded in 1980. It was the first AVA in the United States! The Napa Valley AVA was the second, founded the following year.
However, it is not the only AVA in Missouri.
The Ozark Mountain AVA is a larger region that covers 3,500,000 acres and is shared with Arkansas and Oklahoma.
The Augusta AVA is within it, and the Herman AVA is between St. Louis and Jefferson City. Just South of these two AVAs, the Ozark Highland AVA is an impressive 1,280,000 acres.
The final AVA in the state sits in its Northwest corner. The Loess Hills District takes in the hills of Loess soils along the banks of the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers and extends into Iowa.
History of wine in Missouri
Wine in Missouri evolved from German Settlers to the region. The town of Hermann was a German settlement that was laid out with some plots of land sold as “wine plots.” By the mid-1800s, they were making wine and shipping it to St. Louis.
While California wines began to surge at this time, Missouri remained the second leading state for wine until Prohibition.
What wines will you find here?
Catawba – A red grape that is a North American hybrid, typically used to make sweet Rosé. This American grape was found in 1802 near what is now Asheville, North Carolina. It was replanted by a Senator at the time to his residence in Rocky Mount, along the Catawba River, hence the name.
Chambourcin – a red French-American hybrid grape. It is a teinturier grape, a rare grape whose flesh inside the skin is red rather than white.
Chardonel – a white grape New York hybrid- is a cross between Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc. This cold, hardy grape makes full-bodied white wines.
Concord – yep, just like for jam and named for Concord, Mass, where it was first found. While it is more often grown for jelly and jam, it is made into wine.
Norton – The state grape of Missouri was discovered in Richmond, Virginia, by Daniel Norborne Norton. It has been thought of as a hybrid of a Native American Grape (Vitis Lambrusca) and a European Wine Grape (Vitis Vinifera), but DNA results put that into question. This was an early grape planted in Missouri, and in 1873, a Norton wine from this area was highly acclaimed at a competition in Vienna! You will find this grape here in the Midwest as well as in its original home in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Seyval Blanc – a white French American hybrid grape that makes crisp wines. It has found popularity here in the Midwest and Canada, as well as in the moderate climate of the UK.
Traminette – This grape is an American hybrid crossing that includes Gewürztraminer. It is known for its aromatic notes of floral, citrus and spice. It is a popular variety in the Midwest.
Vidal Blanc – a white French-American hybrid known to be cold tolerant. It is used to make white wines, from dry to sweet and sparkling. It is often used to make Canadian ice wine.
Vignoles – a white French-American hybrid grape often made into sweet dessert wines. It typically has tropical and rich white fruit notes.
Overall, the state has 126 wineries, and 1,700 acres of wine grapes have been planted.
Get out and explore Missouri Wines!
Find information on the wine trails, vineyards, events, and more at https://missouriwine.org/
Happy Missouri Wine Month!
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
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