Missouri wine

German immigrants in 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 per year, expanding to per year by 1856. Overall, the state produced per year by the 1880s, the most of any state in the nation. Statues in Montpellier, France, commemorate Riley and Planchon’s work, and Missouri continues to be cited in viticultural research as a case study in international collaboration and agricultural science. Before Prohibition, Missouri was the second-largest wine-producing state in the nation. followed soon by the opening of Mount Pleasant Winery in Augusta on the north side of the river. By 1974, Jim Dierberg was restoring the Hermannhof Winery, which had originally been opened in 1855. Italian 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. The three smaller AVAs are sub-appellations within the Ozark Mountain AVA that encompass southern Missouri below the Missouri River, northwestern Arkansas, and northeastern Oklahoma. ==Grape varieties==

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, 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 Mourvèdre. ==Industry==

The wine industry in Missouri is growing rapidly. Missouri has about 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, in 2009 97 wineries were producing select Missouri wines. These were supported by over 400 local vineyards. Missouri's winery count was over 126 by 2016. Many of these are small "mom and pop" wineries that have become favorite day-trip sites for many. The four largest wineries in Missouri are (in order): St. James Winery, Stone Hill Winery, Les Bourgeois Winery, and Meramec Vineyards 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 a wholly university-owned and operated wine grape producing vineyard. The University of Missouri's Grape and Wine Institute (GWI) researches best winemaking and grape growing practices and how they impact the growth of the wine industry in Missouri and the Midwest. The University of Missouri has had some interest in developing a grape-growing education program. Many of the grape growers and winemakers received some instruction from California universities to supplement their studies. ==See also==