Missouri Wine

Missouri is a US state located in the centre of the northern US, bordered by Kansas to the west and Illinois to the east. The state covers 69,700 square miles (180,500 square km) and stretches between the northern latitudes of 36 and 40 degrees. This latitude puts it parallel with the key wine-growing areas of California and northern Spain.

The influx of German migrants who settled in this area from the 1830s on, has led to the state being compared to the wine regions of Germany – particularly Rheinessen, Pfalz and Baden. The tradition of the small, quality-focused German wine producer has been retained in Missouri, where local wineries rarely expand to a large commercial scale. An obvious exception is that at the end of the 19th century Stone Hill in Hermann was the second-largest winery in the US. During Prohibition, the winery's vaulted underground cellars were used for growing mushrooms. The relatively cool continental climate in Missouri serves to reinforce comparisons with Germany, which are underlined by the strong Teutonic influences that can be seen in the city of Hermann. 

Having slowly recovered from the damage wrought by Prohibition, Missouri is rebuilding its once-thriving wine industry and now has the advantage of working with new grape varieties. Hybrids such as Chambourcin, Seyval Blanc, Vignoles and Traminette are the most commonly planted grape varieties, although some vinifera vines are also grown, as is the native variety Norton.

Missouri is home to no fewer than five AVAs, from the tiny Augusta (America's first AVA) to the colossal 3.5 million acre (1,425,000ha) Ozark Mountain region, introduced in 2009. The latter entirely encompasses the Ozark Highlands, an area about its size yet with markedly more distinct, homogenous topography and soil types.