If you think the best wines come from either France or California, think again.
Missouri is home to some of the premier vintages you’ll find in the U.S., starting with Augusta, which was the first American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the nation, predating both Napa and Sonoma. Now entrepreneur and philanthropist David Hoffmann is investing in Augusta, with the goal of making “the Napa Valley of the Midwest” a global destination. The Augusta Winery offers a plethora of tastings, events, and wine sales.
Here’s why you should think Missouri the next time you think wine:
Missouri’s Wine Roots Run Deep
The state’s wine industry dates back nearly two centuries, and today over 28,000 Missouri jobs are dedicated to making the viticulture experience one of the best in the nation.
Drinking Missouri wine is a bit like going to France: the state’s vintages include Native American and many French-American hybrids, with a heavy emphasis on history and tradition.
In fact, Missouri lore credits the state with saving the French wine industry in the 1870s, when a vineyard pest, Phylloxera, was wreaking havoc on French vineyards. Missouri entomologist C.V. Riley discovered that American rootstock was resistant to Phylloxera, and sent this rootstock overseas to be grafted to French wines, helping to rebuild their wine industry. Could this be why the French gifted the United States with our Statue of Liberty in the 1880s? History doesn’t record it, but perhaps saving France’s bedrock beverage played a bigger role than previously thought.
Win Won for the Grape
Missouri even has a state grape: the Norton, a Native American grape believed to be one of the oldest varieties still commercially grown. Like the best statement wines, Norton is known for making a big, bold, dry red wine that Missourians say is unlike any other varietal.
As of 2024, there are 130 wineries statewide. In addition to the Norton, principal types of grapes grown in the region are Chambourcin, Chardonney, Seyval Blanc, Ravat Vignoles and Traminett. The vintners have begun having some success with Riesling and Cabernet Franc as well.
Missouri wineries are located all over the state, including many near higher-population areas like Springfield, St. Louis, and Kansas City. But smaller places, like the town of Hermann, hold some of the most renowned wines in the region. So be sure to put a pin in Hermann on your wine tour map.
Prohibition Took Missouri Wines Off the Map
Prior to our nation’s attempt to keep people away from fermented grapes, Missouri was second in wine production only to New York (again: California was still a distant wine-producing third).
Prohibition put the brakes on Missouri wines for a while, but a century on, Missouri is back in the vineyards, growing strong.
A Perfect Way to Spend Your Vacay
While so many people head to the coasts or overseas when it’s time for a break, Missouri wine tasting can be an excellent way to spend your summer or fall vacation.
The ideal months to go wine tasting in Missouri are from August through October, when the weather is beautiful and the grapes are newly harvested.
The views are scenic, the wine festivals a celebration of harvest season, and the atmosphere convivial. Let your friends think they’ve gone on the best vacation out West or to the Cayman Islands; you’ve got the best-kept secret destination, and the bottles you’ll bring home to prove it.
So when you think wine, think Missouri. Many states have a state fruit; very few have a state grape. Missouri saved French viticulture, and for this alone, wine lovers ought to give their varietals a taste or two.
