Grape Expectations

Written by Staff

Fine Wines

Discover Missouri's great wines

You don't need to travel halfway across the country to partake in some outstanding flavors

Fine Wines from Missouri Vines

Rolling hills, autumn leaves, sweet vine-ripened grapes and amazing wines….  Sounds like Napa Valley?  Yes, but you needn’t travel halfway across the country to partake in these outstanding flavors.  Missouri grows some of the country’s most favored varietals including Concord, Norton, Seyval and Vignoles.  Home to more than 1300 grape producing acres, Missouri ranks 10th in the nation in wine production.

The success of Missouri’s wine regions is owed to a triple blessing of Missouri climate; thin, rocky soil and the happenstance of German and Italian settlers.  Together, they propelled Missouri to the position of 2nd greatest wine producing state before Prohibition.  The 18th amendment proved a death blow to Missouri wineries with few surviving.  Fortunately the tide has turned, and Missouri is currently home to 90 fine wineries, many of which grow their own grapes.  Wines labeled “Missouri” must contain 75% or greater Missouri grown grapes.

Missouri cultivates unique grape varieties that aren’t grown in Europe or even in California. Missouri Wine & Grape Board Vice-Chairman and General Manager of Stone Hill Winery, Jon Held states, “We can produce grapes of excellent quality because our climate allows us to develop really ripe flavors in the fruit. Our grapes are locally grown and, therefore, environmentally friendly.”  He adds, “We can harvest our grapes at their optimum ripeness and process them within a matter of hours. When you taste a product that’s basically grown in your backyard, you know you’re getting it at its very best.”

Offering around 11 grape varietals, Missouri’s soil yields some fine examples, including Vignoles and Norton.  Vignoles is a versatile white grape that produces a range of wines from dry to sweet dessert.  The timing of the grape harvest is essential to the type of wine produced, with late harvest Vignoles producing the sweetest wine. 

Our state grape is the Norton variety, which produces “a rich, full-bodied dry wine” similar to a Cabernet Sauvignon.  Recently gaining in popularity, the Norton is an all-American native grape.  Stone Hill Winery recently catapulted their 2007 Cross J Vineyard Norton into prominence, winning the coveted Governor’s Cup award at the 2009 Missouri Wine Competition held July 14-15.  The Governor’s Cup winner is widely recognized as the best wine in the Show-Me State, earning the top prize out of the 220 entries in the competition. 

Top honors and the Governor’s Cup for the Norton grape are just the beginning.  The icing on the cake is the recent creation of a wine glass in its name, specifically designed to enhance the wine’s attributes.  Georg Riedel, the talent behind the world’s leading wine glass company, recently led a panel of Missouri Norton experts in the quest to create the special glasses.  “We feel like Norton has arrived,” said Danene Beedle, Marketing Director for the Missouri Wine & Grape Board. “Riedel is the premiere wine glass company and we’re thrilled they wanted a glass for Norton.”

Now that you have your award winning wine in its very own glass, with what do you pair it?  Fortunately the Missouri Wine and Grape Board has the answer.  A Vignoles goes wonderfully with spicy foods such as Mexican and seafood curry, while the dry Norton pairs beautifully with everything from steak to chocolate.  Looking for the perfect wine for pork chops?  Try a Concord or Catawba, and did you know that sparkling wine goes great with pâté?

If you would prefer to try several options for yourself, take a trip down the Missouri Weinstrasse.  The section of Hwy. 94 between Defiance and Marthasville has been thusly named due its abundance of wineries, the highest concentration in the state.  Many of these wineries sit high on river bluffs ensuring that a tasting session thrills all the senses.  In addition to the Weinstrasse, there are four Missouri Wine Trails: the Missouri River Wine Trail, the Ozark Mountain Region Wine Trail, the Route Du Vin in Sainte Genevieve, and the Hermann Wine Trail, which includes Hermannhof and Stone Hill Wineries.  Each trail is composed of wineries in the region which host special events throughout the year.

One very special event on Saturday, August 29th, hosted by Mount Pleasant Winery, is a tasting presided over by none other than Georg Riedel to celebrate their 150th anniversary.  Guests will be guided through a series of tastings designed to demonstrate the effect various shapes of wine glasses have upon the taste of the wine.  Each guest will receive five Riedel Norton glasses, and be among the first to use the newly designed glass.  Tickets are required for this event.  You can contact the winery directly at (636) 482-WINE.

So, as the trees begin to turn and the back-to-school bustle comes to an end, the harvest season will go into full swing.  From mid-August to late October, local growers will head into the vineyards to gather their prized fruit.  Capturing the grapes at their sweetest, many vineyards will come to life at night, when the sun has gone down, the air is cooler and the grapes’ sugar content is at its peak.  Within hours, fine wine artisans will spring into action to bring together flavor and tradition for us all to enjoy.  Remember, when you are looking for a day trip this fall, or just a place to gather with friends and family, choose one of the many wonderful wineries Missouri has to offer and the bountiful flavors you can explore.