Missouri wine refers to wine made from grapes grown in Missouri. German immigrants in the early-to-mid-19th century founded the wine industry in Missouri, resulting in its wine corridor being called the Missouri "Rhineland". Later, Italian immigrants also contributed to the state's wine production. In the mid-1880s, wine was produced by volume in Missouri more than in any other state and just before Prohibition, Missouri was the nation's second-largest wine-producing state. Missouri had the nation's first American Viticultural Area (AVA) established on June 20, 1980 named Augusta. There are now five American Viticultural Areas associated with Missouri: Augusta AVA, Hermann AVA, Ozark Highlands AVA, Ozark Mountain AVA, and the Loess Hills District AVA which extends into northwestern Missouri. In 2017 there were 125 wineries operating in the state of Missouri, up from 92 in 2009.
History
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.
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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.
Industry
right|thumb|Vineyards in Hermann, Missouri.
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.