Missouri Wine Timeline
1837
German settlers established the town of Hermann on the banks of the Missouri River . Although too rocky for many crops, the ground around Hermann was well suited to growing wine grapes. A decade later Hermann's wineries were producing over 10, 000 gallons of wine a year. Eventually over 60 wineries populated the small town and by the 1880s, wine lovers in America and Europe were enjoying two million gallons of Missouri wine each year
1870s
A dangerous vineyard pest, the phylloxera louse, destroyed enormous tracts of vineyards in France . Missouri helped rebuild the European vineyards by sending phylloxera resistant American rootstock to be grafted with French vine cuttings. The resultant vines proved extremely hardy and soon the French wine industry was back on its feet.
Late 1800s
Italian immigrants establish vineyards in the St. James area of Missouri . Missouri 's wine industry thrived at the turn of the century with about 100 wineries throughout the state.
1919
Prohibition dealt a near fatal blow to the Missouri wine industry. When the 18 th Amendment was repealed 13 years later, little remained of the once strong industry. Negative after effects of Prohibition, in the form of high liquor taxes and license fees, lingered for decades and prevented the wine industry from reestablishing itself.
1960s and 1970s
The rebirth of the commercial wine industry in Missouri began with the restoration of several original wineries. The early pioneers worked hard to regain the former stature of the wine industry amid a slowly changing cultural and regulatory environment.
1980s
A new tax on wine enabled the establishment of the Missouri Wine & Grape program. A state viticulturalist was hired to assist in the restoration process and Missouri State University 's fruit experiment station began working with winemakers to determine grape varieties suitable for Missouri 's climate.
Augusta became the first federally recognized American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1980. The wine regions around Hermann, the southwest Missouri Ozark Mountains and highlands and the south central region around St. James have also been designated as AVAs.
2000s
The Missouri wine industry in the new millenium is thriving. The number of wineries has jumped to over 65 and Missouri wineries are producing diverse, complex and sophisticated wines, wines that easily earn top awards in national and international competitions.
2003
The Norton/Cynthiana varietal is passed in legislation as Missouri 's official state grape.
2005
The Missouri Wine & Grape Board is formed. No longer an advisory Board, the Wine & Grape Board directs the marketing and research efforts of the Missouri wine industry.
2006
The Institute for Continental Climate Viticulture and Enology is established. ICCVE, funded by the Missouri Wine & Grape Board, conducts research on grape varieties and vineyard management techniques that contribute to the growth of the wine industry in Missouri and the Midwest .
