Missouri's wines

Because of marketing, publicity and volume, France is still considered by many Americans to be the home of fine wines. As for wines produced in this country, California is more than likely the state that comes to mind when thinking of vineyards.

But wine is produced in many states, including Missouri and Illinois. There are more than 40 wineries in Missouri, including three in this area: River Ridge near Commerce, Tower Rock near Altenburg and Hermann in Brazeau.

Southern Illinois has still more wineries. Shawnee Community College near Ullin, Ill., offers special training in viticulture, and local farmers in both Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois grow grapes for area wineries.

It wasn't that many years ago that Missouri's wine industry was concentrated mainly in an area between I-70 and I-44 between St. Louis and Jefferson City. Hermann, Mo., was probably best known for its wineries, thanks to annual celebrations that still attract thousands of visitors.

But Missouri's wine history is illustrious -- and interesting -- to say the least. In the 19th century, Missouri's wines were ranked as some of the finest in the world in competitions that included highly regarded French varieties.

At the 1851 Vienna World's Fair, eight of the 12 gold medals were awarded to wines from Missouri.

As a result, French grape growers obtained root stock of the Missouri vines that had produced the award-winning wines. Little did they know that the vines had a root louse that didn't bother the plants in Missouri but began destroying whole vineyards in France. By 1880, most of the French vineyards had been seriously affected, and vineyards in other European countries were threatened.

A Neosho, Mo., winemaker, Hermann Jaeger, and a University of Missouri professor, George Hussman, discovered that grafting other vines onto the Missouri root stock resulted in an immunity to the root louse. As a result, these two Missourians are credited with saving the French wine industry. Jaeger received the Cross of the Legion of Honor and the Order of Knighthood from the grateful French.

In a way, Missouri also is responsible for the vines grown in California, where root louse also attacked established vineyards. But instead of getting stock from Missouri, the California vintners imported stock from France -- stock that originated in Missouri.

A visit to a winery is more than tasting or buying wines. It offers a pleasant outing, a taste of good food in many instances and an opportunity to learn more about the fascinating history of Missouri's wine industry.