On Thursday, the Fulton Garden Club learned about Missouri's wine industry from Dean S. Volenberg, head of viticulture and winery operations at the University of Missouri's Grape and Wine Institute.
"We're industry driven," Volenberg said.
Twelve cents from every gallon of wine sold in the state go to fund the institute, he said.
Volenberg walked the small but engaged crowd through Missouri's well-aged history with winemaking.
"George Hussman - one of the most important people in the industry - was from Hermann," he said.
During the 1870s, France's vineyards were slowly succumbing to a mysterious blight that threatened to collapse the European wine industry. George Hussman and C.V. Riley, two Missouri scientists, took it upon themselves to solve the problem.
They discovered the plants were infested with a tiny insect called Phylloxera. Females burrow into plant tissue to lay eggs, then die.
"When the larvae hatch, they eat the mother," Volenberg said, to the crowd's horror.
The irritation causes the plant to form galls. Hussman and Riley discovered that in French rootstock, Phylloxera causes galls on the roots, killing the plant. But American grapevines only got galls on the leaves. Hussman proposed vineyards graft their vines onto American rootstock. It worked.
"Rootstocks can protect against insects, disease and other pests," Volenberg said.
Hussman and Riley both received the Legion of Honour - the highest order for civil merit in France - for their efforts, and to this day a statue memorializing the two stands in Montpellier, France.
Missouri's wine industry peaked at 5 million gallons per year, shortly before Prohibition. After Prohibition, vineyards were shut down and the stock destroyed.
"They just pulled the grape vines out," Volenberg said.
Recent years have seen a resurgence in the industry. In 2000, Missouri had 31 vineyards. By 2015, there were 128.
Currently, 425 wine growers produce 1.25 million gallons of wine a year, with a $1.76 billion economic impact.
"It's really a growing industry," Volenberg said.
Norton grapes are Missouri's most popular variety. At the 1873 International Exhibition in Vienna, a Missouri Norton wine was recognized as the Best Wine of All Nations.
One wine, however, is completely unique to Missouri. First introduced by Nicholas Grein in Hermann, the Missouri Riesling was thought to have been wiped out during Prohibition's purging. The vine was recently rediscovered and is being grown in Missouri once more.
Volenberg also talked about the process of starting up a vineyard and producing wine. It's more complicated than just choosing a promising vine and whacking it in the ground.
The first step, he said, is conducting market research.
"You don't go into the industry to make what you like," Volenberg cautioned.
Rather, it's more important to look at the direction the market is taking and suss out what intangible qualities buyers might want. Do they want their wine to be organic? Handcrafted?
After crafting a plan, it's time to find a spot to grow. The ideal location would be in well-draining soil on a slope that allows cold air to flow away from the plants - and myriad other factors. Volenberg pointed to the Web Soil Survey (bit.ly/1dSHPzv) as an invaluable tool for soil research.
Aspiring vintners should also carefully plan how to train up vines. Missouri winemakers typically use what's known as a "high wire cordon," which shapes the vines in a way that makes it easy for mechanical harvesters to access the grapes.
Volenberg emphasized the importance of balancing foliage and grape growth.
"You have to have a balance between leaves and airflow," he added.
Grapes in Missouri have to survive everything from deer to mildew to Japanese beetles in the three years before they begin producing grapes and in the years following. And then there's the ladybugs.
"They cause what's called multi-colored Asian lady beetle taint," Volenberg said. "They're very bitter, and just a couple ruin (a batch of) wine."
Then it's time to harvest, crush and press, ferment, clarify and bottle the vine.
Producing wine is a challenging and complex process, but the Grape and Wine Institute is there to help. They conduct outreach and education, help vineyards diagnose problems with their crops, answer questions from curious hobbyists and professionals, do research and more.
Feel free to tap their knowledge. The institute can be found online at gwi.missouri.edu. Volenberg's phone number is 573-882-0476
