OCTOBER 2005 EDITORS CORNER

October signals the end of the wine harvest, so it is only appropriate that this months featured article by published author Andy Murphy, entitled, "Orchard Town" reminds us that California is more than a state of mind.

When I think of California wine automatically comes to mind, along with Hollywood, surfers, and places like the Big Sur and Catalina Island.  But did you know that there is another state associated with wine production that up until Prohibition was one of the biggest producers of wine in the United States?

You are never going to guess unless you are from the "Show-Me" state, so I will let you in on a big secret.  Missouri, of all unlikely places, pumped out tons of wine during the 19^th century with the entire nations wine industry located in St. Louis.

The countryside was perfect for winemaking, and wild American grapes grew in profusion as if to underscore the point, albeit the taste was not as refined as the European vines.  Later, the wild vines would be grafted onto to the European vines to create a more tasteful blend and the "Norton" an American grape established in Missouri during the 19th century turned out quite well. 

A rush of immigrants, mostly from Europe and the wine-drinking countries such as Italy, Germany, Swiss, French and Austria found the climate suitable to growing their own grapes and before you could say "To Your Health" in half a dozen languages, there were vineyards everywhere.

By 1879 the flood of Missouri wine had reached 100,000 gallons, due in part to a clever plan to make the state the "Missouri Rhineland".  Its production was second only to California before the advent of Prohibition.

In Europe where American vines had been imported, a dreadful pest was introduced to the French vineyards, called Phylloxera louse.  Soon, it was on a destructive rampage and it looked as if the French vineyards were headed for complete destruction.

It was an American from Missouri who came to the rescue.  Charles Riley, the state entomologist came up with the idea of grafting French cuttings onto the impervious American rootstocks and thus saved the French wine industry.

But it was not a pest, but the American Congress that killed off the Missouri vineyards as surely as if they were the dreaded Phylloxera with the passage of Prohibition. As the wineries all over the country ground to halt, all that was left in Missouri was one lone vineyard pressing the grapes for church services as sacramental wine.

Today, after decades of neglect the vineyards of Missouri have come full circle.  Vineyard production is booming and there are more than 30 wineries, some of them producing world-class wine ranked among the finest in the world.

If you ever in Missouri, tell them "show-me" your wine. You guaranteed to be in for a pleasant surprise!