Ever since German immigrants settled in the Missouri River Valley in the mid-19th century, grapevines have grown under favorable conditions. Missouri’s climate, with its long, hot summers, good sun exposure, and thin, rocky soil, is excellent for growing grapes. With approximately 1,600 acres planted with grapes and 126 wineries creating a variety of delicious wines, it’s time to give love to the grapes that make Missouri wines so unique.
Chambourcin
This grape varietal is growing in popularity in the past decade around the state and is very versatile in the styles of wine it can be made into. Around Missouri, you can find Chambourcin made into dry to sweet red wines, rose, and even sparkling wines. When made into its most common varietal labeled product (dry red), it is a medium-bodied wine with flavors of cherries and wild blackberries. When used in rose wines, it has a more acidic profile with cherry and strawberry characteristics. Sparkling wine is generally even more acidic with cherry and pomegranate notes.
Chardonel
This grape varietal is made in several different distinct methods around Missouri, It can be made into a dry white wine that is very crisp and bright with flavors of lime and honeysuckle or into a dry white style that is more bold and buttery. The latter style is achieved through oak and a secondary fermentation called malolactic fermentation.
Concord
This grape varietal is one of the most well-known native/American grapes. Wine made from concord is typically a sweet red and is tastes of grape jam, cherry, and plums. It has a distinct nose and an earthy character that is usually masked due to added sweetness.
Norton
This grape varietal has been a staple of Missouri wines for many years and because of this, it is the state grape. It is generally made into a dry red wine as a varietal bottling although it can be present in dry to sweet red blends as well. Norton is also very common as a Port base where grape brandy and a variable amount of sweetness are added. Norton is traditionally high in acidity and full-bodied with black cherry, elderberry, and peppery spices on the palate when presented as a dry red wine. It is also typically aged in oak.
Traminette
This grape varietal has a very unique character and is used often as a standalone off-dry or sweet wine around the state. Traminette has a very floral nose (think orange blossom or ripe honeydew) and has a very rich palate of apricot and jam-like citrus. It can be noticeable in blends because its characteristics shine through very distinctly. It tends to feel lighter bodied due to being less acidic than other varietals making it perfect for sipping on a hot summer day.
Vidal
This grape varietal is used in many wines around Missouri. Its result ranges from fully dry to sweet dessert whites. When it is found as a standalone varietal wine, it is generally bottled dry as a crisp, fresh drinking, white wine that is characterized through its bright acidity and flavors of lime peel and fresh pears. When found in sweeter wines (generally blends or ice wines) this grape gives the wine more candied fruit flavors.
Vignoles
This grape varietal is one of the more well-known white grapes grown in the state. At most wineries in Missouri, you can find a Vignoles varietal wine that ranges from dry to sweet. When bottled dry, Vignoles acidity and tropical fruit flavors (such as pineapple and papaya) make the wine very bright and lively. When a sweeter style is desired, the natural acidity in these grapes is tamed and it becomes more stone fruit and pineapple driven instead of its zippy acid.
