Last weekend, I took a detour on my road trip and stopped in Hermann, Missouri. Hermann is a beautiful valley town famous for a very popular agricultural product, wine. Wine has been around since approximately 4100 BC and was considered religious within Greeks, Jews, and Christians. Wine was brought to North America through Spanish Conquistadors to perform religious duties. Wine in North America is often associated with Argentina, California, and Chili regions and common grapes like Zinfandel and Malbec.
California is normally thought as a top wine producer in the United States. However, Missouri has been producing wine since entering statehood. Missouri has a strong German influence which explains how Missouri became prominent in the wine industry. In 1836, the German Settlement Society pursued new lands, traveling the Ohio and the Missouri Rivers to settle around St. Louis and Hermann. Missouri wine flourished because of its close proximity to the transcontinental railroad.
Before Prohibition, Missouri ranked 2nd in United States wine production behind California. Stone Hill Winery in Hermann, Missouri greatly influenced Missouri wine production. Michael Poeschel founded Stone Hill Winery 1847. Before prohibition, Stone Hill Winery was the 3rd largest winery in the world (2nd in the United States), produced over a million gallons of wine each year, and won medals for its wines at the world fairs.
In 2013, Missouri produced 1.25 million gallons of wine. The wine industry contributed over 1.3 trillion dollars. Wine production in Missouri from 2001 to 2009 grew by 156%! According to Statista.com, Missouri ranks 11th based on number of wineries in the United States with 139 wineries. However, Missouri is ranked 9th in the country based on wine acreage size and production.
Twenty Somethin' Aggie 