Industry
The wine industry in Missouri is growing rapidly. Missouri has more than 1,600 acres (6.5 km2) planted in grapes. In 2008 over 888,000 gallons of Missouri wine was sold. The market share of Missouri wine within the state was 7.95% in 2008. The wine industry in Missouri has consistently grown for over a decade and in 2009 more than 88 wineries were open for business.
The state had a total of 97 wineries and 393 vineyards in 2009, and growth in new wineries continued. Missouri's winery count was over 115 by 2012. The three largest wineries in Missouri are (in order): St. James Winery, Stone Hill Winery, and Les Bourgeois Winery. Missouri is home to five wine trails which host wine events and festivals year round and encourage weekend getaways to some of the established wine regions in the state.
A state tax on wine imposed in 1984, now 12 cents per gallon, supports the state Missouri Wine and Grape Program, which provides scientific and marketing support for Missouri wines. The state hired a viticulturalist to assist in restoring the wine industry. Missouri State University's fruit experiment station began working with winemakers to determine grape varieties suitable for Missouri's climate. The state government hopes to encourage the local wine industry by promoting Missouri regionalism: integrating grape agriculture with winemaking, the restaurant business, and tourism.
Missouri State University's Mountain Grove Cellars, part of the Missouri State University - Mountain Grove Campus Fruit Experimentation Station - is a wholly university-owned and operated wine producing vineyard.
The University of Missouri's Institute for Continental Climate Viticulture and Enology (ICCVE) conducts research on best winemaking and grape growing practices and how they impact the growth of the wine industry in Missouri and the Midwest.
Read more about this topic: Missouri Wine
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