Making wine

The story of wine production in Missouri is fascinating and has deep historical roots. Wave after wave of European settlers brought their skills at producing wine to the state. Before Prohibition was enacted in the early part of the 20th century, Missouri was one of the top wine-producing states. Some say it was No. 1.

And most anyone engaged in Missouri's wine industry -- a group that is growing by leaps and bounds -- knows the story of how Missouri's grapevines saved the French wine industry. After a parasite from America nearly ruined the roots of French vineyards in the 1870s, millions of cuttings of Missouri rootstock immune to the parasite were shipped to France, where French vines were grafted onto them, producing healthy grapes.

Take a drive from Cape Girardeau to St. Louis or through Southern Illinois and you see lots of winery signs, and new ones are cropping up all the time. The area along the Missouri River west of St. Louis has also seen a spurt in wineries, wine gardens and vineyards. Areas around Hermann and St. James have long been important wine centers.

Visit one of the area's wineries and enjoy the scenery as well as the wine.