Missouri has a long history of grape and wine production, mostly due to Germans who settled in Hermann and other communities starting in 1837. In the 1870s, when French vineyards were being devastated by the root louse phylloxera, Missouri sent large amounts of resistant rootstock to help save that industry. Before Prohibition, Missouri was the … Read more

DC Updates Members of Congress wanted to get home to the campaign trail, an incentive that helped them come together to avoid a potential government shutdown. They basically kicked the can down the road with a “Continuing Resolution” (current spending levels) through December 20, when they will again play chicken right before the holidays. What … Read more

Mississippi winegrowers must be intrepid, putting down roots in a state that is perhaps the least hospitable both politically and viticulturally. Even though wine was already being made when the state officially joined the United States in 1817, it banned the manufacture and sales of Mississippi wine 13 years before Prohibition started—and didn’t repeal the … Read more

Shutdown Showdown (The Sequel) After yet another recess, Congress returned to DC on Tuesday to continue fighting about how to prevent a government shutdown in 10 days when the fiscal year ends and the money runs out. This being an election year, the posturing and politics are particularly intense, but as usual, it is expected … Read more

Minnesota has played a major role in the expansion of the American wine industry by creating new grape varieties that can withstand very cold temperatures, thereby expanding the earth’s ability to host viable vineyards. Horticulturist Elmer Swenson and the University of Minnesota created many cold-hardy varieties, and several years ago a USDA-funded Northern Grapes Project … Read more