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WineEastNews From Lost Vine to New Missouri Wine Westphalia Vineyards releases wine from 'Missouri Riesling' W estphalia, Mo.—In May, Terry Neuner, owner and winemaker at Westphalia Vineyards, introduced a new wine called Renaissance. The wine was a special release not only because of its limited quantity (40 cases) but because it The back label explains, "We call this experiwas made from estate-grown Missouri Riesment 'Renaissance,' the rebirth of a native ling, representing the "rebirth" of a grape American grape varietal." cultivar thought possibly to be extinct. People have been growing grapes and the riparia-labrusca cross was introduced making wine in Missouri since before the by Nicholas Grein in Hermann, and it was Civil War. In fact, in the late 19th century a popular white wine grape in the years Stone Hill Winery in Hermann, before Prohibition. However, with winesandvines.com Mo., was the second-largest winthe advent of Prohibition, the only Learn more: Search keywords ery in the entire country. grape variety to remain in produc"Missouri Riesling." While vinifera and both French tion to any extent was Concord, and American hybrid grapes are now grown which was used as a juice grape. in parts of Missouri, Missouri Riesling is Neuner set out to find a source for MisWaterloo_Nov10.qxp 8/26/10 11:36 AM souri Riesling, even though none of these Page 1 not the vinifera variety Riesling. Rather, 90 W in e s & V i ne s AU G U ST 20 13 vines were known to grow in Missouri, and in 2005 he located one vine at Cornell University's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y. Beginning with five cuttings from the vine at Cornell, Neuner has now propagated 500 Missouri Riesling vines at his 8-acre vineyard along the Maries River outside Westphalia, Mo. One problem Neuner had not anticipated arose when he sent in his label for approval by TTB. "Missouri Riesling" was not a recognized grape variety, and he had to convince the authorities that he was not making a Riesling in Missouri, but using a cultivar whose name happened to include a state name and another wine varietal name. Westphalia Renaissance can be purchased at the tasting room in Westphalia, Mo. For more information, contact Neuner at terry@westphaliavineyards.com. —Linda Jones McKee