Celebrate Missouri Wine Month by celebrating our varietals that turn into the wine we love. Keep reading to learn more about these delicious grapes!

Catawba (kuh-taw-ba): Catawba is a North American hybrid red grape that was likely discovered near the Catawba River in North Carolina, though its exact origin is disputed. Catawba is used in the production of pink and rose wines. Catawba provides sweet aromas with hints of garden-fresh strawberries. Sweet notes will be soft on the tongue with a floral and woodsy twist. Catawba produces a medium-bodied, sweet, fragrant, strawberry-like wine. This hardy grape thrives in humid summers and cold winters which makes it perfect for Missouri!

Visit our website for more information on varietals, pairings and recipes!

https://missouriwine.org/education/learn-the-basics/varietals/catawba

Chambourcin (sham-bor-san): Chambourcin is a red French American hybrid grape that competes for one of the world’s most popular hybrid grape varieties. It is known for its rich color that adds depth to many red blends. It is known as a teinturier grape (from the French word for “dye”) which is known for producing dark juice, rather than clear. Chambourcin is celebrated during the month of November. The nose will often pick up notes of cherry and it will taste earthy on the palate with strong notes of dark cherry. It is a smooth, medium-bodied wine with soft and subtle tannins. Something you may not know about this varietal is that Chambourcin is one of only a handful of grapes out of 1000+ varietals that produces a colored juice!

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https://missouriwine.org/education/learn-the-basics/varietals/Chambourcin

Chardonel (shar-doe-nel): This wine can be fermented in oak or stainless-steel barrels. Chardonel is celebrated during the month of April. You can pick up pear, apple, apricot, and oak if aged in barrels. Chardonel is often full-bodied, rich, complex and crisp. The Chardonel grape was actually developed at Cornell University in 1953. It is a cross of the Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc grapes!

Visit our website for more information on varietals, pairings and recipes!

https://missouriwine.org/education/learn-the-basics/varietals/chardonel

Concord (kaan - kord): Concord is an American grape that was selected from the wild in the mid 1800s. Its name is appropriately chosen from its area of origin, Concord, Massachusetts. It is considered a ‘slip skin’ grape because its skins are easily separated from the pulp during the winemaking process. Concord is celebrated during the month of July. The tastes and aromas that can be enjoyed in a glass of traditional grape juice, and you can depict what will be found in a glass of Concord. Concord is a robust medium-bodied wine that is soft and balanced. Believe it or not, Concord grape demand continued to grow with the invention of a lunchtime favorite and World War II ration – the peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

Visit our website for more information on varietals, pairings and recipes!

https://missouriwine.org/education/learn-the-basics/varietals/concord

Norton (nore-tuhn): Norton holds the honor of the official Missouri state grape as an American grape found in 1835 near Richmond, Virginia. As the premium red wine grape in Missouri, Norton is a rich red wine that combines flavors of spice, vanilla, chocolate notes and layered with fruit flavors of berries, ripe cherries and currants. It is a bold, full-bodied and complex dry red wine. The Norton grape is named after Dr. Daniel Norborne Norton. Dr. Norton was experimenting with crossing breeds of grapes and developed the Norton grape!

Visit our website for more information on varietals, pairings and recipes!

https://missouriwine.org/education/learn-the-basics/varietals/norton

Seyval Blanc (say-vahl-blahnc): Seyval Blanc is a French American hybrid grape that makes a dry to semi-dry, clean, crisp medium-bodied wine with an herbal, fresh flavor. When it is barrel fermented, it can take on an oak complexity indicative of Chardonel. You can pick up herbal spices, pear and oak (if fermented in barrels). Seyval Blanc is a medium-bodied, clean and crisp. Seyval Blanc grapes are versatile enough to be used in making many different wine styles!

Visit our website for more information on varietals, pairings and recipes!

https://missouriwine.org/education/learn-the-basics/varietals/seyval-blanc

Traminette (tra-men-et): Traminette ranges from dry to semi-dry or even semi-sweet. This medium-bodied white wine is similar to its parent Gewürztraminer. Its floral aromas are met with citrus fruit, a tangy acidity and a touch of spice on the end. This fun, complex wine is great for a lunch outing or appetizers. Experience floral aromas with tangy citrus and light spice, in this light-bodied, complex and acidic wine. This grape is a high-producing varietal!

Visit our website for more information on varietals, pairings and recipes!

https://missouriwine.org/education/learn-the-basics/varietals/traminette

Vidal Blanc (vee-dahl-blahnc): Vidal Blanc was developed by a French grape breeder in the 1930s and has since found a home in Missouri wine country. This grape is often produced as a single varietal wine that varies from dry to semi-dry and is sometimes used in blends and produced as a sweet, dessert-style sparkling wine. Vidal Blanc is harvested during the early fall. Vidal Blanc is processed as a white wine and not fermented on the skins. Vidal Blanc is celebrated during the month of June. Taste pear, apple, citrus and other fruits in this medium-bodied, crisp and clean wine. Vidal Blanc is a popular varietal for producing ice wines!

Visit our website for more information on varietals, pairings and recipes!

https://missouriwine.org/education/learn-the-basics/varietals/vidal-blanc

Vignoles (veen-yole): Vignoles is one of Missouri’s most versatile white grapes and a popular cultivar grown in the Midwest. It produces wines that have range from dry, to sweet, to late harvest dessert wines. Vignoles' crowd-pleasing capabilities and versatility make it an incredibly popular choice among the wine-buying public. Vignoles is celebrated during the month of August. Taste tropical fruits like pineapple, peach and apricot, sometimes citrus and floral notes in this popular medium-bodied, crisp and flavorful. While Vignoles sounds French, this grape varietal is mostly grown in North America!

Visit our website for more information on varietals, pairings and recipes!

https://missouriwine.org/education/learn-the-basics/varietals/vignoles

No matter which Missouri varietal is your favorite, be sure to celebrate Missouri Wine Month!

If you are looking for a specific grape varietal to enjoy, check out our 2024 Missouri Governor’s Cup Wine Competition results here!