With the hot summer weather rolling in, there is ‘MO’ better way to cool off than with a glass of sweet Concord. This fine wine accounts for 6.6% of all grapes grown in Missouri, with 111.9 acres dedicated to just growing it.

Concord, pronounced kahn-kord, is a deep, dark plum colored wine that smells like a jar of concord grape jelly. Its candy-like sweetness pairs well with cheddar cheese, BBQ, pork chops, orange chicken, spicy seafood, nutmeg, vanilla, poached figs, grape pie and chocolate.

Although this wine is sweet, it has quite a rich origin story. It was cultivated by Ephraim Wales Bull in 1849. Bull desired to create a hardy grape that could withstand the harsh northeastern climate of the United States. He planted seeds from the native species growing on his farm and evaluated 22,000 seedlings before he settled on what he considered the perfect grape.

Bull named the variety after the town where he plated the grape, the village of Concord, Massachusetts. Since he saw it could withstand the demanding weather of the northeast, he knew it would thrive in the Midwest. Concord vines tolerate our cold winters and hot summers well.

Grab a bottle of Concord next time you’re out or stop by a local winery. You won’t regret cooling off this summer with a glass of Concord!