Look for the WISE Choice badge!
Every Missouri wine with a WISE Choice sticker on its label has passed a thorough, two-part testing process by the Grape & Wine Institute. WISE stands for Wine Industry Standard of Excellence, and wines that have earned this sticker are of the highest quality, perfect for your next get-together, barbecue or night in at home.
GWI comprises the University of Missouri’s viticulture and enology labs, and is supported by a network of wine experts across the state of Missouri. In this way we are able to combine the personal with the technical, working closely with Missouri’s many wonderful wineries to examine, evaluate and improve the state’s wine offerings from all angles.
The GWI Quality Assurance Program
Our independent process is comprised of two separate tests:
1. A qualitative test made up of two panels of wine experts
- This is a blind panel test that implements consensus testing and is conducted four times per year.
2. A quantitative test that provides an analytical fingerprint for a variety of factors like PH balance, alcohol level and total acidity
- pH balance
- Alcohol level
- Residual Sugar
- Total acidity
- Sulfur dioxide levels
If a wine passes both tests, it is awarded the GWI Quality Assurance Program’s WISE Choice sticker for use on wine labels, proving it has met the standards.
If you are a Missouri winery and would like to submit your wine for evaluation, please click here.