Missouri is having a great crop this year of wine on the vine. The grape harvest is running a couple of weeks behind because of rainy weather but should be finished within a couple of weeks.
The larger vineyards have harvesting machines but many of the smaller vineyards still pick their grapes by hand. The crop is measured in tons per acre—with some varieties producing two or three tons and others producing as much as seven or eight tons.
The head of the state agriculture department’s wine program, Jim Anderson, says the crop might be measured in tons, but the bottle of wine that makes it to the store shelf is measured in terms of a few grapes. This might be a piece of trivia that will amaze your friends—-
"Primarily you’re looking at 668 grapes would make a bottle (of wine)," he says, "One vine would pretty much produce one bottle of wine."
Anderson says Missouri’s vintners had some special challenges this year. Insects are a constant, but sprays can control them. But the seeming constant rains and high humidities caused some concerns about rot and mildews. Despite all of that, though, it appears our wine on the vine crop this year is in the bumper category.
Download Bob Priddy’s story (:63 mp3)
