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Missouri wine industry had challenging spring

It’s been a challenging spring for the Missouri wine industry – starting with COVID-19.

Jim Anderson, director of the Missouri Wine and Grape Board, tells Brownfield Ag News, “Really from March through May, most of our wineries were shut down. Some of our wineries were creative where they were able to do some curb side. Some of them did home deliveries. And, of course, most of our wineries also do wholesale which did increase those wholesale Missouri wine sales.” Missouri consumers switched to grocery store purchases which increased wholesale wine sales.

Anderson says spring weather challenges in late April and early May added to the challenges, “We did take a hit on some frost damage on our primary buds on the grapes. So, we’ll know more here through July about the damage that we have on our grape crop.”

Anderson says they hope consumers continue to come back to wineries – which are major contributors to Missouri’s agritourism. Special events from March through June at wineries were cancelled but events are not starting to pick back up as restrictions have eased.

There are nearly 130 wineries in Missouri which typically generate $3.2 Billion dollars a year for the state.

Interview with Jim Anderson ^^

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