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Weather issues in Missouri could wipe out nearly three-quarters of wine production

Missouri’s Ag Director says extreme weather has caused a 70 percent decline for the state’s wine production this year.  

Chris Chinn says farmers have faced a perfect storm. “Late last year in December, we had a really cold spell, and the weather fluctuated a lot in the last three months of the year.  It really came at a bad time when the grapes would have been budding.  Then in April, we had a late freeze, which further stressed those grape vines.”

And, she tells Brownfield, the current drought could cause long-lasting damage. “We’re really concerned that some of those vines may not make it through this growing season, and they may have to replant.  If you have to replant, it will take 3 to 5 years to get full production off of the vines.  This will have a long term impact on wine production in the state of Missouri.”

Chinn says growers are trying to import grapes from the Northeast, but that region also experienced a late freeze.