“History of Missouri Wines and Wineries” with Doug Schneider

NCHS presents our January guest speaker virtual presentation via Zoom, offering a broad look at how Napa Valley’s historic industries were shaped by migrants from outside of California. The wine industry in Missouri was started by German immigrants who had never made wine before in their lives.  The industry took off: by 1859 there were 50 wineries in the town of Hermann, Missouri, alone.  Missouri came to the rescue in 1869, when the French wine industry was being devastated by an invasive louse – Missouri knew how to solve the problem and we saved the French wine industry.  In 1873, a Missouri wine won a gold medal at the World’s Fair in Vienna, Austria.  Missouri was a wine leader in the United States until Prohibition wiped out our wineries.  But in the late 20th Century, the Missouri wine industry has been revived and is thriving.  Now $100,000,000 is slated to create “a new Napa Valley” in the Missouri River Valley (site of the first federally approved AVA – American Viticulture Area).  Doug Schneider will also talk about George Husmann, a renowned Missouri wine expert, who moved to the Napa Valley in 1880, and used his knowledge to enhance viticulture in the Napa Valley.

Doug Schneider is currently a Continuing Ed instructor for St. Louis Community College.  His specialty topics are St. Louis and Missouri history, Route 66, and exotic travel.

This virtual presentation will be held over Zoom. Capacity is limited to 100 participants. Zoom link will be available in Virtual Ticket PDF download following checkout and will be emailed to all attendees prior to the presentation.

Please contact us with any questions about registration at (707)224-1739 or info@napahistory.org