About the Institute for Continental Climate
Viticulture and Enology
Don't like the weather? Just wait a few minutes and it'll change! That's what Missourians say about the weather in this Midwestern state. Missouri has a unique climate with unpredictable weather, which affects yield and quality of the grapes grown in the state.
The MU Institute for Continental Climate Viticulture and Enology (ICCVE) conducts research on conditions such as canopy management, shoot thinning and other treatments and how they impact the growth of the wine industry in Missouri and the Midwest.
A hundred years ago, "American" wine was usually Missouri wine. Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) are also credited with saving the French wine industry in the mid-1800s when grapevines in that country were dying from a parasitical infection, and we sent Missouri rootstock to be grafted to French rootstock.
Today, Missouri wines are making a comeback and are winning national and international awards.
At ICCVE, faculty research/teaching teams will work on viticulture (grape production) and enology (wine production) and will involve students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Working in the research lab will enable the students to get hands-on experience. This experience will better prepare them to work at vineyards and Missouri's 58 wineries, which currently are forced to hire out-of-state workers unfamiliar with Missouri's climate and soil conditions.
MU, as the only land-grant institution in the state, not only conducts world-class research, but also takes the knowledge gained to the people of the state through extension programs.
Areas of Research
- Cultural practices for Missouri soils and climate
- Development of disease-resistant and high-yield grape varieties
- Insect and other pest controls
- Rootstock development
- Fermentation and wine production
- Storage, handling and service in the wine industry
Other possibilities for research thrusts include a statewide breeding program as well as developing new grape varieties best suited to Missouri's climate. The wine industry in Missouri is an important part of the state's economy, with more than $21 billion in retail sales in 2003. Our research in viticulture and enology will have a positive impact on the development and growth of the industry.
The institute is funded by the Missouri Grape and Wine Board, which directs funds from a state-wide tax on wine sales for research, education and marketing.
