In my wonderful wine book on red wines, I came across a piece on Mission grapes and wines. This grape comes to us from the Spanish conquistadors and their priests who brought this dark-skinned grape to their New World missions in the 1500s. Thanks to Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo and Wikipedia for their help with this article.
The History of Mission Grapes
The Mission grapes are the earliest vinifera variety to be cultivated in the Americas. The Catholic Church used the dark grape to make sacramental wine as well as wine for drinking with meals. It became known as the Mission grape. Five centuries later, it has been identified as the Listán Prieto, a red grape, which is believed to have originated in the Castilla – La Mancha region of Spain.
Hernán Cortés was the first Spanish explorer to reach what is now Mexico with his army in 1522. Grape seeds were planted there almost immediately. Mexico is known as the oldest wine producing country in the Americas.
From Mexico, the grape probably made its way, via Peru, to Chile. Jesuit missionaries brought cuttings to San Diego, where Junipero Serra planted them at his mission in the mid-1700s.
Characteristics of the Mission Grapevine
“The Mission grapevine is very hardy and drought-resistant. It can live well over 100 years. The vine can grow to become very tall, reaching the size of a large shade tree or it can grow horizontally to a great length. As of 2016, the oldest Mission vine that was still yielding grapes was located at the Avila Adobe, California Historic Landmark #145…The Avila Adobe was built in 1818 by Francisco Avila who planted his vineyard in the courtyard.”
Mission Grapes Dominated Viticulture in California for 100 years
The Mission grape dominated viticulture in California until the mid-1860s. As more grape varieties were introduced throughout California, “the Mission grape transitioned to becoming a favorite table grape described as pleasant and agreeable. The grape itself can produce both red and white wines which range in character from dry to sweet depending on the terroir and the addition of fortified wines. The color of the juice is very pale so it was often planted with the variety Alicante Bouschet, once a popular French grape widely cultivated since 1866, to provide a rich red color by blending juice from the two grapes.”
The Grape’s Use Today
California growers aren’t replanting this grape, but about 600 acres remain in the Central Valley of California, where it’s used for a fortified wine known as Angelica. Chile, on the other hand, has more than 35,000 acres under vine, mostly for low-cost pink or light-red wines sold domestically.
A few winemakers from France have taken a historic interest in the variety and are producing good-quality, easy-drinking reds.
According to my wonderful wine book, “Single-varietal Mission wines aren’t going to win awards for their quality or age-ability any time soon, but a few Chilean winemakers are using it to make single-varietal sparkling Rosés and light, easy-drinking reds. These are great low-cost wines for a lazy summer picnic with friends.”
