Mission Grapes Role in Winemaking

Much has been written on the explosive development of viticulture and winemaking as a result of research carried on by the Institute for Grape Breeding in Geisenheim, Germany, the University of Bordeaux, and the University of California at Davis in the early twentieth century. What is less discussed is the state of New World winemaking before the parade of revelations flowed from these institutions.

The history of winemaking in North and South America rests largely on a single grape variety believed to have arrived in Argentina from Spain around 1557. It was a low-grade vinifera with a pinkish skin. It yielded mostly white and pink wines and was known as Criolla Chica. Chileans later called it Pais and as it traveled north into California, Arizona, and New Mexico, it became known as the Mission grape, since it was the variety planted by the peripatetic padres at all the missions.

Why the pinkish Mission grape was singled out to provide wine that would symbolize the blood of Christ is not well understood. But one thing can surely be said for it. It thrives in hot climates and mutates easily to accommodate a large spectrum of growing environments. While today Criolla Chica remains a pink grape in Argentina, the California mutation is very dark skinned and yields a proper sacramental wine, even though it is no longer used for that purpose.

There are now around 1,000 acres planted to the Mission grape in California; and a few acres in Texas and Illinois. The California vineyards are mostly in the Sierra Foothills, but small plots are found in Santa Clara County and Temecula. The only varietal bottlings of the Mission varietal are from Story, Malvadino, and Domaine de la Terre Rouge.

We tasted Domaine de la Terre Rouge Mission and found it fully worthy in the company of their Syrah and Zinfandel. If only the padres could have benefited from modern winemaking know-how!

The three wineries mentioned above are keeping American winemaking history alive with their Mission bottlings; but what are Argentine wineries doing with this rugged, historic varietal? Well, much the same as they always did. Since the rise of Malbec and other French varietals in Argentina, the acreage devoted to Criolla has steadily shrunk from around 50% of the total planting under vine in 1990. Criolla still provides wine-loving Argentines with the majority of their inexpensive table wine, appearing in jugs and boxes. (In California, Mission competes with the classic varietals in price.)

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