Mission grape

From EncycloWine

Mission grapes are a variety of Vitis vinifera introduced from Spain to the western coasts of North and South America in the 1500s by Roman Catholic missionaries for use in making sacramental wine. The original European strain has been lost, thus the grapes' being named "Mission grapes" since the Catholic missions are where they were generally grown. Until about 1850, Mission grapes, or Criolla, represented the entirety of viticulture in California; at the present time, however, Mission represents less than 1000 acres of total plantings in the entire state. [1]

Red and white wine, sweet and dry wine, and brandy were all produced from Mission grapes. Though Mission grape vines are heavy producers and can adapt to a variety of climates, wine made from the fruit tends to be rather characterless, and thus their use in winemaking has diminished in modern times. The Mission grape is believed to be related to the pink Criolla grape of Argentina and the red País grape of Chile.