Imagine creating a world-class wine from grapes no one’s heard of—a wine that carries the history of a place and the resilience of its people. That’s exactly what Jerry Eisterhold, founder of TerraVox Winery in Missouri, is doing.

Today, Jerry joins Paul K to discuss the highs and lows of his experimental journey–from discovering North America’s forgotten native grape varieties to the painstaking process of turning them into award-winning, food-friendly fine wines.

This conversation tackles the challenges of working with unfamiliar grapes, the historical significance of these grape varieties, the innovative techniques applied to bring them to the world’s attention, and more.

Curious to know what the future of American wine tastes like?

Tune in now to learn more!

 

Key Takeaways:

Introduction (00:00)

TerraVox Winery and its indigenous American grapes (00:45)

Winemaking challenges with lesser-known grapes (04:37)

TerraVox’s goal with Missouri’s native grapes (09:57)

Grape varieties suitability for winemaking (15:20)

Innovations in wine styles using old and new techniques (21:08)

Top factors in choosing the perfect grape planting location (25:08)

The potential for establishing terroir with these unique grapes (29:28)

TerraVox marketing strategy and the importance of local support (33:37)

The aging potential of TerraVox wines (38:22)

Jerry’s approach to making Rosé wines with unique grapes (41:47)

Local community’s response to TerraVox's lesser-known grapes (43:34)

How Smithsonian Magazine discovered TerraVox (45:10)

Significance of producing American wines from indigenous grapes (47:51)

Episode wrap-up (52:28)

 

Additional Resources:

👉Learn more about Wine Talks: https://www.winetalkspodcast.com/

👉Watch the YouTube full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcE_nUpOKHY&list=PLVPoDzlH3_n8rqmofwcCQvOi_3Ci66bu_

👉Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WineTalksPodcast?sub_confirmation=1

👉Visit TerraVox Wine for more information: https://terravox.wine/

 

Watch or listen to this episode:

👉Interview with Jeff and Kathy from Uncorked: https://youtu.be/HxccfBklg34

Let’s Connect:

🔸IG: https://www.instagram.com/winetalkspodcast/

🔸LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-kalemkiarian-a792914

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Wine Talks with Paul K is the ultimate podcast for serious wine lovers who want to know everything about the wine business. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, this podcast will introduce you to the wonderful world of wine, one story at a time.

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