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HERMANN, Mo. — When news of a pending global wine shortage made headlines last month, wine lovers around the world feared they might not be able to find their Loire whites and Rioja reds as easily as they can now. Supply was forecast to fall as demand continued to rise, taking wine prices with it.

But in one small corner of the wine world, winemakers were gearing up for what was to be a record harvest.

A shortage of wine? Not in Missouri.

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According to a Morgan Stanley Research report, 2012 wine production was already short about 300 million cases — the largest shortfall in decades. Wine production in Europe dropped 10 percent alone that same year. Global demand for wine is also on the rise.

“Missouri has seen some increase in demand for Missouri wines in general,” Johnson said. “There are also more acres of grapes. There’s not a shortage of Missouri wine.”

  alJazeera

Well, thank goodness.

Official yields won’t be reported to the state until April, but growers have already noticed the glut of grapes. Johnson said this year’s harvest has the potential to increase Stone Hill’s wine production as much as 30 percent, and it’s the same story at other Missouri wineries.

Coming out of a recession and unprecedented drought, it may be just the boost the state’s little-known wine industry needs.

I’ll try to help support it.

And, by the way, my California friends, Missouri does now have some very nice wines, indeed. Who would have thought?

It’s the weather that led to this year’s high yield in Missouri. The first sign of good fortune came when the spring and fall frosts never came. The cold typically has the potential to wipe out an entire year’s harvest.

No fall frost. We went straight into frigid winter this week.

At least we have wine.

A little historical note:  It was the University of California at Davis and the Missouri wine grape rootstocks that saved France’s wine industry when the phylloxera outbreak devastated their vineyards in the late 19th century.