Mission [MISH-uhn]
The red-wine grape that the Franciscan missionaries planted during the eighteenth century as they migrated from Mexico up through southern and northern California. Although Mission was California’s prevailing grape through the 1870s, its popularity and acreage have since diminished. Most of the remaining plantings are in the Central Valley and southern California. The Mission grape, which is closely related to Chile’s Pais variety and Argentina’s Criolla, is still extensively grown in Argentina as well as Mexico. Although definitely a Vitis vinifera grape, its European connection has never been clearly established, although recent theories suggest that it is the same as the Monica grape variety grown in Sardinia. Mission wines are generally poor to medium quality; they’re primarily used in blending.
The New Wine Lovers Companion, 2nd Edition, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Copyright © (1) 2003, 1995 by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.