How well do you know your American wine history?
Probably not as well as you think.
Here at Northeast Wine Company & Vitis Distribution, we’ve made it our mission to get wines from underappreciated US wine regions into the spotlight. Part of that mission includes lots of education centered around the history of wine production in the US.
If I were to ask you where European vines were first planted in the US, what would you say? Where was the first vine nursery? How about the first commercial vineyard, and the first commercial winery? And when it comes to wines that have won awards in Europe, where (and when) did those first appear?
The US wine industry has a fascinating tale that is much different than most people assume. The origins of the industry date back almost four hundred years. Regions we call “emerging” today are anything but… unfortunately, many are unaware of the long, rich history of areas thought of today as “fringe.”
The reasons behind this lack of awareness are steeped in politics and religion and go way back to the beginnings of this country. Not to mention that American Prohibition and its aftermath completely changed the landscape of the wine industry, drastically affecting consumer perception of where “good wine” should come from.
Read on to find out how well you know your American wine history. The results may surprise you!
Where were European vinifera vines first planted in the US?
Many people will guess California (the missions had vines, right?) or Virginia. But think again - the first vineyards planted with European vines were located in Massachusetts and New Mexico in 1630. This does make sense given the paths of colonists and the Spanish, but what comes as a bit of a surprise is that the missions didn’t plant their vines until 1769 - one hundred and forty years later!
During that century and a half, before vines appeared in California, vineyards sprouted up in many regions that include today’s Michigan (1702) and New York (early 1700’s). The first vine nursery was established in western Long Island, and wine production was happening on a relatively large scale by the time the California missions started making sacramental wines.
Where is the oldest commercial winery in the US?
Again many will say it must be California. And again, they would be wrong. The oldest commercial winery, still in operation, is located in New York’s Hudson River Region. Brotherhood Winery was established in 1839. It weathered Prohibition by producing sacramental wines for the Catholic church; Brotherhood has produced wine every single year since its founding.
You can visit the winery today, and should you find yourself in the Hudson River Valley, you certainly must! Stop by Benmarl Winery to check out the oldest vineyard in the US too.
Where were sparkling wines first made in the US that garnered worldwide acclaim?
If you’re a fan of bubbles, you’ve likely heard of the legendary sparkling wines of California’s Sonoma and Russian River Valley. Schramsberg, Iron Horse, and Domaine Carneros have long received high critic scores and attracted focus to the West Coast. However, this was not always the case.
The place best known for top sparkling wines in the US as far back as the 1860’s was New York’s Finger Lakes. Pleasant Valley Winery’s bubbles regularly outplaced French sparklers in competitions in Europe. The winery also has the honor of being the first bonded winery in the US. Pleasant Valley made it through Prohibition, like many other wineries, by making sacramental wines for the church.
What was the first US wine region to produce red wines that won awards in Europe?
Oh, you’ve got this… Napa, right?!
Not quite. Try New Jersey.
New Jersey’s Egg Harbor City was renowned for its red blends based on the Norton grape pre-Prohibition. In fact, at the Paris Exposition of 1878, Egg Harbor City wines took many of the top prizes. And this wasn’t surprising - New Jersey was known at the time for producing very high quality wine that could command quite a price!
So “emerging wine region” is a bit of a misnomer.
When the wine industry’s center of power shifted to the West post-Prohibition, many areas that had been known for high quality wine production slipped into anonymity in the public mind. But excellent wines are still produced today throughout these regions - you just have to know where to look to find them! Start with our portfolio, which features quite a few of these “emerging regions.” 😉
