From "AAA World" magazine july/August 2005 edition:
"... in 1619, America's first legislature, the House of Burgesses, formed at Jamestown Colony, required every male over 20 to plant at least 10 grape vines. That started America's industrial wine production with a 200-year head start on California. What's really odd is that the East Coast wines ever got so far behind."
Hi Paul, I suspect Phylloxera and Pierce's disease slowed East Coast vineyard development down a bit. Lum Del Mar, California, USA
Thomas Jefferson tried a few hundred years later and was not very successful either.
Joe
Perhaps, but it should not have been a problem with native varieties. Perhaps the slow down was due more to religious intolerance for alcohol. Just a theory, who knows.
I think I read somewhere that even apple orchards were almost wiped out at one time in the east because of the bible thumpers objection to hard cider.
Some people are not very successful even today. Perhaps viticulture was not TJ's strong suit. Fortunately, he had others.
Actually, it probably also ended up that tobacco, cotton, and other crops were much more profitable than grapes/wine.
TJ was an enormous fan of French wines, including meeting a winemaker named LaTour (you may have heard of his Chateau) while he was ambassador (least, that's what I remember reading).
Rob
TJ was amazing. I commend his "Notes on Virginia" to any person living in the US. You will find his writing absolutely astounding.
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