| It's only been within the past 30 years that American | | | | over 100 years ago are still in existence today. Many |
| wineries have made since a large mark on the world. | | | | of the fine wine shops in California carry wines |
| For hundreds of years it's been the French and the | | | | containing grapes from these vines. Those same |
| Italians that have defined the world of wine, so how | | | | wines are often award winning vintages. These wines |
| did America become a front runner? Here's a brief | | | | are a major part of the United States wine family |
| history of the grape and it's evolution in the United | | | | vine and are a must have for collectors. |
| States. | | | | Prohibition almost completely destroyed the wine |
| Spanish missionaries planted the seeds for | | | | growing and producing industry in the United States. |
| winemaking in 1779 in and area that is now known as | | | | After prohibition was overturned, the Depression and |
| California. At the time the land was still Mexico's and | | | | World Wars also put a damper on the production of |
| the missionaries were bringing the seeds to the San | | | | wine. Without buyers, it was hard for producers to |
| Juan Capistrano Mission. A century later European | | | | stay afloat. It wasn't until the late 1970's that |
| immigrant farmers began to move to this area. | | | | winemaking started to become what it is in the US. |
| These immigrants were mostly Italian, but there | | | | Before the 1970's there were very few producing |
| were also French, German and Hungarian farmers | | | | wineries in the United States. 90% of them were |
| that had knowledge about the winemaking process. | | | | based in California specializing in red wines, true to |
| These farmers moved to California to produce wine. | | | | their predecessors. |
| Since the French, Italians and Germans had a | | | | Today there are thousands of wineries spread out |
| preference for red wine, most of the early American | | | | around the United States. The states best known for |
| wines were red. Even the people who came to | | | | wine production are California, Oregon, Washington |
| California during the gold rush stayed behind and | | | | and Michigan. The growth and popularity of wine in |
| found a different kind of fortune, the kind found on | | | | the past 30 years is amazing and shows no signs of |
| a vine. | | | | slowing down. Many wine enthusiasts hope that it |
| Some of the vineyards that these farmers planted | | | | never does. |