History of American wine

[2] The first Europeans exploring parts of North America called it Vinland because of the profusion of grape vines found there.

The various native grapes had flavors which were unfamiliar to European settlers and did not like using them in the initial production of American wine.

By 1842 Nicholas Longworth was growing 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) of Catawba grapes and making the country's first Sparkling wine.

"[citation needed] But the successful operations in Ohio ceased when fungus disease destroyed the vineyards.

Some growers responded by moving north to the shores of Lake Erie and its islands, where mildew was not a problem.

In 1872, O-Neh-Da Vineyard was established by the late Bishop Bernard McQuaid, on the shores of Hemlock Lake, to make pure grape wine for his churches.

Major wine production shifted to the Sonoma Valley in northern California largely because of its excellent climate for growing grapes.

In 1852, Charles LeFranc established what became the very successful Almaden Vineyards, where he planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot noir, Semillon, and many others.

[3][4] In 1861 Charles Krug who previously had worked for Agoston Haraszthy and Patchett founded his namesake winery in St. Helena and began making his own wine.

[5] Originally a Prussian political dissident, Krug learned the trade of the vintner as an apprentice to Haraszthy in the Sonoma Valley.

Many talented winemakers had died, vineyards had been neglected or replanted in poor quality grapes, and Prohibition had changed Americans' taste in wines.

During the 1970s a system was established to identify appellations of origins, using the term American Viticultural Areas (AVA).