May 25th – National Wine Day (US) #NationalWineDay
Celebrated each May 25th, I think it is a bonus that it lands on a Saturday this year!
This is a day to drink wine. Any wine you like!
It’s a little hazy how this holiday started, but some say it was back in 2009.
This is a US Holiday, and I encourage you to look for smaller US producers! Taste something new to you!
Of course, I won’t get mad if you grab a bottle from somewhere else. There are so many wines from all over the world!
Just promise me you will take a moment to savor whatever you are sipping. Wine can be complex and mysterious. Think of it as music; it appeals to each person in a slightly different way.
A Brief History of Wine in the United States
to Celebrate National Wine Day
As early as the 1560s, wine was being made in Florida. Some say it was the Spanish in St. Augustine. Others claim it was the French Huguenots. I’ve read that the French Huguenots brought vines. Finding definitive information is not so easy.
I did find that Sir John Hawkins (an infamous Pirate!) documented the French Huguenot settlers near what is now Jacksonville, making wine from native Muscadine grapes somewhere between 1562 and 1564.
When the Crown first sent settlers to America, it had great hopes of having a colony that could produce wine! Sadly, Vitis Vinifera, the grape used for wine, did not grow natively in the Colonies. Vitus Lambrusca grew here with a “foxy” flavor that put people off. Vitus Vinifera struggled in the damp climate. Vines were brought from France in the early 1600s but could not survive in the climate.
The first recorded winery in California was in the mid-1700s in San Diego, from vines brought from Mexico (they had been growing there since the early 1600s.) Here, they were making wine at the Missions, which, coincidentally, was Mission Grapes.
Thomas Jefferson repeatedly tried to grow wine grapes at Monticello without much success just before the founding of our country. Years of innovation and research now find Virginia Wine Country producing some delicious wines, especially Cabernet Franc & Viognier!
As the settlers headed west, so did the wine, with homesteaders carrying seeds and vines. Some tried their hand at winemaking with Native and hybrid grapes.
California hit a boom in the mid-1800s, and vineyards and wineries like Gundlach Bundschu in Sonoma and Beringer in Napa were established.
Some headed North to Oregon and Washington. The Umpqua Valley in Southern Oregon holds a bit of history. The Doerner family planted a vineyard here in 1889 that is still run by the family today.
Prohibition! Yikes! In January of 1920, prohibition almost wiped out the industry. Luckily, things bounced back when it was repealed, but the industry had taken a hit and been severely set back.
Following Prohibition, Richard Sommer started HillCrest Vineyard in the Umpqua Valley. With certificate number 42, this bonded winery is the oldest in the state and is run by Dyson Demara today.
Of course, in 1976, there was the famous Judgement of Paris (we discussed that yesterday. Here’s a link) that put Napa Valley on the World Wine Map!
Today, wine is made in all 50 states. It might be harder to find in some states, but it’s there! Hmmm…a trek state by state visiting wineries? Sounds like a bucket list plan. If you get to it before I do, fill me in!
Research and Resources
- https://overcupbooks.com/blogs/blog-1/120193921-a-brief-history-of-wine-in-america
- https://lizthachmw.com/winetravelstories/a-brief-history-of-wine-in-america/
- https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/wine/florida-make-wine/
- https://dixonvalve.com/en/news-and-events/news/grapes-glass-history-and-process-winemaking
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
Check out our book series, “Tempting Spoonfuls” available through Amazon!
Inspired by the flavors and aromas in wines, these books create “tempting spoonfuls” of flavors to pair with wines.
“Tempting Spoonfuls – Pairing single bites with glorious wines” – Our first book paired wines from boutique wineries on the west coast, in California, Oregon, and Washington, with delicious spoonfuls.
This book is 60 pages, 18 recipes, lots of beautiful photos, and insights into some fantastic small wineries!
“Tempting Spoonfuls – small bites paired with wines from around the Globe” – This book takes us around the globe to explore 12 wine regions, a wine from the region, and then gives you a recipe for a pairing!
A slightly larger book at 104 pages, this time you learn about pairing with a type of wine from a region. Rather than a specific bottle, you can look for a style of wine from a region and feel confident that it will go well with the recipe pairing we provide. We give you 12 recipes, each to pair with a wine.
The goal is to make your mouth water and encourage you to create your own “Tempting Spoonfuls.”
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