Wines of eastern North America : from Prohibition to the present : a history and desk reference

In 1975 there were 125 wineries in eastern North America. By 2013 there were more than 2,400. How and why the eastern United States and Canada became a major wine region of the world is the subject of this history. Unlike winemakers in California with its Mediterranean climate, the pioneers who founded the industry after Prohibition—1933 in the United States and 1927 in Ontario—had to overcome natural obstacles such as subzero cold in winter and high humidity in the summer that favored diseases devastating to grapevines. Enologists and viticulturists at Eastern research stations began to find grapevine varieties that could survive in the East and make world-class wines. These pioneers were followed by an increasing number of dedicated growers and winemakers who fought in each of their states to get laws dating back to Prohibition changed so that an industry could begin.Hudson Cattell, a leading authority on the wines of the East, in this book presents a comprehensive history of the growth of the industry from Prohibition to today. He draws on extensive archival research and his more than thirty-five years as a wine journalist specializing in the grape and wine industry of the wines of eastern North America. The second section of the book adds detail to the history in the form of multiple appendixes that can be referred to time and again. Included here is information on the origin of grapes used for wine in the East, the crosses used in developing the French hybrids and other varieties, how the grapes were named, and the types of wines made in the East and when. Cattell also provides a state-by-state history of the earliest wineries that led the way. | In 1975 there were 125 wineries in eastern North America. By 2013 there were more than 2,400. How and why the eastern United States and Canada became a major wine region of the world is the subject of this history. Unlike winemakers in California with its Mediterranean climate, the pioneers who founded the industry after Prohibition—1933 in the United States and 1927 in Ontario—had to overcome natural obstacles such as subzero cold in winter and high humidity in the summer that favored diseases devastating to grapevines. Enologists and viticulturists at Eastern research stations began to find grapevine varieties that could survive in the East and make world-class wines. These pioneers were followed by an increasing number of dedicated growers and winemakers who fought in each of their states to get laws dating back to Prohibition changed so that an industry could begin. Hudson Cattell, a leading authority on the wines of the East, in this book presents a comprehensive history of the growth of the industry from Prohibition to today. He draws on extensive archival research and his more than thirty-five years as a wine journalist specializing in the grape and wine industry of the wines of eastern North America. The second section of the book adds detail to the history in the form of multiple appendixes that can be referred to time and again. Included here is information on the origin of grapes used for wine in the East, the crosses used in developing the French hybrids and other varieties, how the grapes were named, and the types of wines made in the East and when. Cattell also provides a state-by-state history of the earliest wineries that led the way. Contents Preface and Acknowledgments Maps Introduction Chapter One: Prohibition and Its Aftermath Before Prohibition Prohibition in the United States Prohibition in Canada Post-Prohibition in the United States Post-Prohibition in Canada Charles Fournier and Gold Seal Chapter Two: Philip Wagner and the Arrival of the French Hybrids Wagner and the Early Years The Hybrids Come to Canada The Hybrids Arrive in the Finger Lakes Chapter Three: Dr. Konstantin Frank and the Pro-Vinifera Crusade Frank’s Years in Europe Frank, Gold Seal, and Vinifera Wine Cellars Dr. Frank’s Infl uence The Toxic Scare The Vinifera-Hybrid Controversy Chapter Four: Vineyards and Wineries before Farm Winery Legislation Early Vineyards Early Wineries Ontario Wines before the Cottage Wineries Chapter Five: Farm Winery Laws and Their Effects Farm Winery Laws Begin in the Eastern United States New Wine Licenses in Ontario Chapter Six: The Industry Develops in the 1970s Winery Growth in the Early Years European Ventures in the East Developments in New York The First American Viticultural Areas Chapter Seven: Building the Infrastructure in the 1970s Basic Grape and Wine Research The Rise of Industry Publications Organizations Supporting Wineries Chapter Eight: Winery Events and Marketing in the 1970s Winery Events Marketing and Sales Efforts Generating Publicity Chapter Nine: Growing Pains in the 1980s The Two Shenandoah AVAs Virginia Festival Rivalry Crisis for Finger Lakes Growers The Canandaigua Story Progress and Turmoil in Ontario Free Trade and GATT Problems in Ontario Vintners Quality Alliance Chapter Ten: Winery Promotion in the 1980s Marketing Comes of Age Tastings Competitions The Eastern Wine Auction Chapter Eleven: Temperance, Neo-Prohibition, and the French Paradox Seagram’s Alcohol Equivalency Campaign Neo-Prohibitionism Gains Ground The Industry Fights Back 60 Minutes and “The French Paradox” Chapter Twelve: Consolidation in the 1990s More Large State Festivals Wine Standards The Ontario “Pull-Out” Program The VQA Program and Ontario Wine Exports Developments in Other Provinces Fruit Wines of Canada Chapter Thirteen: The New Century Continued Trends of Growth Investment in Long Island Education by Institutions Wine Quality Economic Impact The Direct Shipping Issue Trends and Prospects Appendixes A: The Origins of Eastern Wine Grapes B: How the French Hybrids Were Named C: Five Historic Grapevine Acquisitions during the 1930s and 1940s D: Eastern Wine Types E: Early Wine History, State by State F: The First American Wine Course G: American Viticultural Areas in the East Notes Bibliography Index

In 1975 there were 125 wineries in eastern North America. By 2013 there were more than 2,400. How and why the eastern United States and Canada became a major wine region of the world is the subject of this history. Unlike winemakers in California with its Mediterranean climate, the pioneers who founded the industry after Prohibition—1933 in the United States and 1927 in Ontario—had to overcome natural obstacles such as subzero cold in winter and high humidity in the summer that favored diseases devastating to grapevines. Enologists and viticulturists at Eastern research stations began to find grapevine varieties that could survive in the East and make world-class wines. These pioneers were followed by an increasing number of dedicated growers and winemakers who fought in each of their states to get laws dating back to Prohibition changed so that an industry could begin.

Hudson Cattell, a leading authority on the wines of the East, in this book presents a comprehensive history of the growth of the industry from Prohibition to today. He draws on extensive archival research and his more than thirty-five years as a wine journalist specializing in the grape and wine industry of the wines of eastern North America. The second section of the book adds detail to the history in the form of multiple appendixes that can be referred to time and again. Included here is information on the origin of grapes used for wine in the East, the crosses used in developing the French hybrids and other varieties, how the grapes were named, and the types of wines made in the East and when. Cattell also provides a state-by-state history of the earliest wineries that led the way.