THE AMERICAN WINE INDUSTRY

Sunday, June 21, 2009

American Wine Industry Hall of Fame

Originated September 25, 2008, 1st mod., December 14, 2008, 2nd mod June 21, 2009
Copyright all rights reserved by Wine Country Marketing and Promotions
1370 Trancas Street, #409, Napa, CA Phone: 707-299-9548
Web site: http://www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com/ E-mail: winecntrypromo@aol.com

The Concepts for an
American Wine Industry Hall of Fame, Museum & Foundation

OVERVIEW
There is still a great deal of detail to be developed before the AWI Museum, HOF and Foundation could be fully implemented, but we are well along the way and encourage all interested parties to contact us about their interest in participating in its development and growth, and to provide recommendations and comments. The web site: www.amerwine.blogspot.com/ contains more information about our American Wine Industry program recommendations.

In 2006, our founder, John M. Olney, was selected by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) as one of the top wine writers in America to participate in the voting process to select the inaugural inductees of the California-based wine industry individuals to the “California Vintners Hall of Fame.” In 2007, he was added to the Nominating Committee as well as continuing to be one of the wine writers casting his ballot for the selection of inductees. In 2008, CIA altered the format of the nominating and voting process for potential inductees by established the California Vintners Hall of Fame Electoral College of which Mr. Olney continues to serve on the nominating committee and is one of the 44 voting member that select the current round of inductees.

As he studied the ballot and voting process he quickly surmised that what is lacking is a program whereby not only individuals but organizations could and should be recognized from the entire country for their contribution to the American Wine Industry. Olney pointed out to his associates:
"Just as the early settlers migrated from the East to California, so did winemaking in America. These men and women who developed the initial industry in the East & South and Mid States deserve their place in the history of American Wine.

To not consider these early winemaking men and women would be like not including the great American efforts of John Glenn and his first orbit of earth and then start our space travel program with the Shuttle flights.

Therefore, we should initiate an America wide awards program that recognizes those of all 50 states and territories who have made significant contribution to wine growing, production, marketing, distribution and sales to the consumer from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, and from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico."

Purpose of the AWI Museum, HOF and FoundationThere a number of important reasons why the American Wine Industry should be recognized for its value to the American lifestyle. Principal among these are:

To educate the public regarding the origin, development and growth of wine production as an important part of American culture.

To promote the positive values of wine in the lifestyles of Americans.

To assist in the development and preservation of the history of the American Wine Industry (AWI) through the spoken and printed word, radio, TV, film/DVD and the Internet

AMERICAN WINE INDUSTRY MUSEUM
Purpose: To find, collect, preserve and display to the general public documents and artifacts of the various eras and regions of the American Wine Industry. Changing exhibits will be used to draw repeat visits to the museum by wine consumers as well as those from the wine industry itself.

Facility Projects & Programs: Building space will be dedicated to regional wine producing areas described elsewhere in this proposal and to the various sugar containing feedstock’s from which wine has been and is now being made throughout the USA.

To draw paying visitors to the building facilities and grounds the AWI organization would produce events such as listed below:

Invited speakers from the various regions throughout the USA and its Territories
Collected memorabilia and artifacts from the various regions hroughout the USA and its Territories

Theme wine tasting events in the following categories
FEEDSTOCKSNon grape fruitsBerriesHoneyIndigenous American grape varietalsHybrid grape varietalsOther feedstock’s

REGIONS Two events per year dedicated to featuring the wines of each of the 12 sub-regions of the USA described elsewhere in this document.

AMERICAN WINE INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME (AWIHOF)
EXISTING STATE HOF PROGRAMS The origin of the AWI HOF and Foundation is derived from the observation that a number of larger wine producing States has programs that identify and recognize the contributions made by individuals and organizations to the advancement of wine production within that particular State.

Ohio http://www.ohiowines.org/links.shtml then to http://www.ohiowines.org/hall_of_fame.shtml

Washington The Hall of Fame by the Walter Clore Wine & Culinary Center: http://www.walterclore.com/

California Culinary Institute of America - California Vintners Hall of Fame http://wineindustryreport.finewinepress.com/tag/Culinary_Institute_of_America

EXISTING NATIONAL HOF PROGRAMS
Women for Wine sense
Wine Media Guild There is one wine writer’s HOF selection and induction organization: http://winemediaguild.org/about-the-wine-media-guild/ then to http://winemediaguild.org/hall-of-fame-inductees-2007/

There are also a number of food and wine type societies/institutions that sponsor somewhat similar programs to those State wine organizations mentioned above but rely mostly on popularity votes and thus are not true HOF programs based on contribution over longevity.

Regional Definitions
Because Mr. Olney found that there is such diversity in the source of the fermentable juices used and styles in wine producing areas of America, he recommends that the recognition of individuals and organizations should be conducted on a regional basis possibly as segmented as follows: (These numbers are based of 2005 count and are in the process of being updated at this time to reflect the best estimated as of December 2009)

West (2079)

1. California (1200 wineries)
2. Washington (460)
3. Oregon (300)
4. Other (119) Coast : (5) - AK (3), HI (2), Territories (0)
Inland: (114) - AZ (24), CO (40), ID (23), NM (20), NV (1) , UT (6)

East (328)

5. NY (179)
6. PA (70)
7. Other East (79) - CT (10), DE (1), ME (3), MA (12), MD (12), NH (2), NJ (24), RI(5), VT (10), Territories (0)

South (328)

8. VA (90)
9. TX (60)
10. Other South (178)
Gulf: ( 96) - AL (24), FL (14),LA (3), MS (55)
Inland: (37) - AK (4), , GA (20) , KY (7), TN (6),
Atlantic: (45) - NC (10), SC (24), WV (11)

Great Lakes & Central (287)

11. Central: (109)IA (20), KS (8), MO (50), MT (5), NE (5),ND (1), OK (15), SD (4), WY (1)
12. Great Lakes (178)IL (40), IN (30), MI (40), MN (16), OH (40), WI (12)

As currently envisioned, Hall of Fame floor display space would be dedicated to each of the
12 regional areas shown above.

Nominations for consideration of induction into the Hall of Fame
Anybody can nominate individuals and organizations to be considered for the HOF. Unlike other wine related HOF organ-ization sponsors, Mr. Olney does not believe it is a true reflection of the impacts on the American Wine Industry if the selection criteria is to only allow individual names to be considered since there are a number of influences that were developed on a team basis - whether university or private industry - wherein multiple contributors created a particularly valuable improvement to the American Wine Industry. Therefore Mr. Olney recommends that there be six categories in which individuals and organizations can be nominated for induction into the HOF as listed below:

Growers: Grapes, Fruits, Berries, Honey (Mead), Other sugar based feedstock resources

Vintners

Winemakers
These are the people who actually make the wine

Owners
These are the individual, famiiies and companies that envisioned the business and funded it and may or may not have been actively involved in the hands on operation of the facilities

Universities/Scientists

Individuals
Institutions/Corporations

Marketing & Public Relations

Individuals
Institutions/Corporations

Media

Organizations – Printed, TV, Radio, Internet websites, movies/DVD
Writers – Columnists, Blogs, Historians, reporters, newsletters, etc.

Distributors & Retailers

Individuals
Institutions/Corporations

Periods of American Wine Industry History
Mr. Olney feels that the annual inductees might be derived in accordance with the following guidelines,“We are leaning towards selecting individuals and organization from each of what we call the three distinct periods of wine production within American. By doing what we s propose, we can offer each generation the opportunity to recognize those with whom their wine experiences were developed. This also ensures that history is retained by inducting those who came way before any of us in the industry today.”

The three eras that Olney recommends are briefly described below:

"Initialization and Migration" This period is defined as the time from the first arrival of foreigners to the new world up to year about 1825, with the start of America’s great period when it was declared that it ‘was our manifest destiny to make the United States, one country reaching from coast to coast.” This became part of what is known as "The Monroe Doctrine. " Wines were also being produced using non-grape feedstock’s
.
"Expansionism & Refinement” The period from about 1825 through the enactment of Prohibition against the commercial production and consumption of alcoholic beverages in 1920 including the period of bootlegging of spirits, beer and wine until Repeal in 1933. This is the period when grape wine moved from just American varietals and their "foxy" taste to the palette, into production using European varietals with a much more refined after-taste. Wines were also being produced using non-grape feedstock’s.

"Resurrection & Perfection" This era commences with Repeal of Prohibition in 1933 to the present and constitutes the period when winemaking retreated from sweet, fortified wines and moved back to premium varietals and excellent generic wines produced in mass quantities. Meanwhile, wines were also being produced using non-grape feedstock’s.

Voting for AWI Hall of Fame Inductions
The nominees are voted upon by members of the wine industry. Individuals employed in the industry must register with the AWIHOF office establishing their credentials as performing in some capacity within one or more of the seven wine industry categories previously detailed.

AMERICAN WINE INDUSTRY FOUNDATION
Mission StatementTo educate the public regarding the origin, development and growth of wine production as an important part of American culture.

To promote the positive values of wine in the lifestyles of Americans.
To assist in the development and preservation of the history of the American Wine
Industry through spoken & printed word, radio, TV, film and the Internet.
To assist in finding, collecting and preserving documents and artifacts ofthe various era’s of the American Wine Industry.
To provide grants-in-aid and scholarship funding to qualifying individuals and organizations desiring to document, improve and expand the history and production of wine in America.

AMERICAN WINE INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The AWI Museum, HOF and Foundation will be a qualifying 501 non-profit company established with a Board of Trustees, slate of officers and paid staff members, augmented by a volunteer work group to document the history of wine in America, provide tours, information services to on-tine visitors of both buildings & grounds and Internet Web sites of the AWI.

Board of Trustees The founding trustees will be selected by the founding funding sponsors and they would serve a three- year period in office and then would implement future selections of trustees in a manner such as Mr. Olney describes below.

At-Large Trustees ( 5 ) - They will serve four-year terms. These individuals will be nominated and voted upon by the registered members of the wine industry.

Trustee of Qualified Other HOF Organizations ( 6 ) - They will serve three-year terms. Mr. Olney suggests that a permanent seat be offered to each of the existing HOF organizations cited earlier in this presentation, and any such organization in the future that the Board of Trustee feels is a legitimate representative of some field of the AWI. These organizations will nominate and vote for their selected representative to the Board.

Regional Trustees (24) - They will serve two-year terms. He suggests that initially two (2) willing parties be located from within each of the 12 regional areas cited earlier in this presentation, to be the first occupants of the Regional Trustee seats. Thereafter these seats would be selected by nomination and voting by only members within each of the respective 12 regions.

The full Board of Trustees will select the following positions from among their membership:Chairperson1st Vice Chairperson2nd Vice Chairperson SecretaryTreasurer
Executive Committee (11) The Board of Trustees would select an Executive Committee from among their composition to oversee the routine operations of the staff officers, salaried/waged employees, volunteers and program effectiveness, This committee will be composed of the following membership:
Two (2) from the At-Large category - They serve a four year term. They are selected by vote of the five Trustees of this category

One (1) from the Other HOF category - Serves a three year term and is selected by vote of the six Trustees of this category

Eight (8) from the Regional category with two each from the four geographical areas of the 12 regions listed above. These members will serve two-year terms.

They are selected by vote of the Trustees of this category in the following
manner:
Two from the West: the eight trustees of the region - voted into
office in even number years
Two from the East: the six trustees of this region - voted into office in odd number years.
Two from the South: the six trustees of this region - voted into office in odd number years
Two from the GL & MW: the four trustees of this region - voted into office in even number years

Board Committees: The Board may establish ad hoc committees as its membership deems appropriate but there will be the following standing committees of the board which are filled by voluntary commitment:

Finance & Audit - Presiding member Treasure Program Development - Presiding member 1st Vice Chairperson Public Awareness & Promotion - Presiding member 2nd Vice Chairperson Facility and Property Operations & Maintenance - Presiding member Secretary

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Our version of the American Wine Industry (AWI) is unlike any other on the Internet in that we do not limit the form of feedstock used to produce wine to only grapes, rather we include all the other fruit and berry sources as well as honey (Mead wine) along with indigenous and foreign grape feedstocks.

In order to understand the AWI we have listed many of the wineries in the 50 state of the union. We have segmented these winery operations into generalized regions which can be viewed by clicking here->>The American Wine Industry

Our Founder, John M. Olney is our ardent history researcher and writer about the American Wine Industry. He will be offering new article frequently on this site as well as his own blogging site. The material he develops ultimately is massaged and will appear in his non fiction book (Click here to read about it "Wine U.S.A. - A Modern Historical Perspective"

HISTORY OF WINE DEVELOPMENT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

We have constructed and established this web site to ensure that today's wine bibber can find a source that continually researches and establishes the development and refinement of wine production in the United States of America in a historical presentation to preserve the way today's American Wine Industry achieved its current status.

We have looked at the history of wine development in the USA and concluded that it can be defined as having three distinctly identifiable periods as defined below:

Initialization and Migration 1560 - 1825

This period is defined as the time from first arrival of “foreigners” to the ”new world” and continuing up to the year of about 1825 with the start of America’s great period when it was declared that it “was our manifest destiny to make the United States, one country reaching from coast to coast.” This became part of what was known as “The Monroe Doctrine.” Many tried to "force" European varietals" to grow in the "New World" (then limited to the eastern states) but with no beneficial results. Some were producing wines from indigenious grape varietals. Meanwhile, others were producing wines from non grape fruits and berries and from honey.

Click here to start your journey in the "New World" wine production attempts, failures and successes ->>The Beginning of Wine in America

Expansionism and Refinement 1825 - 1933

The biginning of this period is when the grape winemakers moved from American varietals and their “foxy tastes” to the palette in the eastern states, to the pioneers moving towards the West Coast and into production using European varietals with their “refined European style after-taste.”

The period lasts through the enactment of Prohibition in 1920 with the adoption of the 18th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which forbid the commercial production of alcoholic beverages and human conception of them, up to the Repeal Act of prohibition in 1933 (21st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution). Because of the Prohibition era, this period also includes the dismantling of varietal wines and the move towards fortified and sweeten wines of much higher alcohol content.

Resurrection and Perfection: 1933 - Present (2009)

This period commences with the repeal of the failed social legislation prohibiting the production and consumption of commercial alcoholic beverages after 13 years of attempt to govern the mores and morals of the people and includes all the advancements made up to present.

It constitutes the period when winemaking retreated from sweet, fortified wines and moved back to premium varietals and excellent generic wines produced in mass quantities.

Monday, June 16, 2008

The Beginning of Wine in America

The South and “Scuppernong”

America’s First Entry to Wine Production - The 1650s

Back in 1989, just short of 20 years ago,Jan Aaron, in his book “Wine Routes of America,” describes the region as having about 44 wineries: Alabama (1), Arkansas (3), Florida (2), Georgia (4), Louisiana (1), Mississippi (3), North Carolina (3), Sourth Carolina (1), Tennessee (4), Virginia (21), and West Virginia (3).

Thus far we identified __ winery operations and ___+_ support/advocacy groups within the southern states. The distribution of wineries is: Alabama (__), Arkansas (__), Florida (__), Georgia (__), Louisiana (__), Mississippi (__), North Carolina (__), Sourth Carolina (__), Tennessee (__), Virginia (__), and West Virginia (__). Today grape varietals (both European and American) are used by __% of the wineries, __% produce wine from grapes, other fruit sources honey, while __% produce their wine from non-grape and honey sources. _____ of these wineries make fruit & grape blended wines, ____ wineries also include a distillery, and ____ makes a beer.

Early History
The French explorer, Giovanni de Verazano, is credited with being the first non-native of the continent to site and record his finding of grapes in the “New World” which would soon become the United States of America. The year was 1524 and the place was the Cape Fear River Valley, North Carolina. The grapes they sighted were the native grape later labeled “Muscadine,” of the vitis rotund folia species.

According to Thomas Pinney in his book, A History of Wine in America: From the Beginnings to Prohibition." Berkeley: University of California Press, c1989. (also available at this web site: http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft967nb63q/ ), The earliest winemaking in the continental United States is credited to the Spaniards of Santa Elena, South Carolina, around 1568. “

Beginning around 1562, The “French Huguenot’s” fermented the cherry size grape that grows in clusters unlike all other grape species which grow in bunches. On the web site of the Hugenot Society of South Africa, http://www.geocities.com/hugenoteblad/hist-hug.htm?20088 they say ...Huguenots were French Protestants who were members of the Reformed Church which was established in 1550 by John Calvin.

The origin of the name Huguenot is uncertain, but dates from approximately 1550 when it was used in court cases against "heretics" (dissenters from the Roman Catholic Church). There is a theory that it is derived from the personal name of Besançon Hugues, the leader of the "Confederate Party" in Geneva, in combination with a Frankish corruption of the German word for conspirator or confederate: eidgenosse. Thus, Hugues plus eidgenot becomes Huguenot, with the intention of associating the Protestant cause with some very unpopular politics.

O.I.A. Roche, in his book The Days of the Upright, a History of the Huguenots, writes that "Huguenot" is "a combination of a Flemish and a German word. In the Flemish corner of France, Bible students who gathered in each other's houses to study secretly were called Huisgenooten, or "house fellows," while on the Swiss and German borders they were termed Eidgenossen, or "oath fellows," that is, persons bound to each other by an oath. Gallicized into "Huguenot," often used deprecatingly, the word became, during two and a half centuries of terror and triumph, a badge of enduring honor and courage."

(If you would like more information, go to the web site shown immediately above)

In 1584, Sir Walter Raleighs' exploration party found what he called the “mother” Muscadine vine, measuring about a half an acre in size, on Roanoke Island.

The early inhabitants of these southern states carried this robust grape as they moved about and cultivated it where ever they went.

About the turn of the century leading into the 1700s, the grape become widely known along the mid-Atlantic coastal and southern states as “Scuppernong.” One version is that the name was derived from the Algonquin Indians (large population along Canadian and north Atlantic state coasts); specifically the name comes from the Indian word “Ascopa" meaning “Sweetbay tree.” In the well noted author Leon Adams' book, "The Wines of America" (1973, Houghton Mifflin Co.), he wrote : ‘Ascuponung‘ meaning place of the Ascopo, appeared on old maps of North Carolina as the name of the river in Washington County, near Albernale Sound. Later maps spelled it ‘Cuscoponung‘, then ‘Cusponung,‘” next Scuponung,’ and ’Scupuning, until 1800 the spelling of the river had become Scuppernog.”

Garrett & Co - Captain Paul Garrett of Virginia (circa 1900), New York (1913) and California. (1940). In 1865 his father and uncle purchased the 1st commercial winery in North Carolina named “Medoc Vineyard,” which had originated in 1835 under the ownership of one Sidney Weller. In 1884, Garrett became salesman for his family’s wine traveling thoughout the south trying to place the wine. By 1900, when he was only 27 years old he managed to sell their entire production output, but the winery had by that time been sold to another organization and they refused to honor his commission earnings and sold around him. Thus he began his own winery, Garrett & Company.

By 1919, Garrett had 17 plants processing grape juice and wine among North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Missouri, New York and California. He created “Virginia Dare,” the most popular wine for about 20 years before, and for a few years after, Prohibition (1920-1933). He was the number one planter, marketer and producer of wines made primarily from the Scuppernong grape but blended with Concord and California juice.

In 1934, he tried to convince California winegrowers that the future of American wines would be founded in the mixing of the native American species, Labrusca, with the European species, viniferous, but Californians would not give the concept any merit. Over three decades later, bulk winemakers imported Labrusca based juice to mix with California grown grape juices to produce a “Cold Duck” type sparkling wine.

At the height of his wine production, his facilities were producing over ____________ cases of wine sold across America.

New England Winegrowing - The Early 1600s
Jan Aaron, in his book “Wine Routes of America,” describes the region as having around 19 wineries, distributed among Connecticut (7), Maine (2), Massachusetts (4), New Hampshire (1), Rhode Island (4) and Vermont (1)

Today, we have identified at least 78 winery operations and eight support/advocacy groups within New England. The distribution of wineries is: Connecticut (20), Maine (10), Massachusetts (26), New Hampshire (7), Rhode Island (7) and Vermont (8). An excellent site to read about wineries of the Atlantic Coast can be found at http://www.eastcoastwineries.blogspot.com/ . For the past history, we recommend you access this web site: http://ecommons.library.cornell.edu/bitstream/1813/8298/1/Gladwin+Hist+Grape+E+US.pdf, to read“ A History of Grape Growing in Eastern United States,” by E. F. Gladwin, 1931 and Thomas Pinney in his book, "A History of Wine in America: From the Beginnings to Prohibition." Berkeley: University of California Press, c1989. (also available at this web site: http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft967nb63q/ )

Early History
First winemaker/winemaking in the New Colony World---------robably the first “foreigner” in the New World to make wine is credited by Thomas Pinney in his book, listed above (also at this web site: http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft967nb63q/ ) to a “Dr. Laurence Bohune (or Boone),” in Virgina and made from domestic grapes and this was done around 1610.

Winegrowing in this sub-region starts with >the Pilgrims of Plymouth, Massachusetts, who were making wine in 1623. It was served at the first celebration of our great national holiday “Thanksgiving” in the same year.

Significant contributors to the attempts to use European species were made by such noted gentlemen as Lord Delaware (History ___), Lord Baltimore (History ___), William Penn History ___), Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop authorized wine grapes on Governor’s Island, Boston Harbor, (now the location of Logan Airport) in 1632,
and Governor John Printz (History ___).

The Concord Grape
An interesting bit of history about this sub region is the http://www.concordgrape.org/ ) stipulates the following: “Experimenting with seeds from some of the native species, Boston-born Ephraim Wales Bull developed the Concord grape in 1849. On his farm outside Concord, down the road from the Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne and Alcott homesteads, he planted some 22,000 seedlings in all, before he had produced the ideal grape. Early ripening, to escape the killing northern frosts, but with a rich, full-bodied flavor, the hardy Concord grape thrives where European cuttings had failed to survive. In 1853, Mr. Bull felt ready to put the first bunches of his Concord grapes before the public -- and won first prize at the Boston horticultural Society exhibition. From these early arbors, fame of Mr. Bull’s ('the father of the Concord grape') Concord grape spread world-wide, bringing him up to $1,000 a cutting, but he died a relatively poor man. The inscription on his tombstone states, ‘He sowed--others reaped.’ “ The web site location, www.nal.usda.gov/speccoll/collect/history/grapespg.htm , shows a picture of the first Concord grape vine grown by Mr. Bull.

Perhaps the most interest bit of missing information from the Concord Grape Association web site is that it obviously avoids any mention of the use of the juice from the Concord grape to produce wine! However, not all organizations are devoid of the fact that the Concord grape played a large role in wine production, especially during the era of Prohibition and the years that lead up to its enactment. The web site, (http://www.concordgrapebelt.org/ )The Grape Belt Heritage Association site says: “Our Mission Statement - To encourage and support the dynamic economic development of the grape and wine industries, tourism, and associated industries throughout the Lake Erie Region that is built upon our Concord grape heritage and results in an enhanced quality of life for all the region's citizens.”

In the well noted author Leon Adams' book, "The Wines of America" (1973, Houghton Mifflin Co.), he says the following: "I found only one record of commercial winegrowing in New England during the nineteenth century. It is a letter published in the American Wine Press and Mineral Water News for August 1900. The writer, one Albert Bernard of Meriden, Connecticut, described Meriden as a wine-producing locality at the time. In particular, he mentioned a ‘Coe Farm’ southwest of Meriden as having cultivated Concord and Worden grapes for wine between 1894 and 1897, and as having produced ‘a superior claret’ that was sold in Hartford and in New York City.”

What Slowed the Progress of Commercial Wine Production? 1625-1825
When studying the growth of the American Wine Industry during its infancy in the period of the 1600s to early 1800s, it becomes immensely clear that the budding industry was bent with the desire of the initial foreigners to this nation wanting to cultivate the grape varietals with which they were most familiar from their original countries in Europe. So much sure were they that the abundance of native grape vine in American surely would mean that the European varietals would also thrive. How wrong they were! The native varietals had ions to adjust to pests and the weather conditions and redeveloped themselves into species that could survive the environment. On the other hand, the European varietals had not previously been exposed to the pests and parasites of the American environment. Nor had they been faced with the often harsh cold and/or humid environment of the Americas and thus, they had no defenses and succumbed. These conditions and the results were mostly not understood by the early immigrants desiring of producing wine from the vines with which they were most familiar.

Then, there was the English throne ordering the production of other economically important crops of tobacco and silk which would compete for the land space that could otherwise be dedicated to grape cultivation.

The next big impact on wine production was the expansion of production of grain mash and molasses into distilled spirits with much more alcoholic kick than was offered by a wine product. So, while the wine industry tried in vein to force the adaptation of the European varietals in the New World environment and failing in attempt after attempt for almost a cenury, distilled beverage grew rapidly as the alcoholic beverage of choice. Along with this growth came the consequence of intoxication and the subsequent attempts to introduce social reform towards temperance as a way to reduce the negative effects of over indulgence in alcoholic beverages. The primary block to wine production was governmental taxation which on the basis of alcohol percentages drove the consumer to distilled spirits which in effect were taxed at a lower rate than wine based on proof of the bottle.

Add to the above three destructive factors to eastern wine production, the introduction in the early to mid 1800s of cheap generic wines being made in California and shipped in bulk to the east coast for bottling and distribution. This new influence practically destroyed the growth of wine production in the eastern states.

It is thus no wonder that the great population centers of the eastern and well established states of America turned to imported wine from the European countries; wines to which their palate was already well familiar.

THE PACIFIC SIDE OF NORTH AMERICA
While the Spanish, French and English were busy on the eastern side of the continent, the Spanish were also making great progress on the Pacific side.

Spanish missionaries appear to have been producing wines in what is today known as the New Mexico area (then included what would become the states of New Mexico Texas and __________) as early as about mid 1620’s

A young man named Jose Serra was studying at the school of the Order of St. Francis. The teachers were called “Franiscan Friars“ (the latter word meaning “brothers”). Later, when he became a Brother, he would trade his first name in for the name “Junipero.” In the early days of his Brotherhood starting about the age of 17, Junipero taught in lower California. About 20 years into his work he was instructed to go, along with other Brothers, and start the work of opening Missions in “Alta California.” His first was Mission San Diego in mid July 1769. Although most sources apply this period as the beginning of the winegrowing industry in the Missions of California, the historian Thomas Pinney in his book cited earlier, indicates his research establishes the actual date of wine growing as somewhere around 1782 at San Juan Capistrano Mission.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS

African American Wine Tasting Society --- http://www.aawts.org/

American Beverage Licensees --- http://www.ablusa.org/home.asp

American Farm Bureau --- http://www.fb.org/

American Society for Enology & Viticulture (ASEV) --- http://www.asev.org/

American Society for Horticultural Science --- http://www.ashs.org/

American Wine Society --- http://www.americanwinesociety.org/web/welcome.htm

Coalition for Free Trade --- http://www.coalitionforfreetrade.org/ - A non-profit legal foundation working to legalize direct shipping

CropLife America --- http://www.croplifeamerica.org/ - (Formerly known as: American Crop Protection Association)

Entomological Society of America --- http://www.entsoc.org/

Free the Grapes --- http://www.freethegrapes.org/ - A coalition of consumers & winemakers working on direct shipping issues

Institute of Food Technologists --- http://www.ift.org/cms/

National Association of Beverage Importers (NABI) --- http://www.nabi-inc.org/ - The National Trade Association for Beer, Wine, & Spirits Importers

National Conference of State Liquor Administrators --- http://www.ncsla.org/states.htm

National Farmers Union --- http://nfu.org/

National Grape & Wine Initiative --- http://www.ngwi.org/ - "NGWI is a nationwide coalition representing all segments of the grape industry including: raisin, juice, fresh grape and wine. NGWI membership includes grape growers, processors, wineries and representatives of academic institutions and cooperative extension organizations committed to improving our industry."

Produce Marketing Association --- http://www.pma.com/

Scientific Societies http://www.scisoc.org/ - "Welcome to Scientific Societies, the headquarters and administrative offices of several scientific associations. Please feel free to visit the various websites and initiatives of the associations we represent."

Society of Wine Educators --- http://www.societyofwineeducators.org/public/index.aspx

Soil Science Society of America --- https://www.soils.org/

Specialty Wine Retailers Association - -- http://www.specialtywineretailers.org/ - "...members include wine merchants, wine auction houses, wine e-tailers, catalogers and wine clubs that operate (collectively) in 30 states "

US Export/Import Statistics --- http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/bico/bico_frm.asp - "...employs about 420 people covering food and agricultural production, consumer trends, and trade issues in about 130 countries. U.S. agricultural exports support about 925,650 jobs."

US Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB) --- http://www.ttb.treas.gov/ - Specific to wine: http://www.ttb.treas.gov/wine/index.shtm

USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service --- http://www.nass.usda.gov/index.asp - "...provides timely, accurate, and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture"

Weed Science Society of America --- http://www.wssa.net/

Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America --- http://www.wswa.org/

Wine Market Council --- http://www.winemarketcouncil.com/

WineAmerica, The National Association of American Wineries --- http://www.wineamerica.org/

"...now over 800 wineries in 48 states, Membership Application for wineries located in California: WineAmerica has a joint membership program with the Family Winemakers of California. By joining both associations, you receive unparalleled benefits at the state and national level. Join the WineAmerica-FWC Joint Program
Suppliers - click on the application below to join or visit the Supplier Member page to learn more about the benefits of partnering with WineAmerica and to join online.:"

Women for WineSense --- http://www.womenforwinesense.org/

Friday, June 13, 2008

Feedsock & Varietal Advocacy Groups

Wine is essentially made from three feedstock categories:

Honey which is used to make Mead wine.

Fruits (other than grapes)
Typical fruit wines are made from Apple, Blueberry,Cherry, Cranberry, Peach,
Pear, Plum, Raspberry and Strawberry. Here are some examples" Allegheny Shadbush Wine, Agarita Wine, Aronia Berry Wine, Autumn Olive Wine, Barberry Wine, Bilberry Wines, Black Raspberry Wine, Black Cherry Wine, Chickweed Wine, Chicory Wine, Chokecherry Wine, Cloudberry Wine, Damson Wine, Dandelion Wine, Downy Serviceberry Wine, Elderberry Wines, Gooseberry Wines, Gorse Wine, Greengage Wine, Hackberry Wine, Highbush Cranberry Wine, Huckleberry Wine, Huisache Flower Wine, Madrone Berry Wines, Mayhaw Wine, Mesquite Bean Wine, Mountain Ash Wine, Nettles Wines, Pawpaw Wine, Persimmon Wine, Plum Wines, Prickly Pear Cactus Wine, Red Clover Wines. Red Raspberry Wine, Salal Berry Wines, Sand Burr Wine, Saskatoon Serviceberry Wine, Sloe Wine, Staghorn Sumac Wine, Thimbleberry Wine

Grapes
The wines in America are made from indigenous grape varietals, foreign originated varietals and hybrid varietals representing clones of native and foreign varietals. There just too many to list them all here but there are many resources on the Internet that will provide you knowledge on all these varietals. We will shortly provide with a listing here which will link to the better sites we have identified to date.

Some of the resources on all three type of feedstock are listed below so that you can click on and visit the sites that interest you the most.

--- Concord Grape Association --- http://www.concordgrape.org/

--- Honey Wine --- http://www.honeywine.com/index.php

--- North American Blueberry Council --- http://www.blueberry.org/

--- North American Bramble Growers Association --- http://www.raspberryblackberry.com/

--- North American Strawberry Growers Association --- http://www.nasga.org/

--- Rhone Rangers --- http://www.rhonerangers.org/

--- Rose' Avengers" and Producers --- http://www.rapwine.com/members.php/

--- Sirah Advocacy Group --- http://www.psiloveyou.org/index.php

--- Wild Blueberry Association of North America --- http://www.wildblueberries.com/

--- Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society --- http://www.tapasociety.org/ /

--- World of Pinot Noir --- http://www.worldofpinotnoir.com/

--- Zin Advocates and Producers --- http://www.zinfandel.org/

WINE RELATED FORUMS

Lets Talk Wine --- http://www.letstalkwine.com/

Snooth --- http://www.snooth.com/talk

Vino Cellar --- http://www.vinocellar.com/

West Coast Wine --- http://westcoastwine.net/

Wine Country Magazine Message Boards ---http://www.winecountry.com/cgi-bin/ubb/Ultimate.cgi/

Wine HQ --- http://forum.winehq.org/

Wine Lovers Page --- http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/index.php

Wine Marketer Forums --- http://www.winemarketer.com/forums/

Wine Spectator --- http://forums.winespectator.com/6/ubb.x

Wine Talk --- http://winetalk.com/

Wine Web --- http://www.wineweb.com/fusetalk/forum/index.cfm?forumid=1

Wineography --- http://forums.wineography.com/

WINE RELATED BLOGS WE FOLLOW

WINE RELATED BLOGS WE FOLLOW:--- Basic Juice --- http://basicjuice.com/links/friends.html

--- California Winery Mall --- http://www.cawinemall.com/ --- California Winery Mall

--- Jennifer Rosen's Cork Jester --- http://www.corkjester.com/

--- Fermentations --- http://fermentation.typepad.com/fermentation/

--- Grape Radio--web podcast --- http://graperadio.com/

--- Grape Radio--web podcast --- http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/20061003_1 --- Jancis Robinson

--- Lenn Devours --- http://www.lenndevours.com/

--- Napa Now --- http://www.napanow.com/blogs.html

--- Natalie Maclean --- http://nataliemaclean.com/

--- SwirlSniffTaste ---http://swirlsnifftaste.blogspot.com/

--- VineSugar --- http://www.vinesugar.com/

--- Vinography --- http://vinography.com/

--- winberis --- http://winberis.com/

--- Wine Cast--web podcast --- http://winecast.net/

--- Wine Geeks --- http://winegeeks.com/

--- Wine Ways --Two Women Find A Place in the World of Wine --- http://wine.blogs.com/

--- Vivis Wine journal --- http://vivisjournal.com/vivis_wine_notes/

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Press Release Source: OpenWine Consortium

Tuesday June 10, 6:01 am ET

“Changing World of Wine Journalism Focus of 2008 Wine Bloggers Conference

Wine Bloggers From Across America to Converge in Wine Country October 24-26
SONOMA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--America’s new wine media will gather in Sonoma County, California on October 24-26 for the first annual Wine Bloggers Conference. As the number and influence of wine bloggers grows, the Sonoma gathering will bring together hundreds of online wine scribes to discuss their impact, how to better impart information to wine lovers across the globe, and how to stake their claim as the next generation of wine media.

Organized by the OpenWine Consortium and Zephyr Wine Adventures, the three-day conference will take place at the Flamingo Resort and Spa in Santa Rosa, California. Wine Bloggers and other attendees will be treated to a series of seminars, vineyard walks, wine dinners, tasting competitions, and an exposition of mass wine blogging.

WINE BLOGGING CHANGING WINE JOURNALISM
“Wine blogging in America has exploded in terms of the number of people maintaining wine blogs as well as their impact on how wine lovers and the industry get their news,” said Joel Vincent, an organizer of the conference. “The wine blogging community has always been close knit but never had an event of its own or opportunity to all come together to discuss the state of their efforts.”
In addition to wine bloggers, the conference is open to wine industry participants and media professionals that want to learn more about the wine blogging community and how it is changing the way wine information and news is communicated.
Among the speakers at the 2008 Wine Bloggers Conference will be Alice Feiring, an award-winning writer and author who also maintains her own wine blog, and Gary Vaynerchuk, author, wine retailer and proprietor of the wildly popular Wine Library TV videoblog.
WINE BLOGGERS WIELDING INCREASED CLOUT
The sponsors of this year’s conference indicate the importance and growing influence of wine bloggers. Among those sponsoring the conference are Sebastiani Vineyards, the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau, Inertia Beverage Group, the Sonoma County Vintners Association, and the Sonoma Winegrape Commission.
“For decades wine writing and popular wine education has been dominated by a few visible critics and wine publications, yet the emergence of hundreds of wine blogs and their millions of readers is changing that old model,” explained Vincent. “Technology is changing the wine industry is covered and explored that has a broader and more democratic character. The bloggers attending this year’s conference are responsible for implementing these changes.”
More information on the 2008 Wine Bloggers Conference can be found at: http://www.winebloggersconference.com.
OpenWine Consortium is a global, non-profit wine industry association featuring the newest generation of emerging companies, wineries, publishers, services and a motivated community dedicated to changing the world of wine. Zephyr Wine Adventures is the leading provider of active hiking, biking, and multisport wine vacations in locations throughout the world.

Contact:
OpenWine Consortium
Joel Vincent, 408-889-9993
joel@winelifetoday.com
or
Wark Communications
Tom Wark, 707-933-9313
tom@warkcommunications.com “

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

MEDIA RESOURCES

FOR CHANGES/ADDITIONS/DELETIONS TO THIS SITE E-MAIL US AT: amerwine@aol.com

NATIONAL

Local Wine Events Lists events throughout the world with great detail on USA wineries.

The Wine Report® Magazine They claim: “America's Largest Freely Circulated Wine Publication”

The Wine Website Report Extracted from their website: "The Winery Web Site Report helps you (the wineries) sell more of your wine (both online and offline) by showing exactly what you must do to improve the "visitor effectiveness" of your winery Web site."

Wine Business News

Wine News they claim: Published bi-monthly since 1985, our upscale, consumer- oriented magazine educates, guides and entertains its wine-savvy readers and hopes to do the same for net surfers with a thirst for the latest wine news.

Wine Spectator Magazine

Wine Television

Wines and Vines Magazine

CALIFORNIA

California Wineland - Correia-Xavier, Incorporated is an appraisal firm specializing in the valuation of agricultural and rural properties in California. The firm is active in specialized appraisal and consulting services, with special emphasis on larger, complex properties, challenging appraisal assignments, the wine industry, water rights, undivided property interests, and conservation easements.

Contra Costa Times-Food & Wine

Inside Bay Area Online-Wine

Napa Valley Register You can reach all the other Napa County papers through this link.

Northbay Business Journal Often carries feature articles relating to wine industry business.

Sacto Bee - Food & Wine

San Jose Mercury - Food & Wine

Santa Rosa Press Demo - Food & Wine

SF Gate - Chronicle -Wine

Sonoma Sun Newspaper

THE AMERICAN WINE INDUSTRY - Regions, States and their History

Sunday, June 21, 2009

American Wine Industry Hall of Fame

Thursday, April 02, 2009