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48-617: The Rhone Rangers are a group of American winemakers who promote the use of grape varieties from the Rhône Valley . They are mostly based on the West Coast, particularly California , and have created a not-for-profit organization for the promotion of wines containing at least 75% of the 22 Rhône grape varieties . The name is a pun on The Lone Ranger , and was coined by Wine Spectator to describe Randall Grahm for their 1989 April 15 issue, which featured Grahm dressed as

96-439: A varietal , at least 75% of the grapes used to make the wine must be of that varietal. In Oregon , the requirement is 90% for certain varietals, such as pinot noir . At least 95% of the wine must be from a particular vintage for that year to appear on the label. Prior to the early 1970s, all grapes had to be from the vintage year. Additionally, all labels must list the alcohol content based on percentage by volume , state that

144-463: A vintage year. By law, this is the only appellation allowed for bulk wines exported to other counties. U.S. laws formerly allowed American made wines to be labeled as "American Burgundy " or "California champagne ", even though these names are restricted in Europe. U.S. laws required usage to include the qualifying area of origin to go with these semi-generic names. Other semi-generic names in

192-425: A dark rose, tasting of bitter orange peel and light red fruits, like rhubarb and strawberry.". Angelica made from mission grapes has been described as "unusually sweet," with notes "reminiscent of molasses, dried figs, caramel, nuts and toffee.". Sacramental wine made from this variety has been described as "sickly sweet, with almost no acid to speak". Though Mission grape vines are heavy producers and can adapt to

240-496: A distinct flavor compared to the other; elsewhere they were called California grape . Recently, it has been proposed that the Sonoma grape was brought to Northern California from Peru by Russian settlers of Fort Ross in 1817. Historically, four types of wines were made from this variety: white , a dry red, a sweet red, and a sweet brandy fortified wine. These historic wines did not age well, and would sour after three years. In

288-580: A dramatic increase in plantings after Gary Eberle, then with Estrella River Winery (now Meridian Vineyards ) planted it in Paso Robles and made available the clone he used to other interested growers. With no formal structure or organization, the group disbanded in the early 1990s. Beginning around 1998, a second wave of innovation in the Rhone Rangers movement began with John MacReady of Sierra Vista Winery as its executive director. The structure

336-531: A label can have a multi-county or multi-state designation so long as the percentages used from each county or state are specified on the label. American wine or United States is a rarely used appellation that classifies a wine made from anywhere in the United States, including Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. Wines with this designation are similar to the French wine vin de table , and can not include

384-495: A variety of climates, table wine made from the fruit tends to be rather characterless, and thus its use in wine making has diminished in modern times. However, as both contemporary accounts and those of the last two centuries attest, angelica, the fortified wine made from the grape, is sometimes a wine of note and distinction; in its angelica form, it has been described as having similar regional importance as port to Portugal, sherry to Spain, and marsala to Sicily. The Mission grape

432-643: A vineyard of French vinifera in Pennsylvania ; it may have interbred with a native Vitis labrusca vine to create the hybrid grape Alexander . One of the first commercial wineries in the United States was founded in 1787 by Pierre Legaux in Pennsylvania. A settler in Indiana in 1806 produced wine made from the Alexander grape. Today, French-American hybrid grapes are the staples of wine production on

480-552: Is related to the pink Criolla grape of Argentina, and the red País grape of Chile. Despite being almost extinct in California after a century of being maligned and put down as an inferior grape, recently interest has increased in Mission again. A lot of smaller producers are embracing its long history and the very few plantings still left in the state. It is a drought resistant plant. In December 2006, Spanish scholars from

528-498: Is used as rootstock for wine grape varieties. The missionaries used the Mission grape . (In South America , this grape is known as criolla or "colonialized European".) Although a Vitis vinifera variety, it is a grape of "very modest" quality. Jean-Louis Vignes was one of the early settlers to use a higher quality vinifera in his vineyard near Los Angeles . The first winery in the United States to become commercially successful

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576-526: The Augusta AVA in Missouri was established as the first American Viticultural Area under the new appellation system. For the sake of wine labeling purposes, the use of state and county appellations were grandfathered in and are still used often in lieu of AVAs. There are 276 distinct AVAs designated under U.S. law as of October 2024. In order to have an AVA appear on a wine label , at least 85% of

624-824: The East Coast of the United States . On November 21, 1799, the Kentucky General Assembly passed a bill to establish a commercial vineyard and winery. The vinedresser for the vineyard was John James Dufour, formerly of Vevey, Switzerland . The vineyard was located overlooking the Kentucky River in Jessamine County in what is known as Blue Grass country of central Kentucky. Dufour named it First Vineyard on November 5, 1798. The vineyard's current address in 5800 Sugar Creek Pike, Nicholasville, Kentucky . The first wine from First Vineyard

672-490: The Great Depression , consumers demanded cheap "jug wine" (so-called dago red) and sweet, fortified (high alcohol) wine. Before Prohibition, dry table wines outsold sweet wines by three to one, but afterward, the ratio of demand changed dramatically. As a result, by 1935, 81% of California's production was sweet wines. For decades, wine production was low and limited. Leading the way to new methods of wine production

720-735: The 1860s, vineyards in the Ohio River Valley were attacked by black rot . This prompted several wine-makers to move north to the Finger Lakes region of western New York. During this time, the Missouri wine industry, centered on the German colony in Hermann , was expanding rapidly along both shores of the Missouri River west of St. Louis . By the end of the century, the state was second to California in wine production. In

768-526: The 19th century, the grape was known by several other names, including the Los Angeles grape, and the California grape. The original European strain, until recently, had been lost, thus the grapes' being named "Mission grapes" since they were generally grown in Spanish missions. Prior to 1522, wine was made from grapes native to the area around Mexico City. However, finding the wine produced lacking, it

816-627: The 21st century, the mission variety is grown in Amador , Calaveras , and Santa Barbara counties, as well as in Lodi in San Joaquin County. From these growers, they have produced angelica , dry , and table wines . Other wines made from this variety are natural red , port, sacramental , and sherry. When made into a table wine, it creates a wine described as "very light boddied, yet extremely tannic, often indistinguishable in color from

864-652: The Centro Nacional de Biotecnología in Madrid uncovered the name and origin of the mysterious Mission grape, as well as which were the earliest European vines grown in the Americas. Their findings are due to appear in the journal of the American Society of Enology and Viticulture. The scholars determined that the Mission grape's DNA matched a little-known Spanish variety called Listan Prieto . Listan

912-569: The Lone Ranger under the title "The Rhône Ranger" (singular). The name was subsequently used for other winemakers. In the 1980s, Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyard and Bob Lindquist of Qupé Wine Cellars , among others, began popularizing the marketing of the Rhône varieties . Their success helped to revive plantings of many traditional Rhône grapes that were dying out in California like Grenache , Mourvedre and Viognier . Syrah also saw

960-478: The Mission grape recall the use of simplistic methods utilizing cowhides, grape treading , and leather bags. The first pressing, producing white wine, later pressings producing red wine, and brandy distilled from the remaining residue. During the 19th century, the Mission grape was used to make strong wines similar to port and sherry . The wine produced by the mission grape was described by Julius Dresel as having "a marked Burgundy flavor,". Yet, that opinion of

1008-499: The United States include Claret , Chablis , Chianti , Madeira , Malaga , Marsala , Moselle , Port , Rhine wine , Sauternes (often spelled on U.S. wine labels as Sauterne or Haut Sauterne ), Sherry , and Tokay . The practice largely ceased in 2006 with the Wine Trade Agreement, though brands that were already using the terms can continue the practice, considered grandfathered in. For bottles labeled with

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1056-540: The United States, and at least one winery in each of the 50 states. Production of wine per state in 2023 was as follows: The early American appellation system was based on the political boundaries of states and counties . In September 1978, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (now Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau ) developed regulations to establish American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) based on distinct climate and geographical features. In June 1980,

1104-479: The United States. As of 2022, the U.S. produces over 752 million gallons of wine a year, of which California produces 81%, followed by New York, Washington, and Oregon. In the second decade of the 21st century, the US wine industry faces the growing challenges of competition from international exports and managing domestic regulations on interstate sales and shipment of wine. There are nearly 3,000 commercial vineyards in

1152-500: The United States. In addition, there are around 332,000 other locations (bars, restaurants, etc.) that sell wine, contributing to the $ 30+ billion in annual sales over the past three years. In 2010, the average monthly per-store sales of wine jumped to nearly $ 12,000 from $ 9,084 in 2009. The average gross margin dollars from wine increased to $ 3,324 from $ 2,616 in the year prior, with gross margin percentages up to an average 28.2 percent in 2010, versus 27 percent in 2009. As of 2024 ,

1200-693: The amount of land which Mission grapes were grown on reduced from 30,000 acres (12,000 ha) to 5,000 acres (2,000 ha). During the Prohibition era, the grape largely disappeared from California, with wine made in Mexico smuggled into the United States. One vineyard in Santa Barbara County had sagebrush grown over it, to hide it from being ripped out by prohibitionists; while others were just abandoned. Afterwards it has largely been replaced by noble grape varieties . As of 2016 ,

1248-417: The clones available to other vineyards. American wine The first Europeans to explore North America, a Viking expedition from Greenland, called it Vinland because of the profusion of grape vines they found. The earliest wine made in what is now the United States was produced between 1562 and 1564 by French Huguenot settlers from Scuppernong grapes at a settlement near Jacksonville, Florida . In

1296-509: The country resorted to bootlegging , home wine-making also became common, allowed through exemptions for sacramental wines and production for home use. Following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, operators tried to revive the American wine-making industry, which was nearly ended. Many talented wine-makers had died, vineyards had been neglected or replanted with table grapes , and Prohibition had changed Americans' taste in wines. During

1344-686: The early American colonies of Virginia and the Carolinas , wine-making was an official goal laid out in the founding charters . However, settlers discovered that the wine made from the various native grapes had flavors which were unfamiliar and which they did not like. This led to repeated efforts to grow the familiar European Vitis vinifera varieties, beginning with the Virginia Company exporting French vinifera vines with French vignerons to Virginia in 1619. These early plantings met with failure as native pest and vine disease ravaged

1392-614: The entirety of viticulture in California wines . In 1870, Mission grapes were still described as universal; when eaten as fruit they were "pleasant, and agreeable". As late as 1888, 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) of Napa Valley were used to grow Mission grapes. Yet, back in Spain, the vines which the Mission grapes had descended from, were wiped out by phylloxera in all areas except the Canary Islands . From 1880, to 1920,

1440-416: The establishment of Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó in 1697 by Jesuit priest Juan de Ugarte . While two grape varieties were native to California, Vitis californica and Vitis girdiana , neither were used for wine production. The grape was introduced to present-day California in the late 18th century by Franciscan missionaries ; the first planting of the grape in present-day California

1488-466: The first major vineyard and winery was established in 1769 by the Franciscan missionary Junípero Serra near San Diego . Later missionaries carried vines northward; Sonoma 's first vineyard was planted around 1805. California has two native grape varieties, but they make very poor quality wine. The California Wild Grape (Vitis californicus) does not produce wine-quality fruit, although it sometimes

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1536-600: The grapes used to produce the wine must have been grown in the AVA. For a state or county appellation to appear on the wine label, 75% of the grapes used must be from that state or county. Some states have stricter requirements. For example, California requires 100% of the grapes used to be from California for a wine labeled as such, and Washington requires 95% of the grapes in a Washington wine be grown in Washington. If grapes are from two or three contiguous counties or states,

1584-533: The largest producers of wine in the U.S. are: Mission (grape) Mission grapes are a variety of Vitis vinifera introduced from Spain to the western coasts of North and South America by Catholic New World missionaries for use in making sacramental , table, and fortified wines . It is grown in South America, particularly in Chile and Peru, under the names Criolla and Pais . During

1632-667: The late 19th century, the phylloxera epidemic in the West and Pierce's disease in the East ravaged the American wine industry. Prohibition in the United States began when the state of Maine became the first state to go completely dry in 1846. Nationally, Prohibition was implemented after ratification by the states of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920, which forbade

1680-543: The manufacturing, sale and transport of alcohol . Exceptions were made for sacramental wine used for religious purposes, and some wineries were able to maintain minimal production under those auspices, but most vineyards ceased operations. New Mexico was one such region, due to the region's long history of wine making and religious traditions, monks and nuns in New Mexico were able to save long-standing New Mexican sacramental and leisure wine grape lineages. Other parts of

1728-670: The northern part of the state helped to secure foreign investment from other wine-making regions, most notably the Champenois of France. Wine-makers also cultivated vineyards in Oregon and Washington, on Long Island in New York, and numerous other new locales. Americans became more educated about wines, and increased their demand for high-quality wine. All 50 states now have some acreage in vineyard cultivation. By 2004, 668 million gallons (25.3 million hectoliters) of wine were consumed in

1776-837: The oldest surviving living vine of Mission grape exists at Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, with the oldest vine still bearing fruit being at Avila Adobe . In 2017, most of the state's remaining plantings of the Mission grapes are in the Gold Country , growing in about total 1,000 acres (400 ha). By 2019, the United States Department of Agriculture estimated that Mission grapes are grown on about 400 acres (160 ha) in California. Cultivation has also begun in Baja California , Mexico, where 24 acres (9.7 ha) of century old vines are harvested near Tecate . Early accounts of alcoholic beverages made using

1824-694: The state, there are some exceptions, with wineries allowed to sell directly to consumers on site at the winery or to ship wine across state lines. Some states allow interstate sales through e-commerce . In the 2005 case Granholm v. Heald , the Supreme Court of the United States struck down state laws that banned interstate shipments but allowed in-state sales. This Supreme Court decision meant that states could decide to allow both out-of-state wine sales and in-state sales, or ban both altogether. Convenience stores and retail stores are large distributors of wine, with over 175,000 outlets that sell wine across

1872-637: The vineyards. In what would become the Southwestern United States the Spanish Kingdoms of Las Californias and Santa Fe de Nuevo México had missions that were planting vineyards, the traditions of which remain in the modern day California and New Mexico wine industries. New Mexico wine developed first in 1629 making it the oldest wine producing region in the United States, and Mission grapes were being grown for California wine by 1680. In 1683, William Penn planted

1920-533: The wine contains sulfites , and carry the Surgeon General 's warning about alcohol consumption . Following the repeal of Prohibition , the United States federal government allowed each state to regulate its own production and sale of alcohol. For the majority of states, this led to the development of a three-tier distribution system between the producer, wholesaler, and consumer. Depending on

1968-640: The wine's taste wasn't shared by all, and it also received negative and unflattering descriptions. The vine has a twisting thick trunk, looking more like a small tree rather than other types of vines. When fruiting, the vines produce "big, heavy, deep-red grape clusters,". It was also written that the grapes of this variety grown in Northern California were called Sonoma grape , while grapes of this variety grown in Southern California were called Los Angeles Grape , with each imparting

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2016-550: Was consumed by subscribers to the vineyard at John Postelthwaite's house on March 21, 1803. Two 5-gallon oak casks of wine were taken to President Thomas Jefferson in Washington, D. C., in February 1805. The vineyard continued until 1809, when a killing freeze in May destroyed the crop and many vines. The Dufour family abandoned Kentucky, and migrated west to Vevay, Indiana , a center of a Swiss-immigrant community. In California ,

2064-526: Was decreed by Hernán Cortés that sacramental wine was to be made using grapes grown from cuttings from the Old World, and that the grape was to be planted in every Spanish settlement in the New World. Originally brought to Mexico from Spain in the 16th century, they were planted in New Mexico during the early 17th century. Several decades later wine was introduced to present-day Baja California with

2112-439: Was done by Junipero Serra at Mission San Diego de Alcalá in 1769. The next vines to be planted in present-day California were at Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in 1771, cuttings from this vine would be used to start new vines at Pueblo de Los Ángeles around 1786. Eventually vineyards and wine making expanded to each of the Spanish missions in California . By the last decade of the 18th century, Mission San Gabriel Arcángel

2160-535: Was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio , in the mid-1830s by Nicholas Longworth . He made a sparkling wine from Catawba grapes . By 1855, Ohio had 1500 acres in vineyards, according to travel writer Frederick Law Olmsted , who said it was more than in Missouri and Illinois, which each had 1100 acres in wine. German immigrants from the late 1840s had been instrumental in building the wine industry in those states. In

2208-631: Was loosely based on that of the Zinfandel Advocates and Producers , which had been successful in promoting Zinfandel in the industry. MacReady credited the new group's success to its acceptance of the use of Syrah as a blending grape, a controversial view in the eyes of some. Tablas Creek imported new clones of many of the 13 varieties allowed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape , including Grenache blanc , Counoise , and Picpoul blanc that had never before been used in California and made

2256-463: Was making 35,000,000 US gallons (130,000 kL) of wine. In 1820, the wine made from Mission grapes began to be exported overseas. A dessert wine made from the Mission grapes of the missions gained a reputation of quality in Europe. Making wine was a leading source of revenue for the missions, but ceased after secularization in the 1830s ; eventually the vineyards of the missions began to be abandoned. Until about 1865, Mission grapes represented

2304-514: Was research conducted at the University of California, Davis , and at some of the state universities in New York. Faculty at the universities published reports on which varieties of grapes grew best in which regions, held seminars on wine-making techniques, consulted with grape growers and wine-makers, offered academic degrees in viticulture, and promoted the production of quality wines. In the 1970s and 1980s, success by Californian wine-makers in

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